This color plate is from an Aztec herbal. The figure was drawn by an Aztec physician, Martin de la Cruz and written in Latin by Juan Badianus, a native of Xochimilco and scribe  in the college of the Holy Cross. It was presented to Phillip the II, King of Spain, as a gift in 1552. It is currently stored in the library of the Vatican. The illustration is of five different Aztec medical plants:1. Fever flower, 2.Noble Lord flower, 3.Jewel of the Goddess, 4. Agreeable little plant, 5. Turning flower. No information, other than the name, is given in the Aztec herbal.
 
 

Course Description:  This course will present the relationship between plants and medicine.  It will explore the origins of knowledge about medicinal plants, the mechanisms by which they bring about an effect in various diseases and finally what approaches are used today to obtain new medicinal plants for diseases such as diabetes, cancer, acne, etc.  It is expected that this information will provide a background on medicinal plants which will be useful for general knowledge and for health sciences. This is an upper division biology course designed for the non-science student with at least one prior college level biology course.  It is the nature and purpose of this course to increase knowledge and awareness of how medicinal plant use developed, and how plant medicines and plant drugs are utilized for treatment of minor and major diseases.
 
 

Exam 1	Wednesday October 8, 2008	Multiple choice (100 points, 50 questions)	Sample exams in Electronic Reserve  http://ecr.sdsu.edu/courseindex.asp
Exam 2	Wednesday November  5, 2008	Multiple choice (70 points, 35 questions)	Sample exams in Electronic Reserve http://ecr.sdsu.edu/courseindex.asp
Essay question on Exam 2	Wednesday November  5, 2008	Essay-30 points	Sample Essay Question in Electronic Reserve http://ecr.sdsu.edu/courseindex.asp
Final Exam	Friday Dec 19, 2008  0800-1000 Eight am COM Communication 207	Multiple Choice	Sample exams in Electronic Reserve http://ecr.sdsu.edu/courseindex.asp

In the lecture before each exam there will be a review session. It is a wise decision to attend the review sessions as they cover the material presented in class that will appear on the exam. It is also useful to review the files in the library electronic reserve that illustrate the type of question that will appear on the exam. These are multiple choice, fill in and other questions sometimes with labeled diagrams that ask for a multiple choice selection. These previews of the examination approach will increase your learning and improve your understanding and performance in this class. You will ultimately leave this class as a better trained individual, assuming you follow the ideas outlined above.
 
 

The majority of students will receive grades in the B to C range. Please remember that long-standing University policy considers a grade of A to  indicate  "outstanding achievement; available only for the highest accomplishment." A grade of B indicates "praiseworthy performance; definitely above average." See the University standards below. I  use numerical scores. Letter grades will be assigned to numerical scores for each exam based on the class average. The writing exam (exam 2) will have a standard letter grade distribution (A=>90, B=>80, C=>70, D=>60). There will be two hour midterms, one essay exam and a 1-hour final. Last semester's essay question will be posted in the Library Reserve Room. The midterm topics will be announced one week before the exam date and there will be a short review session at the end of the lecture before the exam.  The final exam will be  on Wednesday May 16 at 0800 in NE 60  (NE-North Education). The grades assigned follow the designations listed below. This means the final exam begins at 8:00 o'clock.

A       Outstanding achievement, available only for the highest
           accomplishment.

B       Praiseworthy performance, definitely above average.

C       Average, awarded for satisfactory performance; the most
          common undergraduate grade.

D       Minimally passing; less than the typical undergraduate
          achievement.

F       Failing.

U       Incomplete: failing to take an exam without contacting
          instructor.

Grading and Evaluation:  The two midterm exams (1 & 2) are objective. These exams consists of multiple choice, matching, and True/False questions. Exam 2 will also have an essay portion worth 30 points. The essay will be based on the book by Mark Plotkin, Tales of a Shaman's Apprencice There is a video that supplements the reading in this book. The final exam (50 questions) is also objective and identical in form to the  other exams, except that there is no essay section.  Each exam (1, 2, & final exam) covers approximately 1/3 of the lectures given and is non-cumulative, unless the material is discussed a second time in a given section. The final exam covers only the last third of the semester. Like the second exam, it is not cumulative. There are 2 lecture exams and a final exam. Exam 2 will have an essay question worth 30 points out of a total of 100 points for the exam  The exams  are totaled as shown below.  Copies of earlier exams appear in the syllabus and in the Library Electronic Reserve Room. Don't ask for the answers, they won't be given to you. You may ask general questions, but not specific ones listed on the exams. The testing process (exams) is designed and intended to contribute to your learning of the subject matter.

     2 Lecture Exams                                200 Points
     1 Final Exam                                        100 Points
   
                                                    Total      300 Points

Exams require a full page NCS Large Green Answer Sheet (PO99B) with circles for answers; #2 pencil. The in-class writing exam requires a pencil or pen and a sheet of lined paper.

Grading Standards for Writing Assignments: The written essay answer (30 %) will be graded on the following points:  Ideas, significance, organization, coherence of presentation, clarity of thought, appropriateness of presentation (grammar), creativity, and overall impact.