Thursdays
9:30-12:30 (Section 02), 12:30-3:30 (Section 01)
TLS
313
TA:
Justin Davis Office: TLS 469
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday 11-12 Phone: 486-4694
Email: justin.p.davis@uconn.edu Mailbox: TLS 314
GENERAL LAB
POLICIES:
Attendance
is mandatory. If you know in advance
that you will be unable to attend a lab, please contact me as soon as
possible. Unexcused absence from lab
will result in a zero score for all assignments associated with that lab. Punctuality is expected! We will generally have much to do at the
start of each lab. If you are late, you
will hold up your lab partner, and make me repeat any instructions. If something is going to prevent you from
arriving on time, please let me know ahead of time. Additionally, some of the exercises will
require your coming into the lab outside of the normal lab hours. I will leave the lab unlocked whenever
possible to accommodate you. On days
when this is not possible, I will usually be available to let you into the lab.
REQUIREMENTS
FOR EACH LAB:
Dissection Kit: We will be performing dissections for
a large portion of this lab. If you
don’t already have one, these are available at the COOP. The kit should contain:
-
Large scissors
-
Small scissors
-
Large forceps
-
Small forceps
-
Blunt probe
-
Needle probe
-
Scalpel and blades (size #10)
-
Plastic ruler
Index cards, Pencils:
These will be used for illustration purposes.
The index cards with your illustrations will serve as a useful study
guide for you later in the semster.
Food and drink are not allowed in the lab.
COURSE
OVERVIEW:
Quizzes:
Practical
experience has shown that students tend to perform better in lab when they are
properly prepared. This generally
requires carefully reading the lab handout and familiarizing yourself with the
procedures you will be performing. We
will be having a quiz each week before lab. The quiz will be related
to the lab we are doing that day.
Weekly
Assignments:
For many of the labs, you will be required to turn in a short assignment. This assignment will always be due at the beginning of the next lab. Homework assignments will be outlined in your lab handouts.
Group
projects/presentations:
In
order to hone your research skills and expand your knowledge of a particular
fish species, there will be a group project involving the detailed examination
of a given fish. More details about this
project will be given at a later date.
Lab
report:
An
analysis of age and growth of bluegill and largemouth bass will be conducted by
each student. A formal lab report will
be associated with this lab. Details on
this report, including the due date, will be announced later.
Practical
exams:
There
will be two lab practicals. I will make all material available for review
and will also have a review session the week of the practical. Lab practical study guides will be made
available. I will make every effort to
ensure you have a clear idea of what you will be expected to know for your practicals. There is
no cumulative final for this lab.
Field Trips:
There will be two field trips for this lab (see
schedule below). The first trip will be
to the New England Aquarium on March 24.
The second trip will be a mystery field sampling trip on April 21. More details about these trips will be
provided later in the semester.
ADVICE:
Do
your best not to take the “cookbook” approach to these labs – resist the
temptation to quickly complete only the tasks required for your
assignments. Take the time to work
through the labs and make sure that you understand all the concepts that are
highlighted. This will help you in the
end when it comes time for the lab practicals.
Lab
notebook: Given the amount of material
covered in this course, you may find it useful to maintain a lab notebook. In this notebook, you can keep sketches,
definitions, and any other notes that help you learn the material and study for
exams. Any type of notebook can be
used. This is not a class requirement,
but merely a helpful suggestion.
As
with any lab course, do not let yourself get behind. You can save yourself a lot of time and
heartache by simply reading ahead.
However, if you are having any trouble at all with the lab, come see
me! I would like this lab to be an
exciting and unique opportunity for you to learn more about the wonderful world
of fish – please help me help you by providing me with any feedback you think
would be useful.
SCHEDULE:
|
1/20 |
Lab
1: External anatomy, identification,
illustration. |
|
1/27 |
Lab
2: Axial osteology, musculature,
gills. |
|
2/3 |
Lab
3: Cranial osteology. |
|
2/10 |
Lab
4: Jaws, dentition and digestion. |
|
2/17 |
Lab Practical (Exam 1) |
|
2/24 |
Lab
5: Fish diversity – Chondrichthyes, |
|
3/3 |
Lab
6: Fish diversity – Teleosts I. |
|
3/10 |
no lab - spring break |
|
3/17 |
Lab
7: Fish diversity – Teleosts II |
|
3/24 |
Lab Practical (Exam 2) |
|
3/31 |
Lab 8: Field
Sampling Trip |
|
4/7 |
Lab
9: Age and growth I. |
|
4/14 |
Lab
10: Age and growth II. |
|
4/21 |
Lab
11: |
|
4/28 |
Lab
12: Project presentations. |
GRADING:
The
lab grade will be based on the scores earned from quizzes, weekly assignments,
2 lab practicals, a group project, and a lab
report. No extra credit will be given,
and no late assignments or papers
will be accepted.
Weekly
assignments 5%
Quizzes 10
%
Practical
exams (2@ 25 pts each) 50 %
Group
project 15%
Lab
report 20
%
MISCELLANEOUS:
Class
and lab syllabi and other information are posted on the Internet at http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/ichthyology
Lab
notebook: Given the amount of material
covered in this course, you may find it useful to maintain a lab notebook. In this notebook, you can keep sketches,
definitions, and any other notes that help you learn the material and study for
exams. Any type of notebook can be
used. This is not a class requirement,
but merely a helpful suggestion.