BISC208-081 HONORS INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY
SPRING 2011
T
test example
Examples
of graded long reports
Course Structure
Formation and Functioning of Groups
Class Schedule
Grading
Attendance
First
Day Quiz
COURSE INFORMATION
| Meeting Time, Place | Monday, Wednesday Friday 9:05-9:55, Memorial
110 Laboratory - Wednesday 11:15 - 2:15; McKinley |
| Instructor | Linda Dion |
| Office | 241Wolf Hall |
| Phone | 831-2476 |
| ldion@udel.edu (best way
to contact me) |
|
| Office Hours | To be announced in class |
| Textbook | Brooker, Widmaier, Graham, Stiling. Biology, 2nd ed |
| Web Page | http://www.udel.edu/biology/dion/208honorssyllabus.html |
COURSE CONTENT
The physiology of plants
and animals, in addition to evolutionary and ecological concepts will
be the topics of this course. Lecture is supplemented by labs which
teach these topics.
COURSE METHODS
Course Philosophy:
Introductory Biology is intended to be a survey course which introduces
students to the breadth of biological sciences and prepares them for
higher
level courses in biology or other science majors. Therefore a
broad-based
understanding of content is important. But so are the skills which will
be needed to continue learning later in life. These include: the
ability
to learn independently, the ability to think critically and explain
your
understanding with clarity, and an ability to work constructively with
others toward shared goals. Although the lecture format of teaching has
the potential to deliver content, there is no assurance that a student
will develop the skills mentioned above, since listening to lecture is
a very passive activity. Furthermore, studies have suggested that
collaborative learning improves productivity, professional
self-esteem,
problem-solving skills, and positive social relationships. Therefore,
this
course will include some lecturing, but will also have an active
student-centered
component of learning through the analysis of problems, or case
studies.
Course Structure
About one third of BISC208 classes will be devoted to problem-based
group learning and the rest will be devoted to more traditional
lecturing
and evaluation of your progress.
For some of these activities you will work as individuals and for some
of them you will work as members of a group. Lectures will be delivered
by Power Point format. Power point slides for a lecture will be
linked
to the course web page at least one day ahead of time.
Preparation: At the beginning of
each major topic, you should always do the assigned reading
before
listening to a lecture or discussing a problem. (Occasionally
you
may be asked to preview a problem). It may be helpful for you to
print
out the Power Point notes, so you can more easily follow a lecture
(more
about that below). Key Concepts and
Practice Quizzes: for
each topic, I will provide some key concepts with which you should be
familiar. Use these as a guideline when reviewing your notes and the
readings. They will be linked to the syllabus (Class Schedule) for the
first day on which a topic will be covered. Each document may also list
a practice quiz on the publisher's website which you can use for
practice. This website is accessible at www.brookerbiology.com.
When
this site opens, click on 2nd edition,
then choose the appropriate chapter, then choose Post Test. I've
omitted some questions from each quiz because the answer is wrong,
ambiguous, or because we are not covering it in class. If you wish to use the electronic version
of the textbook you must access Connect Plus. If you bought your 2nd
ed. text new from the UD bookstore, an access code for this should be
included (same one used in fall 2010). However, you must first log in
to this "course" managed by the McGraw-Hill company before you can log
in to Connect Plus. The log-in you should use is:
http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/class/l_dion_section_81_honors
Problems: Many problems will be complex real-world scenarios
which
you will have to analyze in the context of the week's topic.
Working
with other members of your group, you will address a series of
questions
which will require that you use your text and class notes as resources.
These problems should reinforce your understanding of the content
material,
help you develop analytical skills, and give you experience in
addressing
real problems. Sometimes you will be asked to preview
the problem on line, and sometimes you will be asked to do research to
prepare for it. Sometimes a problem will require that you draw
something, since illustrating concepts is an effective way to learn
them. The group answers that you hand in will be read,
graded,
and returned in the next class. Everyone who was present for the
problem
gets the same grade. An upperclass biology major, or peer
facilitator,
will mentor your group on problem days. It is her/his job to keep you
focused
and engaged in discussion.
