Course Prefix: BOT
Course Number: 203
Course Name: Plant Biology III
Instructor Last Name: Antell
Delivery Mode: Individualized study
Number of Course: BOT 203
Name of Course: Plant Biology, III
Catalog/Course Description: Vascular plant taxonomy and spring flower identification.
Credit Hours: Five
Instructor Information:
Dr. Karen Antell
Badgley Hall 303E
Eastern Oregon University
One University Blvd
La Grande, OR 97850
541-962-3610
kantell@eou.edu
http://www2.eou.edu/~kantell/
Prerequisites: BIOL 101, 102, or BIOL 211, 212, or BOT 201, 202
Time and place of the course:
This course is self-study; students learn and are assessed at a pace that they determine. Two terms is allowed for completion of the course unless students are receiving federal financial aid, in which case the course must be completed in one term.
Required Text and Other Materials:
Walters, Dirk R. and David J. Keil.
2006. Vascular Plant Taxonomy, 5th Edition; Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company;
ISBN 0-7575-1214-3.
Learning Outcomes:
Students successfully completing this course should have an introductory to intermediate level of knowledge of plant identification terminology, and be able to recognize several of the most common plant families in North America. They should be familiar with the vocabulary of plant identification, collection, history of taxonomy and rules of nomenclature. They should develop some experience with looking for and identifying plants in the field.
Course Requirements:
Students must complete each of the four requirements listed below:
· Students will read the following chapters in the text: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and portions of 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.
· Students will complete two written exams. Exam I will cover chapters 1-3, 7. Exam II will cover chapter 8 and portions of the remaining chapters (parts of 11-16). The specific portions to be covered are described in the course outline listed below..
· Students must attend at least one field trip led by a competent field botanist. Information about the Oregon Native Plant Society is available at: http://www.NPSOregon.org.
· Students must explore their region for spring wild flowers. They must complete a field journal with notes describing their experiences and the flowers seen. Specific instructions for completion of the field journal are as follows:
Students must get out into the field either on their own or with organized groups to look for wild flowers. Each student must keep a field journal of these experiences. The journal should include descriptive information about each trip, including the date, destination, and other people attending.
Students should do their best to identify wild flowers in their area, using a field guide, and should keep a detailed list of flowers seen. If students wich to make wild flower collections, they should record the following information for each specimen: specimen number, date of collection, exact location, ecological information such as elevation, slope aspect, soil type, and dominant vegetation in the area. In many areas, collecting is prohibited. Therefore, I encourage students to use a camera or sketches to record the flowers that they see. Photographs can be included in the field journal, along with maps, sketches, and any other pertinent information.
The field journals are worth 20% of the course grade and will be graded according to their overall quality and completeness. Original journals should not be sent to me for evaluation. Please send a photocopy of your journal entries so that we do not risk loss of a valuable journal in the mail. Journal photocopies should be mailed to the Distance Education Office at Eastern Oregon University.
Grading Policies:
Means of Assessment:
Exam I, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 7 - 40 pts.
Exam II, Chapters 8, 11-16 - 40 pts.
Field journal: 20 pts.
Total: 100 pts.
A = 86-100%; B = 76 - 85%; C = 66 - 75%; D = 56 - 65%; F = below 56%
Brief Outline of Course:
Chapter 1: Introduction to Plant Taxonomy
The first chapter provides a general introduction to the study of plant taxonomy, including what taxonomy is and brief descriptions of the processes of cataloging, describing, identifying and classifying plants.
Chapter 2: Botanical Nomenclature
This chapter discusses how plants are named using the system of binomial nomenclature developed by Carolus Linneaus 200 years ago. Students need not dwell too long on the rather lengthy discussion of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature in this chapter.
Chapter 3: Taxonomic Evidence
Learning the recognize wild flowers requires utilization of a specilized set of terminology that describes the vegetative features of plants, such as characteristics of the leaves, roots and stems. Many terms are defined and illustrated in this chapter. Learning all of these words is a daunting challenge. I suggest that students focus first on the set of terms listed at http://www2.eou.edu/~kantell/bot203f.htm. As you continue to develop and apply your skills in plant identificaiton, you will gradually increase your botanical vocabulary.
Chapter 7: Collecting and Preserving Plants for Study
This chapter describes how to make dried plant specimens. The discussion of the ethics of plant collecting are an important component of this chapter and all students should be aware of where it is and is not permissible to collect plants.
Chapter 8: Survey of the Vascular Plants
This chapter reviews the major groups of plants and provides some tips for learning the plant families to prepare you for the remaining chapters.
Chapter 11: Introduction to the Flowering Plants
Since most flower identification guides are based on floral characteristics, students must have a solid understanding of flower and fruit parts and the terms that describe them. In this chapter, students should review the life cycle information for flowering plants. This chapter also contains a large number of terms related to reproductive structures. A list of the most important terms to learn from this chapter is included in the vocabulary list available at http://www2.eou.edu/~kantell/bot203g.htm.
Chapter 12: Early Evolution of Flowering Plants: Basal Angiosperms, Magnoliids, and Basal Eudicots
In chapters 12-16, students will find descriptions of plant families that occur commonly in North America. In this course, the focus will be learning the diagnostic or recogizable features of several of the largest and more important families. In chapter 12, students should study the family Ranunculaceae.
Chapter 13: The Caryophyllid Clade
In this chapter, students should study the families Caryophyllaceae and Cactaceae.
Chapter 14: Rosids
In this chapter, study the following families: Fabaceae, Rosaceae and Brassicaceae.
