COURSE SYLLABUS

LINK TO ALL MEXICO PROGRAM INFORMATION

15th Annual Intercambio Cultural:  Mexico (UAEM)-Estados Unidos (MSC, ESU, MSU)   (2010 Spring Semester - Friday 2:00-3:00pm and 12-24 March 2010)

IN COLLABORATION WITH:

• Humberto Mejia Mojica, Director of Ichtyology at the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos
• Other Faculty of UAEM and other southern Mexico universities through the Red Nacional de Recursos Biológicos & Red Mesoamerica de Recursos Biológicos (varies from year to year)
• Past collaborators, those who participate in most years, and/or current supporters include:
  • Topiltzin Contreras MacBeath, former Director of Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas of UAEM
  • Dr. Dwight Moore, Associate Professor, Emporia State University, Kansas
  • Dr. Christopher Taylor, Associate Professor, Texas Tech University (previously at Mississippi State University)
  • Laura Sandmann, Veterinary Tech Program, Murray State College, Tishomingo, Oklahoma (Alternate years)
  • Dr. Tim Patton, Associate Professor of Biology, Southeastern Oklahoma State University
  • Dr. Richard Durtsche, Assistant Professor of Biology, Northern Kentucky University (then at University of Central Oklahoma)
  • Dr. Mark Pyron, Assistant Professor of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries, Ball State University

Quick Links

COURSE NAME & NUMBER: CON 2233 Mexican Ecology and Culture (three credit hours through Murray State College in collaboration with the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos). This course may serve as a science elective or as an option to fulfill one of the general education humanities requirements for graduation at Murray State College. It is available to special students from other institutions as an elective course and would apply according to the policies of that receiving institution.

COURSE DATES AND TIMES: Fridays 2:00-3:00pm throughout the Spring Semester plus 12-23 March 2010 (travel/study in Mexico). Arrangements will be made to replace the Friday discussions with distance learning activities via E-mail and a threaded discussion page for those of you who absolutely cannot be on campus during those times.

PREREQUISITES: Permission of instructor based largely on a review of the student's transcript, and an interview with the instructor. Specific points considered in the interview include:

• Academic background needed to appreciate the topics to be covered;
• Evidence of enthusiasm and open-mindedness for learning about other cultures;
• Maturity-level needed to behave in a responsible manner and to get along well with peers during long strenuous drives and field activities;
• Enthusiasm-level for completing readings, studying, participating in class discussion/e-mail discussion, and keeping a personal journal;
• Ability to acquire or borrow quality binoculars, snorkel and mask, and other outdoor camping gear needed; (note some binoculars are available for checkout from the Department of Science);
• Willingness to participate in field study groups as determined by both Mexican and USA faculty members; students are placed in a manner to maximize learning and interactions with others they do not know;
• Willingness to be a "team member" by remaining as a unit with both international students and students from other US institutions; for example, eating and camping together with the group;
• Ability to bring sufficient money for personal needs during trip.

REQUIRED BOOKS:

• Doerr, Harriet. 1984. Stones for Ibarra. Penguin Books. New York, New York. (ISBN 0-1400.7562-3).  (Note:  This novel is a Winner of the National Book Award.)
• Hellman, Judith Adler.  1994.  Mexican Lives.  The New Press, New York.  244pp.  ISBN 1-56584-177-8.  (Judith A. Hellman is Professor of Social and Political Science at York University, Toronto.)
• Field Guides (To Be Announced)

OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS AND READINGS:

• Other readings and internet addresses will be provided to you as the semester progresses.
  • Bates, Marston. 1990. The Nature of Natural History. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey. (ISBN 0-691-02446-4).
    • This book is a timeless classic in natural history originally published in 1950 and reprinted in 1990 by Princeton University Press with a new foreword and literature update by Henry S. Horn.  I will provide excerpts for reading and discussion.
  • Various readings on the Huichol Indians including their culture, spirituality and art.
• You must locate a quality pair of binoculars (preferably  8 x 40’s) (or check one out from me in the Department of Science
• You must locate a quality snorkel and mask.
• You must have proof of citizenship to acquire your Mexican visa; details will be provided in other handouts.  You will be required to bring the proper papers to me for storage early in the semester.
• Camping gear, field notebook, and other required materials you will need will likewise be listed for you in another handout.

COURSE CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES: This course provides an absolutely unique educational experience. Thursday and Internet activities will involve presentations and discussions of many aspects of Mexican culture and ecology. The objective of these activities is to increase the your understanding of many aspects of Mexican culture, geography, environments, and ecology. Culturally, this includes both Native American and European-based cultural influences. Ecologically, the objective of discussions is to learn and review natural history concepts needed to participate in the tropical field studies of vertebrates and their habitats during the field trip to the State of Nayarit on the southwest (Pacific) coast of Mexico.

