Course Documents, Such As the Syllabus & Instructions for Writing Lab Reports
Group
(submit separate forms if requesting more than one general education group designation) / III. Language / VII: Social Sciences
III Exception: Symbolic Systems * / VIII: Ethics & Human Values
IV: Expressive Arts / IX: American & European
V: Literary & Artistic Studies / X: Indigenous & Global
VI: Historical & Cultural Studies / XI: Natural Sciences
w/ lab X w/out lab
*Courses proposed for this designation must be standing requirements of majors that qualify for exceptions to the modern and classical language requirement
Dept/Program / Applied Arts and Sciences /Science / Course # / SCN 260N
Course Title / The Biology of Behavior
Prerequisite / SCN100N Issues in Biology / Credits / 3
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Please type / print name / Signature / Date
Requestor
Phone / Email / Linda Eagleheart
406-243-7906
Instructor
Phone / Email / Gregory Peters
406-243-7848
Program Chair / Cathy Corr
Dean / Barry Good
III. Type of request
New / X / One-time Only / Change / Remove
Reason for Gen Ed inclusion, change or deletion / Please see Purpose (justification for new course) in section IV
Description of change / Please see Course Description in section IV
IV. Description and purpose of new general education course:
Course Description:
SCN 260N: The Biology of Behavior is an introduction to the biological foundations of human behavior. Required laboratory exercises reinforce concepts discussed in classroom meetings through student-driven investigations, discussion questions designed to foster creative thinking, and topically related online exercises from the textbook publisher. The biological concepts explored in this class include human nervous system functioning, sensation, learning, emotion, and issues such as obesity, anxiety, and addiction. Broad biological principles that are explored through these topics include cellular structure, function, and transport, human genetics, the influence of evolution, and growth and development. Concepts are presented within the broad context of science as an ongoing, investigative process.
IV. Description and purpose of new general education course (continued from page 1):
Purpose (justification for new course):
SCN 260N: The Biology of Behavior course content will contribute to learning objectives for students pursuing degrees with Social Work and Addiction Studies emphases. The course will give these students a unique opportunity to deepen their understanding of core biological principles along with content that contributes to their overall educational goals. The Biology of Behavior will provide a valuable opportunity for these students to fulfill their Natural Sciences with a laboratory course requirement. Because the course will explore general topics in Biology such as cell structure and function, human sensation, and gene expression, completion of this course will also serve many students in the Health Professions at the COT. The laboratory component of this course further allows students to explore the process of science while studying several basic biological concepts through an exploration of human behavior.
V. Criteria:
1. Courses explore a discipline in the natural sciences and demonstrate how the scientific method is used within the discipline to draw scientific conclusions.
/
- The Biology of Behavior provides students direct opportunity to understand the scientific method through several simple, question-driven laboratory investigations and subsequent instructor feedback. The lab investigations focus on an introductory examination of the biological basis of human behavior.
2. Courses addresses the concept of analytic uncertainty and the rigorous process required to take an idea to a hypothesis and then to a validated scientific theory. /
- The Biology of Behavior addresses this criterion by exposing students to current research methods and the historic context of some influential scientific discoveries concerning the biology behind human behavior. These discussions of the processes that biologists undergo to develop theories about human behavior reinforce student understanding of both the scientific method and the nature of science as an ongoing process.
3. Lab courses engage students in inquiry-based learning activities where they formulate a hypothesis, design an experiment to test the hypothesis, and collect, interpret, and present the data to support their conclusions. /
- The Biology of Behavior laboratory includes both online exercises designed to examine course concepts from a new perspective as well as inquiry-based laboratory investigations. These investigations explore the biological aspects of the human nervous system and human behavior and require students to articulate research questions and hypotheses, test their hypothesis, record data, and interpret data in written lab reports.
