BIOL 101 - Ecology Experience

Credit Hours: 3
Lecture Hours: 2
Laboratory (or Other) Hours: 3

General Education Code(s): 23NS, 23RE
Prerequisite(s): Completion of 9th grade high school
Corequisite(s): None
Restriction(s): None

An exploration of basic ecological principles including a week-long, residential laboratory experience for high school students. In this course, students will learn basic ecological principles (at least 20 hours of work expected prior to coming to campus, which will be submitted online), explore Catskill ecosystems, and conduct a brief ecological research project, which requires the completion of a formal lab report after the on-campus portion of the course (at least 10 hours of work expected, which will be submitted online). Outdoor, physical activity on rough terrain required.

Student Learning Outcomes of the Course: The general education requirement for natural sciences is satisfied by BIOL 101. To meet this General Education requirement, students will be able to:

demonstrate scientific reasoning applied to the natural world, including an understanding of the methods scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of data analysis or mathematical modeling; and
demonstrate scientific reasoning applied to the natural world, including application of scientific data, concepts, and models in one of the natural sciences.

The general education requirement for critical thinking is satisfied by BIOL 101. To meet this General Education requirement, students will be able to:

clearly articulate an issue or problem;
identify, analyze, and evaluate ideas, data, and arguments as they occur in their own or others’ work;
acknowledge limitations such as perspective and bias; and
develop well-reasoned (logical) arguments to form judgments and/or draw conclusions.