Syllabus
SEMINAR ON
REEFS
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Instructor:
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Dr. Constance M. Soja
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Office:
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Ho 342-343; x 7200
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Textbooks:
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Sapp, J. 1999.
What is Natural? Coral Reef Crisis.
Wood, R. 1999.
Reef Evolution. (backordered; see reserve copies)
(Optional: Spalding, M. et.al. 2001.
World Atlas of Coral Reefs).
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Grade Assessment
The course grade will be determined as follows:
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1. Seminar presentations
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25%
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- Evaluation will be based on the three presentations you give during the semester about
the research you and others have done using the primary literature and reliable web
resources. I will assess the quality of the outline you prepare as a handout for each
talk, debate, or review; content and relevance of information presented orally or as posters;
timely appearance and selection of appropriate article(s) for course participants to read
in advance; and list of references you provide. Please note that it is an expectation
(=requirement) of this course that those giving presentations on Tuesday evenings will
have made 2 copies of a relevant and appropriate research article available to non-presenters
no later than the preceding Friday; those presenting on Thursday afternoons will have made
their copies available no later than Monday. It is also an expectation that the articles
will remain in the Paleo lab (Lathrop 403), except for short excursions to the xerox room,
for the benefit of everyone.
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2. Research paper & symposium presentation
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25%
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- Instead of a final, you will complete a research paper on a topic related to the
course material and give an oral presentation to the class at the end of the semester
(specific instructions will be made available at a later date). As with other assignments,
the goal of this research is to encourage you to learn more about reefs while
developing valuable thinking, writing, and speaking skills that will be critical
in any career you choose to pursue. Papers will be graded on scientific content
and accuracy, organization, and careful presentation of material. You are strongly
encouraged to have one or more of your colleagues review and edit your paper before
you hand it in. Careful proofreading will be critical as correct grammar and spelling,
etc., will count most definitely in your favor when evaluating your paper!
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3. Detailed outline of final research paper
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10%
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- Due shortly after spring break, this annotated, 2-paged, typed outline will ensure
that you have at least a half-semester start on your final research topic. Please
include a minimum of 5 non-web, current and up-to-date, primary references. Note that
a hasty (e.g., shoddy) outline will have a negative impact on the final grade for your
paper.
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4. Participation in discussions
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15%
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- Active participation in discussions involving all aspects of the course is
encouraged. Be prepared to ask and answer questions, debate issues, contribute
information from assigned articles and individual research, offer opposing points
of view, and generate opinions on discussion topics.
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5. Annotated bibliography of assigned readings
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15%
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- I will use an informal grading system to check your written notes of each week's
assigned articles:  + (supersatisfactory);
(satisfactory); - (unsatisfactory).
Your notes should include and emphasize the following: complete citation of article;
major points of the article; author's major conclusions; relevance and appropriateness
of evidence cited to support conclusions; new geologic ideas/concepts/information not
encountered by you before; major unanswered questions or questions resolved; and
relevance to broader topic being discussed. Turn in a xerox copy of your notes at
the beginning of each class for me to "grade"; keep a copy for you to refer to during
seminar discussions.
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6. Response essay, peer interview, and Environmental Review
assignment
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10%
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- To emphasize the importance of making science accessible to the general public,
each of you will compose a response essay to a reef video and also produce an
informational article, poem, short story, play, interactive exercise (for school
children or college students), video, etc. about reefs. Your goal is to craft
something in a special, creative way that will educate the general public about
the importance and value of reefs in human society. This will require you to
extract and judiciously use information from everything you have learned in the
first part of the semester, including interviews with your peers about their
research. The class will decide which of these to submit for possible publication
in Colgate's annual Environmental Review.
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