Fundamentals of Biology II

Fulfills:

LIFE 121 + LIFE 121L

Prerequisite:

LIFE 120 + LIFE 120L

Dates:

July 6th - July 25th

About the Instructor:

Benjamin Reed is a professor of vertebrate zoology at Washburn University.  He received his PhD in biology from UNL  after spending five summers conducting research at Cedar Point Biological Station and is intimately familiar with life at a field station, especially Cedar Point.  Ben’s research focuses on movement ecology and he uses the ornate box turtle as his model system.  This work integrates many fields of biology including space-use, movement, thermal biology, habitat selection, behavior, behavioral syndromes, and plant and animal interactions to understand how and why animals use the area they do. Ben is highly motivated to engage students in learning biology in fun and exciting ways and teaching field courses is the ultimate way to do this!  

Course Description:

Life 121 at Cedar Point is a fun, fast-paced version of the 15-week offering on campus. The goal of this course is to provide students with a solid foundation in biology so that they may succeed in their future courses. To provide this foundation, this course will take advantage of Cedar Point’s incredible surroundings to learn via hands-on activities about key concepts and topics. Students will have the opportunity to conduct field research, complete laboratory experiments, and to truly immerse themselves in topics that would otherwise only be learned via lecture. Students will participate in group activities, complete research projects using model organisms, write papers, give presentations, and take mini quizzes throughout the 3-week course. This course will integrate lectures, labs, fieldwork, and other activities to best facilitate student learning. Expect to learn the basics of 121 while also learning how to design and conduct research projects, complete statistical analyses, use field and lab techniques, learn local flora and fauna (including both plants and animals), learn about career opportunities, and most importantly to learn a great deal of biology while also having fun!

Any questions? Please direct your inquiries to benjamin.reed@washburn.edu.