The Stanger-Hall Lab

Navigation

Course Objectives:: Helping you master the facts and principles of organismal biology. Critical thinking and step-by-step working through complex processes are a key element in this class. Memorization of factual knowledge is a necessary prerequisite, but to do well you will have to master higher-level learning skills such as application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. These skills are life-long learning skills that will serve you beyond this class, in other college courses, and in your professional career (science or not).
Expected Learning Outcomes:: A demonstrated understanding of (1) how the interactions between organisms and their physical environments will modify their structures over evolutionary time (by natural selection), leading to the organismal diversity we see today, (2) how living organisms create and maintain a functioning internal environment even when the external environment undergoes dramatic changes, (3) how different organisms faced with the same problem may have evolved quite different solutions (function depends on structure), (4) that all these different solutions are often based on common principles, and (5) how the survival and reproduction of individual organisms is affected not only by their interaction with their physical (e.g. habitat, climate), but also with their biological (e.g. mates, competitors, predators) environment.

Course Objectives:: Helping you: (1) understand the facts and principles of organismal biology, (2) relate your insights to your every-day life, and (3) develop your critical thinking (problem-solving) skills. Critical thinking skills such as application (of the learned material to new situations), analysis, evaluation, and effective communication of your knowledge, are life-long learning skills that will serve you beyond this class in other college courses, and in your professional career (in any field).
Expected Learning Outcomes:: A demonstrated understanding of (1) how organisms interact with their environment, (2) how a change in the environment can lead to the evolution of new structures and new functions in different organisms, (3) how human biology is a result of our evolutionary history, (4) how humans impact their environment, and (5) what we can do to reduce this impact today. Your understanding will be based on a critical examination of facts and processes as they apply to real-life scenarios.