Each section of Life: The Natural World is different. This section of The Natural World focuses on plants, covering them from a scientific viewpoint and from the perspective of their roles in human society.
We all rely on the natural world for food, fiber, recreation, beauty and medicine. If you mow your lawn, wear cotton jeans, drink a Coke or take an aspirin, you are interacting with plants. And think of Christmas without the tree (a pagan ritual), Valentine's Day without the roses (plant sex organs), Halloween without the pumpkin (a fruit), and life without coffee, tea, Coke or chocolate (all bug poisons). The discovery of the New World by Europeans was an attempt to find a better route for the spice trade. Wal-Mart is full of herbal medicines--do they work?
This section of The Natural World has lots of hands-on activities, including greenhouse tours and in-class exercises. Although this is basically a lecture class, we will use demonstrations, videos and other non-lecture techniques when possible. Grades are based on tests and other activities.
There is a laboratory course, Natural World Lab, that goes along with this course for those people who wish to take it (fulfilling the general education requirement for a science lab). The lab class is independent of this class; you must register for it separately.
The lecture notes and some other materials will be posted at the class website during the semester.
Life: The Natural World is usually offered every Fall and Spring.