Appendix 1: Example Schedule

Date

Details – unless otherwise stated assignments are due the following week

Week 1

Course logistics and first field trip

Location: Classroom + Field Site

Assignments: pre-course survey + field notebook entry #1

Week 2

Field Trip: Plant specimen collection

Location: Classroom + Field Site

Assignments: field notebook entry #2

Week 3

Field Trip: Prepare herbarium specimens

Location: Classroom + Ada Hayden Herbarium

Assignments: field notebook entry #3 + reflective writing #1

Week 4

Field Trip: Data Collection

Location: Classroom + Field Site

Assignments: field notebook entry #4 + peer review #1

Week 5

Field Trip: Data Analysis

Location: Classroom

Assignments: field notebook entry #5

Week 6

Weekend Field Trip

Location: Lakeside Laboratory

Assignments: field notebook entry #6 + reflective writing #2 + paper reading #1 + first draft of professional materials (due week 10)

Week 7

Field Trip: Local Site and Paper

Location: Classroom + Field Site

Assignments: field notebook entry #7 + peer review #2 + paper reading #2

Week 8

Field Trip: Virtual Discussion and Paper

Location: Classroom

Assignments: field notebook entry #8 + paper reading #3

Week 9

Field Trip: Local Site and Paper

Location: Classroom + ISU Horticulture Farm

Assignments: field notebook entry #9 + turn in field notebook + REMINDER: first draft of professional materials

Week 10

Workshop on Proposals I

Location: Classroom

Assignments: peer review #3 + proposal #1 (due week 12)

Week 11

Finding research opportunities – invited speaker

Location: Classroom

Assignments: revision #1

Week 12

Workshop on Proposals II

Location: Classroom

Assignments: peer review #4 + proposal #2 (due week 14)

Week 13

Preparing Professional Materials Workshop I

Location: Classroom

Assignments: revision #2 (due week 15)

Thanksgiving Break – Class does not meet

Week 14

Workshop on Proposals III

Location: Classroom

Assignments: proposal #3

Week 15

Professional Materials Workshop II

Location: Classroom

Assignments: reflective writing #3 + post-course survey + final presentation

Week 16

Finals Week – Present Research Proposals

Location: Classroom

End of Semester Celebration

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Experiences in Biodiversity Research: A Field Course Copyright © 2024 by Thea B. Gessler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.