Faculty Webpages

Name: Ann Kircher  

Ann kircher sitting down on a bench in the desert

Title: Biology Faculty
School/Location: Alameda
Phone: (510) 748-2378
E-mail: akircher@peralta.edu
Office/Classroom:

Ann Kircher, B.A., Zoology, Washington University; M.A., Zoology, Duke University; M.A., Nutrition, Columbia University. (Incomplete)

Courses taught:

Biology 1-A, 1-B.  General Biology

Biology 2. Human Anatomy

Biology 10, 11. Introductory Biology

Biology 31.  Human Nutrition

My Courses: Syllabi & Materials

Biology 31

Human Nutrition, Biology 31

College of Alameda

Spring Semester, 2009

Instructor: Ann Kircher

Office D115B

Phone 510 748-2378

Email: annkircher@sbcglobal.net

 

Course Description:  Human Nutrition is a course in wellness nutrition.  The goal of the course is to help students learn how to eat so that they will live long, healthy lives.  A few disease processes that have nutritional risk factors will be discussed; however, the emphasis will be on prevention rather than treatment and management of diseases.  Initially, we will discuss the scientific method and how the current knowledge concerning nutrition has been obtained.  Then the classes of nutrients-carbohydrate, lipid, protein, vitamins, and minerals- will be described.  Following this, we will discuss many  controversies surrounding these groups of nutrients.  At the end of the semester energy issues will be discussed:  How many Calories does a person need?  How do these needs change throughout a lifetime?  What happens when a person gets too many Calories, or too few?  Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to question the sources of nutritional information that they receive, and will learn about these sources: scientific research, the media, governmental agencies, private sector, and educators.

 

Class Meetings:  Class will meet from 10a.m.-11:50 a.m., Tuesday and Thursday.  Attendance is required in class.  You must be present at the beginning and the end of class to receive credit for being present.  At the end of the semester 10% of the possible points will be awarded for full attendance.  The instructor may drop a student if he or she misses more than 3 class meetings.

 

Cell Phones: Students must turn cell phones to silent mode before entering the classroom.  Cell phones may not be answered or used in the classroom.

 

Class Requirements:  There will be four exams.  The exams will be in a short answer and essay format.  The exams will be open-book.  In addition, a number of assignments will be handed in.  These will revolve primarily around a three-day eating record, which will be kept by each student.  This record is analyzed for each of the nutrients as it is discussed.  Papers are due at 10:05  a.m. on the day assigned.  Late papers will not be accepted, but early papers will be.

 

Make up Exam Policy:  Only one exam can be made up per semester. Make up exams will be given on Thursday of the week following the exam, at noon.

 

Grades:  All exams and assignments are worth a certain number of points.  Approximate points are as follows:

 

Exams                                    400

Self Study Analyses 100

Other Assignments                70

Attendance                             60

630 approximate total

Grades are assigned at the end of the semester on a basis of total points earned.  Points earned are converted into a percentage of points available.  Percentages translate to letter grades as follows:

 

A = 100-87%

B = 86-76%

C= 75-60%

D = 59-46%

F = 45% and lower

 

It is recommended that you keep all your assignments and exams until the end of the semester, and that you keep a cumulative total of all the points you have earned.  That way, you can compute what your grade is at any time.

 

Cheating:  Anyone caught cheating will receive an �F� for the semester.

 

Required Materials:

 

Sizer and Whitney.  Nutrition, Concepts and Controversies.  11th  edition.

