Ecology for a Crowded Planet - BIO 209 - The Online Version
**Please keep in mind that all grades are now Pass / Fail (unless you request otherwise) and we intend to be extremely flexible about deadlines. Just make sure we know what to expect and we are more than willing to work around/with the issues and challenges you are each facing. Lets learn together without adding stress to an already challenging time**
An open letter to our students...
We are certainly living through interesting and challenging times. We want everyone in the class to understand that you are collectively facing an incredible variety of challenges. Some of you are in quarantine, some of you cannot get to your home, some of you are taking care of siblings, some of you are taking on full time work. We are committed to making the remainder of the course engaging, educational and FLEXIBLE so that we are not unduly adding to your current list of challenges. For those of you fortunate enough to be comfortably housed with great internet access, please be kind and understanding to your peers. We have revamped the syllabus in the following ways:
-Please keep working through your SimUText chapters. We are changing the due dates so that all sections of a chapter should be completed at the same time (ahead of the Tuesday lecture on those topics (see next point))
- Each week we will provide pre-recorded mini lectures on Tuesdays in which we explain and expand on content in your SimUText assignments and where we respond to your Question your Instructor requests. We will post links here so you can watch them whenever it fits your schedule.
- On Thursdays we will hold class via zoom at our scheduled time (from 1:25-2:40) for all that can join us live. We will record these sessions for those that cannot. In these sessions we will report out and discuss a group assignment that will be carried out each week.
- Most of you will continue to do group work - each week there will be a written set of tasks. Your group can figure out how best to carry out that work (via text, zoom conference, shared documents) and you will complete the assignment via your group google doc.
* We will also provide an individual assignment option for students who find it difficult to schedule and participate in group work *
- In lieu of discussion section, in each remaining week we will offer you the option to read one of 3 suggested topical papers or to carry out a set of observations outdoors in response to a prompt. You will turn these into your TAs.
- You will receive your 2nd project assignment one week later than originally planned and will have 10 days to complete the assignment.
We are certainly living through interesting and challenging times. We want everyone in the class to understand that you are collectively facing an incredible variety of challenges. Some of you are in quarantine, some of you cannot get to your home, some of you are taking care of siblings, some of you are taking on full time work. We are committed to making the remainder of the course engaging, educational and FLEXIBLE so that we are not unduly adding to your current list of challenges. For those of you fortunate enough to be comfortably housed with great internet access, please be kind and understanding to your peers. We have revamped the syllabus in the following ways:
-Please keep working through your SimUText chapters. We are changing the due dates so that all sections of a chapter should be completed at the same time (ahead of the Tuesday lecture on those topics (see next point))
- Each week we will provide pre-recorded mini lectures on Tuesdays in which we explain and expand on content in your SimUText assignments and where we respond to your Question your Instructor requests. We will post links here so you can watch them whenever it fits your schedule.
- On Thursdays we will hold class via zoom at our scheduled time (from 1:25-2:40) for all that can join us live. We will record these sessions for those that cannot. In these sessions we will report out and discuss a group assignment that will be carried out each week.
- Most of you will continue to do group work - each week there will be a written set of tasks. Your group can figure out how best to carry out that work (via text, zoom conference, shared documents) and you will complete the assignment via your group google doc.
* We will also provide an individual assignment option for students who find it difficult to schedule and participate in group work *
- In lieu of discussion section, in each remaining week we will offer you the option to read one of 3 suggested topical papers or to carry out a set of observations outdoors in response to a prompt. You will turn these into your TAs.
- You will receive your 2nd project assignment one week later than originally planned and will have 10 days to complete the assignment.
Final Week of Class and Final Projects
- Your Carbon Cycling discussion assignment is due by midnight on Monday (4/20).
- Please submit these via Sakai as text directly typed into the response box. You can find this week's assignment questions in the submission assignment on Sakai and on the website. If you are having difficulty getting this completed by Monday, please let your TA know.
