BISC208-011 INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY
SPRING 2011
Index
Example
of Excel t-test
Graded
long reports
Class Activities
Groups
- for assignments, see section below on Groups
Course Schedule
Attendance
Grading
Group
Assignments
COURSE INFORMATION
Course Instructor | Linda K. Dion |
Course Time, Place |
Lecture: Tu, Th 11:00 - 12:15; 208 Gore Hall Lab: Monday 6-9 pm |
Office | 241 Wolf Hall |
Office Hours | Hours will be announced in class |
ldion@udel.edu - preferable for
contacting me |
|
Class web page | http://www.udel.edu/biology/dion/208011syllabus.html |
Text | Brooker et al. Biology 2nd ed |
Phone | 831-2476 |
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
This section of Introductory Biology will combine lecturing with an active student-centered approach. During some class meetings, you will work with your group to analyze biologically relevant, real-life problems in light of what you have learned from lectures or you may work on other group activities such as practice quizzes or exercises.
CLASS
ACTIVITIES
Preparation: You as students
will work as individuals and as members of a group. At the beginning of
each major topic, you should always do the assigned reading
before
coming to listen to a lecture or to work on a group activity. It will
be VERY 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
Click on 2nd edition. Choose the appropriate chapter, then choose
jPost 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_11_tu_th_1
Quizzes & Exams: There will
be three quizzes given in class. These
should be an incentive to review material
already covered so that studying for major exams will be less
overwhelming.
Quizzes will consist of approximately 10-12 multiple choice
questions. In
addition
to
quizzes, there will be three hourly exams and a final exam.
The format of the exams will be similar to that of the quizzes but will
be a more extensive synthesis of the material. See section below
about attendance
at exams and quizzes. All "hourly" exams and quizzes are given in the
regular
classroom during a regularly scheduled class. Exams are returned in a
following class Grades are
not posted, nor sent by email - you
must get your exam in class to learn your grade. Anything that is done
in class,
or
that's
assigned for reading is fair game for exams. It's usually best to
concentrate
on what we do in class when you study for an exam.
The final exam's date will be determined by the registrar's office and
will be posted later in the semester. I have no control over the date
scheduled for the final exam. Please do not make any travel
arrangements until the exam date is known. There will be no exceptions
made to taking the final exam on the assigned date. The final exam will
be comprehensive - i.e. will cover all course material, with the
exception of lab material.
Lecture days and Group work days:
Class time will be spent in Lectures and "Group Work". Two class
meetings
will usually be required to cover a topic. For the first class, I will
lecture. For the second, part of the period will be used for
some type of group activity. Such an activity could be analyzing
a problem related to the
week's topic, or it could be a practice quiz. Information learned from
GroupWork will be included on exams and quizzes. Group work and
problems will not be linked to the class syllabus.
Accessing Power Point Notes, Key
Concepts and other restricted files: To access Power Point
notes or other restricted files 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 active link:
https://proxy.nss.udel.edu/login?qurl=http://www.udel.edu/biology/dion/208011syllabus.html).
This should take you directly to the proxy server. You will get a
dialog box in which you must log in; after logging in, you will get
back to the syllabus on the proxy server, and should now have access to
restricted files.
To download the
Power Point slides, you will need Power Point on your computer (if
someone does not have this, speak to me). I will create PP
files in Office 03 and Office 07. (If you don't have Office 07, you can
download a free convertor program from Microsoft's website). Power
Point notes
can be accessed through the link in the "Class Schedule". Do
NOT search Sakai for
lecture notes for this course, although the laboratory portion of it
MAY use Sakai - if so, your TA will announce it..
FORMATION AND FUNCTIONING OF GROUPS
Heterogeneous groups of 6 people each will
be formed by at least the 2nd - 3rd class period. I will determine who
is in these groups, and they will remain intact for the entire
semester,
with the exception of changes due to students dropping or adding the
course.
A list of groups and their members will be linked here
(accessible
before class 2 or 3).
If you wish to see which group you are in, you can access the
alphabetized
list here.
One of the first group activities will be to formulate some "rules of
the
road", that is, a series of ground rules
for conduct that each member
agrees
to abide by. There will be a few suggestions provided for
reasonable
conduct. Your list of ground rules should be signed by everyone &
kept in your folder.
COMMUNICATION
I use email frequently to communicate with the
class
at-large, and with individuals. Often, announcements will be made by
email.
In addition, comments on exams or problems MIGHT be linked to the
course web
page, as well as the links to Power Point notes. In
laboratory, data may be shared and transmitted through Sakai, which
will
be explained in lab (note: lab work is the only part of this course
which may be on Sakai). Lab TA's will most likely expect all lab
reports to
be typed double-spaced; TA's will tell you whether graphs can be
hand-done or done in
Excel. As you can see it
will be necessary
for you to frequently use a compter which has Excel, Word and Power
Point. You will also need your campus email access, since this is the
only way you would receive class emails from me.
