Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences [Dept. of Entomology]

ASSIGNED PAPERS FOR INSECT BEHAVIOR

INSECT BEHAVIOR: Course Requirements and Grading

16:370:519, Entomology, Rutgers University

The course meets for two 80-minute periods each week.  Its main emphasis is on discussion and analysis of primary literature on insect behavior.  Each section, except the first, will be introduced with a lecture, followed by 2-4 meetings during which we will discuss assigned papers; copies of all assigned papers, plus some optional background reading, will be on reserve in the Entomology Library.  There is no required text book, but several books on aspects of insect behavior also are on reserve.

Each discussion session will be lead by a moderator, and each participant will serve as moderator for at least two sessions.  The moderator's responsibility will be to briefly introduce the papers, to help the class as a whole identify the principal results and conclusions of the work, the relationship among papers (if more than one is assigned), and their significance in the broader context of insect behavior, and to facilitate class discussion in general.  To help focus reading and discussion, the moderator should also provide, not later than the meeting before her/his session, a short list of questions for consideration during the class discussion.  Beside leading the discussion, the moderator is required, for one of their two sessions, to hand in a written critique of the assigned paper that they consider most interesting or significant. It is important that everyone be prepared and willing to take an active part in the discussions, however - the responsibility is not the moderator's alone.

 In addition to class discussions, the following are also requirements of the course.

  1. Ethogram - The only laboratory exercise will be to construct an ethogram (a catalog of observed behaviors) of any available insect, which must be observed for at least one hour.  Further details will be provided in class. A report will be due not later than 24 February.
  2. Term paper - This may be on any topic broadly related to behavior of insects or, with approval, other terrestrial invertebrates.  It may be entirely literature-based or may include original research and observations, and it may be related to the student's thesis research if this is relevant to insect behavior.  Length is not specified, but in the past most papers have run from 10-20 pages.  A term paper topic and a short (~1 page) written preliminary outline should be approved by 7 March.  The paper itself is due by 27 April.
  3. Exams - Two exams, of equal weight and non-cumulative, will be given.  The first will be take-home and will cover lecture, reading, and discussion through approximately the end of the section on feeding behavior (this is subject to adjustment after the class schedule is set, and exact coverage will be announced in a few weeks).  The second will be in class during the final exam period and will cover the remaining material.

 Grading:  Course requirements will be weighted as follows:

  • Critique (1) and moderation of discussions: 25%
  • Class participation :  30%
  • Ethogram: 5%
  • Term paper: 15%
  • Exams (2): 25 %

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