Dr. Sarah's First Year Seminar Class Highlights Fall 2010
The following is NOT HOMEWORK unless you miss part or all of the class.
See the main class web page for ALL homework and due dates.
Wed Dec 8 Final Project presentations.
Thur Dec 2Friend or Foe.
Share from the final project. Evaluations.
Tues Nov 30 Discuss SYNC.
Go to the
Library Databases & E-Journals
and review CQ Researcher and discuss
Science Reference Center
and Newspaper Source Plus.
Tues Nov 16
Continue the theme
When are we convinced that a theory or experiment is correct?.
My research.
Experiments, questions and research on a wide variety of issues:
Sixth extinction,
nanotechnology, nuclear power, missing Romanovs and DNA, crows,
fractions, timeline topics, The Proof,
pants activity, egg bungee, SETI, understanding fire and
designing a fair draft.
We'll turn our focus inward this week.
We could also research societal questions
and conduct experiments on humanity: Discuss the placebo effect.
On Thursday we will discuss cloning.
Tues Nov 2 Discuss University Sponsored Activities Reflection.
Discuss writing center. Take questions on revisions for project 2.
Chemical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Thur Oct 28
Discuss the research on the games from Tuesday. Discuss Michael Coble
and the Romanov children.
Discuss suggestions for revisions for project 2 on ASULearn.
Pants research.
Tues Oct 26
Discuss research project 2.
Generating knowledge - problem solving versus research.
Research on games.
Tues Oct 12 Discuss cause/effects versus
correlations, including
the connection between smoking and cancer. Breakthroughs amidst all the
controversies
via observational studies and controlled experiments.
Revisit the sixth extinction article and watch
crows.
Discuss library research and research project 2, including why I've built in
class time for research. Go to computer lab and work on project 2.
Thur Oct 7
Library research.
Discuss the project, references and suggestions on the
timeline assignment.
Tues Oct 5
Discuss revisions on research project 1 - and improving writing.
i-clicker on reviving nuclear power:
A) strongly agree that we should revive it
B) agree we should revive it
C) somewhat agree we should
revive it, at least in some locations or via small power plants,
while also relying on other forms of energy
D) disagree that we should revive it
E) strongly disagree that we should revive it
Divide class into categories -
yes we should revive it or no we should not.
Discuss Taking Sides reading p. 83-99: Is It Time to Revive
Nuclear Power?.
Create a Decision Matrix:
Best Case Scenario
Worst Case Scenario
Pro:
Con:
Discuss the cause/effect relationships.
TED Debate: Does the world need nuclear energy?.
If time remains, discuss the timeline assignment and
go to the computer lab to work on choosing a topic/finding references.
Tues Sep 28
Discuss Nova's "The Proof" video and Notes.
Discuss Henderson
Search the library catalog and the databases -
MathSciNet for Author: Wiles, A* Look at MR1333036 and MR1333035.
Also do "Search for Full Text" and pull up the actual articles. Look for
the references. Look at google scholar search for Andrew Wiles and
a google [Andrew Wiles
site:www.math.princeton.edu] search. arXiv.org search for Andrew Wiles.
If time remains, then begin
equations as a metaphor for life.
Thur Sep 23
Discuss searching for faculty research.
Begin first two slides of Equations.
Discuss the difference between scientific experimentation and mathematical
proof. Discuss correlations.
Tues Sep 21
Before turning in research project 1,
compare and contrast your lens 1 research and
analysis within groups.
Excel analyses, chi test and p-value.
Discuss the Faculty Interview
and the University Sponsored Activities
reflection assignments as well as the
timeline assignment.
Search for information about faculty research, including
department webpages, google
scholar, the library
catalog,
and some of the library databases& eJournals listed in the Subject Guide for
the most relevant field.
Look at department pages for scholarship areas.
Search for information about faculty for factuly interview.
Thur Sep 16 Discuss convocation and the controversies in the book.
Peer Review
Tues Sep 14
Discuss convocation on Thursday [Meet in 303A between 9 and 9:15 -
I will bring donuts and breakfast bars. We will then walk over to
convocation together, sit together, and make our way back to the classroom
afterwards. All first year seminar students are required to attend - classes
are cancelled until 12:30 for this purpose].
