Studies on the Culture and Ecology of South Africa and North America.

Biology/Entomology 4984: Summer 2005.

 

Instructors

Dr. Richard Fell – 324 Price Hall; 231-7207; rfell@vt.edu

Dr. Arthur Buikema – 1024B Derring Hall; 231-5180; buik@vt.edu

 

Project Description

         This course will expose students to Agenda 21 and the interaction of culture and conservation for future sustainable development and survival of the planet. The history of South Africa parallels our own and provides an opportunity to examine how settlement by European nations impact indigenous peoples and preservation of the environment. There are also similarities between apartheid and civil rights issues and the impact on the environment. South Africa is transitioning from a white dominated society to one ruled by a black majority which may have environmental consequences. Further, South Africa, like many third world countries has a host of problems, such as AIDS, that threaten it socially, economically and environmentally. Africa presents a unique opportunity to learn about large animals and indigenous art, especially Bushman paintings and petroglyphs that are over 4,000 years old. This course has fulfilled Area 2 and Area 7 core requirements, a writing intensive course, and for biology students, a biology elective and a laboratory course.

 

Purpose

The purpose of the Summer portion of this course is to:

1) provide first-hand exposure to the history, culture and ecology of South Africa; and

2) prepare you for the assignments that you are responsible for in South Africa.

Course Expectations

    Culture and Ecology presentations. Each student will present their culture and ecology presentations in Africa, usually the night before we intend to see various cultural settings, organisms or ecosystems. Each talk should be about 20 minutes in length although the ecology presentation may take about 5 minutes longer. Each talk will be on different evenings. An outline of each talk will be distributed to each student in the class the evening of the presentation. A presentation schedule will be provided before we leave for Africa.
    In addition to an outline of the ecology presentation, each ecology presentation must include a separate one-page behavior check list. A one-page behavior check list will also be distributed to each student in the class to help them understand the biology of the organism behavior as organisms interact within their own grouping, other groups of the same species and with other species. The behavior checklist must contain three items: behavior, significance of the behavior and a picture or sillohette of the behavior. While in Africa, the student who prepared each checklist will 1) give a class presentation on the behaviors we should watch out for, and 2) be expected to point out the major behaviors when we are observing the animal.The outline of each talk will to be distributed to the other members of the class when the talk is given.  
    Quantification of behavioral data. Students will use the tools they learned from watching the cockroach to study the behavior of the jackass penguin. Students working in groups will study a specific behavior pattern for a defined time period. This information must be placed in the ecology journal that will be graded at the end of the term.
    Culture Journal* and Final Paper: As we travel through South Africa, you will be expected to maintain a daily culture journal comparing the culture(s) you observe to the cultures discussed in student presentations. Special emphasis should be placed on how each of these cultures used their environmental resources, what each culture’s attitudes are toward conservation and preservation, and how racial prejudice and the civil rights movements may have altered each cultures’ perspective of the environment. At the end of the journal, you will be asked to write a final summary paper of comparing some aspect of the culture(s) you experienced to the cultures you learned about in class to the (sub)culture you were raised in.
    Ecology Journal* and Final Paper: Students must maintain a field journal that has daily entries when we are in the field. This journal will include results of behavior studies, analyses and interpretation of data; detailed observations about a species behavior and/or ecosystem; and notes from the student presentations on a specific organism/ecosystem. In the field, for each species or ecosystem, the student will be expected to note any environmental degradation that has occurred and make notes on how this degradation can be prevented or mitigated to preserve the species or ecosystem. In situations were no degradation is noted, the student should note the actions an individual and a society can take to preserve the specific resource. At the end of the course, students must write a final summary paper comparing in detail two African ecosystems or one African ecosystem with a comparable one in North America AND  a discussion of Agenda 21 and how South Africa is working to achieve these goals.
    Photographic Journal: During our travels, students will take photos that best illustrate South African culture and biology. Students will then select their best picture(s) and write a one page essay on the culture photo(s) and biology photo(s) describing what they intended to portray as a photographer, and how each picture captured their intent.

 

Grading for Summer Term:

Presentations for Africa**

  Culture                                             10 %

   Ecology                                           10%

Culture Journal                                    25 %

Ecology Journal                                   25 %

Photographic Journal                           15 %

Participation (and pop quizzes)***      15 %

 

Textbook to bring:


Estes, R. D. 1999. The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals. Chelsea Green. Publishing Co., White River Junction, Vermont.

 

  * By the time we leave for Africa students should have a reasonable idea of what is expected in the journals. If a student makes a request within the first week of the trip, the instructors will review their journal(s) and provide constructive feedback. Journals given to us after that date will not be reviewed.

 **  Presentations will be graded based on the research that has been done before hand, the adequacy of the handouts, and the manner in which the material is presented. Simply reading the outline will not result in a good grade. Give a synopsis of the information and put your heart into it, show an interest in the subject.

*** Participation grade will be determined on such issues, but not limited to, paying attention in class and on trips, grade on pop quizzes, being a good representative of Virginia Tech and the United States, being on time for meals or traveling, respect for others and their property, working out differences of opinion in a mature adult way, drinking responsibly, etc. If it is deemed necessary, the instructors of this class will drop a student from the class and send that student home. If we have to make such a decision, Virginia Tech will be notified and then the student will be dropped off at the nearest South African air port. The student will be responsible to going home on their own (they will have their airline ticket), they will not get a course refund and they will get an F for the course.

 

Homework due dates: The culture journal and final paper, the ecology journal and final paper, and the photographic journal must be postmarked by July 11, 2005. Send all papers to:

 

Arthur Buikema

Dept. of Biology (0406)

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA 24061