What Integrative Biology 102 is all about!

Integrative Biology 102 is designed for undergraduates who are not biology majors. It is a general education course in the Natural Sciences & Technology category. Students will learn important biological principles using plants as examples. The biological, economic and environmental importance of plants in today's world will also be emphasized. Plants figure prominently in the world's environmental problems from mitigating global climate change to feeding an increasingly hungry planet. Lectures will be organized around the themes of the movement of and requirements for energy and some of the associated problems. The discussion portion of the course provides activities designed to foster critical thinking and understanding and to promote a lifelong appreciation of plants and nature.

For three semester hours of credit, students attend two 50-minute lectures at 11 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday and one 50-minute discussion session each week. Discussion promotes active communication between instructors and students, provides students hands-on learning opportunities with plants, and lively discussions on environmental issues. Lecture outlines and other course information can be found at http://www.life.illinois.edu/ib/102. Among the optional extra credit opportunities are attending a field trip to the prairie habitat at Meadowbrook Park, producing an Environmental Public Service Commercial, and reviewing book a book about environmental issues.

The text used is Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 10e by Cunningham and Cunningham (can be purchased as an ebook at www.coursesmart.com). The text has an exiting approach to plant biology of interest to non-science majors. 

The staff includes Beth Morgan and a team of TAs who bring to the class their excitement about botany and dedication to the learning process. Lectures are supported by online learning objectives and outlines.