- Last SimUText readings:
- by Tuesday (4/21), complete the 'Climate Change Revisited' readings
- We know that it says the due date is 4/28 and are trying to fix it
- Ignore decomposition pt 2 (this was a tech problem layover from last week)
- by Tuesday (4/21), complete the 'Climate Change Revisited' readings
- Group work for last day of class – 4/21: Climate change geoengineering infomercials
- Each group should:
- Create a <2-minute infomercial for a type of geoengineering approach
- You can be as creative or as informative as you wish. You can play fast and loose with the facts. You can be silly, or you can serious.
- We will reveal these commercials to one another at the start of class on 4/21 (check your tech before)
- At the end of your infomercials we will discuss and have the class vote for:
- Best commercial
- Best geoengineering option
- Worst geoengineering option
- Please see this article to pick your approach
- Record your group’s approach in this google document
- Create a <2-minute infomercial for a type of geoengineering approach
- At the end of class, we will be filling out course evaluations, which can be found on your Duke Hub (so that we do not waste infomercial watching time, please locate these surveys before class time on Tuesday)
- Each group should:
- ZOOM ISSUES:
- If you have trouble connecting via video, there is a call-in option on Zoom. Feel free to use this instead of (or in conjunction with) the video if your connection is slow
- The best way to access Zoom videos for class on Thursday is by going to Sakai > Zoom Meetings (it’s underneath the ‘Site Info’ tab). You must be logged into Duke otherwise Zoom will not let you join the meeting.
- Alternatively, you can login to Zoom using https://duke.zoom.us/ before starting the Zoom video
- PROJECTS/FINAL:
- We are working on finishing up the grading for all coursework other than the Final Project and should have those to you by Monday
- Final Project prompts are now posted (see button link above)
- Please submit these via Sakai by April 30th at noon.
- If you have difficulties in getting your project in by the deadline, please let us know so that we can talk about how best to handle this with the registrar WE WILL WORK WITH YOU ON THIS.
What's happening this week (4.13)?
Please find weekly announcements and upcoming deadlines* below:
*remember that if you cannot make a deadline for any reason, please email your TAs so we can arrange an extension
*remember that if you cannot make a deadline for any reason, please email your TAs so we can arrange an extension
- For those of you who missed yesterday's class, a recording of it is posted on the website.
- Your Ecosystem Ecology discussion assignment is due by midnight on Monday (4/13).
- Please submit these via Sakai as text directly typed into the response box. You can find this week's assignment questions in the submission assignment on Sakai and on the website. If you are having difficulty getting this completed by Monday, please let your TA know.
- Group work for the next week – 4/13 (also found on these slides from yesterday):
- By Tuesday, your group will jigsaw read the decomposition and nutrient cycling sections:
- A & D: read decomposition 1-2
- B & E: read decomposition 3-4
- C, F & G: read nutrient cycling 1-3
- ALL: read and play with the model for nutrient cycling 4
- ALL: complete the question your instructor section at the end of your assigned sections
- On Tuesday, Dr. Bernhardt will make a video lecture of decomposition and nutrient cycling chapters explaining the confusing bits of the chapters based on your ‘question your instructor’ responses. Please watch this video before class on Thursday.
- Before Thursday, use your google doc whiteboards or a group zoom call to:
- Explain what you thought were the important takeaways from each chapter
- Ask questions about what you thought was confusing
- As a group, record what you most want to have explained or discussed on your group whiteboards
- By Tuesday, your group will jigsaw read the decomposition and nutrient cycling sections:
- Group work for last week of class – 4/20: Climate change geoengineering infomercials
- Each group should:
- Create a <2-minute infomercial for a type of geoengineering approach
- You can be as creative or as informative as you wish. You can play fast and loose with the facts. You can be silly, or you can serious.
