3 Credit hours. Prerequisite: Standing as a student at Mississippi College

Catalog Course Description: A survey of the uses of plants in human societies throughout the world. This course will not count toward a major or minor in biology although it will count as a non-laboratory core science course for non-science majors. This course taken concurrently with BIO 106 will meet the core curriculum four hour laboratory course requirement.

Instructor: Robert G. Hamilton, Ph.D.

Office: Hederman Science, room 205
Telephone: (601) 925-3872
email: rhamilto@mc.edu

Purpose: The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the practical uses of plants in human society, with a focus on economically important plant species.

Textbooks:     Economic Botany; Simpson and Ogorzaly, 3rd edition. Status: Available in bookstore.

                      On Food and Cooking; Harold McGee, 2nd edition. Available in Bookstore.

Rationale for Course: The Mississippi College Mission statement stipulates that Mississippi College stimulates the intellectual development of its students through the...sciences. A requisite to the preceeding is an understanding that all civilizations of the world have been linked to distinctive plants used for food, fiber and medicine.  It is hoped that students who compelete this course will ultimately utilize their knowledge of plants and their uses in conjunction with their skills, talents, as businessmen and women, teachers, lawyers, social workers, musicians, church workers, etc.

Learning Objectives: Learning objectives preceed each lecture as attached to this document.

Method of Instruction: Lectures will be supplimented with presentations using computer images projected with an LCD projector and video presentations. Lectures will consist of a lecture from the instructor, video presentation and group discussion.

Students will be organized into study groups of not more than six students.

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IF YOU NEED SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS DUE TO LEARNING, PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, OR OTHER DISABILITIES, PLEASE CONTACT DR. BUDDY WAGNER IN THE COUNSELING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER. HE MAY BE REACHED BY PHONE AT (601) 925-3354 OR BY MAIL AT P.O. BOX 4063, CLINTON, MS 39058.

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NO REFUNDS FOR DROPS AFTER THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES

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THE LAST DAY TO DROP A CLASS IS OCTOBER 31. STUDENTS CANNOT WITHDRAW AFTER OCTOBER 31 UNLESS ALL OF THE THREE FOLLOWING CRITERIA ARE MET:
  EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES (CLEARLY OUTSIDE THE STUDENT'S CONTROL).

PASSING THE COURSE AT THE TIME OF THE WITHDRAWAL

DOES NOT HAVE EXCESSIVE ABSENCES AT THE TIME OF THE WITHDRAWAL

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 Course Outline:

 
What are Plants I
What are Plants II
What are Plants III
What are Plants IV
What are Plants V
What are Plants VI
What are Plants VII
What are Plants VIII
Some Basic Terms
Foods We Eat
Origins of Agriculture
Nutrition
Bread I
Bread II
Fruits (I had to delete the images to get this file to a size I could post)
Cereals
Herbs and Spices
Vegetable Oils and Waxes
Sugar and Chocolate
Tea and Coffee
Alcoholic Beverages
Psychoactive Drugs
Medicinal Plants
Wood and Wood Products
Fibers

Assessment of learning:

Students will work in study groups

TOPICS

Each study group will prepare an oral report on "Harvest of Fear".
 

Go to the Harvest of Fear website for more information on this video. Plagiarism of this or any other source will be submitted to the office of the vice president for academic affairs for evaluation. As this is a group project, all evaluation will be of the group effort. Each group will select one of the viewpoints from the website as the basis for their presentation. Each presentation will be an analysis of that viewpoint.

Each Study group will prepare a written report on "The Farmers Wife".
 

Go to The Farmers Wife website. Plagiarism of this or any other source will be submitted to the office of the vice president for academic affairs for evaluation. As this is a group project, all evaluation will be of the group effort. The website contains 6 viewpoints and 3 groups of letters. Your report must contain some mention of each of these 9 items on the website.

Students working in groups will make 20 minute presentations of topics from the textbooks. Topics will be assigned by the instructor. Material from these student presentations will be included in weekly tests.

Each friday lecture sessions will conclude with a test. There will be a minimum of 11 tests over the semester.

Evaluation:
 

Eight of the 11 tests will be counted at five points each for a total of 40% of the final grade. Each test will contain 25 questions. UNEXCUSED MISSED TESTS WILL BE COUNTED, and counted as 0/5. Regardless of excuse, test totals will be out of 40 at 5 points for each; if fewer than 8 are written, then that total, regardless, will be used to calculate the grade.

Test total: 40% of the final grade.

The oral report on "Harvest of Fear" will be worth 10% of the final grade.

The Written report on "The Farmers Wife" will be worth 10% of the final grade.

Oral presentations in lecture period will be worth 20% of the final grade.

Total pre-final  80% of final grade.

A comprehensive final exam will be given. This exam is optional. If the exam is taken, it will count for 20% of the final grade. If the exam is not taken, your grade to that point (out of 80) will be your grade for the course.

Attendance:

Strict adherence to Mississippi College's class attendance policy will be followed. "Any student whose absences, whether excused or unexcused, exceed 25% of the class will receive an "F" in the course." This means that if you miss more than 10 classes, you get an F. See The current Mississippi College Undergraduate Bulletin.

Academic Integrity:

See the current Mississippi College Undergraduate Bulletinfor what the university considers to be academically dishonest, the student's responsibility, and the consequences for academic dishonesty.
 

Missed Tests:

Makeups will be allowed only if PRIOR notification BY THE STUDENT is made to the instructor.