WE DID IT!	See pictures on Facebook here. Next target date: 2008/2009.
TIME	Fall semester 2007. Field Trip: approximately December 27, 2007 - January 4, 2008. 4 semester hours credit.
INSTRUCTOR	Dr. Joseph R. Coelho, Assistant Professor of Biology. Office hours: TBA or by appointment, North Campus A207. Ph: 217-228-5553.
PREREQUISITE	BIO 150, equivalent, or instructor consent
TEXT	Fitter, J., D. Fitter and D. Hosking. 2002. Wildlife of the Galápagos. Princeton University Press, 256 pages. ISBN: 0691102953. OR similar field guide.
COURSE DESCRIPTION	An examination of the factors affecting the distribution and abundance of organisms on the Galápagos Islands.

COURSE OBJECTIVES	1. Understand evolutionary relationships between species found on different islands. 2. Identify common organisms to species. 3. Understand geological processes leading to the formation of the islands. 4. Understand the role of ocean currents, climate and island biogeography in shaping the island ecosystems.
COURSE PURPOSE	This course will be taught using lecture, discussion and immersive field experience. A quiz following the field trip will be delivered on-line. The contextual focus of the course is interactive and participative. Students should develop a biophilic sense from the experience that reaffirms the Franciscan perspective. The course will provide practice in written and oral expression, as well as strengthen scientific and information literacy
Program/Departmental Goals	For biology majors, this course will fill an upper division science elective (300 level) or substitute for BIO 327 Ecology. This course will provide a valuable field experience, expecially for those with an Environmental Concentration. "W" credit is pending.
COURSE LOGISTICS	A field trip to the Galápagos Islands, a national park of Ecuador, will be taken over the winter break of 2007/2008. Five days will be spent in the Galápagos, one in the Mindo Cloud Forest and one TBA. A trip fee of (TBA), which includes airfare, lodging and meals, is required. A $100 deposit must be placed with the business office by TBA. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the airport in St. Louis.
ATTENDANCE	Attendance is required not only for the field trip, but also for any pre-trip meeting(s) during the Fall Semester.
ACADEMIC HONESTY	Any form of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will result in official action and penalties in accordance with university policy as described in the current course catalog.

REQUIREMENTS	Item	Point Value
	Pre-trip report	100
	Journal	100
	Identification exam	100
	Term paper	100
	TOTAL	400

Journal

Each day of the field trip, the student will write in a journal observations and other facts learned about the ecology of the islands. Also, the student will write a list of the species seen and identified on that day. The instructor will indicate which species will be required for the exam. The physical form of the journal may be of the student's choosing.

Identification exam

Shortly after returning from the field trip, the instructor will prepare the identification quiz, which will be taken using Moodle. Students will be expected to identify animals and plants seen on the trip based on images shown on a computer. For birds, common names will suffice. For others, the genus and species name may be required. An approved proctor must be present when the student takes the quiz.

Term paper

The topic must relate to the ecology of the Galápagos and be approved by the instructor. The topic must be chosen by the time of the ID exam. The paper must be 10 pages (typed, double-spaced) and have at least 8 references, of which four must not be WWW sources. Deadline: March 1, 2008.

Pre-trip report

A report on a particular species will be written by each student before the field trip. The species will be assigned by the instructor. The student will give a mini-lecture on their species during the trip. This exercise involves performing a search in the World Wide Web for information relating to a particular animal or plant. The student must summarize, in writing, the following as obtained from the web sites, under subheadings: taxonomy, habitat, anatomy, feeding, reproduction, recent developments, critiques. At least two web sites must be documented, but more is better. If adequate information is not available for a particular section find additional sites. List all web sites at the end of your report, but not on a separate page. Information from all web sites should be combined in the first six parts of your summary--don't write a separate summary for each web site. Each web site should be critiqued separately, however. Was the information accurate and current? Did it match the information in the textbook? How could the site be improved? Were statements made that are not supported by scientific research? Do not bother critiquing the mechanics of the web site, just the content. The level of detail is up to you. Avoid plagiarism; do not CUT and PASTE from the website into your document.

GRADING SCALE	A+: N/A	A: >92%	A-: 90-91%	B+: 88-89%	B: 82-87%	B-: 80-81%
	C+: 78-79%	C: 72-77%	C-: 70-71%	D+: 68-69%	D: 60-67%	F: £ 59%

---

LINKS

• MDtravelhealth.com: vaccination and other travel health information for Ecuador.
• Free online books by Darwin, including The Voyage of the Beagle, The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man