Looking at Power
Point files , Problems & Key Concepts: To access Power Point
files, Key Concepts or a problem, you will need to use a
computer
linked to the campus network. Using one from off-campus will not allow
access, since these items are restricted to the UD
community. However, if you live off-campus you can connect through a
proxy
server available only to UD students by using this link:
https://proxy.nss.udel.edu/login?qurl=http://www.udel.edu/biology/dion/208honorssyllabus.html).
You will get a log-in prompt; once you have logged in, you should be
taken
back to the syllabus page, but now you are accessing it through the
proxy server. You should now
be able to access restricted files. You will find the Power Point,
or Problem link in the "Class Schedule" for the respective date.
Quizzes and Exams There will be three quizzes. In addition
to the quizzes, there will be 5 hourly
exams.
Three will be taken as individuals and two will be group
exams. There will be no
final exam. Hourly exams will be
similar in format
to the quizzes (i.e. mostly multiple choice, with the possibility of
1-2
essays), but with a more extensive synthesis of the
material. Group exams will all be in essay format. You will work
with your group to answer the questions and will submit one group copy;
all group members will receive the same grade for a group exam. All
exams except for the last group exam will be
returned
in class.
FORMATION AND FUNCTIONING OF GROUPS
Heterogeneous groups of 4-5 people each will be assigned by me before the first class period. Except for minor changes which may have to be made because of late dropping or adding, these groups will be permanent for the whole semester. On PBL days (most Wednesdays) an upperclass biology major will attend class as a peer facilitator to help your group.
One of the first group activities will be to formulate ground rules, or operating rules of conduct that each member agrees to abide by. These will be sent by email to each group member, and to me for future reference. Each group will be given a folder in which attendance will be recorded and problems can be stored. An explanation of the peer evaluation process will also be in the folder.
Attendance and punctuality to group functions is very important for the optimum functioning of the group. Someone who is careless with punctuality or attendance may be penalized grade-wise for disrupting the functioning of the group. In the case of illness or an unavoidable absence, please notify me, as well as your group members to avoid being penalized. If you are absent on a lecture day,, consult the power point notes. Though these will help, I will supplement them during lecture. You can read about Attendance Policies for both lab and lecture in BISC208 here.
COMMUNICATION
I use email frequently to communicate with the class. Often,
announcements
will be made by email, so you should use your university webmail
account. The web page should be checked frequently for
changes
or additions, and will need to be accessed weekly for notes or
previews.
In laboratory, data may be shared and transmitted through Sakai, which
will be explained in lab. Note: only lab material will
be
available
on Sakai. Other course information is linked to this lecture syllabus,
which is on the world-wide-web (exceptions are UD-restricted files). Do
not search for lecture
information
on Sakai. All lab reports must be typed (double-spaced); graphs should
be done in Excel, if directed; more information will be provided in
lab.
