Trinity College

In order to receive a high grade in this course, you will need to attend
class regularly, complete all assignments in a timely manner, and demonstrate a serious engagement with the course material through your writing and through participation in the class project and class discussion.

IV. Academic dishonesty

I will deal with any suspected academic dishonesty in this course by
reporting to the dean.

V. Attendance

Attendance at every class is expected; it is your professional
responsibility. Please let me know beforehand if you need to miss a class. You are responsible for making up the work and getting notes from your classmates. Reminder: attendance and participation count toward your grade.

VI. Assignment policies

Late assignments will be penalized by 10% per day unless prior permission has been granted for an extension. All reaction papers should represent your own individual work, although conversation about assignments and about assigned reading is encouraged.

VII. Electronic communications

I will be communicating with the class throughout the semester by e-mail. It is important for this course and others that you get into the habit of checking your Trinity e-mail account regularly. There is also a BlackBoard site for the course which you will need to access regularly to download readings and assignments. All course documents and handouts will be posted there should you require additional copies.

VIII. Attendance at Research Seminars

An important part of your experience as a science student at Trinity will be attendance at weekly research seminars. Most departments host regular seminars, where members of the department, senior thesis students, or outside guests present their latest research findings. Seminar schedules will be shared in class, and fifty points towards your grade in this course will be from attendance at these seminars. You will be required to attend 5 seminars over the course of the semester and submit short summaries of each. To count, the summary must be submitted within one week of the seminar. (You are encouraged to submit these electronically by sending reports as Word documents attached to e-mail messages.) PLAN AHEAD! Most departments host seminars during the semester, but you are unlikely
to find many offered after Thanksgiving. It will be best if you pace
yourself and attempt to attend one every two weeks or so.

IX. Writing portfolios

The purpose of the writing portfolio is to track your learning in this course. In addition to learning specifically about the process by which discovery is made, you will also learn to improve your writing. The writing portfolio is designed to help you track your progress in both.

The portfolio will be turned in twice - once at midterm and then again at the end of the semester. I will respond to your writing periodically, but not to include every assignment. Writing will be graded holistically each time you hand in your portfolio. In order to get a high grade, you need to complete all assignments, demonstrate a serious engagement with the course material In your writing, and show a strong work ethic in responding to others' writing and in revising your own work. To start, get a three-ring binder. Every time you write something for class, put it in the binder. It will also be useful to start a table of contents that you can fill in as you add papers. Include all submitted drafts and organize the portfolio in a manner that makes sense to you.

At the end of the semester, you will be required to write an introduction to your writing portfolio that will describe the progress made in learning about discovery and also about writing. More details on that assignment will be given later in the semester.

X. Course Schedule

The following course schedule is subject to change as the semester progresses. These changes may result from progress, instructor interest, student interest or newsworthy events related to course material.

I. Course Schedule

1 Sept. (Thursday) Orientation meeting

Class introduction

Distribute syllabus

Discuss course expectations

Discuss class project

Discuss summer reading/writing assignment

Distribute Greene reading/writing assignment

01

10:15 am – 1 pm

2 Sept. (Friday) First Day of Class

Discovery

In class: Discovery activities (puzzles)

Focus: Problem solving

Before class: Read Greene essay “Science Nourishes the Mind and Soul” and write short reaction paper as instructed. 02

1:15 – 2:30

MON: 1:15-3:55 (or as noted)

FRI: 1:15-3:55 (or as noted)

5 Sept.

No class – Labor Day

9 Sept.

Discovery

In class: Discovery activities (canisters), Intro to Design Contest

Focus: Observation

Before class, read Miller essay (p. 1-35 of Hidden Histories book) and prepare short essay answers to discussion questions according to instructions.

At 3:00 pm, attend Summer Research Symposium in Washington Room, Mather Hall.

03

Note: 1:15 – ~3:55

Sunday Sept. 11, 12:30-5 pm

Out-of-Class activity (required):

Canoeing on the Farmington River

Meet bus on Summit Street behind Mather Hall at 12:30 pm.

12 Sept.

Discovery

In class: Discovery activities (termites)

Focus: Hypothesis building

Before class, read Kevles essay (p. 70-112 of Hidden Histories book) and write reaction paper according to instructions.

04

Note: 1:15 – 3:00

16 Sept.

Discovery

Field trip: Science museum

Focus: Teaching science to children

Meet bus on Summit Street behind Mather Hall at 1:15.

