ASSIGNMENTS

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Homework Questions and Answers

By Friday of each week, the lecturer for that week will hand out (and/or post here) a homework question relating to the material in his/her lectures for that week. You are asked to turn in an answer to that question, no more than one page in length (double-spaced typing) (it can be shorter), at the beginning of class on the following Wednesday. This response will be worth a maximum of 2 points. For late answers, we will deduct 1/2 point per day. 

Questions and anwers for the current year (2008) will be posted below when available (and the date each is posted will be listed); you will get an error message if you look for questions or answers in advance.

Question Answer
 
Weeks 1 & 2
(posted 1/23/08)
Due Jan. 30
Weeks 1 & 2
(posted 2/5/08)
Week 3
(emailed 2/1/08; posted 2/5/08)
Due Feb. 6
Week 3
(posted 2/27/08)
Week 4
(posted 2/8/08)
Due Feb. 13
Week 4
(posted 2/20/08)
Week 5
(posted 2/15/08)
Due Feb. 20
Week 5
(posted 2/27/08)
Week 6
(emailed 2/22/08; posted 2/27/08)
Due Feb. 27
Week 6
(posted 4/11/08)
Week 7
(posted 2/29/08)
Due Mar. 3, MONDAY!
Week 7
(posted 4/21/08)
Week 8
(posted 3/10/08)
Due Mar. 19
Week 8
(posted 4/14/08)
Week 9
(posted 3/20/08)
Due Mar. 26
Week 9
(posted 4/3/08)
Week 10
(posted 3/29/08)
Due Apr. 2
Week 10
(posted 4/21/08)
Week 11
(posted 4/3/08)
Due Apr. 9
Week 11
(posted 4/15/08)
Week 12
(posted 4/11/08)
Due Apr. 16
Week 12
(posted 5/03/08)
Week 13
(posted 4/20/08)
Due Apr. 23
Week 13

 


Click here to see the questions and answers from 2006.
Click here to see the questions and answers from 2005.
Click here to see the questions and (some) answers from 2003.


Evolutionary Narrative

On the Monday following a set of lectures, you are asked to turn in a work of roughly one page in which you present or respond to the scientific material of the previous week as a narrative. This can take many forms. For example, you might write a story as you would tell it to your mother or a younger sibling. You might choose to include your own feelings about the material from e.g. a philosophical or religious perspective. You might write it in prose or poetry, or include some fantasy or art (simple drawings fine!). The point is to give you the opportunity to take what you have heard the previous week and work with it.
 
The 12 narratives will be graded largely on a pass-fail basis: We plan to give full credit (2 points) for every reasonable, on-time effort.  (Last time we offered the course, approximately 70%  of the narratives fell into this category).  However we reserve the right to give a grade of 0 or 1 for work that shows little or no evidence of thought or effort, and to give up to 3 points for work that is especially interesting or creative.  The first narrative  (on the first unit, Weeks 1 and 2) will be due on Monday, January 28.   After that, narratives will be due each Monday and should be based on the previous week's lectures. For late narratives, we will deduct 1/2 point per day.

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