| Class | Date | Lecture Topic | Chapter | Lab Topic of Week (Wednesdays) |
| - |
- |
EVOLUTION |
- |
- |
| 1 |
M 2/7 |
Introduction
to Course & to Evolution Key Concepts |
23*, 24 |
No Lab |
| 2 |
W 2/9 |
Microevolution | 24 | - |
| 3 |
F 2/11 |
Hardy-Weinberg practice; Speciation
Key Concepts |
25* to p. 520 (omit section 3 & 4) |
- |
| 4 |
M 2/14 |
Speciation; begin Systematics
Key
Concepts |
26* to p. 535 |
Lab 1 Introduction to Lab; Evolution |
| 5 |
W 2/16 |
Problem
1 on evolution |
- |
- |
| - |
- |
PLANT BIOLOGY |
- |
- |
| 6 |
F 2/18 |
Finish Systematics; Plant
Diversity Key Concepts |
29* (omit sec 2); 30* to p. 626 |
- |
| 7 |
M 2/21 |
Quiz
1
on Evolution; Plant Diversity Plant Structure Key Concepts |
35 |
Lab 2: Systematics |
| 8 |
W 2/23 |
Problem 2 on Diversity & Structure | 35 |
| 9
|
F 2/25 |
Finish structure;
Plant
Nutrition |
37*, 38 |
- |
| 10 |
M 2/28 |
Plant
Nutrition and Transport Key Concepts |
38 |
Lab 3: Animals I: Invertebrates: Dissection & pulsation rate in blackworm |
| 11 | W 3/2 |
Problem
3 on transport |
38 |
- |
| 12 | F 3/4 |
finish Plant Transport or Review |
- |
- |
| 13 |
M 3/7 |
Individual Exam 1 on Evolution and Plants |
- |
Lab 4: Animals II: Invertebrates: blackworm project - affect of drugs on pulsation rate |
| 14 |
W 3/9 |
Group Exam 1 on Evolution and Plants |
- |
- |
| - |
- |
ANIMAL
BIOLOGY
|
- |
- |
| 15 | F 3/11 | Animal
Diversity; begin Circulation Key Concepts |
32 &34*, 47 Read Ch 40 for Intro. to Animals - I will not lecture on it |
- |
| 16 | M 3/14 | Circulation. Key
concepts |
47 |
Lab 5: Plants I: Anatomy & Transport |
| 17 | W 3/16 | Problem
4 on Circulation |
47 |
- |
| 18 | F 3/18 | Gas Exchange | 48 | - |
| 19 | M 3/21 | Gas Exchange Key
Concepts |
48 |
Lab 6: Plants II: Transpiration Project |
| 20 |
W 3/23 | Problem 5 on Gas Exchange |
- |
- |
| 21 | F 3/25 | Quiz
2 on material since Exam 1; finish Respiration; begin Nervous
Control Key Concepts |
- |
- |
| - | - | SPRING BREAK | - | - |
| 22 | M 4/4 | Nervous Control; begin Muscles Key Concepts |
41 |
Lab 7: Animals III: Touch & Temperature Senses |
| 23 | W 4/6 | Problem
6 on Nervous
Control |
41 |
- |
| 24 | F 4/8 | Muscles |
44 |
- |
| 25 | M 4/11 | Thermoregulation Key Concepts |
44 |
Lab 8: Animals IV: Respiration |
| 26 | W 4/13 | Problem on Thermoregulatoin |
46, sec 3 & 4 |
- |
| 27 | F 4/15 | Begin Digestion Key Concepts |
45 |
- |
| 28 | M 4/18 | Individual
Exam 2 (on material since Exam 1 but not including digestion)
|
- |
Lab 9: Animals V: Chordate Anatomy |
| 29 | W 4/20 | Digestion |
45 |
- |
| 30 |
F 4/22 |
Problem 7 on Digestion |
45 |
- |
| 31 | M 4/25 | Introduction
to Osmoregulation; Begin Population
Ecology Key Concepts |
49* sec 1-4; 56 |
Lab 10: Ecology |
| 32 | W 4/27 | Activity
(problem?) on Osmoregulation; continue Population Ecology |
49* sec 1-4 |
- |
| - |
- |
ECOLOGY |
- |
- |
| 33 | F 4/29 |
Quiz 3 on
Digestion and Osmoregulation Population Ecology |
56 |
- |
| 34 | M 5/2 |
Community
Ecology Key Concepts |
57*, 58* |
- |
| 35 | W 5/4 | Problem 8 on Population Ecology |
56 |
Lab 11: no lab; prepare for exam |
| 36 | F 5/6 | Community
Ecology |
57* & 58* |
- |
| 37 | M 5/9 | Communities & Ecosystems |
59*, 54* |
Lab 12: Lab Exam |
| 38 | W 5/11 | Key
Concepts; tutor
evaluations |
59* |
- |
| 39 | F 5/13 | Group
Exam 2 on material since Ex.2 |
- |
- |
| 40 |
M 5/16 |
Individual Exam 3 (on material
since Exam 2) Individual exams will be made available during finals week |
- | No scheduled lab this week; either lab or my office will be open for a half hour on W 5/19 to see lab exams |
Syllabus & lab schedule are subject to change. Quiz & Exam dates will not change unless weather causes class cancellation, or something else happens which is beyond my control.
