CHEM 095: The Chemistry of Honeybees

Lecture (CRN#61756); M,T,W,Th 9:00AM-12:00PM, (L210 Lafayette)

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Instructor: Steve Flemer

Office: 110 Hills

email: sflemer@uvm.edu

Office Hours: M-Th 12:00-1:00PM

Class Website:	Please see the Course link on your UVM Blackboard page.
Lecture: The lecture will be used to introduce new material. Included in this syllabus is a

tentative schedule covering the text and reading materials.

GRADING CRITERIA:

Quizzes:

10-minute daily quizzes will be given on certain mornings at the start of lecture.

The content of the quizzes will be solely derived from the lecture material of the previous day.

Your quiz average will comprise 20% of your course grade.

Team Project Presentation: Students will work in pairs to put together a PowerPoint presentation describing a relevant and current topic/problem concerning honeybees. There should be an obvious chemistry-based component to the chosen topic. Rubric for the presentation is included later in this syllabus. Counts for 25% of your course grade.

Paper: Each student will write a 3-5 page referenced paper outlining and assessing the topics in their presentation. It should be noted that, although the presentation is a partnered project, the paper itself should be an individual effort. Rubric for the paper is included later in this syllabus. Counts for 25% of your course grade.

Final Exam: Will occur on the last day of class. Exam will consist of a number of multiple choice, short answer, & conceptual questions pertaining to the material we have studied over the course of the class. Counts for 20% of your course grade.

Class Attendance, participation, general contribution: Counts for 10% of overall course grade.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

Offenses against the Code of Academic Integrity (ie: Cheating) are deemed serious and insult the integrity of the entire academic community. Any suspected violations of the code will be forwarded to the Center for Student Ethics & Standards for further investigation.

REQUIRED READINGS:

Textbook:

“Honey Bee Biology & Beekeeping" 2013 Revision, by Dewey Caron: Sold at the UVM bookstore. There will be reading assignments from this text given out to you prior to certain lectures. A specific listing of readings (and the lectures they correspond to) is at the end of this syllabus. It is expected that the assigned readings will be completed prior to showing up to the lecture for which they are assigned.

Various Readings and Handouts:

There will be recurring handouts of various academic publications which will pertain to a particular lecture. These handouts will be available in the Course Materials folder on the course’ BlackBoard site. A specific listing of these papers (and the lectures they correspond to) is at the end of this syllabus. It is expected that the assigned papers will be read prior to showing up to the lecture for which they are assigned.

RUBRIC FOR TEAM PROJECT PRESENTATION:

Students will work in pairs to put together a 20 minute PowerPoint presentation describing a relevant and current topic/problem concerning honeybees. There should be an obvious chemistry-based component to the chosen topic. Both students will take part in presenting the topic. A basic flow of the presentation should be as follows: [1] Introduction of the topic, [2] Description of the complexity of the issue(s) involved with the topic, [3] Explanation of any problems or challenges associated with the topic as it relates to honeybee health and sustainability, and [4] Your thoughts on how these problems could be solved or mitigated.

• 50 points: Presentation Flow:

• 50 points: Creativity:

Clarity of topics, speaking style, correct length of time.

Progression of slides, decent use of graphics, relevance to honeybee-associated chemistry.

RUBRIC FOR PROJECT PAPER:

A written paper should be a final assessment of the topic you investigated in your project presentation. The paper should be 3-5 pages (not including references), 1.5 spacing, 12 point font size. The content of the paper can use the flow of the accompanying presentation as a template. At least three references must be cited, at least one of which should be a primary reference.

• 50 points: Basic writing standard: Quality of writing, acceptable formatting, correct length, relevant references.

• 50 points: Creativity:

Explanation of problem, progression of ideas, suggestion of solution, relevance to honeybee-associated chemistry.

TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE

Week 1

Mon, 5/22:	Lecture 1: - Introduction to the course.
	- Movie: “Tales from the Hive” (0.53)
Tues, 5/23:	Lecture 2: - Biology & Form of the Honeybee
	- Life Inside the Hive
	Preparatory Readings:	- Honey Bee Biology: Chapters 4, 5, & 6
Wed, 5/24:	Lecture 3: - Generalities of Beekeeping
	Preparatory Readings:	- Honey Bee Biology: Chapters 11 & 12
Thurs, 5/25:	Lecture 4: - Pathogens & Parasites in Honeybee colonies
	Preparatory Readings:	- Honey Bee Biology: Chapters 19 (all) & 20 (pp. 331-352)
		- Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. Paper: “Honeybee Pathology: Current Threats to Honeybees and Beekeeping”
Fri, 5/26:	(Voluntary meetup at UVM Beekeepers Apiary: 5 students)
		Week 2
Mon, 5/29:	No Class (Memorial Day)
Tues, 5/30:	Lecture 5: - Basics of Organic Chemistry Structure & Functional Groups
	- Basics of Biochemical Structure & Function
	Preparatory Readings:	- Preview Instructor Notes for this lecture
Wed, 5/31:	Lecture 6: - Honeybee Sustenance: The Chemistry of Honey & Pollen
	Preparatory Readings:	- Honey Bee Biology: Chapter 16; pp 253-258; 263
		- Bee Culture article: “The Chemistry of Honey”
		- African Zoology Paper: “Bee Food: the Chemistry & Nutritional Value of Nectar & Pollen”
		- Hindawi Paper: “Bee Pollen: Chemical Composition & Therapeutic application”; (parts 1 & 2)
		- Global J. Biotech. & Biochem. Paper: “Chemical Composition & Nutritional Value of Palm Pollen Grains”
Thurs, 6/1:	Lecture 7: - Honeybee Shelter: The Chemistry of Beeswax & Propalis
	Preparatory Readings:	- Honey Bee Biology: Chapter 16; pp 260-261; 265
		- Honeybee Nests Paper: “The Chemistry of Beeswax”
		- Hindawi Paper: “Recent Progress of Propolis for its Biological and Chemical Compositions and its Botanical Origin”
		- Molecules Paper: “Recent Advances in the Chemical Composition of Propolis”
Fri, 6/2:	(Voluntary meetup at UVM Beekeepers Apiary: 5 students)

Week 3

Mon, 6/5:	Lecture 8: - Pesticides and their Effect on Honeybee Health
	Preparatory Readings:	- Honey Bee Biology: Chapter 20 (pp. 352-355)
		- Apidologie Paper: “Pesticides & Honeybee Toxicity”
		- In-class speaker
Tues, 6/6:	Lecture 9: - Honeybee Defenses: The Chemistry of Honeybee Venom
	Preparatory Readings:	- Bee Culture article: The Chemistry of Ouch
		- Bee Product Science Paper: “Bee Venom; Composition, Health, Medicine: A Review”; pp 1-5
Wed, 6/7:	Lecture 10: - Honeybee Communication: The Chemistry of Honeybee Pheromones
	Preparatory Readings:	- Honey Bee Biology: Chapter 8
		- Journal of Chemical Ecology Paper; “Pheromone Communication in the Honeybee”
Thurs, 6/8:	Lecture 11: - Healing/Medical Potential of Honeybee Products
	Preparatory Readings:	- Bee Product Science Paper: “Bee Venom; Composition, Health, Medicine: A Review”; pp 5-11
		- Mercola Paper: “The Use of Bee Pollen as a Superfood”
Fri, 6/9:	(Voluntary meetup at UVM Beekeepers Apiary: 5 students)
		Week 4
Mon, 6/12:	Lecture 12: - Sustaining Honeybee Populations
	- Movie: “Vanishing of the Bees” (1:28)
	Preparatory Readings:	- Reading Handout: “Protecting our Food Systems: Responding to Honeybee Population Decline in Michigan”
Tues, 6/13:	Five Student Presentations (20 minutes each)
Wed, 6/14:	Five Student Presentations (20 minutes each)
Thurs, 6/15:	Final Exam
Fri, 6/16:	(Voluntary meetup at UVM Beekeepers Apiary: 5 students)

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