This course explores the animal branch of the family tree of all living things, focusing especially on vertebrates. We will learn what makes animals different from other organisms like plants or fungi, and also how the various animal species differ from each other. Major themes running through the course include: phylogenetics (how animal species are related to each other); evolution (how we got all the different kinds of animals); metabolism (how different animals survive and regulate their bodies); reproduction strategies (how animals make more animals); and ecology (how animals interact with other living things and their environments).
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
Course content is presented through a series a of interactive lectures. Pause points with questions are built into the videos as an opportunity to reflect on new material and test your knowledge. Responses are graded on participation.
Each week, you will apply new concepts and skills within a worksheet. Length and question formats will vary to allow for application across different contexts and scenarios.
Weekly discussion boards are structured in a give and get help format. These discussions will be a space for you to share classwork, perspectives, and questions in a collaborative environment. The prompts are open-ended and meant to help you identify personal knowledge gaps or curiosities. You will also respond to several peers using what you learned from the week to help them gain a deeper understanding of the content.
Throughout the modules, you will build an individual portfolio detailing your learning process and evolving understanding of the overarching questions identified in the course outcomes. The portfolio is divided into a midterm, final, and weekly individual prompts. Building a record of current perspectives and mental models through weekly portfolio assignments will aid in the completion of the midterm and final.
The SciComm project is separated into two submissions and a discussion. The goal of the project is to interpret scientific information and present it in a format that can be understood by non-scientists. The first submission is an illustrative representation of a journal article abstract. This is followed by a discussion based peer interview examining the decisions behind the illustrated abstract. The second submission is a written or audio supplement accompanying a peer’s illustration. The final product will be an article that presents to readers/listeners complex ideas from the chosen scientific journal in a way that is easy to understand. You will have a chance to resubmit the article at the end of the course after incorporating instructor feedback from the draft.
You will complete multiple choice midterm and final proctored exams. The midterm exam will focus on the first three modules of the course while the final will be a summative assessment of content from the whole course.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
| Assignment | Grade |
|---|---|
| Discussions | 10% |
| Worksheets | 20% |
| Weekly Portfolio Journal | 5% |
| Midterm Portfolio | 10% |
| Final Portfolio | 15% |
| SciComm Part One: Illustration | 5% |
| SciComm Part Two: Article | 15% |
| Midterm Exam | 5% |
| Final Exam | 10% |
| Lecture Questions (Participation) | 5 % |
| Total | 100% |
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 93 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 92.9% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89.9% | 3.50 |
| B | 83 – 86.9% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 82.9% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79.9% | 2.50 |
| C | 73 – 76.9% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 72.9% | 1.75 |
| D | 60 – 69.9% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 59.9% | 0.00 |
| Week | Learning Activities | Due Dates |
| 1 |
Introduction & Give Help/Get Help Discussion Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry Weekly Worksheet Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions |
Discussions (Initial Posts) – Friday, 11:59 PM EST Discussions (Response Post) – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Worksheet – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST |
| 2 |
Illustrated Abstract & Give Help/Get Help Discussion SciComm Illustrated Abstract Assignment Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry Weekly Worksheets Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions |
Discussions (Initial Posts) – Friday, 11:59 PM EST Discussion (Response Post) – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST SciComm Illustrated Abstract Assignment – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Worksheets – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST |
| 3 |
Science Journalist Interview & Give Help/Get Help Discussions Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry Weekly Worksheet Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions Mini-Portfolio Midterm Midterm Exam |
Science Journalist Interview (Initial Post) – Wednesday, 11:59 PM EST Give Help/get Help Discussion (Initial Post) – Friday, 11:59 PM EST Discussions (Response Posts) – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Worksheet – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Mini-Portfolio Midterm – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Midterm Exam – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST |
| 4 |
Give Help/Get Help Discussion Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry Weekly Worksheet Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions SciComm Project |
Discussions (Initial Post) – Friday, 11:59 PM EST Discussion (Response Post) – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Worksheet – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST SciComm Project – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST |
| 5 |
Give Help/Get Help Discussions Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry Weekly Worksheets Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions
|
Discussions (Initial Post) – Friday, 11:59 PM EST Discussion (Response Post) – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Worksheets – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions – Sunday, 11:59 PM EST |
| 6 |
Give Help/Get Help Discussion Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry Weekly Worksheet Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions SciComm Project Optional Resubmission Final Portfolio and Self Reflection Final Exam |
Discussions (Initial Post) – Wednesday, 11:59 PM EST Discussion (Response Post) – Friday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Portfolio Journal Entry – Friday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Worksheets – Friday, 11:59 PM EST Weekly Interactive Lecture Questions – Friday, 11:59 PM EST SciComm Project Optional Resubmission – Friday, 11:59 PM EST Final Portfolio – Friday, 11:59 PM EST Final Exam- Friday, 11:59 PM EST |
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies. If you are a current UNE undergraduate taking online Summer Session courses, please continue to work with your Advisor and include them on your outreaches.
Questions? Email: summersessiononline@une.edu.
Your student support specialist monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.
To request an accommodation a student needs to go through the process with our UNE office. If the student has a current/already established accommodation in place with UNE it is the responsibility of the student to notify the program at summersessiononline@une.edu to ensure it is applied properly.
If you need to inquire about a possible accommodation, please reach out to the Student Access Center by calling 207-221-4418 or send an email to pcstudentaccess@une.edu.
If you are a current UNE undergrad, please continue to work with your coordinator at bcstudentaccess@une.edu and ensure any accommodations you have in place - are put in place for your online Summer Session course(s).
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm EDT of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion by 11:59 pm EDT on Sunday of the first week, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation.
Your course may have proctored exams. For all proctored exams, an external camera is required. Please see the course for the exact exam requirements, test-taker guidance, proctoring format, and allowances (such as calculators or whiteboards, as indicated in the course). https://success.une.edu/science-prerequisites/honorlock/
Information about exam attempts can be found in your course.
A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus.
Courses in the program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 6 or 12 weeks.
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements.
Please review the policies in your confirmation email. Contact summersessiononline@une.edu with any questions.
Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course.
Unless stated otherwise by your faculty: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days, the assignment will not be accepted. Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3-point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded. Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the College. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.
Generative AI (GenAI) applications (like ChatGPT) have proven to be powerful and effective tools, and students are encouraged to become familiar with and use them. However, as with any tool, students must use GenAI in ways that support learning, not replace it. Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society.
In their courses, students are not allowed to use advanced automated tools, such as generative AI tools, on assignments unless explicitly directed to do so. Each student is expected to complete each assignment, including labs and quizzes as applicable, without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools.
Using AI-content generators to complete assignments without proper attribution violates academic integrity. By submitting assignments in UNE courses, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and you attribute use of any and all tools and sources.
Unauthorized Use
Unauthorized use of AI is treated as a violation of academic integrity.
Citing AI Use
If permitted, students should indicate and cite any use of AI tools.
Instructor Responsibility
Instructors should clearly reiterate, using UNE AI Use Policy, how students can use AI tools in their courses, and communicate this policy to students at the beginning of the semester.
Student Responsibility
Students must follow the academic integrity policy of the University of New England.