Dr. Mark Campbell
3072 Magruder Hall
785-4280
campbell@truman.edu
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Extended Freshman Week class. A course providing a broad-based overview of soil, plant and animal science for beginning students of agriculture which encourages them to consider the interconnectivity of these agricultural sub-disciplines. This interconnectivity becomes a foundation to consider sustainable approaches to food and fiber production, and the impact of agricultural systems on humanity and the environment.
PREREQUISITES
None.
OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE
Specific objectives for the course are as follows:
- to teach about science and the scientific method through the study of agriculture;
- to ask students to consider the social and environmental consequences of using science and technology;
- to help students learn how to obtain scientific and technical information;
- to provide students with information about how food is produced and delivered, and how to ensure its sustainable supply;
- to provide students with hands-on experiences which show them the connectedness of what they learn in lecture or though readings with what happens in the real world;
- to ask students to think carefully about their own values and the values of other people with respect to land, water, livestock, and people, and to ask students to consider the plight of the hungry and the difficulties of feeding them;
- to provide students with an interdisciplinary course which asks them to integrate and use knowledge from the humanities, sciences, and social sciences to study a single topic, agriculture;
- continue to acclimate and integrate freshman AGSC students into student and academic life at Truman.
- Week 1: Agriculture, population growth and food supply: history and future outlook (book chapter 19)
- Week 2: Science and technology: Influence of agriculturists (book chapter 1)
- Week 3: Scientific method and use of statistics (book chapter 14)
- Week 4: Soil Science General Concepts (book chapter 5)
- Week 5: Soil and water resource management past and present (book chapter 15)
- Week 6: Soil Nutrition, nutrient cycles and the environment (book chapter 4)
- Week 7: History of crop domestication and early cropping systems (book chapter 13)
- Week 8: Plant and the energy cycle: Diet, bio-fuels, etc. and the environment (book chapter 2)
- Week 9: Crops and cultures (book chapter 8)
- Week 10: Diversity and crop genetic resources (book chapter 12)
- Week 11: Plant based foods: Chemistry, nutrition and processing (book chapter 6)
- Week 12: History of animal domestication and early animal agriculture systems (book chapter 17)
- Week 13: Role of animal agriculture in a sustainable agriculture system (book chapter 16)
- Week 14: Animal Products and Food Safety (book chapter 10)
- Week 15: Birth of the Biotechnology industry (book chapter 18)
- Week 16: The sustainable agriculture movement
Ecological Principles of Agriculture. 2000. Laura Powers and Robert McSorley. Delmar Thomson Learning, Albany New York.
BASIS OF STUDENT EVALUATION
Three examinations (100 points each)
Comprehensive final examination (100 points)
Laboratory reports and attendence (400 points)
In-depth laboratory report and presentation (200 points)