Course Syllabus
Below is a syllabus template that includes WSU's required syllabus elements. Please complete all items highlighted in yellow.
Title of Course: Pollinator Ecology
Prefix and Number: Entom461
Semester and Year: Spring 2026
Number of Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: Entom343, Entom361, SOE 300, or Bio372, or equivalent
Course Details
Day and Time: [tbd]
Meeting Location: [tbd]
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor Name: [tbd]
Instructor Contact Information: [office location, phone, email] [tbd]
Instructor Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]
TA Name: [tbd]
TA Contact Information: [office location, phone, email]: [tbd]
TA Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]
Course Description
Discover the fascinating world of pollinators in Pollinator Ecology! This course explores the critical roles of bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators in ecosystems. Topics include pollinator behavior, plant-pollinator interactions, and the impact of policy, agriculture and environmental changes on pollinator communities.
Course Materials
Books: [N/A]
Other Materials: [N/A]
Fees: [N/A]
|
Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:) |
Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes | Assessment of the Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific communication: Effectively communicate the challenges facing pollinators to a broad audience through a variety of different channels | Semester-long project creating a public outreach campaign on a specific plant-pollinator network or ecosystem and the challenges that network or ecosystem is facing, including actions the public can take to mitigate those challenges |
|
| Understand the complex relationships between pollinators and plants, and communicate effectively about the way those relationships change in a variety of ecological contexts | Lectures, reading scientific papers, in-class activities | Reading assignments, in-class group activities, quizzes, exams |
| Draw inferences from peer-reviewed scientific papers on how governmental and industry policy impacts pollinator ecosystems in the present, and how describe policy changes could impact pollinator ecosystems in the future | Scientific paper discussions, governmental policy reviews and discussions, in-class activities | Reading assignments, in-class group activities, quizzes, exams |
| Describe a variety of plant-pollinator mutualisms and networks, and how ecosystem functions rely on those mutualisms |
Lectures, reading scientific papers, in-class activities |
Reading assignments, in-class group activities, quizzes, exams |
| Design experiments to answer questions about pollinator declines, pollinator health, and ecosystem function |
Reading and discussing scientific papers, in-class activities |
Reading assignments, in-class group activities, quizzes, exams |
| Understand the myriad forces causing pollinator decline globally |
Lectures, reading and discussing scientific papers, reading and discussing governmental policy and industry pressures |
Reading assignments, in-class group activities, quizzes, exams |
| Dates | Lesson Topic | Assignment | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 |
Overview of pollinators; importance of pollinators | Discussion of peer-reviewed paper on global pollinator importance. Introduce final project- Create a public awareness campaign on a specific plant-pollinator ecosystem challenge. | Short essay, comic, or podcast about pollinator importance in agriculture. Select final project topic. |
| Week 2 [dates] |
Bees, Butterflies, Birds, Bats, and Other Pollinators | Group presentations on different pollinator species/groups. Project planning activity to select and outline final project. | Quiz on types of pollinators |
| Week 3 [dates] |
Plant-pollinator interactions; Mutualistic Relationships, Co-Evolution | Research paper discussion of specific plant-pollinator interactions. | Final project research summary due |
| Week 4 [dates] |
Pollinator behavior and communication; Foraging Behavior, Navigation, and Communication | Workshop on final project campaign plan | Quiz on pollinator interactions, behavior, and communication |
| Week 5 [dates] |
Pollinator Population Ecology, Life Cycles, and Reproduction | Discussion of pollinator ecology methods, design a simple experiment including background, hypothesis, methods, expected results | Final project public outreach campaign plan due. |
| Week 6 [dates] |
Common Pollinator Diseases, Parasites, and Pesticides | Guest lecture from pollinator health specialist | Research proposal, quiz on pollinator health |
| Week 7 [dates] |
Pollinator Habitats, Conservation Efforts | Design a pollinator-friendly garden using native plants in a chosen region of WA state as a group | Presentation on pollinator-friendly garden, including how garden meets current WA state pollinator habitat guidelines |
| Week 8 [dates] |
Climate Change Effects on Pollinators, Adaptation Strategies | Creative scientific communication activity | Comic, podcast, or short story- speculative fiction with focus on how climate change will affect pollinators in the future. Final project campaign materials due. |
| Week 9 [dates] |
Role of Pollinators in Agriculture, Crop Pollination | Field trip to WSU Organic Farm | Reflective journal on field trip observations, quiz on pollinators in agriculture |
| Week 10 [dates] |
Pollinators in Urban Environments, Challenges | Discussion of urban pollinator habitats | Create a video teaching urban gardeners how best to support a specific pollinator group in an urban setting |
| Week 11 [dates] |
Economic Value of Pollination Services, Ecosystem Services | Economic analysis of pollination services. How to write an effective self-evaluation | Quiz on pollinator roles in urban spaces, climate change effects |
| Week 12 [dates] |
Environmental Policies, Pollinator Protection Laws | Debate on current pollinator protection policies | Pollinator protection policy critique paper |
| Week 13 [dates] |
Innovative pollinator health research | Review recent literature, discussion of new technologies to support pollinator health | Final project self-evaluation due |
| Week 14 [dates] |
Pollinator conservation strategies | Design a community outreach program | Presentation on pollinator conservation strategy proposal |
| Week 15 [dates] |
Course review and final presentations | Final presentation of semester-long project | Course self-evaluation |
Expectations for Student Effort
Students should expect to spend three (3) hours in class, and an addition 3-4 hours per week working on assignments and the cumulative project.
Grading [add more lines if necessary]
| Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc) | Points | Percent of Overall Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative project | 300 | 30 |
| Assignments and in-class participation | 500 | 50 |
| Quizzes and exams | 200 | 20 |
| Grade | Percent | Grade | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| A |
93-100 |
C | 73-76 |
| A- | 90-92 | C- | 70-72 |
| B+ | 87-89 | D+ | 67-69 |
| B | 83-86 | D | 63-66 |
| B- | 80-82 | F | below 63 |
| C+ | 77-79 |
Scores will be rounded to the nearest whole number
Attendance and Make-Up Policy
Students should make all reasonable efforts to attend all class meetings. However, in the event a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor as soon as possible, explain the reason for the absence (and provide documentation, if appropriate), and make up class work missed within a reasonable amount of time. There will be a heavy emphasis on in-class activities, so missing class meetings may result in reducing the overall grade in the class.
Academic Integrity Statement
I encourage you to work with classmates on assignments. However, each student must turn in original work. No copying will be accepted. Students who violate WSU's Standards of Conduct for Students will receive an F as a final grade in this course. You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:
-Be asked to meet with me to discuss your work. Failure to attend this meeting will result in a report for the Center for Community Standards.
-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards
-Have the right to appeal my decision
-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished
If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.
If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.
Use of AI Text Generators and Academic Integrity I recognize that AI generator tools are becoming more available and part of life. We want to address their use as tools, and how they may be used to complete your coursework. There will be instances where AI generators will be allowed, and I will clearly identify those instances during lectures and assignment descriptions. Use of AI Text Generators outside of those explicitly identified instances will be viewed as a violation of academic integrity. If you are unsure whether your use is allowed, please chat with me
AI Detection Policy
- If I suspect that you’ve used AI-generated text without sufficient revision and disclosure of its use, I will request a meeting with you to discuss your work
- If I identify a false reference or in-text citation, I will request that you submit a PDF of the original source
- Failure to meet with me will result in a report to the Center for Community Standards and initiation of the Academic Integrity Process