CSS 330 is a 3-credit Baccalaureate-Core Synthesis course that is offered on the OSU campus during Winter Term, and as a distance education course during the Spring Term. This Syllabus provides specific information about the distance version of the course.
This course will cover basic principles of crop science and crop improvement and integrate principles from other disciplines so that students may gain an understanding of world food production. The major food crops, their origin, morphology, genetic diversity, adaptation, management, and utilization will be studied. Students will learn about the contributions of genetics, breeding, and management toward improvement of major food crops. Postharvest processing, end-use quality and marketing will be described to illustrate the role of crops in economic and social development. Health and environmental issues such as the potential risks and benefits of genetically modified crops and the sustainability of modern production agriculture will also be discussed. Students will gain technical knowledge needed to make informed decisions about these issues and will be encouraged to examine the controversies from different points of view.
During the first eight weeks of the course, students will be expected to complete two modules each week. There is only one module scheduled per week during the last two weeks of the term. Most of the core material for the course will be provided in the lecture notes on the website. Additional reading assignments and references will be provided for further study. Students will submit written assignments, take quizzes and exams, and participate in discussions via the Blackboard.
All of the lecture material and written assignments are available on the website throughout the term. Quizzes and discussion board topics will be made available as the term progresses. You are encouraged to work through the material according to the lecture schedule. Interactions among students in the class are enhanced when everyone is learning about the same topic at the same time and work on the group project will facilitated with a uniform schedule.
There are no prerequisites for this course; however CSS200, Crop Science Basics or an equivalent course is strongly recommended. Students must be at least junior standing.
An optional textbook is available from the OSU bookstore entitled “Plants and Society” by Levetin and McMahon. The 5th edition of this text was published in 2008. It covers a wide range of plants that impact human society, including medicinal plants, fiber crops, and allergy plants, among others. Since this course focuses on the major food crops, we will cover some topics in more detail than the text. The textbook is therefore not required, but may be useful for students who need more background information on basic botany, or who are interested in studying more diverse uses of plants in society. On-line resources including links and Chapter quizzes to accompany this textbook can be found at www.mhhe.com/levetin4e.
Assigned readings will be provided as pdf files or as links to on-line articles. It will not be assumed that you have access to the optional text, although suggestions for reading from the text will be listed in the reference section for many of the lectures throughout the term.
Another good general reference for this course is:
Chrispeels, M.J. and D.E. Sadava. 2003. Plants, genes, and Crop Biotechnology, 2nd Ed. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, MA.
Additional references relevant to this course can be found on the Resources menu on the navigation bar at the top of this webpage.
†Important information to be discussed on each major crop:
Grades will be assigned based on the following point system:
You will be expected to participate in discussions on the Blackboard throughout the term. Topics of discussion are indicated at the end of each module. The discussion on each topic will open on the day that the material is presented. They will remain open for the rest of the term, but entries made more than a week after the discussion opens may not receive full credit towards class participation.
Students will form small groups via Blackboard Discussion Board. Each group will select a common food product on grocery shelves (Twinkies, mayonaise, rice cakes, tartar sauce...) and create a clever summary of how the product is made from seed to packaging. Each group will paste their summary onto the Discussion Board.
The purpose of the quizzes is to help you to keep up with the lecture material and assigned readings and to prepare you for the final exam. They will consist of multiple choice questions and should be taken closed-book. However, you may take them more than once. Your grade will be automatically updated in the gradebook on the Blackboard. Quizzes will be made available on the Blackboard on the day that the lecture is presented. You will have two weeks from that time to finalize your score for the quiz. Your best 15 scores out of the total of 17 will constitute your grade for quizzes.
The final exam will consist of a mix of multiple choice, short answer, true-false, and short essay questions. It will be closed-book and can only be taken once. The exam will be taken on the Blackboard, with a two-hour time limit. The schedule for the final will be announced during the term.
Additional reading materials
Articles and links to websites will be posted on the Blackboard. Reading and discussion are an important component of the class. Students will be required to read about one article per week. Questions from required readings may be on the weekly quizzes and final exam. Optional readings will also be provided for further study.
You will be asked to submit four short written assignments in addition to your term paper and discussions. Details on these assignments are available at the end of each lecture. See the due dates webpage for an overview of all written assignments for the term.
Please fill in and return the evaluation form you receive at the end of the term. You will receive 2 extra credit points for returning the form, and sending me an e-mail to inform me about it.