Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Thank you for your interest in BI 143: Habitats: Freshwater Biology!

My name is Dr. Val Brenneis and I will be your instructor for this general education lab science class.  The class format is designed to reduce your commute time and carbon footprint (1 day a week on campus), while providing sufficient time for hands-on labs, group field work, field trips, and interactive class activities.

This course will meet remotely on Tuesdays from 12:30 - 1:50 pm via a live, interactive Zoom 'lecture' session. Attendance is expected.

We will also meet in-person on Thursdays from 9 - 11:50 am for lab, and 12:30 - 1:50 pm for our second 'lecture' session, which may include discussions, tutorials, and exams. The class meets at the Rock Creek campus and attendance is required.

There is no required textbook to be purchased for this class, instead students will be provided with a reading list composed of free, open-access materials that connect to weekly topics and assignments.

In this freshwater biology class, we will have several labs that take place outdoors on the Rock Creek campus, as well as field trips to nearby sites including a guided paddle trip on the Tualatin River and a visit to Fernhill Treatment wetlands in Forest Grove. Students will coordinate their own transportation to these locations.

Feel free to email if you have questions! valance.brenneis@pcc.edu

Access to a computer with an internet connection and Zoom is required.

We will be using the Google suite (Docs, Slides, Sheets) that is available to all students through their PCC email account.

We will be using the Microsoft Office suite for many assignments (Word, Excel, Powerpoint). PCC students can access the software for free here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office

In addition, we will be using web-based software for data collection, analysis, and communication (DataClassroom, iNaturalist) which will all be demonstrated in class and made available to students at no cost.