The final grade is a
reflection
of effort both in the classroom and in the laboratory. Lecture will
constitute
75% of the final grade, lab 25%. Information about your laboratory
grade
will be provided during the first meeting of lab, as well as in your
lab manual.
1. Individual
Performance
(quizzes, individual exams) - 60% of lecture grade
2. Group Performance (group
exams, problems) - 40% of lecture grade
3. Peer
& Instructor evaluation (modifies the group grade - note: I
reserve
the right to modify the peer evaluation grade if it appears there will
be a miscarriage of justice). The peer evaluation system is described
in
the section below..
A more detailed breakdown of the individual and group components
of
the lecture grade is shown
below:
| Individual Component | %Lecture Grade (60% total) |
| 3 Quizzes |
15% |
| 3 Hourly Exams |
45% |
| Group Component |
% Lecture Grade (40% total)* |
| 9-10 Problems |
30% |
| 2 Group Exams |
10% |
Total for lecture grade will be multiplied by 75%
Laboratory grading will be explained in laboratory.
The final grade will be determined from the following approximate
range. However, this range is NOT set in stone. Assignment of the final
course grade can be influenced by such things as final class average.
Additionally, assignment of final course grade to each student will be
considered on an individual basis and COULD be influenced by my
consideration of circumstances which include (but are not limited to)
the following: laboratory grading
by TA is significantly different
(more or less rigorous) than that of other BISC 208 honors TA's
| A | 90-100 |
| B | 80-89 |
| C | 70-79 |
| D | 60-69 |
| F | under 60 |
Attendance in class is never a problem
with
honors students. However, you should still know my policy, as follows:
Attendance in class is EXPECTED; absence will
be noted. Attendance will be reflected in your peers' evaluations of
you.
Announcements will be made, or activities started, at the beginning of
class, so promptness is important. If you miss a class, notes must be
obtained
from another student or from the ppt file linked to the syllabus.
If you miss an exam or quiz, you
will
not receive credit.
Exceptions are the following:
1. documented
illness
2. documented
personal tragedy
3. documented
official University business
If you miss an exam or quiz for one of the above reasons, then a make-up quiz/exam will be given. Students who know they will miss a quiz/ exam for an excusable reason must inform me promptly before or on the day of the exam (no later than two hours after the class has met) through phone or e-mail; otherwise, absence will be considered unexcused and a zero will be given. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Under certain circumstances, a group problem may be made up, but only if the problem is turned in before the groups' problems are returned in class (this means you would have to turn in a problem at 9:05 am on Friday morning following the missed problem day); if the absence is not considered excusable, a zero will be given for the problem missed..
Official BISC208 policy is that attendance in
laboratory
is MANDATORY. We place high importance on the laboratory experience.
Therefore unexcused laboratory
absences will
result in a grade reduction for lab and possibly for the
whole B208 course. One or two unexcused absences will
result in no credit for work (quizzes, assignments) done that week in
lab,
and three unexcused
absences will result in a failure of
BISC208.
Excused absences fall into the categories listed above but must be
made
up by attending a lab at another time during the same week after first checking with me about the
reason for missing the lab, and also writing to your TA.
Responsibility
for arranging a make-up lies with the student. Make up during a later week
cannot
be accomodated. If a student misses three
labs for excused reasons and is unable to make them up (due to
excusable extenuating circumstances), an automatic incomplete will be
given. Missed labs and the final exam must then be made up in the
following semester. Additional laboratory policies will be explained in
lab,
and they should also be read in your lab manual.
