Particulars: Talks should be 10-15 minutes long, to be
presented during discussion period. I will go over in class what I
think makes an effective presentation. Come see me no later than a
week before you are scheduled to go over the presentation.
Purpose: 1)To personalize the course by letting you go into
depth on a topic that you are interested in, 2)promote classroom
discussion, 3) to hone your presentation skills, 4) to establish
empathy with those who spend lots of time in the front of a class, 5)
so I can learn something new.
Subject: There are two requirements 1) the topic is
biochemical, that is it involves molecules and living things and the
properties of the molecules are important in understanding some
biological process. 2) You care about the topic. It is my belief that
if you truly care about something and follow your heart you will be
motivated to explore, investigate and understand the subject; and
that it will be a pleasure to share what you understand with the
class. For example, in past years a student who scuba dives did a
report on nitrogen narcosis, a student focused on a disease that her
favorite Indian film star was struggling with, a student from Fiji
focused on a psychoactive drug used by Islanders, students with ADD
and acne explored their disorders and treatments. There doesn't need
to be a personal connection, perhaps you have a curiosity about how
LSD or phen/fen works. The class resources
web page has several useful links to get you started in your
research. The format of the presentation is of your choosing, in the
past they have included videos, posters, songs, and web sites.
Evaluation: Will be based on your understanding of the material and your ability to communicate this understanding to the class.