2012 Summer Session II: June 11 - June 29 Course Descriptions and Information

Class Full

Course Title: Marine Ichthyology

Course Number: Biol 305 Credits: 3 semester hours
Course Description:
A study of the internal and external structure of fishes, their systematic and ecological relationships, and their distribution in time and space. Marine fishes. Morphology, anatomy, physiology, systematic and behavior covered using specimens collected from nearby estuaries and the ocean. Zoogeography, life histories and speciation also discussed.

Prerequisites: One year of college biology

Faculty Contact: Dr. Ken Thompson, Lock Haven University

Course Title: Field Methods in Oceanography
Course Number: ESCI 267 Credits: 3 semester hours
Course Description:
Work on board small research vessels in the dynamic marine environment; use and application of standard oceanographic instruments and sampling devices; data retrieval and analysis, report writing and presentation.

Prerequisites: 1 semester college level oceanography course

Notes: A laptop (PC or Mac) capable with microsoft applications (word, powerpoint excel) is required.

Instructor: Dr. Ajoy Kumar, Millersville University

Course Title: Marine Ecology
Course Number: BIOM 460 Credits: 3 semester hours
 Course Description:
Interrelationships among animals, plants and physical and chemical aspects of the environment will be studied, with stress on adaptations for survival that are unique in the marine environment.
Students in this course will: apply ecological theory to the study of the structure and dynamics of marine ecosystems; integrate ecological responses across different levels of biological organization to describe adaptations to the environment; gain experience with ecological field methods and materials; and develop quantitative skills through design and analysis of ecological experiments

Prerequisites:

Faculty Contact: Dr. Jay Hunt, East Stroudsburg University
 

Course Title: Selected Topics: Coastal Ornithology
Course Number: BIO 393 Credits: 3 semester hours
Course Description:
Study of birds including their taxonomic relationships, anatomy, physiology, ecology and conservation. A major focus of the course is identification of coastal (marine, shoreline and inland) avian species found in and around Wallops Island, VA, which will be accomplished via field trips and museum skin study. Laboratory instruction will include methods of avian capture, census techniques and identification field trips.

 Prerequisites: Two semesters of college level biology, or permission from instructor

 Faculty Contact: Dr. Thomas, Shippensburg University

Course Title: Natural Science Drawing
Course Number: Art 133 Credits: 3 semester hours
Course Description:
Introductory course in observational drawing from biological specimens and outdoor field studies. Working with plant, animal, and landscape subjects, students will focus on the careful observation of natural forms and natural phenomena. Students will be introduced to methods of scientific illustration through observation supplemented by visual research. Includes field trips to beach, bay, marsh, river, and woodland habitats. Recommended as a general education course for science majors.

Prerequisites: None. This is intended as an introductory level art course suitable for non-majors

Note: This course is offered through Millersville University and students at MU receive G1 credit for this course.

Faculty Contact: Maggy Aston, California University

Course Title: Introduction to Ecology
Course Number: BIO 142 Credits: 3 semester hours
Course Description:
Introduction to Ecology explores basic ecological patterns and processes that affect populations, communities, and ecosystems. Laboratory/field sessions emphasize ecological principles and techniques. Recommended for students seeking certification in environmental education whose major is not biology. Contrary to what the Shippensburg course description says, this class (when taught at the MSC) has approximately 6 hours/week of labs and about 8 hours/week of lecture. Credit earned in this course is not applicable to the credits required of the biology major. It does qualify for general education science credit.

Prerequisites: None, this is a General Education class taken by many students in the first year of college.

Faculty Contact: Dr. Pablo Delis, Shippensburg University

Course Title: Introduction to Coastal Literature
Course Number: English 250 Credits: 3 semester hours

The sea pronounces something, over and over, in a hoarse whisper; I cannot quite make it out. --Annie Dillard

Course Description: In this course we will explore the association between literature and the environment, focusing particularly on whether literary ecologies of the Chesapeake Bay watershed help or hinder our effort to know the regional environment. We will proceed from the assumption that literary narratives are useful tools for negotiating the complex relationship between human culture and nonhuman nature. To begin, we will cast our nets wide as we consider the general benefits and limitations of literary ecology by looking at some classic examples of American environmental writing. From this broad base, we will then explore some natural histories, creative nonfiction, and poetry about coastal environments, including a handful of works from and about the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Delmarva Peninsula, and the barrier islands of Maryland and Virginia. We will conclude by looking at works of fiction that deploy the sea and its creatures as metaphors and symbols. Ultimately, we will investigate the relationship between writing and place by thinking critically about both fictional and nonfictional place-based texts focused on coastal environments, and by engaging, through your own writing, the physical environment of Wallop’s Island.

Readings May Include:
John Smith’s journals
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass – Frederick Douglass
Light in the Forest – Conrad Richter
The Practice of the Wild: Essays – Gary Snyder
“Walking” – Henry David Thoreau
The Edge of the Sea – Rachel Carson
The Awakening – Kate Chopin
“The White Heron” – Sarah Orne Jewett
Beautiful Swimmers – William Warner

Assignments:
• Beachcombing Report: Each student will prepare a comprehensive research notebook and set of field notes and observations that will focus on a particular plant or animal species that inhabits the Eastern Shore/Chesapeake Bay region of North America. Aside from drawing on your own observations of and reflections upon this species done out in the field, you will also research the broader relevance of this species to the human cultures that are acquainted with it: where do references to the species occur in literature, film or other media and how is it used? What economic uses does the species have? What medicinal or gastronomical value does it hold? What role does the species play in its surrounding environment (what other species does it depend upon and what species depend upon it)? How many language-systems have a word for the species (and what are they and their translations)? The final shape of the report will be dictated by the types of questions you pursue and by the kind of answers you find, but you will essentially be writing a biography of your focus species that articulates its most significant meanings.
• Reading Response Essays: short analytical essays focused on key issues that emerge from the course readings.
• Reading Quizzes: Content-based quizzes about the assigned reading.

Prerequisites: None

Faculty Contact: Dr. Cella, Shippensburg University

Class Full

Class Full