PB403/503
Syllabus for PB403 Plant Systematics – Spring 2021
Course Meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:15am–1:00pm, online via Zoom (link provided on course Moodle page). You will be able to join the meeting anytime in the waiting room until the instructor open the meeting 5 min earlier. Each class will begin with 60~75 min lecture, followed by a 15-minute break, and finish with one and a half hours of lab time. This course is 4 credit hours.
Instructor: Jenny Xiang
Office: Gardner Hall 4111
Office Hours: Email me to make an appointment to meet on Zoom outside these times.
Contact Information: qyxiang@ncsu.edu, 919-924-3646
Teaching Assistant: Wenbin “Bean” Zhou
Office: Gardner Hall 4110
Email: wzhou10@ncsu.edu; 919-917-0054
Academic Support Associate: Rachel Clark
Office: Gardner Hall 2214B
Email: rkclark@ncsu.edu
Course Description:
This course introduces basic and contemporary systematic principles and methods as applied to vascular plants, with emphasis on flowering plants. It covers classification, identification, phylogenetics, and molecular approaches, and surveys important and common plant families representing major groups of vascular plants.
Course Prerequisites:
PB 200, PB 250, BIO 183, or equivalent; Junior standing.
Student Learning Objectives:
After completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Describe a plant using botanical terminology.
2. Identify a plant through interpreting morphology and using a dichotomous key.
3. Understand the principles of identifying plant material through DNA barcoding.
4. Recognize the important lineages and families of vascular plants.
5. Conduct phylogenetic analyses and interpret relationships depicted on phylogenetic trees.
6. Understand the fundamentals of molecular and phylogenetic approaches applied to modern systematics and evolutionary studies.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of the current understanding of angiosperm phylogeny and evolution.
8. Demonstrate the ability to acquire taxonomic and systematic information from important literature and databases available online.
9. Demonstrate the ability to collect and preserve plant voucher specimens.
Course Textbook:
Plant Systematics – A phylogenetic approach, 4th edition, by Judd et al. 2016, Sinauer Associates Inc.
Recommended (but not required) text:
Illustrated Plant Identification Terminology, 2nd edition, by J.G. Harris and M.W. Harris, Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, UT.
Additional reference materials will be made available for download on the course moodle site.
Grading Components:
Three exams, 100 points each = 300 pts
Each exam covers approximately one third of the material of the course. The final exam (exam III) covers material from the last third of the course and is not strictly comprehensive, however concepts such as morphological terminology are tested repeatedly throughout the course. Each exam has a written lecture portion with essays and a lab practical with specimens. The lecture portion tests understanding of major concepts and theory while the lab practical tests the ability to identify plants and correctly use botanical terminology.
Twenty-seven lab worksheets, 23 are graded, 10 points each = 230 pts
Most labs have an accompanying worksheet that is meant to reinforce the major lecture topics and to guide students through the material presented in lab. These worksheets should be worked on and completed during the class time, but students will have until the next class meeting to submit them.
Plant collection and identification project = 100 pts
This project will require you to collect, photograph, identify, and generate herbarium-quality labels for 20 plant specimens. A separate, detailed handout will be provided for this assignment. The project will be assigned in February and you will have until May 5th to submit your collections. If you are close to campus, you may check out a plant press with Bean by appointment and press and dry the specimens at home.
Total Points Possible: 640
Term Project & Paper (PB 503 only): Letter graded. Instructions will be provided separately after completion of Part I of the course.
Final Grade Determination
Letter grades for PB 503: Average of the grade for PB 403 and the grade for term project/paper
Letter grades for PB 403 will be determined by total points earned:
Points Earned Letter Grade
624–640 A+
585–623 A
572–585 A-
560–571 B+
521–559 B
508–520 B-
496–507 C+
457–495 C
444–456 C-
432–443 D+
393–431 D
380–392 D-
<380 F
Enrichment Experiences (Extra Credit Opportunities):
You can participate in the following optional activities to earn extra credit that will be added to your final grade. Each activity is worth 10 points of extra credit. You may participate in all these activities outside regular class meetings, but you can only earn a maximum of 20 total points of extra credit.
· Presentation of a plant family of your interest that was not covered in lecture. The presentation has to be within 15 minutes. Instructions will be provided upon request.
· Self-guided field trip to the JC Raulston Arboretum or Sarah Duke Garden and complete worksheet
· Virtual Botany on a lunch table (Prepare and present food and complete a worksheet)
Safety:
General safety training related to the field trip and collecting project will be provided separately with the assignment details.
Attendance:
Full participation in the online classes, laboratory exercises, and exams is expected of all students. Class will start promptly at 10:15 and your attendance will be tracked by Zoom. If you know you are going to miss a class, please inform the instructor as soon as possible to discuss how you can make up missed material. A grade penalty may be applied for having more than two absences without the instructor’s approval in advance.
Late assignments:
Worksheets are due at the start of class and should be uploaded to the designated folder on moodle. The collection project must be uploaded by 5pm on the day it is due (May 6th). Late assignments will lose 5 points per calendar day they are late. If you have an excused absence (contact the instructor), your assignments will not be subjected to the late penalty within an agreed-upon timeframe. Term paper for PB 503 must bel uploaded by noon of May 8th. Extension needs approval of the instructor.
Student Expenses and Transportation:
Completion of this course does not require expenses for transportation or travel, but you may choose to travel to collect specimens for the collection project or to use your own transportation for the optional field trips. In these cases, you are responsible for arranging and paying for any personal travel costs associated with these activities.
Students with Disabilities:
Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with the Disability Resource Office at Holmes Hall, Suite 304, 2751 Cates Avenue, Campus Box 7509, 919-515-7653. For more information on NC State’s policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation (REG02.20.01).
