FARSIDE ENTOMOLOGY
Michael Burgett, Emeritus Professor of Entomology
Honey Bee Lab, Oak Creek Bridge & 35th: telephone 7-4896
email: burgettm@science.oregonstate.edu
HC299 is designed to introduce you to the humanistic side of entomology by utilizing the entomological humor of Gary Larson, et alia as paradigms of human-insect interactions. Interactions between humans and insects are numerous, of variable time scales and of varying implications (for both the human and the insect), ranging from the mildly humorous to the deadly serious. The "cartoon" format normally provides an anthropomorphic view of insects. This can be an incredibly rich venue as an introduction to the more serious aspects of insects and their relevance to human activities.
A formal classroom meeting will be held once a week for 1.5 hours. At the first class meeting the class will be divided into teams of 2 students per team (ten teams). On an every other week basis each team will be required to present the entomological and humanistic interpretation of an entomologically based cartoon. Appropriate reference materials will be attached to each assignment. Additional reference materials will be available at the Honors SLUG facility.
Every week thereafter a 10 to 15 minutes oral presentation will be made by half of the teams. This format will allow student to serve as presenters three to four times throughout the academic quarter. Weekly out-of-class preparation time is critically important to team success.
It is HIGHLY recommended that you give your presentation in a PowerPoint format
Primarily oral, but requiring outside team meetings which are designed for group input and interactions. An emphasis will be placed on oral communicative skills and the success of the group dynamic within each team.
Each "team" presentation will be evaluated weekly by every other team on a quantitative scale and with a written critique for review by the team being evaluated. Additionally I will provide similar input to each team on a weekly basis. A final grade for each student will be assigned based on the "average" score of their respective team, as determined both by their student peers and the course instructor.
It is intended that the Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID) will be used, as it has been since the 1996/97 academic year. I find this method of evalution very helpful and informative in “adjusting” class goals and value from the perspective of the student.
INSECT BIOLOGY: A Textbook of Entomology. H.E. Evans, ed.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF INSECTS. D.J. Borror & D.M. DeLong.
THE SCIENCE OF ENTOMOLOGY. W.S. Romoser.
FUNDAMENTALS OF ENTOMOLOGY. R.J. Elzinga.
GENERAL AND APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY. V.A. Little.
THE INSECT SOCIETIES. E.O. Wilson.
SOCIOBIOLOGY. E.O. Wilson.
THE ANTS. B. HSYMBOL 246 \f "Onyx"lldobler and E.O. Wilson.
ENTOMOLOGY IN HUMAN AND ANIMAL HEALTH. R.F. Harwood & M.T. James.
SIX-LEGGED SCIENCE. B. Hocking
LIFE ON A LITTLE KNOWN PLANET. H.E. Evans
THE PLEASURES OF ENTOMOLOGY. H.E. Evans
THE WASP FARM. H.E. Evans
LIFE OF INSECTS. V.B. Wigglesworth
TO KNOW A FLY. V.G. Dethier
MAN'S PLAGUE?? Insects and Agriculture. V.G. Dethier
THE ANT HEAP. V.G. Dethier
"Then a miracle occurs." S. Harris. 1986. American Scientist. vol 74(5): 542-545.
"Insect cartoons: when do they appear in newspapers and magazines?" G. D. De Jong. 1994. American Entomologist. 40(3): 149-150.
a louse i
used to know
told me that
millionaires and
bums tasted
about alike
to him
don marquis, the life and times of archy and mehitabel
God in His Wisdom
Made the fly
And then forgot
To tell us why
Ogden Nash
"`What sort of insects do you rejoin in, where you come from?' the Gnat inquired."
"`I don't rejoice in insects at all. ' Alice explained."
Lewis Caroll, Through the Looking Glass
