This course addresses the need for students to understand their own biology. There are many fundamental issues in biology that students who never take a course beyond high school never get to engage. This course has the potential to address some of those topics in an environment that many non-science majors consider friendlier than the selection of courses for majors.
This course provides an opportunity for students to read a good, information-intensive book, to engage some of that information and then earn academic credit for the effort. The understanding students take from this semester will undoubtedly inform decisions about and understanding of their own health issues, but Female Biology is not a "health" class, and it does not address areas more appropriately discussed by psychologists or sociologists. It is intended to be a discussion of biology, with a structure-function emphasis, as seen by biologists and with the female as the main example.We dispel some myths and give a basis for the real and important differences that set females apart.
An opportunity for students to do an abbreviated dissection of a cat enables understanding of body organization that includes arrangements of muscles and fat as well as the usual tour of plumbing. The dissection is a series of group efforts that allow those who wish to cut to do so, and those who would prefer to simply observe to have that option as well.
Use of female as the primary example sets this course apart from most biology classes. Historically, structure and function have been taught using male as the primary example with female presented as an afterthought, or, worse, in ways she "deviates from the normal", male arrangement or function.
Emphasis is on mammalian females, but it is not exclusively human, and non-mammalian examples are sometimes the most appropriate. Much of our understanding is provided by animal models, so it is important to convey an appreciation of the distinctions about what we know from and about humans and what we must infer from animal models. We may also address a little of the philosophy behind study of these subjects, and how approaches are changing.
This course has been offered 10 times during the passage of several generations of college students, and each offering has varied with the collection of students who comprise the enrollment.
We have 2.5 hours per week of meeting time for 14 weeks (a total of 35 hours) to address these interests, so it should be clear that we must be selective in our choice of topics.
The semester is divided into two emphases. In the 8 weeks before spring break we learn about some aspects of anatomy and physiology using female examples. This should provide a more informed basis for understanding processes such as menstruation and childbirth and other body functions as well. During the 6 weeks following spring break our attention is directed to more complex topics and issues related to Female Biology.
Lecture/discussion, reading, presentations, and selected laboratory experiences provide the principal resources for learning. The textbook is an ample resource supplemented with selected readings placed on reserve. Students read and discuss a novel that includes much real biology in its fictional story. Guest speakers are often invited to supplement perspectives. The serendipidy of campus speakers and events are integrated into class opportunities as appropriate.
Oral presentations at the end of a semester are a good way for students to learn and to enrich the class experience by sharing their understanding with classmates. Students select a topic of interest that is something the class has not already addressed in detail. The presentation cannot be a clinical report. The emphasis must be on the biology. Although there is clearly a preference for topics that are human, that is not a requirement. A necessity to limit presentation time to 10 mintues makes part of the assignment choosing what is important to include and what must be excluded. Format of the presentation is left to the choice of the presenter. Students can use presentation software, or sit on a table at the front of the room and tell a story. Either way, citation of references is required. A short question and discussion period follows each presentation. Peer evaluation is part of the assessment of this exercise. Subjects of final presentations in 2002 and 2006 can be viewed at the links.
This page created by SAMiller and last modified: 19 April 2006