Chapter 15: Asterids
Chapter 14 includes several important families in North America. Students should study the following families: Polemoniaceae, Boraginaceae, Lamiaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Apiaceae, and Asteraceae. The sunflower family, Asteraceae is an extremely large and important plant family. Students should learn the features that define the family, but need not delve into the catalog descriptions of tribes that is included in the chapter.
Chapter 16: Monocots
Three families should be studied in this chapter, the lily family, Liliaceae, the orchid family, Orchidaceae, and the grasses, Poaceae. Grasses can be difficult to identify, especially for beginners. Students should learn to recognize when a plant is a grass, but need not attempt to identify individual grasses unless they wish.
General Education Category and Outcomes:
Natural, Mathematical and Information Sciences (SMI):
SMI courses focus on the physical and biological world, as well as the body of knowledge centered on concepts such as quantity, structure, space, and change using an empirical methodology. SMI courses work on the assumption that there is a rational and understandable order to the universe. Some of these disciplines introduce and work with models for understanding physical phonomena; while other are typically involved in describing and predicting physical behaviors. A central focus of SMI is on the phenomena exhibited by natural objects, organic or inorganic, and their substances; numerical analysis and statistics; and mathematical and information structures and patterns. Upon completion of course work in SMI, students should be able to employ scientific methods in the laboratory or in fieldwork as defined by the specific discipline(s) or sub-discipline(s) the student has studied, analyze and evaluate data based on discipline-defined criteria, observe accurately, integrate knowldedge and data with the fundamental concepts of the specific discipline(s) or sub-discipline(s) the student has studied, and report results effectively both orally and in writing.
Bot 203, Plant Biology III fits the criteria for the SMI category of general education because of the focus on the biological world. Students will develop vocabulary necessary for interpreting leaf and flower structures and will learn to apply these terms in the process of plant identification. They will demonstrate their ability to synthesize knowledge of the subject by creating a journal of their field experiences. They must apply their book-knowedge in the real world and communicate their achievements with sketches, photographs and written descriptions in their journals.
Program outcomes that will be met by Bot 202 are Category #1, Content Knowledge and Category #2, Inquiry. The Breadth outcome that will be met by this course is #6, Problem Solving and Analytical Thinking (SMI).
Specific assignments that will be used to assess these outcomes include:
The two exams for the course each include questions in which students are asked to apply their knowledge in novel situations to describe plant structures, name plants, and describe plant families. Plant identification is an analytical process that requires synthesis of information about many different aspects of plant structure. Students will communicate their learning progress in a field journal with notes, sketches, photographs and plant identifications.
Statement on Academic Misconduct:
Eastern Oregon University places a high value upon the integrity of its student scholars. Any student found guilty of an act of academic misconduct (including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, or theft of an examination or supplies, may be subject to having his or her grade reduced in the course in question, being place don probation or suspended from the University, or being expelled from the University - or a combination of these. Please see Student Handbook at: http://www.eou.edu/saffairs/handbook/honest.html.
Statement on American with Disabilities:
If you have a documented disability of suspect that you have a learning problem and need accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Program in Loso Hall 234. Telephone: 541-962-3081.
Schedule of Assignments, Tests, Projects:
Students may take the first exam any time after completing their reading of Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 7.
Special Instructions:
Exams should be proctores by a qualified representative for EOU. Students may have two hours for completion of each exam. No course notes or books are allowed during the exam. Students should write their answers on separate sheets of paper, not on the question sheet.
Computer Technology Required: None
Information about Supplementary Resources:
Regional wild flower guides:
A wide assortment of regional wildflower guides is available in most bookstores.
Try to find one or two that have illustrations of the plants, as well as descriptive
information. Regional floras, such as the Flora of the Pacific Northwest, can
be difficult and frustrating for beginners to use, but may be useful later on.
Some suggested references are available at: http://www2.eou.edu/~kantell/bot203b.htm.
Camera and/or plant press:
I recommend that students photograph plants, instead of collecting them. Photographing
plants can be very rewarding and is much easier than photographing animals.
For best results, use a lens or lens attachment that allows you to focus close
to the plant. Sometimes it helps to place a solid-colored object, such as a
backpack or sheet of paper behind the plant so that it doesn't get lost in the
background. Some photographers prefer to use a flash for close-up photography,
even when outdoors, to reduce shadows or allow use of slower speed films. Photographic
prints can be included in the field journal and they are a good way to document
what you have seen without killing any plants!
If you decide to collect and prepare dried plant specimens, you will need a plant press. This is not a requirement of the course. Plant presses can be constructed easily from plywood boards and nylon straps. Blotters are used to help draw moisture from the plants. Corrugated cardboard is layered between the blotters to facilitate ventilation. Blotters and corrugates can be purchased from several biological supply companies.
Forestry Suppliers, Inc. - 1-800-647-5368
Ward's Biology - 1-800-962-2660
Carolina Biological Supply - 1-800-334-5551
Chapter 7 in the text describes how to collect and press plants. It is vitally important that clear and accurate notes be recorded in the field journal about any plants collected. Each plant should be assigned a unique collection number. Field journal entries should include all of the information described in the text.
A list of vocabulary that students should study for Chapter 3 is available at: http://www2.eou.edu/~kantell/bot203f.htm.
A list of vocabulary that students should study for Chapter 11 is available at: http://www2.eou.edu/~kantell/bot203g.htm.
Syllabus Prepared by: Dr. Karen Antell, 10 October 2008