Dr. Sarah's Freshman Seminar Highlights
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.
Thur Dec 6 Final project poster presentations.
Balloons - sometimes it is easier to work alone, but more fun to work
together. Class slide show. Evaluations.
Mon Dec 3 Tori does activities of the week and tip of the
week. Hand out picture permission form.
Finish up ethics. What kind of research should scientists support?
Friend or Foe Experiment. The NSA.
How should we personally and as a society
respond (locally, globally) to scientific studies such as
those that are environmental, like tuna fishing, etc.
Who Am I for Tori and Dr. Sarah.
Frenzy:
Each team is trying to collect all of the items into their hoop to win.
There is no throwing or tossing of the balls.
No defending the hoops.
Take a group picture. Hand out posters.
Work on t-shirts. Futurama.
Mon Nov 26 Tori does activities of the week and tip of the
week. Review class from last Monday. Continue the purpose of a liberal arts
education. Read New Connections p. 7-8 and
p. 52-57.
Write down one portion
that surprised you, that you found interesting, or that you disagreed with.
Write down one item that relates to something in your own life.
Class discussion. Mention p. 49-50.
Discuss mathematics and science as part of a liberal arts education.
Update on Pizza buffet, puppy trip, t-shirts, and donations.
Favorite Image Discussion. NY times discussion.
If time remains, continue ethics.
Wed Nov 28 Collect assignment.
Problem solving versus research - methodology. Group
Problems
and presentations.
Election ptables,
tables
Knight's Tour
19 nice ones
Reservoir
Tower of Hanoi
What the Hex?
Continue ethics:
What kind of research should our government
support?.
Mon Nov 19
Tori does activities of the week and tip of the week.
Continue ethics of science in the classroom:
Case studies. Class discussion led to standardized testing and
the purpose of education.
Tori leads the question ball icebreaker.
Mon Nov 12 Tori does activities of the week, tip of the
week, and quote of the day, and discusses our money.
December, 1969 Vietnam Draft, data.
Break up into 4 groups. Experiment.
Look at university policies in New Connections.
Write down one policy that surprised you, that you found interesting, or
that you disagreed with. Write down one item that relates to something
in your own life.
Wed Nov 14 Tori leads quote of the day.
Update on Pizza buffet, puppy trip, t-shirts, and donations.
Digital Presentations.
Matt and Nathan: Leon Lederman (BS in chemistry in 1943, PhD in
physics in 1952)
Alex: Oliver Smithies (BA physiology and BS in chemistry in 1946,
PhD in biochemistry in 1951)
Katy and Leah: Sylvia Earle (BS in marine botany in 1955, PhD in
oceanography in 1966)
Becca, Kwiatek, and Noah: Stephen Hawking (BA in physics in 1962,
PhD in cosmology in 1966)
Liesel and Miranda: Sharon Downes (BS in zoology in 1994, PhD in
biology in 2000)
Andy and Roarke: Larry Page (BS in engineering with a concentration
on computer engineering in 1995, ABD in computer science)
Ashley: Trina Palmer (BS in mathematics in 1995, PhD 2004)
List all of the characteristics and behaviors which you
would attribute to a professional scientist.
Discuss ethical considerations.
Mon Nov 5 Tori takes attendance. Tori
does activities of the week, tip of the week,
and the quote of the day. Trina Palmer
and research in medical imaging. Tori discusses registration,
what you should do if you are failing a class [4 W's after drop date,
grade replacement...], as well as the pros and cons of ratemyprofessors.com.
If time remains, question ball or another icebreaker.
Wed Nov 7 Tori does quote of the day.
Read class reflections. Group Juggle without nametags.
Break up into 5 groups. Case Studies on college
success. Skits and
discussions.
Mon Oct 29
Tori does activities of the week, her tip of the
week, and the quote of the day. Dan Friedman and Myers-Briggs. If time
remains, stack up.
Wed Oct 31 Form seminar tables. Discuss controversial
aspects of Myers-Briggs. Do the Interview Activity with
one of the people you know the least about. Class reflection - write down
(anonymously)
a few aspects of class that you have enjoyed.
a few suggestions or aspects that you would like to see improved.
a Freshman Seminar goal that you have
(personally) satisfied successfully in the context of class activities.
an aspect of your personal performance (related to this class)
that you could improve upon.
Use Comic Strip Chaos to break up into groups.
Work on Class Discussion etiquette.
Discuss The Chemical Adventures
of Sherlock Holmes - the Case of the Screaming Stepfather.
Mon Oct 22
Discuss hiking date. Discuss reimbursements for mileage. Do Tori's
activities of the week, tip of the week, and quote of the day. Discuss
Fermat intro. Discuss
the switch from pros/cons to psychology/sociology/anthropology and
design of experiments, as well as "to do's".
Review uncertainty in the scientific method and statistical thinking.
Discuss mathematical proof via Andrew Wiles and Fermat's Last Theorem.
Fill out sheet.
Wed Oct 24
Move tables in a round table style. Finish video.