Academic Integrity:
All students are expected to observe the Code of Student Conduct (https://policies.ncsu.edu/policy/pol-11-35-01/) and Pack Pledge. All work you submit for assignments and exams must be your own.
Students are responsible for reviewing the NC State University PRR’s which pertains to their course rights and responsibilities:
Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy
Grades and Grade Point Average
Electronically Hosted Course Components:
As described in this syllabus, this course will use both Moodle and Zoom.
Lecture meetings will be broadcasted and recorded with links to recordings on the course Moodle page. Note that your video may be recorded if you have video on during Zoom lectures (starting Jan 19th). Your voice and any public chat posts may also be recorded by Zoom.
Links to all recordings in this course will be made available only through Mediasite and/or Zoom and may not be shared with individuals outside of the course.
Students may be required to disclose personally identifiable information to other students in the course, via digital tools, such as email or web-postings, where relevant to the course. Examples include online discussions of class topics, and posting of student coursework. All students are expected to respect the privacy of each other by not sharing or using such information outside the course.
COVID-19 Information:
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, public health measures have been implemented across campus. Students should stay current with these practices and expectations through the Protect the Pack website (https://www.ncsu.edu/coronavirus/). The sections below provide expectations and conduct related to COVID-19 issues.
Health and Participation in Class
We are most concerned about your health and the health of your classmates and instructors/TAs. If you test positive for COVID-19, or are told by a healthcare provider that you are presumed positive for the virus, please do not attend any hybrid or F2F classes and work with your instructor on any adjustments necessary; also follow other university guidelines, including self-reporting (Coronavirus Self Reporting): Self-reporting is not only to help provide support to you, but also to assist in contact tracing for containing the spread of the virus.
Health and Well-Being Resources
These are difficult times, and academic and personal stress are natural results. Everyone is encouraged to take care of themselves and their peers. If you need additional support, there are many resources on campus to help you:
● If the personal behavior of a classmate concerns or worries you, either for the classmate’s well-being or yours, we encourage you to report this behavior to the NC State CARES team: (Share a Concern).
● If you or someone you know are experiencing food, housing or financial insecurity, please see the Pack Essentials Program (Pack Essentials).
Community Standards related to COVID-19
We are all responsible for protecting ourselves and our community. Please see the community standards and Rule 04.21.01 regarding Personal Safety Requirements Related to COVID-19 RUL 04.21.01 – Personal Safety Requirements Related to COVID-19 – Policies, Regulations & Rules
Course Expectations Related to COVID-19
● Face Coverings: All members of the NC State academic community are required to follow all university guidelines for personal safety with face coverings, physical distancing, and sanitation. Face coverings are required in class and in all NC State buildings. Face coverings should be worn to cover the nose and mouth and be close fitting to the face with minimal gaps on the sides. In addition, students are responsible for keeping their course/work area clean. Please follow the cleaning guidelines described by the university.
● Course Attendance: NC State attendance policies can be found at: REG 02.20.03 – Attendance Regulations – Policies, Regulations & Rules . Please refer to the course’s attendance, absence, and deadline policies for additional details. If you have to miss a class due to a personal or family situation related to COVID-19 that prevents you from attending particular lectures or labs, please contact the instructor. You should not be penalized regarding attendance or class participation. However, you will be expected to develop a plan to keep up with your coursework during any such absences.
● Technology Requirements: This course may require particular technologies to complete coursework. Be sure to review the syllabus for these expectations, and see the syllabus technical requirements for your course. If you need access to additional technological support, please contact the Libraries’ Technology Lending Service: (Technology Lending).
Grading/Scheduling Changing Options Related to COVID-19
If the delivery mode has a negative impact on your academic performance in this course, the university has provided tools to potentially reduce the impact:
● Enhanced Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory Grading Option
In some cases, another option may be to request an incomplete in the course. Before using any of these tools, discuss the options with your instructor and your academic advisor. Be aware that if you use the enhanced S/U, you will still need to complete the course and receive at least a C- to pass the course.
Need Help?
If you find yourself in a place where you need help, academically or otherwise, please review this Step-by-Step Help Topics.
Other Important Resources
● Frequently Asked Questions | Protect the Pack
● NC State Resources for Students | Protect the Pack
● NC State Keep Learning Tips for Remote Learning
● Introduction to Zoom for students: https://youtu.be/5LbPzzPbYEw
● Learning with Moodle, a student’s guide to using Moodle:
https://moodle-projects.wolfware.ncsu.edu/course/view.php?id=226
● NC State Libraries Technology Lending Program
PB403/PB503 SP21 Course Schedule
This schedule may be subject to change with advanced notice.
Class Syllabus Information
Below is information you can put in your syllabus about end-of-semester class evaluations.
Schedule: Online class evaluations will be available for students to complete during the last 2 weeks of the semester for full semester courses and the last week of shorter sessions. Evaluations then become unavailable at 8 am on the first day of finals for full semester courses and the last day of classes for shorter session courses.
For the spring first eight week session, evaluations will be available:
8 am March 4th, 2021 through 8 am March 11th, 2021
For the spring second eight week session, evaluations will be available:
8 am April 22nd, 2020 through 8 am April 30th, 2021
Finally for the spring full semester courses, evaluations will be available:
8 am April 19th, 2021 through 8 am May 3rd, 2021
Students will receive an email message directing them to a website where they can login using their Unity ID and complete evaluations. All evaluations are confidential; instructors will not know how any one student responded to any question, and students will not know the ratings for any instructors.
Evaluation website: http://go.ncsu.edu/cesurvey
Help desk: classeval@ncsu.edu
Selected Photos of Previous Classes
