Invertebrate Zoology (ZOO 137) is a close and rather detailed look at those animals that lack backbones - that is, animals you would not expect to see in a public zoo or aquarium. Keep in mind that the main purpose of the course is to sharpen your biological vocabulary and thinking about the structure, function and diversity of things like worms, spiders, jellyfish and snails. Approach the course from this point of view with a keen eye for organization and detail and you will probably do very well. To put it another way, ZOO 137 is an intensive course and to do better than average will require you to attend regularly and to spend a lot of time organizing and considering your
personal notes from reading, lectures,
seminars, and laboratory activities.

Required and Recommended Books

Animals Without Backbones (3rd edition) by Ralph Buchsbaum et al. - REQUIRED This book will be the primary textbook for the course . It is an "easy reading" introduction to the invertebrates that includes copious illustrations. Don't forget to read the figure captions as they often contain information not stated in the body of text. Assignments from this book appear in the schedule below prefaced by the notation AWB.

The Zoology Coloring Book by Lawrence Elson - STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. Learning by drawing and coloring has proven very successful for many students in this course. This study manual doesn't require you to draw, but you do need to be able to color between the lines. Also, the text that accompanies each coloring exercise will be a good source of definitions for many terms on the Word Lists. Assignments in this book are optional and are prefaced by ZCB in the schedule below; a summary of required plates is attached to this syllabus..

A Photographic Atlas for the Zoology Laboratory by Kent Van De Graaff and John Crawley. --REQUIRED. Many students have requested (or photographed or videotaped themselves) a set of images illustrating the slides, specimens and dissections that are the focus of laboratory activities - not only as a learning aid but also a study aid for practical exams. While this book does not cover everything you will see (no available atlas does), it will be a helpful resource to refresh the mental images you make in lab. References in the schedule to this atlas are prefaced by PAZ below. This book is also required for ZOO 138 (Vertebrate Zoology).
Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms by Donald Borror. -- REQUIRED. You will be learning a large number of new technical terms in this course. Besides knowing their definitions and how to spell them, you will also be expected to understand their origins and "basic" meanings -- i.e., their etymologies. This little book is a dictionary of the word "pieces" used to form words like metamorphosis, suprabranchial, echinoderm and infraciliature! If you manage this aspect of your word study well, you will not only have a much easier time in learning the ZOO 137 vocabulary, but you will have a significant head start toward understanding and learning new vocabulary in all the biology courses you take in the future. Key your study of "word parts" on the underlined words in each Word List.

Lecture Transparencies - STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. We use a large number of transparencies (>100) to illustrate the topics and points we make in lecture. A great number are from sources other than the above books. If you want a reference set for note taking and study, you can buy one from Bronco Copy 'N Mail on the ground floor of the University Union.

Lecture

First, and foremost, the lectures are not intended to be mere summaries of material likely to appear on examinations. Sure, they will emphasize important points and concepts, present additional information, and clarify difficult ideas. But an excellent set of lecture notes in the absence of careful independent study of the reading assignments will not guarantee a good grade in the course. On the other hand, superficial or second hand lecture notes and absences will pretty well guarantee a mediocre or poor grade. We will be discussing the significance of the major features of certain invertebrate groups and how they fit into the overall zoological scheme of things. These discussions will revolve around specific groups (phyla) and will parallel the more practical study of representative types of invertebrates in the laboratory.

Laboratory

The emphasis in laboratory will be a close-up, get-your-hands-dirty look at representative types of the various groups of invertebrate animals you will be reading and hearing about. Each group we study will be the subject of a Phylum Info File. Each File will detail the lab assignment at hand. Always bring your photographic atlas (PAZ). On each practical exam day, you will turn in your ZCB for grading if you elect to include it in your course point base. You must sign and date each coloring page in the lower right hand corner to receive credit for your work. ZCBs will not be accepted after the lab practical is completed. No xerox copies are permitted. ZCB grades will be based on completeness and neatness (but not artistic merit). Many lab activities will require dissections, for which you will need appropriate instruments. If you do not already own a dissecting kit, you should purchase the following : surgical scissors (#16540); forceps (#14160); scalpel (#12420). (The numbers are bookstore stock numbers if you want to buy them there.)

Seminars

Three lab periods will be devoted to special presentations taking an in-depth view of a topic related to the general subject area of the lecture and lab. The content of the seminars will be tested on the lecture exams.