For the problems and
group exams, all
members of a group receive the same grade. The
expectation
is that everyone made equal contributions and expended equal effort.
However,
in reality, that may not be true - some may work very hard, while
others
may "coast". To acknowledge differences in effort among group members,
you will have a chance to evaluate one another with respect to
attitude,
participation and contributions by doing peer evaluations.
Peer evaluations will be
done twice during the semester. The first time will be at the middle of
the term - these will be done as practice and to provide constructive
feedback
to improve group performance. End-of-term peer evaluations will be done
quantitatively. They will be used to advise me in determining how, or
whether,
to modify a person's group score.
Evaluation scores will be
given by assigning 0-10 points to fellow group members. A score of 10
indicates
that a person is a fully functional group member (comes to class on
time,
comes prepared to work, contributes to group) - in other words, he/she
merits 100% for group effort. In the past, Honors students have usually
earned a 9 to 10. If a group is not functioning well because of one or
more weak members, this should be brought to my attention as early as
possible
so that the situation can be corrected, and low evaluation scores can
be
avoided.
After averaging your peer
evaluation scores, I will determine whether, and how much, to modify
your
group grade. An evaluation score will be used to modify your group
grade
in the following way. If for example, you receive scores of 9.5, 10,
and
9 from your other group members, your average is 9.5 pts. This
means
you will receive 95% of your group performance score. If your
average
is 8.5pts., you will receive 85% of the group performance
score.
Again, everyone should strive for an evaluation of 10 pts. or 100%. A
sample
of the end-of-term evaluation form can be seen here.
NOTE ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
For lab and lecture, be
familiar
with the university policy on Academic Dishonesty. All work submitted
for
grading in lab and lecture, except collaborative group work (PBL
problems),
must be the original work of each individual. Although you will work as
a group in lab, lab reports are to be written individually. This means
that graphs or tables should also be done individually. Exceptions will
be explained.
The most common problems of
academic dishonesty among
freshmen students are plagiarism and cheating (both usually done
unintentionally because of misunderstanding of what constitutes these
infractions). Therefore, based on the Student Guide to University
Policies (http://www.udel.edu/stuguide/10-11/code.html#honesty ), here
are
definitions of each. These definitions are not necessarily
all-inclusive.
Plagiarism is the inclusion of someone else’s words, ideas, or data as one’s own. When a student submits academic work that includes another’s words, ideas, or data, whether published or unpublished, the source of that information must be acknowledged with complete and accurate references and, if verbatim statements are included, with quotation marks as well. By submitting work as his or her own, a student certifies the originality of all material not otherwise acknowledged. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
- The quotation or other use of another person’s words, ideas, opinions, thoughts, summaries, or theories (even if paraphrased into one’s own words) without acknowledgment of the source; or
- The quotation or other use of facts, statistics, or other data or materials that are not clearly common knowledge without acknowledgment of the source.
- Copying of all or any portion of another’s academic work and submitting it, in part or in its entirety, as one’s own;
- Allowing another person to copy one’s own academic work—whether
intentionally or recklessly;
- The unauthorized collaboration with any other person on an academic exercise, including collaboration on a take-home or make-up academic exercise, or on the writing of a laboratory report, where instructions have stated that reports must be individually written;
- The unauthorized use of electronic instruments, such as cell phones, pagers, or PDAs, to access or share information; or
- The unauthorized completion for another person of an academic work, or permitting someone else to complete an academic work for oneself.
DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES
This is a center (www.udel.edu/DSS/) which provides services to students with either physical or learning disabilities. If you think you need help or need to be evaluated, contact this center. I am not qualified to assess whether or not a student has such a disability, and therefore will not make accomodations for testing without instructions from this office. If I learn of any group tutoring for BISC 208, I will inform the class.