DAVID CRAMER

SEQUENCED WRITING ASSIGNMENTS FOR STUDENTS

Revised Assignment: Part 1 (to be completed the second meeting during the last 15 minutes of class)

Botany 131—Plants, People, and the Environment

Dave Cramer

Focus and connection to course goals

Evolution is a major theme of this course and in many ways forms the cognitive fabric the holds together the diverse topics of the life sciences.

1. Explore your current understanding of evolution.
2. Elaborate and contextualize your understanding through examples from your current knowledge and experience.

Process

Statement:  Species evolve, not individuals.

1. What is the difference between a species and an individual?
2. What do you think this statement means?
3. Do you agree with this statement?
4. Explain why you agree or disagree with the statement above using two examples from your current knowledge and experience.
5. As clearly as possible explain your reasoning that connects the examples you choose to support your argument to the argument itself.
6. Write for ten to 15 minutes in your journal addressing/answering the five points/questions above.

Criteria

1. Write legibly
2. Address points 1-5

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Revised Assignment: Part 2 (to be assigned the twentieth meeting or about two thirds of the way through the course)

Process

Statement:  Species evolve, not individuals.

1. What is the difference between a species and an individual?
2. What do you think this statement means?
3. Do you agree with this statement?
4. Use evidence and information you gained from this course and three different organisms you learned about in this course to illustrate and support your explanation.
5. Explain, as clearly as possible, your reasoning that connects the organisms you choose to support your argument/explanation to the argument/explanation itself.
6. Write for ten to 15 minutes in your journal addressing/answering the five points/questions above. Revise, edit, and type what you have entered in your journal. One to two pages. Due at the beginning of the next meeting.

Criteria

1. Do you address points 1-5?
2. Do you use correct grammar and spelling?
3. Is your thinking/reasoning well developed?
4. Is your explanation well illustrated and supported with evidence, information, and three organisms you learned about from the course.

Revised Assignment: Part 3 (to be assigned on the due date for Part 2)

Process

Statement:  Species evolve, not individuals.

1. Reread the entries in your journal that correspond to Part’s 1 and 2 of this assignment and respond to the following points/questions in your journal.
2. Has your understanding of evolution changed; if so how?
3. Did you have any misconceptions about evolution at the beginning of this course?
4. What were they?
5. Have you corrected them?
6. Do you feel you still have some misconceptions about evolution and if so what are they?

Criteria

1. Did you respond to points 2-6?
2. Did you write legibly?

Learning Objectives

1. Record the change in your understanding of evolution.
2. Reveal any misconceptions you may have had about evolution.
3. Witness the correction of those misconceptions.
4. Gain evidence of any uncorrected misconceptions and/or poorly understood concepts and attempt to make corrections.