BES 301A

To help alleviate stress and focus on learning, I grade all my assignments as complete/incomplete. My instructions for each assignment will be clear, so you can grade your own work before turning it in to guarantee that you'll pass it. In case you have questions beforehand, we'll go over assignments in class before they are due. If you pass the priority assignments, you are guaranteed a grade of 3.0.

The main focus of this course is completing a scientific research project, all the way from coming up with a research idea to writing up the results in a scientific paper. To do this, we'll get started by reading some articles and watching some videos to get used to thinking about fossils. Then, you'll find and analyze data. Once you've analyzed your data and come up with results, you'll write your paper. So, getting started, analyzing data, and writing your paper are the three major components of the course. You have required, priority assignments within each of these sections. These are labeled "P", and completing them will earn you a grade of 3.0. If you're aiming for excellence, you can complete additional assignments that are labeled "E," and completing them all will give you a 4.0.

In other words, you determine your grade for this course by choosing which assignments to complete. The advantage of this approach is that you decide how much work you wish to do. If you complete your work on time and satisfactorily, you will receive the grade you intended. So, plan ahead, thinking about all of your obligations and responsibilities this quarter, and also determine what grade you want or need. All of the priority assignments are intended help you pass the final project. I respect your choice about what to complete.

Because this is a hybrid course, there are a lot of assignments to compensate for the time we're not in class. They typically take 6-12 hours a week.

Why does my grade look so low?

We start the term with "incompletes" for all the assignments, because you haven't done them yet. As the quarter continues, you'll see your grade go up. My intent is for this approach to foster your pride in what you're accomplishing. You can think of the gradebook as starting at ground level, and walking up a staircase of learning to the next level.

What if I get an incomplete on an assignment?

Making mistakes—and correcting them—are part of learning! If you receive an incomplete on an assignment that you turned in, then you can redo it and resubmit it within a week of having the grade released.

Each assignment can only be resubmitted once. Please include a letter with your resubmission that reflects on what you learned through the process of revision by answering the following questions:

• What did you do to improve your understanding before this revision?
• What resources did you use to study and prepare for this revision?
• What important mistakes were in the original, and how did you fix them?

Please note that you cannot resubmit the final paper or final cover letter.

How am I doing in the class?

You can tell how you're doing in class a couple of ways. You can look at your total grade in Canvas, and you can also use this grade estimator to check in. All you have to do to use the grade estimator is count the number of assignments you've completed within each category.

Late Policy

Because I prepare for class by grading your homework, it’s important for you to turn things in on time. Homework assignments are due by end of the day (midnight) every Thursday. I do not accept late work after a section is done, so make sure to turn in all the assignings for Get Started before Analyze Data begins, and finish Analyze Data before Write paper begins.

Sometimes you might be late for an assignment. I'm giving each of you 100 "late hours." So, if you submit an assignment 2 hours late, you use up 2 late hours, and you have 98 late hours left in the quarter. I round your late hours: under 30 minutes rounds down to the nearest hour, and over 30 minutes rounds up to the nearest hour. For example, if you turn in an assignment 4 hours and 15 minutes late, I'll count it as 4 hours late. But if it's 4 hours and 30 minutes late, I'll count it as 5 hours late. Once you use up all your late hours, I will not accept late work. You can always check on your late hour tally in the Canvas gradebook.