Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Capstone: History and Literature of Biology (Face-to-Face)

BIOL 4070-01

Course: BIOL 4070-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: BIOL
CRN: 12717

Course Description

Study of the historical development of biology relative to personal philosophies of scientists and to social, cultural, and technological factors by reading of science literature. Three hours (3) of lecture per week. A minimum grade of "C" (2.0 or above) must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a biological science major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other biology course. (Spring - Even Years) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): BIOL 3110 and satisfactory completion of the ETS Major Field Exam - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C

Required Texts

  • On Giants' Shoulders:  Great Scientists and Their Discoveries From Archimedes to DNA  (Bragg, 1998)
  • A Sand County Almanac (Aldo Leopold) 

Learning Outcomes

  • Inquiry and Analysis:  Students will be able to collect and analyze evidence systematically to reach informed conclusions; in doing so, they will break down complex issues to gain a better understanding of them.
    • Assessment Tools:  Reaction Papers, Class Participations, Historical Figure, Book Review, and Top 5
  • Critical Thinking:  Students will be able to explore issues comprehensively before accepting or formulating a conclusion, synthesizing existing ideas in original and imaginative ways.
    • Assessment Tools:  Reaction Papers, Class Participations, Historical Figure, Book Review, and Top 5
  • Written Communication:  Students will be able to develop and express their ideas in writing.
    • Assessment Tools: Reaction Papers, Book Review, and Top 5
  • Knowledge of the Natural World:  Develop students’ understanding of the principles and procedures of science and cultivate their abilities to apply the empirical methods of scientific inquiry.  Specifically, students will be able to 1)  explain how to use scientific methods to develop/test hypotheses and to draw defensible conclusions, 2) describe concepts of the nature, organization, and evolution of natural systems, 3) demonstrate relationships between science and the application of scientific knowledge, and 4) explain how humans interact with natural systems.
    • Assessment Tools: Reaction Papers, Class Participations, Historical Figure, Book Review, and Top 5

Course Requirements

Participation (25% of Grade)
Missing class means that you miss out on the experiences, conversation, and learning of that day.  This cannot be “made up”.  Each class you miss (fail to participate in) you will lose points.  I expect you to come prepared and to engage in our discussions. 

Reaction Papers (30% of Grade)
Each week you will have the opportunity to write ONE brief essay (reaction paper) about the readings.  No more than 400 words per essay.  These can be on any topic from the reading assignments covered throughout the semester, related science topics that you have searched out, or any other source-- (you choose). You will need to create a total of eight (8).     Reaction papers are not to be a summary of the reading, but an exploration by the student on a topic they found significant.  We will use these papers as the foundation for our weekly discussions.

Historical Figure (20% of Grade) 
Each student will select a historical figure of prominence within their desired field of science.  They must accurately portray the context and historical setting of the person.  In addition, they must cover the childhood, education, journey of how the person came to their field of study, what they did that got them famous, and why it was so significant.  This presentation will be done in class.  It must be no longer than 10 minutes with room for questions afterward.  I am looking for clear, concise, and relevant information portrayed in a creative and engaging way.  Have some fun with this.   As these will be given throughout the semester, we will draw for times in class.
  
Book Review (10% of Grade)
Find and read a book of your choosing.  The topic is variable, as long as it can be related back to science, in some way.  You will create a book review, suitable for publication in the New York Times (typically 500-750 words in length).  We will share and discuss these as a group beginning on Week 14 (April 12th).   

The Top Five (15% of Grade)
Create a Powerpoint presentation discussing what you consider to be the top five most significant breakthroughs in a field of science of your choice.  The presentation should contain justifications and all relevant information necessary for a layperson to understand.  Past projects have included Top Five advancements in toothbrushes, dental drills, anesthesia, science education, glasses, heart surgery.  Note how this assignment can be tailored to suit your career goals.
This is our Final Project and we’ll use the last two or three days of class to present these (begins April 19th).  Each presentation should be less than 10 minutes long.

Grades will be calculated by summing all points earned and dividing them by the total points possible.  The points possible will be adjusted based on class performance and historical student scores.  In summary, I will account for fluctuation in scores by the class, but I will not drop the points possible benchmark below  5%.

