The last two weeks of lab will be devoted to presentations from students. The rules are:

• Each presentation will be prepared by 2-4 students. This is not the same as 1 student or 5 students.
• The group is to select as a topic some aspect of biology which is of interest to the students in the group. I will give you a list of ideas, but there are many, many possibilities not covered by this list. Be daring! However...
• This is a science class; you are expected to approach your presentation topics from the scientific perspective. If this is too subtle, I'll be more clear. If you decide, for instance, to challenge evolutionary theory, you must do it in a scientifically acceptable way. Your information must come from scientifically respectable sources, and have been challenged according to the practices of the scientific community. If this looks like it will be very hard to present this particular perspective, that's because it is.
• Your presentation may be in the form of a lecture/demonstration, a skit, a monologue by your person of note, a discourse by someone who agrees (or disagrees) with your subject, or any variation or combination of the above. If you have another creative idea, I will be delighted to discuss it with you. All members of the group must participate in both the preparation and the presentation.
• Your presentation should take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete.
• There are several phases which must be completed for this assignment:
  1. Prospectus[TYPED]: You should be ready to submit your preliminary topic selection by the end of the seventh week of the semester. Before the end of this seventh week, you must turn in to me a prospectus indicating the subject(s) of your presentation and the full names of all of the people in your group. This is worth 5 points for each member of the group. These points may not be recovered. If you fail to turn in your prospectus on time, they are lost forever; if you fail to affiliate with a group until after the prospectus is turned in, you may not receive the points for this part of the assignment.
  2. Progress Report [TYPED]: By the end of the ninth week (two weeks after the prospectus is due), each group must turn in a progress report which includes the following (10 points):
     • The name of your subject,
     • A brief description of what you intend to do (a few sentences or a topical outline will do),
     • A reference list indicating at least three references which your group is using for information. This list should not include your textbook (or any other textbook), and should have no more than one encyclopedia of any kind on it. References must be typed in a complete and consistent format. I am not particular about exactly which format you use--there are a number of generally acceptible styles--but you must select and use a respectable one.
     • The complete names of all of the people in your group.
  3. Lottery: During lab of the eleventh or twelfth week of the semester, we will hold a drawing to assign times for each of the presentations. If no representative of your group participates in this lottery, I will assign your group a time at my on discretion. These dates and times may be changed only by arranging a trade with another group. Both groups must come to me and inform me of the exchange.
  4. Final Report [TYPED]: At the time of the presentation, you must turn in a written report explaining your presentation. This may be simply a report, or it may include outlines, scripts, etc. Note cards are not acceptable. It should indicate what roles the individual members of the group played in the preparation of the presentation. In addition to whatever is appropriate to describe your presentation, there must be a one page (minimum) description of the information which you gathered about your subject. All members of the group must contribute to this final report, and it must include a complete reference list, with all sources in proper citation format.
• Total points for the presentation: Prospectus (5); Progress Report (10); Final Report (25); Presentation (25). TOTAL: 65 points for each group member.
• You must attend at least two of the presentation days for the class (each lab section will have two). If you attend less than two, each missed will cost you 25 points.
• If you let your group down, you will not pass this course.
• No makeups for presentations! It is your responsibility to be ready when your scheduled presentation time arrives.