2008. West Publishing.

DATE                           LECTURE TOPIC                                           READING

1-15                Introduction to the Course                                    appendices

1-20                Nutrients                                                                   Chapters 1, 11

 

1-22                History of Eating, Chicken video                           Chapter 2

 

 

1-27              US Food Legislation

 

1-29              Additives and Food Labels                                       Chapter 12

Irradiation and Biotechnology

 

2-3                Pesticides : Fields of Fear

 

2-5                Research Methods

RDA�s and Other Recommendations

 

2-10              Exam I

 

2-12              Digestive Anatomy and Physiology             Chapter 3

 

 

2-17              Digestive Anatomy and Physiology

 

2-19              Carbohydrates                                                            Chapter 4

 

 

2-24                No Class:  Staff Development Day

 

2-26               Fiber, Sugar

 

 

3-3               Lipids                                                                             Chapter 5

 

3-5               Portrait of a Killer

 

 

3-10             Atherosclerosis                                                           pp. 406-417

 

3-12             Protein                                                              Chapter 6

 

3-17              Protein

 

3-19             Vegetarianism : Diet for a New America

 

 

3-24             Exam II

 

3-26            Helper Nutrients: Deficiency/Toxicity                Chapter 7

 

 

3-31             Vitamins

 

4-2                Vitamins

 

 

4-7               Minerals                                                                        Chapter 8

 

4-9                Minerals

 

 

4-14, 4-16       No Class.  Spring Break

 

 

4-21                Exam III

 

4-23                Manger/Comer Meeting in Class

 

 

4-28               Manger/Comer Presentation; We feed each other

 

4-30               Energy Usage, Weight Gain and Loss                   Chapters 9, 10

 

 

5-2                   Weight Gain and Loss

 

5-4                 Fat Chance in a Thin World

 

 

5-12               Hunger in America                                                  Chapter 15,

pp.206-208

5-14                Discussion of Hunger

 

 

5-19                No Class.  Malcom X Day

 

5-21                Catch Up

 

 

5-28                FINAL EXAM   10-12 a.m.

Note:  No late papers will be accepted, for any reason.  Papers are due at 10:00 a.m.  Early papers will be accepted.

 

DATE          ASSIGNMENT                                        REFERENCE

 

 

1-15           Email the following information to annkircher@sbcglobal.net

                        Subject: Human Nutrition.  Day Section                    

Your name

                        Your email address

                       

1-27           Interview for a History of Eating                    Activity 1

 

1-29           Food Label Exercise                                   Activity 2

                (Begin Recording What you eat)                      Self Study A

 

2-3            Letter to Food Manufacturer

 

2-5            Farmers� Market Exercise                             Activity 3

 

2-10           Exam I

 

2-12           Hand in computer print out of 3 day Intake.               

 

3-19           Carbohydrate Analysis                                        Self Study B

                Lipid Analysis                                          Self Study C

                Protein Analysis                                       Self Study D

                Heart Health Quiz                                    Self Study E

 

3-24           Exam II

 

4-9            Vitamin Analysis                                       Self Study F

                Mineral Analysis                                       Self Study G

 

4-21           Exam III

 

4-28           In Class Group Presentation

 

4-30           Energy Output Analysis                               Self Study H

                Eating Attitudes Test                                 Self Study I

 

5-12           Soup Kitchen Assignment                              Activity 4

 

5-28           Exam IV  10-12

NAME________________________________

DATE_________________________________

 

Academic Information

Number of semesters at the College of Alameda:

Number of semesters at other colleges:

College Degree, if any:

Academic Goal:

Career goal:

 

Family:

 

Job:

 

Languages spoken:

 

Area of Particular Interest in Nutrition:

 

 

In the space provided below, write the reason you are taking Human

Nutrition.  Use five sentences, no more and no less, in your answer.

 

 

List the most recent food you have eaten.  Tell when you ate it, and why you ate that specific food.  Are you hungry now?

This sheet can be used to hand in one (ONE) assignment late.

 

 

Your Name________________________________

 

Assignment Title_____________________________

 

Date___________________________________

Name: John Steiner  anatomy image of heart
 Title: Retired Biology Faculty
School/Location: Alameda
Phone: None.
E-mail: jsteiner@peralta.edu
Office/Classroom:  None.

Introduction

John Steiner has retired from teaching Biology and Human Anatomy at College of Alameda. He hopes you enjoy the video below!