Before class, read Sacks essay (p. 141-187 of Hidden Histories book) and write reaction paper according to instructions. 05

Note: 1:15-3:30

19 Sept.

Discovery

In class: Discovery activities (As data interpretation)

Focus: Explanation

Before class, read advice provided by the ISP Class of ’08, read p. 1-63 of Human Trials and prepare Science Museum paper as instructed.

06

1:15 – 2:30

23 Sept.

Discovery

In class: Discovery activities (engineering): Design contest

Focus: Engineering/design

Before class, read Petroski chapter and prepare directed essay as instructed.

07

1:15 – 2:30

26 Sept.

Discovery

Class discussion of Human Trials

Library tour

Before class, read p. 65-182 of Human Trials and prepare Design Report as instructed.

08

Note: 1:15 – 3:00

30 Sept. (Family weekend)

Discovery

Class discussion of Human Trials

In class: Discovery activities (culmination activities)

Before class, read p. 183-end of Human Trials and prepare reaction paper and questions for class with Susan Quinn as instructed.

09

1:15-2:30

3 Oct.

Science and Society Speaker

Susan Quinn, author of Marie Curie and Human Trials

Before class, read p. 145-160 of Marie Curie and prepare revised Science Museum paper as instructed.

10

1:15 – 2:30

7 Oct.

What is science? What is research?

How does research progress?

Class discussion

Before class, read essay by Richard Feynman: The Value of Science and prepare Midterm Writing Portfolio as instructed.

11

1:15 – 2:30

10 Oct

No class – Trinity Days

14 Oct.

Class Project

Introduction

Library Database session

Before class, prepare Discovery Paper as instructed.

12

Note: 1:15 – 3:00

17 Oct.

Class Project

Sampling.

Before class, do the on-line plagiarism tutorial as instructed.

13

Note: 1:15 – 3:55

21 Oct.

Class Project

Extraction.

Before class, prepare Annotated Bibliography for Class Project as instructed.

14

Note: 1:15 – 3:55

24 Oct.

Class Project

Analysis.

Before class, prepare revised Discovery Paper as instructed.

15

Note: 1:15 – 3:55

28 Oct.

Class Project

Report work.

Before class, prepare Class Project Research Paper as instructed and bring drafts to class. Also due: Questions for faculty panel.

16

1:15 – 2:30

31 Oct.

The research process: Disciplinary perspectives

Faculty panel discussion on research:

(various faculty from BIOL, CHEM, ENGR, MATH, CPSC, NESC, PHYS)

Before class, read ISP Class of ’08 laboratory choice advice and complete newspaper-style Profile of Undergraduate Research Student as instructed.

17

1:15 – 2:30

4 Nov.

ISP Laboratory Tours

To be arranged with prospective ISP faculty mentors

In planning for selection of research faculty mentors for Spring 2006.

Before class, prepare Class Project report section drafts as instructed.

18

Note: 1:15-3:55

7 Nov.

ISP Laboratory Tours

To be arranged with prospective ISP faculty mentors

In planning for selection of research faculty mentors for Spring 2006.

Before class, prepare PowerPoint slide for class project presentation as instructed.

19

Note: 1:15-3:55

11 Nov.

Class project

Present class project results to SINA

Before class, prepare revised Class Project Research Paper as instructed.

20

Note: 1:15-3:00

14 Nov.

Mathematics in science

Class discussion.

Before class, read book chapters by Livio from The Golden Ratio and prepare Class Project debriefing paper as instructed.

21

1:15 – 2:30

18 Nov.

Ethics in science

Before class, read essays by Gawande, Koerner and Cassuto and prepare assignment as instructed.

22

1:15-2:30

21 Nov.

Research funding

Discuss importance of funding for research, sources of funding, grant writing, the proposal submission process, peer-review of proposals and the resubmission process.

Before class, read essay by Mukherjee and prepare directed essay as instructed.

23

1:15 – 2:30

25 Nov.

No class – Thanksgiving Break

28 Nov.

Science in Society

Class discussion.

Before class, read essay by Stephen Jay Gould (p. 37-67 in Hidden Histories) and prepare reaction paper as instructed.

24

1:15-2:30

2 Dec.

Science in Society

Speaker:

Dr. Wayne Carver, Chief Medical Examiner, State of CT

Before class, prepare grant writing assignment as instructed.

25

Note: 1:15-3:00

5 Dec.

Science in Society

Speaker: TBA

Before class, complete research meetings with faculty, and prepare paper describing choice of research apprenticeship.

26

1:15-2:30

9 Dec.

Conclusions/Introductions

Wrap-up and debriefing

Before class, prepare introduction to writing portfolio and prepare portfolio for submission as instructed.

27

1:15-2:30