- Learners will be able to define the vocabulary words systematics, phylogeny, classification, and monophyletic group and use them to describe the methods used in the science of systematics.  
- Learners will be able to describe the principles of natural selection and explain how this process can result in evolutionary change.  
- Learners will be able to describe the process of sexual selection and explain how this process has produced a variety of traits in birds.  
- Learners will be able to describe how reproductive isolation drives speciation.  
- Learners will be able describe 2-3 specific ways that hybridization can influence the evolution of or survival of bird species.  

Heather is a published ecologist who has conducted field ecology research for more than a decade.  She has done research in Costa Rica, Teton Mountain National Park, the Southern Appalachian Mountains, and in the Midwest. Her main research interests are birds and landscape ecology. Heather is also an environmental educator and naturalist with over 20 years of experience teaching students of all ages through nature centers, schools, and Girl Scouts.

Homework Offered
This is a flexible schedule course designed to take 1-2 hours each week.  Please see course description for more information about course materials.  
1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
This course offers both formative and summative assessments.  

Formative assessments include: 
- Weekly Pear Deck Lessons with embedded questions that students respond to (instructor will provide individual feedback on student responses)
- Weekly assignment that is turned in to the instructor for individual feedback

Summative assessments:
- Weekly Quiz for students to check their understanding of lesson materials (students may use notes and may submit this quiz as many times as they would like to achieve a higher score, instructor will send correct answers and feedback as needed)
- Final Project on the last week of course for students to demonstrate their mastery of the course materials (instructor provides individual feedback and a score for the project using the rubric that students receive when this project is assigned) 
Grades Offered
All assignments submitted on time will receive individual feedback from the instructor. Students who wish to receive a grade in this course should notify Heather by the start of week 2.  

Grades for this course are based on: 
- 25% = Completion of interactive Pear Deck Lessons (completion/effort)
- 25% = Weekly Quiz Scores (quizzes are open book/notes)
- 30% = Assignments (completion/effort)
- 20% = Final Project Score (guidelines and rubric provided week 6)

Grade Scale: 
A: 93-100%
A-: 90-92%
B+: 87-89%
B: 83-86%
B-: 80-82%
C+: 77-79%
C: 73-76%
C-: 70-72%
D+: 67-69%
D: 63-66%
D-: 60-62%
F: Below 60%

Lovette IJ and Fitzpatrick JW. 2016. Handbook of Bird Biology, Third Edition. Wiley & Sons, Inc.  Hoboken, NJ.