BIO 340 - MORPHOLOGY AND ANATOMY OF VASCULAR PLANTS
SYLLABUS - FALL 2008 - SECTION 0001
LECTURE - T,TH (12:30 - 1:45 PM)
LABORATORY - TH (2:00 - 5:00 PM)

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is a detailed study of the comparative morphology and anatomy of tracheophytes (vascular plants).

LECTURE ROOM: Burruss 232

LAB ROOM: Burruss 232

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. C.K. McMullen

OFFICE: Burruss 202

RESEARCH LABS: Burruss 201 and Burruss 260 (Herbarium)

PHONE: 568-3805

E-MAIL: mcmullck@jmu.edu

WEB SITE: http://csm.jmu.edu/biology/mcmullck

JMU's BLACKBOARD COURSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: http://blackboard.jmu.edu/

LECTURE TEXT: No text will be required for lecture. However, there are many different current and out-of-print plant morphology and anatomy books online. You may wish to purchase one or more of these. I'll discuss this in more detail.

LAB TEXT: A Photographic Atlas for the Botany Laboratory, 5th edition (2008) by K.M. Van De Graaff, S.R. Rushforth, and J.L. Crawley. This lab guide will be available at the JMU bookstore.

LECTURE & LABORATORY OBJECTIVES:
Upon successfully completing this course, the student should be an "expert" on:
1) vascular plant structure.
2) tissue organization in root, stems, and leaves.
3) the morphological and anatomical advances in vascular plants.
4) the ideas of evolution and natural selection as they relate to vascular plants.
5) the basics of floral morphology and anatomy.
6) how plant morphology relates to plant reproduction.
7) how differences in climate affect plant morphology and anatomy.
8) the special anatomy of herb, spice, and drug plants.
9) plant morphological and anatomical defense mechanisms.
10) the usefulness of plant anatomy and morphology in forensic science.
11) the microscope slides and specimens (living and preserved) presented in lab.
12) the important roles plants play in our world.

METHODS OF EVALUATION:
2 Lecture Exams: 15% each
1 Lecture Final: 20%
2 Laboratory Practicals: 20% each
1 Laboratory Notebook: 10%

LECTURE EXAMS: These will cover material from the lectures and any readings that may be assigned.

LECTURE FINAL: This will cover material from the entire course, but will concentrate on the topics presented after the second lecture exam.

LABORATORY PRACTICALS: These will cover all information covered in our Thursday afternoon labs, including notes, slides, living and preserved specimens.

LABORATORY NOTEBOOK: Each student will be graded on his/her notebook, which will include labeled diagrams of specimens studied in lab.

GRADE SCALE:
A = 90-100 %
B = 80-89 %
C = 70-79 %
D = 60-69 %
F = below 60 %

IMPORTANT CLASSROOM POLICIES: Lecture begins at 12:30 P.M. Please respect your instructor and classmates by being punctual. Students are expected to attend all lecture and lab sessions. The lectures will include material not covered in the text and not in your PowerPoint notes, so missing these will adversely affect your grade. More than five absences, regardless of the reason, will automatically result in a final grade reduction in lecture equivalent to one letter grade. Good attendance and participation may in fact help your grade if, at the end of the semester, you're on the border between two grades. Missed exams can be made-up only at the discretion of the professor and in a manner prescribed by the professor. You must inform me ahead of time, in person, if you are going to miss an exam. It is in your best interest not to miss an exam on the scheduled day. Exam dates will be made final at least a week in advance. The JMU Honor Code should be carefully observed. Please become familiar with "Violations of the Honor Code," found in the JMU Student Handbook. Any evidence of a violation will be immediately turned over to the Honor Council for investigation. Finally, use of laptops and cell phones, including text messaging, is NOT allowed during the lecture period. Make sure that you turn your phone off before coming to class!

Students are responsible for registering for classes and for verifying their class schedules on e-campus. The deadline for adding a Fall semester class without instructor and academic unit head signature is September 2, 2008. From September 3, 2008 until September 11, 2008, instructor and academic unit head signatures will be required to add a class for Fall semester 2008. No student will be allowed to register for a Fall semester class after September 11, 2008. No exceptions will be made to these deadlines. The last day to drop a Fall semester class without a "W" grade is September 2, 2008.

Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations to fully participate in course activities and/or meet course requirements must register with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) and contact me to discuss access issues. ODS will provide you with an Access Plan Letter that will verify your need for services and make recommendations for accommodations to be used in my classroom. ODS is located in the Wilson Learning Center, Room 107; Phone: 568-6705.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE