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Teaching

I teach Biology II each year in the winter term. Course Description: A study will be made of higher plants and animals with special emphasis on structure and function. Botanical topics include plant anatomy, reproduction, water relations, mineral nutrition, and control of growth and development. The zoological component includes the anatomy and physiology of animal tissues, organs and systems, and their functional integration. View a sample lecture.

BIOL 2706

Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy

I teach Comparative Verebrate Anatomy each year in the Fall term. Course Description: This course provides an overview of chordate and vertebrate origins and diversity.  The focus of the course is a comparative study of vertebrate functional anatomy across the major taxonomic groups. Prerequisite: BIOL 1506/1507. View a sample lecture.

BIOL 2007

Genetics

I teach Genetics each year in the Fall term. Course Description: This course provides an introduction to the science of genetics. The following topics will be considered: Mendelian inheritance; the nature and behaviour of chromosomes; the chemical basis of heredity; linkage, crossing over, and the mapping of chromosomes; variations in chromosome structure and number; mutation; the structure and function of genes; and the use of statistics in the genetic analysis of quantitative characters. View a sample lecture.

BIOL 3006

Evolution

I teach Evolution each year in the winter term. Course Description: An understanding of evolution is fundamental to all aspects of biology. This course will introduce the theory and concepts of evolutionary biology, emphasizing both micro and macro-evolution. Topics will include the history of evolutionary thought, species concepts and speciation, adaptation and the roles of natural selection, mutation and genetic drift in evolutionary change. Evolutionary concepts will also apply to behavioural ecology, sexual selection and life-history theory.    View a sample lecture.

Plover Paparazzi

BIOL 4016

Field Studies in Biology

I teach two of the five modules (Ornithology and Invertebrates) each year in the fall term but during the two weeks prior to the start of class. This course is run at the University of Michigan Biological Station in late summer or on campus during the fall term. Course Description: This two-week field course introduces students to field surveys and techniques used to evaluate organismal populations and assess their habitats. Prerequisites: BIOL 3396 or permission from the

instructor.

I teach the fall or winter (or both) portions of the Honours Thesis class when needed. Course Description: This course gives students the opportunity to pursue the full extent of scientific inquiry, from experimental design to communication of results, independently, and with the knowledge that they are actively contributing to the growing body of human knowledge through the scientific process. Students will work with a faculty supervisor either in the Biology Department at Algoma University, or with a scientist at either the Ontario Forestry Research Institute or the Great Lakes Forestry Centre. With this supervisor, each student will develop a research question, and then work to investigate this question using the scientific method. Students will perform background research into their chosen topic, plan and execute a research strategy that addresses their chosen question, analyze their collected data, and produce a poster presentation, a PowerPoint (or equivalent) presentation, and a scientific paper using the general formatting associated with peer-reviewed journal publications in biology (formatting information provided).

BIOL 4105

Honours Thesis

BIOL 1507

Introductory Biology II

Algoma University is a small Undergraduate only University. One of the best parts of my job is that I teach courses in each of the four years of the Biology Program.

Dr. Foote's Courses:

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