This course includes the 15^th consecutive annual collaboration between Murray State College and The Centro de Investigaciones of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM). Faculty and researchers from UAEM and I will be your instructors in the field. Specific biological field studies in the coastal region of Nayarit will take place 15-19 March 2010. You will study in a group including both Latin American and U.S students. Your group will experience four field days (and nights!) during which the following topics will be studied:

• field ornithology (ornitologia) - bird observation, identification (sight and sound) and taxonomy; sampling techniques (e.g. mist-netting), preparation of museum specimens (including data recording), and ecology (e.g. habitat associations); etc.
• field mammalogy (mastizoologia) - mammal identification and taxonomy; sampling techniques (trapping, bat mist-netting, tracks, etc.); preparation of museum specimens (including data recording); ecology (e.g. habitat associations; etc.
• field herpetology (herpetologia) - reptile and amphibian identification and taxonomy; sampling techniques (e.g. pitfall traps, song ID, search methods); museum specimen preparation (including data recording); ecology (e.g. habitat associations); etc.
• field icthyology (ictiologia) - freshwater fishes and habitats of small streams draining into the Pacific (e.g. spring snorkling, river seining, electroshocking, etc.), marine fishes and habitats (e.g. ocean beach seining), fish identification and taxonomy (including use of field dissecting scopes and comprehensive taxonomic keys); specimen preservation for museum storage, etc.

One of our days may involve a special activity. For example, one year everyone traveled to an island bordered by coral reef formations and topped by a seabird nesting colony!  More often we take a river trip through a mangrove forest along the Río Tovara. Throughout all of our work, we will take note of other groups of vertebrates we may encounter, including fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals.

CON 2233 will also include other required activities during both the travel and field portions of the course. The route of travel will traverse an incredible diversity of ecosystem types beginning with our own Crosstimbers Ecological Region of central Oklahoma and north Texas. Further south we will see the Blackland Prairies, Edwards Plateau, South Texas Brushlands, Chihuahuan Desert, Tropical Deciduous Forests, Coniferous Forests, and a variety of other terrestrial ecosystems. In the coastal areas of the southwest Pacific region we may  observe Mangrove Swamps, Coastal Beaches, Tropical Woodlands, Open Ocean, Insular (island) ecosystems, Banana Plantations, and other coastal ecosystems. You will be required a) to carefully observe characteristics of all of these, b) listen and take notes during roadside and CB radio lectures, d) keep regular personal notes and a personal journal recording the information gained by listening and observing during the entire trip.

Cultural diversity both in Nayarit and at various locations along the route will also be a significant segment of CON 2233. You will include cultural observations in your personal journal. Questions will be posed along the way for consideration. You will see the influence of European culture in both Texas and Mexico. You will learn about indigenous cultures of Mexico. You will observe the influence of Hispanic culture in Texas. You will see a range of cultural and economic diversity in Mexico, including people of communities in 'la frontera,' ranch and desert lands, agricultural lands, and cities.

EVALUATION: Categories for performance evaluation will be:

• Attendance and/or Internet Participation
• Completion of Weekly Assignments
• Mexico Field Trip Performance (Including Field Journal)
• Web Page Content and Design
• Miscellaneous Assignments
• Optional Assignments

Assignments and activities in each category will be worth variable numbers of points.  The field trip portion will be worth about 1/2 of the total points for the course.  All of the points you earn will be totaled and divided by the total possible points to figure your percentage.  Letter grades will be based on the traditional intervals (e.g. 100-90 = A; 89-80 = B).

Field trip performance will be based on such things as enthusiastic participation in all field activities (i.e.,  all of your field group activities and all required general group activities), field quiz scores; contributions to group responsibilities, and adherence to applicable Mexican laws and cultural norms.  No student who willfully violates these laws and norms or who acts like an "ugly Americans" will pass the course. This is considered to be unethical academic misconduct and may result in a grade of "F."  You will be asked to sign a copy of the Trip Contract that can be viewed by clicking here or from the Trip Contract link in the Quick Links at the beginning of this syllabus. Here and during lectures you can make sure you understand the travel expectations of this course.

Field quizzes may be given to measure your understanding of wildlife species, ecosystem characteristics, and cultures.  Your journal grade will be based on its  thoroughness, creativity, and organization.  We will discuss methods of journaling in our class discussions. Basically, this is a fairly laid back course in which sincere effort and participation will produce success.

COSTS: Your transportation, including Mexican auto insurance, turnpike fees, boat and local transportation fees, etc. will come from the $400 course fee. Students should plan on about $100 for the "country entry fee"(about $25) and other meals and incidentals during the trip down and back. additional $150-$300 dollars, or more depending on how much you wish to spend. The cost of this trip is incredibly cheap in comparison to similar offerings by other institutions which routinely charge $1000 or more. In fact, private tours to San Blas can cost around $3000 not even including transportation to San Blas! Here is a link to such a quality, but expensive, tour: Example of a Birding Tour (Wings) to San Blas

Some modest lodging may also be provided when we are not camping. Students will need only money for food plus personal purchases. This will be a budget trip with camping and group cooking or cheap eating out as the rule.

CONTACT: Bruce G. Stewart, Department of Science, 1 Murray Campus Street, Murray State College, Tishomingo, OK 73460. [Phone: (580) 371-2371 Ext. 225] [E-mail: bstewart@mscok.edu ]