Introduction to MathSciNet Research in the Library Catalog via the
links at the bottom of the
media research project presentation. Search 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 (notice there
is an appendix on the first article). Look at google search for Andrew Wiles
and Andrew Wiles site:www.math.princeton.edu search. Introduction to
arXiv.org search.
Collect homework.
Class discussion on what kind of
mathematician/scientist are you, including a response from Dr. Sarah and
Tori to one of the questions. Worksheet on
Andrew Wiles and Proof.
Discuss p. 171 and p. 175 of
New Connections. Relate to calculus test 2 on October 30th.
Mon Oct 15 Meet in CAP 307.
Tori does activities of the week, her tip of
the week, and the quote of the day. Libby Puckett and research in
forensic and analytical chemistry. Dr. Sarah hands out directions
to her place.
Wed Oct 17 Tori does the quote of the day, tip of the
week, and activities of the week. Myers-Briggs.
Dr. Sarah leads a Science Times discussion.
Reflect on yarn/True That/Double True activity.
Share the pros and cons of each article with
respect to the scientific method, statistical ways of thinking, and/or
mathematical thinking. Discuss rides for Sunday.
If time remains, then Tori discusses alcohol.
If time remains, discuss
The Chemical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - the
Case of the Screaming Stepfather.
Mon Oct 8
Meet in CAP 273 at 2 [Dr. Adrian Daw's lab].
Adrian Daw and research in
experimental atomic, molecular and optical physics. During the talk,
each student writes down one question [they do not need to ask it]. It is
fine if the question is answered later in the talk. Dr. Sarah will collect
these questions. Discuss the fact that we have switched gears from
individual or small group activities to whole class activities, for the
meantime.
Tori does activities of the week, her tip of
the week, and the quote of the day.
Dr. Sarah and class choose a Sunday for a party at her place.
Tori leads discussion and
suggestion box for activities and spending money.
Wed Oct 10
Research time for the
Living Scientist or Mathematician Research
Project Digital Presentation. Post a WebCT message to Dr. Sarah as
per the instructions on the main web page.
Mon Oct 1
Tori does activities of the week, her tip of
the week, and the quote of the day.
Kate Scharer and research in
geology and how the crust accommodates and sheds tectonic stresses.
If time remains, then walk to the library. Research time for the
Media Research Project Presentation.
Post a WebCT message to Dr. Sarah
which includes:
What did you get done related to your project?
How do you feel your research time went? Explain.
Wed Oct 3 Tori does the quote of the day. Class presentations on
Media Research Project Presentation. Reflect
on challenges of this project, including the difficulty in understanding
technical language, the difficulty in finding current journal articles
[peer review process delays], and the lack of references at the end of
some journal articles. Play twister.
Mon Sep 24 Collect homework.
Tori does activities of the week, tip of the
week, and the quote of the day.
Rahman Tashakkori and research
in computer science. Discuss the databases, arXiv.org, and his
web page. Mention the Media Research Project
Presentation. Do the
Group
Juggle.
Wed Sep 26 Library tour with Louise Ochoa. Meet in the library
atrium at 2pm. The tour will include math and science resources on the
3rd floor, including info about QA, etc, the math and science educational
resource materials [what floor are these on now?], the encyclopedias
related to math and science on the first floor, and information on journals
in the basement, with us walking to each of these areas. Also, the
location of Science and the
New York Times [Tuesday is the Science Times].
If time remains, work on the media assignment and meet in 114 at
2:30. Tori leads a quote of the day.
True that double
true icebreaker using yarn. Hold one end of the ball of yarn. Throw
to someone, saying their name,
and ask two questions, holding onto the yarn, one related to science or
mathematics and the other related to something else. When the person
answers the questions, if there are others in the class who agree with them,
say "true that". If you strongly agree, say "true that/double true". Everyone
continues to hold onto the yarn as it is thrown to other people who have not
had it yet - the questions can change.
Dr. Sarah begins with How does your scientific or mathematical mind
work? and What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Highlight the theme of connections
- to each other [calculus, true that] and to
the goals of freshman seminar and to mathematics and science.
We have created a unique web that has
connected all the players together in one way.
Science Times discussion - divide up into the articles chosen.
Share pros and cons of each article with
respect to the scientific method, statistical ways of thinking, and/or
mathematical thinking. Tori and Dr. Sarah share any additional
pros and cons. Turn in notes/bullet points.
If time remains, interview activity.
Mon Sep 17 Collect the response paper. Mention apology from
international programs.
Continue discussing the scientific method and statistical thinking via
randomness and pi via Apu. In the process
introduce Maple and discuss quotes from Hideaki Tomoyori and a quote from
Jeff Westbrook. Introduction to computer science databases via a
subject
search and an arXiv.org search. Review original numbers.
Use the random
sequence generator to generate groups of two.
Name
History with a partner and partners introduce each other and share
the other person's name history.
Tori leads activities of the week, tip of the week,
and quote of the day. Tori gives her perspective on her freshman seminar
class and this thematic one.
Tori presents information on study suggestions.
Wed Sep 19
Move the tables to the center of the room in a seminar style.
Class discussion on studying.
Reflection on the university
goals of freshman seminar.
Tori leads the quote of the day.
