2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses Humanities and social science courses
Special Lecture: History of biology
- Academic unit or major
- Humanities and social science courses
- Instructor(s)
- Michiko Yajima
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Tue (W9-326(W935)) / 5-6 Fri (W9-326(W935))
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- LAH.T213
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
The course gives an overview of the history of biology and geology from the 16th century to the present, paying attention mainly to natural history, geology and biology in Europe. This course faciliates student's understanding of natural science in the time and social space science develops and also the gender view point.
Course description and aims
When tracing the history of science from ancient times to the present day, it becomes apparent tha modernaization starts gradually in the 16th and 17th centuries and continues to the present. This coures covers what position science occupied in each of these periods, and considers the position occupied by women in science. The history of biology emphasizes the view point of evolution. By the end of this coursem students will have a deeper understanding of the "now" of science by establishing the tima-axis (jistory) and space-axis (society) related to scinence through these endeavors.
Keywords
History of biology, biology, natural history, dinosaurs, Charles Darwin, evolution, 16th and 17th centuries, 19th century
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
One theme will be addressed per class. Audio-visual material will be used in each class in conjunction with a lecture. Students will write responses and questions on a resond card for about 5 minutes at the end. The questions will be answered as soon as possible.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Orientation |
Merits and demerits of Audio-visual materials |
| Class 2 | What is Dinosauria? |
Biological nomenclature |
| Class 3 | History of restruction of dinosaurs |
The meaning of change of restroduction of fossils |
| Class 4 | Extinction of dinosaurs |
The difficulty of restruction of ancient creature |
| Class 5 | Scientific revolution |
The time and society of the scietific revolution |
| Class 6 | Tekescopes and microscopes |
Microscopes' discovery is as old as telescope’s one. |
| Class 7 | Life of Charles Darwin |
The importance of economical world among Chares Darwin |
| Class 8 | Works of charles Darwin |
The time Charles Darwin convincing evolution |
| Class 9 | What is evolution? |
The concept of evolution of Charles Darwin |
| Class 10 | A geologist Darwin |
Geology was noble science in the 19th century. |
| Class 11 | The biginning of lady geologists |
The procedure of women's apperarance in natural science. |
| Class 12 | Marie Curie |
The gender in France in the 19th century |
| Class 13 | Research of DNA and Rosalind Frankin |
The gender in England in the 20th century |
| Class 14 | History of natural history/examination |
What is natural history？ |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
No textbook is designated.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Yosikawa, S. and Yajima, M. 2003, "The adventre of Mary Anning", Asahi.
Yajima, M. and Wada, S., 2004, "The in troduction of geology and astronomy", Belet.
Yajima, M., 2008, "The memory of fossils", Tokyo UP.
Yajima, M., 2019, "Edmund Naumann, his life and work", Asahi Shimbun Publications, Inc.
Course materials are provided during class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Student's course scores are based on final exams (50 %) and exercise problems (50 %).
Related courses
- LAH.S433 ： Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences37:History of Science
- LAH.T102 ： History of Science A
- LAH.T202 ： History of Science B
- LAH.T302 ： History of Science C
Prerequisites
None reuired.