Your lecture class meets twice a week and serves as support for your lab research. You will have a Lab Meeting each Monday morning and a Research or Journal Club discussion each Wednesday morning. You will study genes (molecular biology) and the chemistry of living cells (cell biology), organisms and environments (ecology), genetic variation and inheritance (genetics), and the interactions of the environment, ecology, and genetics over time (evolution) that led to the diversity of life observed on the planet today. You’ll read the assigned pages in the textbook, and in professional research papers, take notes and then in lecture we will deeply review some parts of the reading (and discussions with random calling and microphones so you and all students are heard) and after lecture you will re-visit the readings, edit your notes, and understand even more.

Your lab class meets once a week on Wednesday afternoons. You will design and pursue one experiment all semester long. You will find an interesting animal behavior that has been studied and published in the literature (like a mating display), and attempt to document it with animals on campus (maybe in squirrels & humans), as well as design DNA experiments to test the gene that may cause it! Your group will document your discoveries with photographs and digital video from smartphones. You’ll bit by bit generate a formal research manuscript to share your findings, and can choose to create a documentary film as well. Once a week in lab you will examine & practice the methods of a scientist in performing your research. This approach is aimed at mentoring you, so you master the ability to think like a serious scientist, not a pretend one.