BioNB1220.101-From Nature To Knowledge
Freshman Writing Seminar: From Nature to Knowledge- Natural History’s Role in Science
Instructor: Joshua B. LaPergola (you may call me Josh)
Office: W343 Seeley G. Mudd Hall, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
Office Hours: Tuesdays 10:00-11:20 am or by appointment!
Meeting Times & Location: Tuesday & Thursday, 8:40-9:55 am; B106 CMS (Comstock)
Course Description
How did a med-school drop-out’s opportunistic observation of birds forever change our understanding of life? How did two men accidentally discover the first known poisonous bird? In its rawest form, science begins with careful observation and description of phenomena. At a time when budget cuts lead to heated political debates that threaten exploration-driven science, this course will provide students with the opportunity to better understand natural history’s role in the progress of biological science. We will read (1) various forms of primary and secondary scientific literature, and (2) popular accounts of scientific discovery, including podcasts, social media, and books by authors such as Charles Darwin and Niko Tinbergen. Writing will emphasize cogency and will engage various audiences, including scientists, the public, and policy-makers.
Course Rationale
The foundation of science rests upon observation, which provides the fuel for the scientific process. These observations may be made by scientists themselves and, perhaps to underappreciated degree, by average citizens. Such observations may fuel already theory-laden research or may inspire totally new realms of inquiry. From the perspective of the modern scientist (especially ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and taxonomically focused biologists), a major issue with the public perception of science and science funding is the fallacy that not much else remains to be discovered and the related flawed argument that so-called “fishing expeditions” in science waste precious financial resources. Practitioners and advocates of “basic science” thus face the major challenge of communicating to taxpayers the value of such research efforts. Clear, comprehensible, accessible writing is essential if the public is to understand why, for example, researchers spent time and money looking for new bacteria species in extreme environments or cataloging thousands of hours of behavioral observations of individually marked birds. Unfortunately, the paths of scientific process and progress too often remain invisible to the public, and our readings, discussions, and activities aim toward elucidating how science actually works. The diverse writing assignments will challenge students to clearly demonstrate understanding and mastery of material while concomitantly nurturing the maturation and diversification of their “voice” in writing.
Learning Outcomes
The overarching outcome is for students learn to write in a range of genres and in ways that emphasize clarity, coherence, intellectual force, and stylistic control.
Students will demonstrate competency in their writing through:
- Appropriate use of language, theses, and evidence in a variety of written styles, including scientific writing, popular prose, and argumentative writing;
- Effective use of preparatory writing strategies and revision techniques, such as drafting an outline, peer review, and proof-reading;
- Appropriate use and citation of sources in various writing styles; and
- Use of writing to clarify thinking and understanding of complex ideas.
Students will demonstrate an ability to engage in scientific discourse by:
- Extracting key information from primary literature without being overwhelmed by details;
- Explaining how observation and discovery fuel the scientific process.
Students will also discover the aesthetic appreciation that knowledge of natural history gives to the patient observer of nature.
Assignment Guidelines
· All work to be completed in a Word-Processing platform (preferably Microsoft Word or something similar)
· All work should be in 12 pt. Times New Roman font and double-spaced.
· All documents should have 1-inch margins on all sides.
· Pages should be numbered.
· Your name, assignment name/number, date of submission, and essay title should occur at the top of the first page.
· Be sure to proofread and spellcheck each assignment. DO NOT rely solely on your word processing program’s spellcheck and grammar functions.
· Submit your assignment via e-mail to jbl96@cornell.edu as an attachment (.docx, .doc, .odt, etc.)
Individual Conferences
Each student will be required to meet with me at least twice over the course of the semester.
The first of these meetings will occur early in the semester to identify each student’s strengths and weaknesses in writing and to set goals for the semester. The second conference will be near the end of the semester to reflect on how your writing has improved and what you continue to struggle with. The purpose of these meetings is not an evaluation, but rather an opportunity for both of us to talk about course material and your performance in a focused and personalized manner. In addition to these conferences, you are more than welcome to schedule additional meetings to discuss your writing, performance in the class or anything else you might like to chat about!
Grading Policy
Assignments
In class writing: 5% of final grade
Writing Assignments: 55% of final grade (5% per assignment)
Final Drafts: 30% of final grade (10% per assignment)
Class Participation
Discussion, peer-editing, and activities: 10% of final grade
Course Policies
1. Attendance: Come to class. Regular attendance is expected and will help your performance in this class. You may miss up to two class session before affecting your class participation grade, which will be deducted by 10% for each additional day missed. Please arrive on time. Failure to do so on a regular basis will incur deductions to your participation grade.
2. Assignment Deadlines: Turn in assignments by 11:59 pm on day of the deadline. I will give you one “grace day” during the semester that you can use to extend any assignment deadline by 24 hours. The grade on any additional late assignments will be deducted by 20% for each day after the deadline.
3. Participation: Ask questions! Seeking clarification for an idea or identifying unfamiliar words are legitimate questions, do not wait until the end of the class hoping to figure them out. If I am covering material too quickly or not explaining things well, stop me!
4. Meetings: When in doubt, talk to me. Come to office hours or schedule a time with me and we will sort out whatever might be holding you back. I will schedule two one-on-one conferences with each student during the semester (reminders in class).
5. Electronics: Avoid using electronic devices (cell phones, laptops, tablets, etc.) in class unless it is part of a specified class activity. Unless circumstances suggest otherwise (e.g., emergency situations), you should not be sending or reading text messages, making or receiving phone calls, or using electronic devices for anything other than a learning aid in class.
6. Stress: If you are experiencing unusual personal or academic stress at any time, please seek support as soon as possible. I can talk with you about stresses related to this course, and I can direct you to campus resources including the Learning Strategies Center (http://lsc.cornell.edu/) and counseling services at Gannett Clinic (www.gannett.cornell.edu).
7. University Policies: I respect and uphold University policies and regulations pertaining to the observation of religious holidays; assistance available to the physically handicapped, visually and/or hearing impaired student; plagiarism; sexual harassment; and racial or ethnic discrimination. All students are advised to become familiar with the respective University regulations and are encouraged to bring any questions or concerns to my attention.
8. Additional Help with Writing: The Knight Institute Writing Walk-In Service- The Writing Walk-In Service (WWIS) provides support for individuals at any stage of the writingprocess. It is a free resource available to everyone on campus - faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students - for nearly any kind of writing project: applications, presentations, lab reports, essays, papers, and more. Tutors (trained undergraduate and graduate students) serve as responsive listeners and readers who can address questions about the writingprocess or about particular pieces of writing. They can also consider questions of confidence, critical reading, analytic thought, and imagination. Many writing tutors also have experience working with non-native speakers of English. The WWIS operates out of several campus locations. During the academic year, the WWIS is open Sunday through Thursday from 3:30 – 5:30pm and from 7:00 – 10:00pm. Writers can schedule appointments or drop in at a convenient time. For more information or to schedule an appointment: http://www.arts.cornell.edu/writing.
9. Plagiarism: Each student in this course is expected to abide by the Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity. Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit MUST be the student’s own work. You may not buy or sell material for this course. If I suspect that the written work you submit is not your own, I will check your paper for similarity to other published documents and look for overlap between your paper and its sources using licensed software called TurnItIn. If there is evidence of plagiarism, I must immediately report you to my supervisors. The procedures that follow are out of my hands, and are listed in the code of academic integrity (found here: http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Academic/AIC.html). If you ever have any questions about how to cite work or use quotations appropriately, please ask me; I will be happy to help you with this.