Beverly and Others,
Yes, this is an interesting thread. We have abandoned a separated plant
biology and animal biology for some of the reactions to botany by students
that you've expressed. We have taken an organismal biology approach
focusing on the vascular plant and the vertebrate animal. All organisms
face certain life function problems such as gas exchange, nurient
transport, coordination, development and others. The differences
between plants and animals become less apparent if students can see
that 1) there are these common life problems and 2) there are similar
resolutions. We used Keeton up until this fall because that text was
written with this approach in mind. Because Keeton is dated (1995) we
now are switching to the 6th Ed of Pervis, et. al. This means that we must
make a greater effort to help students see the life problems and
organismal solutions. Consequently, when we present circulation of
nutrients the chapter on xylem and phloem transport (from the text section
on Biology of Flowering Plants) preceeds the chapter on circulating
systems (from the text section on Biology of Animals). Thus the students
will be hopping around in their text with the instructors serving as the links
between sections. I'll let you know how well this approach is received by
students.
John
>===== Original Message From bjbrown at naz.edu (Beverly Brown) =====
>I'm really enjoying this discussion and am grateful for those of you
sharing
>your wisdom!
>>I'm revising my syllabus for Plant Bio this coming fall - switching books
from
>Moore to Uno, and lab manuals from Moore to (probably) Kazmierski.
Since our
>students are similar to others mentioned on the list ("I'm taking this
class
>because I have to.") I've been thinking of ways to generate interest early
>on. This fall I think I am going to take them to the greenhouse - and get
them
>started splitting, repotting, and propagating the plants (cacti, ferns,
cycads
>and a few "regular" plants such as geraniums). I'll cart over some
microscopes
>and have them do slides of the various stems, roots, shoots, leaves to
get them
>to consider anatomy of the various taxa. (Plus supplement with
prepared
>slides.) Hopefully, this will get them interested in the diversity of
organisms
>as well as their anatomy. Then I'll follow up with more traditional
lectures
>or activities. We'll have a campus-wide plant giveaway when we're done
- and
>now that I think of it, I may have students prepare plant care sheets for
each
>type of plant. I'll probably go with anatomy and structure first so they have
a
>basic vocabulary, then work on diversity.
>>Has anybody tried something like this? Any tips? I'll need to develop
>specific objectives and some kind of assignments/reports to turn in, but I
>think this could be fun - at least for me and hopefully for the students,
too.
>>Beverly
>
>_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:
>>Beverly J. Brown, Ph.D. Phone: 716-389-2555
>Nazareth College of Rochester Fax: 716-586-2452
>Biology Department E-mail: bjbrown at naz.edu>4245 East Avenue
>Rochester, NY 14618-3790
>_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_
:_:
>>>>---
John C. Clausz, Ph.D. Ph:262-524-7280
Professor of Biology email: jclausz at cc.edu
---