Review the wheel from Friday and discuss that for some people who
saw color - the colors were reversed
when the wheel spun the reverse directions.
During the first part of class today, we will work on portions of
the general education objective:
I. C. Examine and evaluate how their own personal, historical, and cultural perspectives affect the discovery and generation of knowledge;
Go to 307b. Look at homework on the main webpage for Thursday and
Tuesday, and then go to the
class highlights page for the following link - experiment:
1. Take the
HumanMetrics
Questionnaire.
2. On ASULearn message me the Myers-Briggs type that the test gave you.
3. Next read through the description of the type the test gave you and
the "opposite" type with no common letters at
The 16 MBTI Types.
4. Research to find some controversial aspects of the MBTI
Indicator.
MBTI reflection If time remains, then
choose a random number from 1 to 10.
Excel analyses, chi test and p-value.
Thur Sep 9 Collect discussion questions on Taking Sides
Reading. i-clicker survey - should the risks slow the development?.
Divide class into yes/no/unsure and sit with people who answered the same
way. Discuss Nanotechnology. i-clicker - if we restrict to medical research,
should the risks slow the development?
To conclude the debate, ask highlight the IDS perspectives and ask
each side to summarize what they thought the main points of the
other side were.
Color wheel and Fechner color. Some see color and some do not. Changing the
direction of rotation changes the color.
Tues Sep 7 Group Juggle activity. Collect and
discuss the Group Interaction Course from the
discussion questions or the alternative
assignment - the
breakthroughs, the controversies, and the connections to science and
mathematics. Discuss related physics and geometry connections.
Go to 307b.
Elephant
and
Feather - Free Fall, and
Elephant
and Feather - Air Resistance
Discuss the next step in solving the GIC problems - experiments.
Review the
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert from last week.
LaTex slides
Discuss scholarly journals versus magazines.
Search for the New Yorker
in the library databases. Search for information about the author
credibility from this article. If time remains, then
research the credentials of each author for the Taking Sides
reading and work on
Research Project 1 via the google book
search inside feature and web searches.
Thur Sep 2 Meet at the Student Recreation Center.
Group Interaction Course from 12:30-3:20. This activity is required unless
you have documented evidence of a conflict which you must bring to me in
advance.
Tues Aug 31 Put chairs in a rectangle.
Finish effective writing from Thursday.
Discuss GIC and hw. i-clicker questions. Share lens from project 1.
Group juggle.
Academic reading - Frankenstein and reading research.
The Sixth Extinction
by Elizabeth Kolbert.
LaTex slides
Thur Aug 26
Collect the $10 class activity fee.
Write down the names of the people in your group from Tuesday.
Fill out the information sheet.
Review the syllabus and discuss advice from the last class.
Discuss questions on project 1 and the syllabus.
Discussion Question: Why no tests in the course?
Groups present their research from Tuesday and their names.
Discuss writing rubric.
Build connections:
count the number of letters in your first name and find someone else
in the class that has the same number of letters (or close). Find something
non-obvious that you have in common and introduce them to the rest of
the class. LaTex Beamer slides.
Tues Aug 24
Discuss what is a seminar? Overview of FYS and the course.
Connections with each other: names in motion.
Discussion Question:
How could we know that the earth is round without using modern technology?
Interdisciplinary connections and flat earth society.
Break up into 5 groups and learn the names of the people in your group.
LaTex Beamer slides.
Move to 307b and take the survey on ASULearn.
Research to find diverse perspectives on your universe question
and discuss with your group members. Prepare to share what you found with
the rest of the class on Thursday:
Question 1: Are there are finitely or infinitely many stars in the universe? Explain.
Question 2: Is our universe 3-dimensional or is it higher dimensional? Why?
Question 3: Is the universe expanding and if so, will it expand forever?
Question 4: Most of us agree that the shape of the earth is close to a round sphere. Could the universe be round too? Does it have any kind of shape?
Question 5: Is the universe leaking energy?