VI. Student Learning Goals:
Learning goals: / Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. understand the general principles associated with the discipline(s) studied. / 1. understand the general biological principles associated with human behavior, including:
- Cell structure and function
- Diffusion and solute transport
- Human sensation
- Biological basis of learning and emotion
- Biological basis of behaviors such as anxiety, obesity, and drug addiction
2. understand the methodology and activities scientists use to gather, validate and interpret data related to natural processes. / 2. understand the methods scientists use to develop and explore questions, through:
- Direct application of the scientific method as a component of lab activities
- Discussing the validity of scientific arguments encountered in textbook readings and student investigations
- Discussing the history of changing interpretations of key concepts presented by scientists over time
3. detect patterns, draw conclusions, develop conjectures and hypotheses, and test them by appropriate means and experiments. / 3. observe patterns, develop hypotheses, and test them by appropriate means and experiments, through:
- Developing novel questions based on observations of common human behaviors
- Writing, sharing, and testing reasonable scientific hypotheses designed to explore the questions raised
- Collecting and analyzing data, and then interpreting the results gathered from hypothesis testing
4. understand how scientific laws and theories are verified by quantitative measurement, scientific observation, and logical/critical reasoning. / 4. understand how scientific theories are verified by measurement, observation, and critical reasoning, through:
- Sharing findings from laboratory investigations to enable learning and constructive critique from peers
- Discussion of guiding theories of the biological basis of human behavior, including the process involved in developing theory through repeated hypothesis testing
5. understand the means by which analytic uncertainty is quantified and expressed in the natural sciences. / 5. understand the how uncertainty is communicated in the natural sciences, through:
- Recognizing and describing uncertainty in interpretation of findings from lab investigations
- Classroom discussion of the special challenges involved in hypothesis testing and data interpretation of scientific testing with human subjects
VII. Justification:
NA – course is 200 level with only one prerequisite
VIII. Syllabus:
SCN260N: Biology of Behavior Fall 2010
Instructor: Greg Peters
Contact: or (406) 207-6154
Office Hours: T & Th 12:10-2:00 in HB 02
Text: Carlson. Physiology of Behavior, 10th ed. Pearson Publishing
Course Overview:
In this course we explore the biological basis of human behavior. The foundation for this exploration is an understanding of the structure and function of the nervous system and its cells, the neurons. We will examine neuron function and neurotransmitter activity as examples of cellular structure and functioning. Topics related to human behavior will include exploration of human sensation, the phenomenon of learning, and the biological basis of common behaviors such as obesity, addiction, stress, and anxiety.
Assessment: pointsgrades
4 Exams (100 pts ea.) 400 90-100% = A- to A
8 Lab Reports (25 pts ea.) 20080-90% = B- to B+
70-80% = C- to C+
60-70% = D- to D+
TOTAL: 600 < 60% = F
Course Policies & Recommendations:
Use of the BlackBoard course supplement is essential, as it provides the following resources:
- Course documents, such as the syllabus & instructions for writing lab reports
- Portions of lecture slides used in class
- Student grades
- Lab instructions and instructions for Lab activities
- Access to supplemental weblinks, including MyPsychKit
Make-up exams will only be offered for compelling reasons and with documentation. No early finals will be offered, so make any travel plans accordingly.
Students with disabilities will receive appropriate accommodations. Please contact me and provide a letter from your DSS coordinator so that accommodations can be made.
University policies on drops, adds, changes of grade option, or change to audit status will be observed in this course. Please note that after November 1st, such changes are NOT automatically approved; they may be requested by petition, but the petition must be accompanied by documentation of extenuating circumstances. Requests to drop a course or change the grade basis to benefit a student’s grade point average will not be approved. A grade of C or higher will be considered a passing grade for the P/NP option.
Lab Activity Guidelines
Each two hour class period will include one hour of lecture and one hour of lab activities (lab credit hours are calculated based on 2 hours/week = one credit). The lab activities need to be completed before the due date of the Lab Report. It will be necessary to have access to the internet for completion of some portions of the lab activities, and each student must be registered and have access to the MyPsychKit online supplement for our textbook. Each Lab Report asks you to summarize two days of these lab activities as outlined on the syllabus. Lab reports will lose 10% of their value each class meeting they are late.