- We will reveal these commercials to one another at the start of class on 4.23 (check your tech before)
- At the end of your infomercials we will discuss and have the class vote for:
- Best commercial
- Best geoengineering option
- Worst geoengineering option
- Please see this article to pick your approach
- Record your group’s approach in this google document
- Create a <2-minute infomercial for a type of geoengineering approach
- Each group should:
- Your last discussion assignment on Carbon Cycling will be found here on the course website and on Sakai by this coming Monday (4/13). It will be due at midnight on Monday 4/20.
- ZOOM ISSUES:
- If you have trouble connecting via video, there is a call-in option on Zoom. Feel free to use this instead of (or in conjunction with) the video if your connection is slow
- The best way to access Zoom videos for class on Thursday is by going to Sakai > Zoom Meetings (it’s underneath the ‘Site Info’ tab). You must be logged into Duke otherwise Zoom will not let you join the meeting.
- Alternatively, you can login to Zoom using https://duke.zoom.us/ before starting the Zoom video
- PROJECTS:
- If you have questions about the prompts, email Dr. Bernhardt or Dr. Gibert and they will both answer you, and post the responses on this google document
- Project II track rubrics will be posted in the folder that contains the prompts shortly
What's happening this week (4.5)?
Please find weekly announcements and upcoming deadlines below:
- For those of you who missed yesterday's class, a recording of it is posted on the website.
- Your Community Ecology discussion assignment is due by midnight on Monday.
- Please submit these via Sakai as text directly typed into the response box. You can find this week's assignment questions in the submission assignment on Sakai. If you are having difficulty getting this completed by Monday, please let your TA know.
- By Tuesday, read the SimUText chapter on Ecosystem Ecology.
- On Tuesday, a pre-recorded video lecture will be posted to the course website. Please do your best to watch this before class on Thursday.
- Please see this document link about the group activity to be completed BEFORE class on Thursday (ideally by Wednesday night/Thursday morning).
- You will present your resulting group ‘slideshow’ in class on Thursday
- The pages to enter your data and add your slides are linked in the assignment.
- For Thursday, if you have trouble connecting via video, there is a call-in option on Zoom. Feel free to use this instead of (or in conjunction with) the video if your connection is slow.
- You will present your resulting group ‘slideshow’ in class on Thursday
- Your Ecosystem Ecology discussion assignment can be found here on the course website and on Sakai. This assignment will be due on Monday (4/13)
- Don't forget to refer to the class website, the updated syllabus, and Slack. If you have additional questions, we as your TAs are available to meet with you. Please send us an email, and we're happy to chat!
What's happening this week (3.30)?
Please find weekly announcements and upcoming deadlines below:
Finally, please see below for a message from Felicia Keesing:
Dear Duke ecology students, Thank you for the great questions yesterday. We covered a lot of ground -- from rewilding to reservoir competence to coronavirus to prevention. That's a credit to your wonderful teachers, and also to you and your skills as critical readers and thinkers. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me -- [email protected] -- if I can be helpful as you continue your studies of ecology. Stay well! Felicia
- For those of you who missed Thursday's class, a recording of it is posted here (click Thursday Zoom Recordings above).
- Your discussion assignment is due by midnight on Monday. Please submit these via Sakai as text directly typed into the response box. You can find this week's assignment questions in the submission assignment on Sakai. If you are having difficult getting this completed by Monday, please let your TA know.
- By Tuesday, read the SimUText chapter on Community Dynamics and answer all questions. Be sure to write something for the Question Your Instructor prompt in the last section of your reading. We will use these as prompts for our video mini lectures.
- On Tuesday, a pre-recorded video lecture will be posted on the website. Please do your best to watch this before class on Thursday.
- Please find this week's group activity to be completed BEFORE class on Thursday (ideally by Wednesday night/Thursday morning).
- For Thursday, if you have trouble connecting via video, there is a call-in option on Zoom. Feel free to use this instead of (or in conjunction with) the video if your connection is slow.
- Don't forget to refer to the class website, the updated syllabus, and Slack. If you have additional questions, your TAs are available to meet with you. Please send us an email, and we're happy to chat.
