This course serves as an introduction to the discipline of ecology. Ecology is the study of organisms, their environment, and their interactions (between both the living and non-living parts as well as amongst the living parts) of the environment. This course provides a fundamental understanding of the principles of the ecological sciences in-cluding community structure and organization, succession, population dynamics, and evolutionary ecology. Students will develop critical ecological literacy on how the natu-ral world works and understand how and why scientific methods are used to build and test ecological knowledge. We will also enable critical thinking and inquiry, analytical thinking, and quantitative reasoning among other learning activities in- and outside the classroom.

The class is built around a combination of lectures and student-centered active learning exercises (weekly dynamic quizzes, article summary peer-to-peer assessment, and weekly ‘ecology in the news’ break-out sessions). We will use a variety of strategies for meeting specific learning goals, including lecturing, group-based activities, daily quizzes coupled with peer assessment/interaction, writing assignments, short presentations, and traditional exams. Most lectures are open-ended and designed to have Q and A sessions, active student participation, and readings (both from our textbook and from other sources). Participation is an important aspect of assessment, as are daily quizzes. These require a firm grasp of material and student engagement.