Each Lab Activity (scheduled over two class meetings) will consist of 3 basic parts:
A) online exercises
B) investigations and activities
C) thought questions
To access the MyPsychKit for lab exercises:
1) Go to
2) Click on “Students” in the tan “First-time users” box
3) Click “Buy Access” next to: Carlson Physiology of Behavior, 10/e
4) Click “accept”
5) Select “no”
6) Fill in appropriate info
the next time you use to mypsychkit.com, you select "returning user" student, and log in
Lab Report Directions
You may format the report as you like, but I am asking that this be limited to ONE typed page to force you to be brief and select the most important information for your lab summary (although putting your sketches and such on the back is a great idea). Include in your lab report:
1) Your name and the Lab Report title and #
2) Summarize your experience with part A (online exercises) by recording things like:
a) which aspects of the exercise were most helpful
b) which aspects were the least helpful
c) what you learned that was most new or surprising to you
d) what (if anything) is still confusing or difficult to understand
e) any terms or concepts that you might find particularly challenging or worth reviewing
3) Respond to part B (investigations and activities) by completing the investigations as instructed and then writing asummary including the:
- Purpose of your investigation
- Hypothesis you formed
- Methods used to complete the activity
- Findings (the results are the data collected)
- Interpretation (why do you think you found what you found?)
Class Schedule
Date: Lecture Topic: Read pages: Lab Topic: Assignment:
Unit One: The Nervous System
Aug 31Course introduction --Lab Policies
Sep 2 Nervous system cells Ch. 2 (29-41)MyPsychKit intro
Sep 7 Neuron activityCh. 2 (41-52)Lab 1: Neurons
Sep 9 Neuron communicationCh. 2 (53-66)Lab 1: Neurons
Sep 14NeurotransmittersCh. 4 (111-124 Neurotransmitters Lab report 1
Sep 16Nervous system featuresCh. 3 (69-75) Neurotransmitters
Sep 21Nervous System structureCh. 3 (82-100) Exam 1 prep Lab report 2
Sep 23EXAM 1 --
Unit Two: Sensation and movement
Sep 28Vision Ch. 6 (170-185) Exam 1 review
Sep 30Audition Ch. 7 (213-228) Vision, Audition
Oct 5Vestibular system Ch. 7 (234-237) Vision, Audition
Oct 7Somatosenses Ch. 7 (238-248) More senses Lab report 3
Oct 12Taste and olfactionCh. 7 (250-260) More senses
Oct 14Control of movement Ch. 8 (263-268) Exam 2 prep Lab report 4
Oct 19EXAM 2 --
Unit Three: Influences on Behavior
Oct 21Emotions367-383 & 396-9 Exam 2 review
Oct 26LearningCh. 13 (440-453) Lab 5: Learning
Oct 28LearningCh. 13 (454-464) Lab 5: Learning
Nov 2No Class: Election Day
Nov 4Sleep, Food 296-9 & 409-415 Food, Drugs Lab report 5
Nov 9Drug action Ch. 4 (103-111) Exam 3 prep Lab report 6
Nov 11No Class: Veteran’s Day
Nov 16EXAM 3 --
Unit Four: Diversity of Behavior
Nov 18Drug addiction Ch. 18 (614-622) Exam 3 Review
Nov 23Obesity and Anorexia Ch. 12 (427-437) Addiction
Nov 25No Class: Thanksgiving
Nov 30Neurological disorders Ch. 15 (532-548) Addiction
Dec 2Anxiety Ch. 17 (586-601) Stress & Anxiety Lab report 7
Dec 7Stress Ch. 17 (601-611) Stress & Anxiety
Dec 9Course wrap-up Exam 4 prep Lab report 8
Dec 15 Final Exam Wednesday, 8:00 am, same room
Please note: Approved general education changes will take effect next fall.