COURSE OVERVIEW

The objective of this course is to enhance and extend your understanding of the nervous system and how it controls behavior.  The 1990s were designated the “Decade of the Brain” because of the great strides being made toward understanding the function of the most complex organ known, the human brain.  In spite of the astonishing advancements of the last decade, neuroscientists have just scratched the surface of what is to be learned about the brain.  The material covered will include neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, neural signaling, neural plasticity, integration of sensory and motor systems, hormonal control of behavior, and other selected topics.

EXAM SCHEDULE AND IMPORTANT DATES

MAJOR PAPER & PRESENTATION
This series of related assignments will make up a major portion of your final grade.  Each assignment represents a phase in the production of a term paper that you will write.  The paper should investigate, in-depth, a neuroscience-related topic of your choice.  The final paper must be written in APA style, double spaced, and be at least 20 pages long, not including the reference page(s) or any appendices you might include.  I will provide you with a rubric that I will use to score your final paper.  The Writing Center and the Speaker Center are both excellent resources for helping you to refine your paper and presentation.  I recommend you take advantage of them.

Annotated bibliography:  This is a bibliography of sources you will use to write your major paper.  An annotated bibliography consists of the citation for the source in APA style (or style used by your discipline) and a brief but informative description of its content.    Only scientific and academic sources may be used.  Websites are not allowed.  You must use a minimum of 8 sources for your bibliography and your paper.

Paper Outline: This should be detailed outline of the topics and structure of your paper.  It should include your major section topics, subsection topics, and paragraph topics.

1. Major Section topics

          A.    Subsection topics

                 1.    Paragraph topics

 Major Paper:  This paper will investigate a contemporary neuroscience-related topic of your choice that I have approved.  It will include a thorough discussion of focused topic, based on a minimum of 8 distinct sources from scientific and scholarly journals or books (NO INTERNET SOURCES).  The paper should be 15-20 pages in length and be written in APA style (or the citation style used for your primary discipline; i.e, biology or chemistry).

 Presentation:  This will be a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation of the topic over which your paper was written. There will be a few additional minutes for answering questions from the audience (i.e., your classmates and me). It should include relevant visual images (graphs, charts, pictures, etc.). A rubric for the presentation will also be provided to use as a guide.

UNIT 1: Development & Anatomy

UNIT 2: Neural Signaling & Neuroplasticity

 UNIT 3: Sensorimotor Systems & Hormonal Control

EXAMS & GRADING

Final course grades will be determined by your performance on exams, the class presentation, term paper, and laboratory assignments.   Exams will consist of short answer, essay questions, and/or identification (i.e., anatomy). Final grades will be assigned according to the following percentages of the total points that can be earned.

Grading Scale