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| Portfolio Section | Week Introduced | Skill(s) | Assignment | Assessment |
| Background Knowledge Survey | Week 1 Recitation
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Reflect on background knowledge (what you know and don’t know) to prepare to learn new concepts and skills.
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This assignment has three parts. 1) Fill in the Pre-Assessment Survey form individually. Answer true (T), false (F), or don’t know (DK) for every question. It is fine if you do not know the correct answers; answer each question to the best of your current ability. 2) Check answers at the BI 101 website (Background Knowledge Survey) and fill in the correct answers in the appropriate column. 3) rite a paragraph reflection on (A) where you learned the answers that you answered correctly on the survey, and (B) what you have learned as a result of completing the survey. If you did not know any of the information prior to the survey, do not remember the sources of information, or did not learn anything from the survey, include this information as well. The paragraph reflection can be written on the back of the survey or typed on a separate sheet of paper. |
This assignment is worth 3.0 points. 1.0 point is for answering the survey questions and filling in the correct answers from the website, and 2.0 points are for the reflection paragraph (1.0 point for stating the source of what you knew on the survey, and 1.0 point for what you learned by completing the survey).
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| Novel Food Experience | Week 1 Laboratory
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Observe, describe, and research a fruit, seed, vegetable, herb, or spice that you have not previously eaten.
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Select a fruit, seed, vegetable, herb, or spice that you have not previously eaten. Try one of the foods available from your GTA in lab, or if necessary, acquire your own from a grocery store. If you have food allergies, avoid any similar foods. Record the common name for the food and describe the food as completely as possible (color, texture, odor, and taste, if desired), including comparing or contrasting the food to others you may have experienced. You do NOT have to eat the food, other sensory descriptions can be sufficient. Next, use the Internet to research the food. Find the following information: the scientific name of the plant, where the plant is originally from, type of plant (tree, shrub, grass, etc.), and the parts of the plant typically consumed by humans. Include a list of at least two websites that you used as a source of information (name of the website and web address).
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This assignment is worth 4.0 points (1.5 points for the detailed description of the food, including the common name and at least three observations), 2.0 points for information on the plant (scientific name, where the plant originated, type of plant, and the parts consumed by humans), and 0.5 point for listing the two website sources).
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| Lecture Figure Analysis | Week 2 Recitation
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Summarize information within a complex figure.
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Describe the lecture figure on the next page as if you are teaching the concepts within the figure to a fellow student. Start by writing a short title that summarizes in a few words what the figure is representing. Next, write a paragraph that summarizes the information in the figure. Include in your paragraph: examples of organisms found in each of the three trophic levels, what each of the types of boxes (consumed, not consumed, digested, undigested) are indicating, what the arrows (energy, growth and repair, and fecal wastes) mean, and why the boxes and arrows get smaller with each trophic level.
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This assignment is worth 4.0 points (0.25 point for the title, 0.75 point for examples of organisms in each of the trophic levels, 1.0 point for explaining the boxes, 1.0 point for explaining the arrows, and 1.0 point for explaining the relative sizes of the boxes and arrows).
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Pattern of Nature Observation |
Week 2 Laboratory
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Locate and provide a detailed description of a natural pattern in the environment.
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Pattern recognition, looking for repetition of events around us, provides us with information about our environment. Find an example of a naturally-occurring (not human-made) pattern in your environment. This can be a pattern created by multiple organisms, a single organism, or even a pattern on the surface of an organism. You can look on campus, near your home, in a park, etc. Wherever you look, proceed safely by being aware of your environment and traveling with others if necessary. Draw or photograph the pattern, labeling with words and arrows numerous details in your picture (location, time of day, sizes, colors, textures, etc.) and include a brief paragraph that describes why you think this is a natural pattern, and why the pattern may be significant (what it may indicate). |
This assignment is worth 4.0 points: 1.0 point for the drawing or photo of the pattern, 1.0 point for detailed labels on the drawing or photo, and 2.0 points for the paragraph (1.0 point for why you think this is a natural pattern, and 1.0 point for what the pattern may indicate).
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