- Next week's discussion assignment is posted to the Sakai assignment submission folder AND found here
Finally, please see below for a message from Felicia Keesing:
Dear Duke ecology students, Thank you for the great questions yesterday. We covered a lot of ground -- from rewilding to reservoir competence to coronavirus to prevention. That's a credit to your wonderful teachers, and also to you and your skills as critical readers and thinkers. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me -- [email protected] -- if I can be helpful as you continue your studies of ecology. Stay well! Felicia
What happened last week (3.23)?
INTERACTIONS
- Monday/Tuesday - Check in with Dr. Gibert on Monday between 1:25-2:40 at this zoom link or with Dr. Bernhardt on Tuesday at our normal class time at this zoom link - we encourage you to drop in to help us stress test zoom together and to talk about the syllabus, about connectivity, about how your group can work together. If you have questions about your assigned papers please direct them to the appropriate google doc. If you can't drop in due to connectivity issues or time zone differences then please feel free to ask questions about any aspect of the course on this doc
-Thursday - 1:25-2:40 - Join us for a live Zoom conversation ZOOM about Lyme Disease and Biodiversity with paper authors Felicia Keesing and Rick Ostfeld. For those of you that cannot join us live - we will record the conversation for you to watch later.
ASSIGNMENTS**
Assignment 1 - By Tuesday, 3/24 at 1:25pm - Figure out how your group can best communicate and describe your plan on your google document
Assignment 2 - By Thursday 3/26 by 10am - Read your assigned Lyme Disease paper and describe it to your group in whatever way works best for your team. All of you together must write a response to this question "How does forest fragmentation affect the spread of Lyme Disease in human populations?". This is just a short paragraph, no need to stress out (you can do so here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17OVcdjp85P-6TDx62bJX0vd6x6tB5zI3). Each group member will also submit one question, and, as a group, you'll decide which of the 5-7 questions you'll have you will like to ask Felicia Keesing on Thursday. Plan to pick your top three questions. If you have questions about your paper - join a discussion with others who read the same paper in these clarification conversations pages
Assignment 3 - By Monday 3/30 at midnight - In lieu of discussion - read and summarize a paper or conduct some field observations in response to prompts from your TAs
- Monday/Tuesday - Check in with Dr. Gibert on Monday between 1:25-2:40 at this zoom link or with Dr. Bernhardt on Tuesday at our normal class time at this zoom link - we encourage you to drop in to help us stress test zoom together and to talk about the syllabus, about connectivity, about how your group can work together. If you have questions about your assigned papers please direct them to the appropriate google doc. If you can't drop in due to connectivity issues or time zone differences then please feel free to ask questions about any aspect of the course on this doc
-Thursday - 1:25-2:40 - Join us for a live Zoom conversation ZOOM about Lyme Disease and Biodiversity with paper authors Felicia Keesing and Rick Ostfeld. For those of you that cannot join us live - we will record the conversation for you to watch later.
ASSIGNMENTS**
Assignment 1 - By Tuesday, 3/24 at 1:25pm - Figure out how your group can best communicate and describe your plan on your google document
Assignment 2 - By Thursday 3/26 by 10am - Read your assigned Lyme Disease paper and describe it to your group in whatever way works best for your team. All of you together must write a response to this question "How does forest fragmentation affect the spread of Lyme Disease in human populations?". This is just a short paragraph, no need to stress out (you can do so here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17OVcdjp85P-6TDx62bJX0vd6x6tB5zI3). Each group member will also submit one question, and, as a group, you'll decide which of the 5-7 questions you'll have you will like to ask Felicia Keesing on Thursday. Plan to pick your top three questions. If you have questions about your paper - join a discussion with others who read the same paper in these clarification conversations pages
Assignment 3 - By Monday 3/30 at midnight - In lieu of discussion - read and summarize a paper or conduct some field observations in response to prompts from your TAs