 A=93%, A- =90%, B+ =87%, B=84%, B- =80%, C+ =77%, C = 74%, C- =70%, D+ =67%, D =64%, D- =60%

Course Outline

Week 1: What is Science
  • Reaction Paper #1
  • The Myths of Science
  • MasterClass with Neil deGrasse Tyson

Week 2: Subjectivity/Objectivity & Religion
  • Reaction Paper #2 
  • Embracing Science, Resisting Literalism, and Shifting Paradigms
  • Randomness, Contingency, and Faith- Is There a Science of Subjectivity?
  • Historical Figure Sign-up

Week 3: The Spirit of Science
  • Reaction Paper #3
  • Podcast: The Scientific Spirit
  • Podcast: Opening Doors to the Unknown
  • The Role of Failures in Science
  • High Risk, High Reward

Week 4: Science & Technology
  • Reaction Paper #4
  • Science & Technology
  • The Matt Nickerson Show
  • January: A Sand County Almanac
  • Podcast: Serendipity & Creativity in Science

Week 5: Science, Culture, and Language (4500 BCE-600 BCE)
  • Reaction Paper #5
  • Time: The Sun, Moon, and Stars
  • The Cameron Pace Show
  • The Role of Language
  • February: A Sand County Almanac 

Week 6: Science, Culture, and Language (4500 BCE-600 BCE)
  • Reaction Paper #6
  • Numbers
  • The Jana & Dave Lunt Show: Ancient Maths and Thought
  • Archimedes: On Giants' Shoulders
  • Nova: The Genius of Archimedes
  • Measuring Pi
  • March: A Sand County Almanac
  • Book Review Sign-Up

Week 7: The Renaissance
  • Reaction Paper #7
  • Galileo: On Giants' Shoulders
  • Galileo's Battle for the Heavens
  • Renaissance Math Duels
  • April & May: A Sand County Almanac

Week 8: The Renaissance
  • Reaction Paper #8
  • Newton: On Giants' Shoulders
  • Newton: Puppet History
  • Lavoisier: On Giants' Shoulders
  • How Other Scientists Influenced Einstein
  • June & July: A Sand County Almanac

Week 9: The Renaissance
  • Reaction Paper #9
  • Faraday: On Giants' Shoulders
  • Darwin: On Giants' Shoulders
  • How Other Scientists Influenced Einstein
  • August & September: A Sand County Almanac

Week 10: SPRING BREAK

Week 11: The Popularization of Science
  • Reaction Paper #10
  • Poincare: On Giants' Shoulders
  • Freud: On Giants' Shoulders
  • Curie: On Giants' Shoulders
  • Radioactive (Movie)
  • October & November: A Sand County Almanac

Week 12: The Popularization of Science
  • Reaction Paper #11
  • Einstein: On Giants' Shoulders
  • Watson & Crick: On Giants' Shoulders
  • Where are We Now?: On Giants' Shoulders
  • The Power of Analog
  • December: A Sand County Almanac

Week 13: Historical Figure Presentations

Week 14: Book Reviews

Week 15: Top 5 Presentations

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Missing class means that you miss out on the experiences, conversation, and learning of that day.  This cannot be “made up”.  Each class you miss (fail to participate in) you will lose the points for that day.  I expect you to come prepared and to engage in our discussions.  Reaction Papers and Presentations (Historical Figure, Top 5, and Book Review) are due on the denoted dates.  Late assignments will result in a loss of 20% and participation points will be lost entirely.

Attendance Policy

THIS COURSE IS DESIGNED & INTENDED TO BE COMPLETED FACE-TO-FACE.  This course demands participation from the students.  This is a student-centered course with weekly discussions among students about reading materials.  Students are expected to attend classes and participate actively in these discussions.  As such, students are also expected to come to class with readings and assignments completed.  You should expect to spend at least 2 hours reading outside of class each week.  Attendance and participation will therefore be expected, and contribute significantly to your grade. 

Course Fees

Course Fee: $40.50

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.