In groups of three,
do the lego activity. Continue time management with study suggestions.
Each person writes down
two test questions - if a question similar to yours appears on the test,
you will win a small prize [Name______ does not count]. Class discusses
which questions they think will or will not be on the test as we also
answer the questions or discuss ways to answer them.
Mon Sep 10 Sit in GIC groups. Name game - on a piece of
paper, write down everyone's name on the opposite side of the room, in
the order they are sitting. Reflect on GIC experiences.
1) The weight of the average adult human head is approximately 12 pounds.
For the tress fall, would the head of Dr. Sarah or Alex make the most
forceful impact? Why? Whose head would hit fastest? Why?
2) Three people were required to stand on a mountain peek plank
for safety reasons. Where should Alex stand? Why?
Discuss with a GIC group partner. Then
class discussion on these questions and reflect on ways to
approach this related to the scientific method, statistical thinking, and
mathematical thinking, and physics. Write down
three things you liked about the GIC and three you didn't. Place into the
suggestion box. Tori shares
weekly activities and does the quote of the day, and her tip of the week.
Dr. Sarah reads from the suggestion box.
Discuss connections from the book or convocation speech to
science and mathematics, including Dr. Sarah's regalia, Dr. Hirst, and less directly,
Corey Lynch.
FoxNews article on H1-B
visas and technology firms. If time remains, discuss
free
tuition proposal and stereotype vulnerability.
Wed Sep 12 Finish stereotype vulnerability.
Sit in GIC groups. Look across the room -
working with that person who was not in your GIC group, discuss
situations where text anxiety or performance anxiety have hindered you.
Discuss whether you or someone you know have ever experienced something
similar to stereotype vulnerability as part of some kind of group (for
example, gender, race, math phobic, "good" or "bad" student...) where
external expectations from someone else (teacher, society, parents,
friends... ) affected your performance in one way or another.
Groups share
their experiences with the class.
In groups of three, try to transform
this first picture
to this second picture. Take some pictures.
Reflect why this icebreaker is in a book called
Heart of Mathematics.
Tori leads the quote of the day and then a Science Times discussion.
Randomness and pi via Apu. Go on the tour after class.
Mon Sep 3 Labor Day
Wed Sep 5 GIC from 2-5:30. Meeting Place inside
the main rotunda of the Student Recreation Center on Bodenheimer Drive at
2pm (2-5:30). Tori shares weekly activities.
Take some pictures.
Thur Sep 6 Meet for convocation at the classroom at 9:30.
Tori reminds the class about the assignment. Tori takes some pictures
at convocation [of the class and of convocation].
Mon Aug 27 Meet in Old Belk 1116.
Tori chooses a person to share their Science or Mathematics Quote of the Day
via assigning a number to each student and using the
random integer generator.
She emails the quote, the students name, and the quoter's name
to Dr. Sarah for web posting. Then she uses
the random sequence generator
to generate a sequence of the class. The first half of the numbers
kneel in the front row, and the other half stand in back for a class
picture. Tori shares activities of the week, including
mathematics and science activities, and
her tip of the week.
Next, sitting in a circle,
Dr. Sarah takes attendance as each student
shares something they found about the scientific method or something from
the syllabus. NY Times reminder and discuss
final exam time (project instead of an exam) since we overlap two
possible times. Tori discusses GIC and
Dr. Sarah hands out paperwork.
Walk over to Rankin Science South Room 225.
Shea Tuberty and
research in biology and the scientific method, with more pictures taken.
Wed Aug 29 Tori leads share time -
general venting or concerns about life at ASU.
Next she leads High/Low of the first week. Mention
situation box. Students can write down ideas that they would
like to discuss but do not want to bring up. They can write them
down, put them in a box and Tori or Dr. Sarah will bring
up the question to the class at some point. Dr. Sarah
discusses survey responses.
During this, she uses the
random sequence generator
to rearrange seating for a while. Dr. Sarah discusses random numbers and
scientific thinking, statistical thinking,
and mathematical thinking. Pick a random number from 1 to 10
experiment and Excel analyses of
chi test and p value.
Then move to a circle in the center of the room.
Tori leads the student quote of the day.
Dr. Sarah reflects on her Science or Mathematics Quote of the Day
and begins a discussion about where mathematics comes from and relates
that to calculus.
Dr. Sarah leads a Science Times discussion via index cards.
Wed Aug 22 Fill out
survey. Names in motion icebreaker.
In a circle have each person do a motion corresponding to the first letter of
the first name. The next person repeats the previous person plus theirs.
Ask for volunteers at the end to try them all.
Reflect.
Fill out information sheet.
Introductions. Tori's tip of the week. Take questions about
classes, college, the university, etc.
Imagine that a friend deposits $1,440 into your bank account each morning.
You have 24 hours in which to spend the money, with no balance carried
over from day to day. Any money that you fail to use will be canceled at the
end of that day. What would you do? Would you carefully plan how to spend
the money or spend it impulsively? No doubt, you would want to use all of it.
Connect to significance of numbers and the significance of 1440.
Discuss time management.
Watch frustrated student
video. Have Tori discuss her methods for time management. Discuss
syllabi.