Word Lists

ZOO 137, like any introductory course, emphasizes technical language of the subject. Each list consists of 400-500 words that you will need to know in order to follow the reading assignments, laboratory exercises and lectures. The words are drawn from assigned reading in your textbooks and from lecture material. The list can be, and often is amended; it includes nouns, singular, plural and adjective forms as well as proper names. Each Word List is the subject of a corresponding vocabulary exam and provides a study basis for the lecture and lab practical exams.

Schedules

Attached to this syllabus is a detailed schedule for the lecture and laboratory portions of this course. We will adhere to these schedules rather closely; please refer to them often.

Examinations and Grading

There will be a single grade in the class (assigned for both the lecture and lab CRNs on your grade report) based on 400-450 course points (depending upon ZCB submissions) distributed as follows:

Lecture Exams 200 points (100 each)
Lab Practical Exams 100 points (50 each)
Coloring Book (optional) 50 points maximum (25 maximum each section)
Vocabulary Exams 100 points (50 each)

The final grade to be assigned to lecture and lab on your grade report will be determined in accordance with the total number of points earned based on the following percentage ranges for the indicated grade: A, 90% or more; B, 80-89%; C, 70-79%; D, 60-69%; F, below 60%. Plus/minus notations will be used within the range of each passing grade.

Please note that there will be no make-up exams of any kind.

For the lecture exams, you should expect a mixture of different kinds of questions requiring short answers or other written replies such as very brief essays based on your independent readings, what we have considered in lecture periods, discussed during the seminars, and what you have done in lab. You will receive ample hints and other guidance to help you prepare for the exams. These exams will be rigorous and require that you be very familiar with a lot of information. The exams will test not only your ability to summon needed facts but also to use them in responding to questions requiring critical thinking. The lecture exams will be independent; in essence each will be a final exam over the preceding one-half of the course.

The Lecture Exam Note Card

For each lecture exam you may prepare and consult a 4x6" note card with any information you care to write - stuff you don't want to memorize, or whatever. These notes must be hand written on the card provided by your instructor about a week before the exam; one card per student per exam - any notes or aids in any other form are not permitted and will be cause for ejection from the class with a failing grade.

The lab practicals also will be independent. Each practical will consists of 75-100 questions based on specimens, prepared slides, models, dissections and other materials studied during laboratory activities. No note card or any other kind of aid is permitted during the practical exams.

The vocabulary exams will test you on the spellings, etymologies and definitions of the many names and terms you will encounter in ZOO 137. They will be based on the Word Lists. Note that the Word Lists are subject to revisions - additions and deletions - as the course progresses. Each vocabulary exams is independent -- but realize that many terms are repeated on the two. No note card or any other kind of aid is permitted during the vocabulary exams.

Submission of the ZCB for a grade is optional and earns a maximum of 25 course points each course half (total 50 points maximum) You decide to turn it in, or not turn it in. Once submitted, however, the grade earned will be recorded and your course point base increased by 25 points. So either do it well or don't turn it in. Plates you must submit for full credit are indicated in the lecture and lab schedules as well as in the summary sheet attached to this syllabus. If you elect to submit your ZCB for grading at the end of each course half, your course point base will be 450; once, 425. If you choose not to turn it in at all, your course point base will be 400. There are two advantages to completing and submitting the ZCB exercises. First, the effort will likely help you in learning course material. Second, because it's very easy to do well, you should earn a very high (100%) grade to average in with your exam grades, which may not be so high.

ZOO 137 -- INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY
ZOOLOGY COLORING BOOK -- ASSIGNED PLATES

Following are the assigned plates from the ZCB for each one-half of ZOO 137. Completion of the coloring exercises is optional but strongly recommended. Specific plate assignments are specified in the course schedule and the phylum study guides.

PART A (Protozoa, Porifera, Cnidaria, Platyhelmintes, Nematoda)

Plates 3-7 (Protozoa)
Plates 8-9 (Porifera)
Plate 11 (reproduction among Protozoans and Sponges)
Plates 12-18 (Cnidaria)
Plate 19 (coral reefs)
Plates 20-25 (Platyhelminthes)
Plates 28-30 (Nematoda)

PART B (Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata)

Plates 31-33, 36; read but don't color 34-35 and 37
(Annelida)
Plates 63 (parts G-L), 64 (parts G-M), 65; read but don't
color 66 (animal development)
Plates 38-39, 41-44, 46-48; read but don't color 45
(Arthropoda)
Plates 50 (metamorphosis)
Plates 51, 52 (parts A-H), 53-54, 56; (Mollusca)
Plates 58-60 (Echinodermata)