Class | Date | Lecture Topic | Chapter | Lab Topic of Week |
1 | Tu 2/8 | Introduction to course; Microevolution Hardy Weinberg problems; Key Concepts |
23*, 24 |
No Lab |
2 - sit in groups |
Th 2/10 | Microevolution Group Activity on an Endangered species |
24, 25* to p. 520 (omit section 3 & 4) |
- |
3 -final group changes |
Tu 2/15 | Speciation
Key
concepts |
25* |
Lab 1: Introduction; Evolution |
4 | Th 2/17 | Systematics; Key
Concepts Plant Diversity Key Concepts |
26,to p. 535; 29* (omit section 2) | - |
- |
- |
PLANT BIOLOGY |
- |
- |
5 | Tu 2/22 | Quiz 1
on Evolution & Systematics; Finish Diversity; Begin Plant
Structure Key Concepts |
30 to p. 626; 35 |
Lab 2: Systematics |
6 | Th 2/24 | Plant
Structure; Begin Plant
Nutrition Key Concepts |
35, 37* |
- |
7 | Tu 3/1 | Transport |
37*, 38 |
Lab 3: Animals I: Invertebrates: Dissection and Pulsation Rate in Blackworm |
8 |
Th 3/3 |
Review for exam Quiz on Plants |
32* and 34* |
- |
9 |
Tu 3/8 |
Exam 1 on Evolution and Plants |
-Lab 4: Animals II: Blackworm Project - effect of drugs on pulsation rate | |
- |
- |
ANIMAL BIOLOGY |
- |
- |
10 | Th 3/10 |
Introduction
to Animals Key concepts Circulation Key Concepts - Circulation |
32*, 34* read Ch 40 for
Intro to Animals - I will not lecture on it 47 |
- |
11 | Tu 3/15 | Circulation; begin
Gas
Exchange |
47, 48 |
-Lab 5: Plants I: Anatomy & Transport |
12 | Th 3/17 | Gas Exchange Key
concepts |
48 |
- |
13 | Tu 3/22 | Gas Exchange; begin Nervous
Control
Key Concepts |
42*, 47 |
Lab 6: Plants II: Transpiration Project |
14 | Th 3/24 | Quiz
2; lecture or activity on Nervous
Control |
41 |
- |
- | - |
|
- | - |
15 | Tu 4/5 | Muscles | 41 | -Lab 7: Animals III: Touch and Temperature Senses |
16 | Th 4/7 | Muscles
Key
Concepts |
48 |
- |
17 | Tu 4/12 | Thermoregulation;
Key
Concepts; Review for exam; Exercise
from class |
- |
-Lab 8: Animals IV: Respiration |
18 | Th 4/14 | Exam 2 (on material since Exam 1) | - |
- |
19 | Tu 4/20 |
Digestion Key Concepts |
45 |
-Lab 9: Animals V: Chordate Dissection |
20 | Th 4/21 | Digestion and Osmoregulation Practice quiz done in class |
49, sec 1-4 |
- |
21 | Tu 4/26 | Osmoregulation
and Excretion Key
Concepts |
49 |
-Lab 10: Ecology |
- |
- |
ECOLOGY |
||
22 | Th 4/28 |
Quiz 3; Begin Population
Ecology Key Concepts |
56 |
- |
23 | Tu 5/3 | group activity on Populations; begin Communities | 56 |
-Week 11: Review; no formal lab |
24 | Th 5/5 | Community Ecology Key concepts; Ecosystems | 57, 58* |
- |
25 | Tu 5/10 | Key
concepts |
58*, 59*, 54* |
-Lab 11 (week 12): Final Lab Exam |
26 | Th 5/12 | Exam 3
(on material since exam 2) |
- | |
27 | Tu 5/17 | Return
exams; review for final |
- | -No lab this week |
- |
- |
FINAL
EXAM - date to be announced later |
- |
- |
Attendance in lecture is EXPECTED and will
be recorded daily on your group's
folder, using the Honor System.
Announcements will be
made, or activities started, at the beginning of class, so promptness
is
important. If someone misses a lecture, notes must be obtained from
another
student, or Power Point notes can be consulted. However, I supplement
the
Power point notes in my lectures, so you will learn best by coming to
lecture.
If you miss an exam or quiz, credit will not be received.
Exceptions are the following:
1. documented
illness
2. documented
personal tragedy
3. documented
official University business
If you miss a quiz for one
of the above reasons, then a make-up quiz will be given. This make-up
must
be given before the next class meets. If you miss an exam for
one of the above reasons, the portion of the final exam which contains
this material will substitute for that exam grade. Students who know they
will
miss a quiz or exam for an excusable
reason must inform me 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. An exception will be made for
someone who is hospitalized - in that case, i expect to be notified by
the end of the day by a parent of Dean. Later explanations will not be
accepted.
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, or possibly for the
whole B208 course.
One or two unexcused absences will result in NO credit for work
done that week (quizzes, assignments) and three unexcused absences will result in a
failure of BISC208. Excused
absences
fall into the categories listed above and must be made
up
by attending a lab at another time during the same week. Responsibility
for arranging this lies with the student after FIRST checking with me to explain
the reason for missing the lab, and also writing to your TA. Once I've
accepted your explanation, you must then (perhaps with help of your TA)
arrange to take a lab later in the week. Make up during a later week cannot
be accomodated, since labs are stripped of their equipment on Thursday
evening and set up for the following week's labs on Friday. As in BISC
207, students who have 3 excused
absences and are unable
(due to excusable extenuating circumstances) to make up those missed
labs during the course receive an automatic incomplete in the course.
Missed labs and the final lab exam must be made up in the following
semester. Additional
laboratory policies will be explained in lab
by your laboratory instructor, and they should also be read in your lab
manual. Your Lab Instructor may give grade deductions for tardiness
of lab reports, or late lab arrival, so please do things promptly to
ensure your best chance of success in lab. If you arrive late to lab on
a quiz day, you might not be allowed to take the quiz.
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%. Your laboratory grade will be explained
during
the first meeting of lab & is also in your lab manual.
It will be roughly based on the following
criteria, which are also found in your lab manual.
Graded Item | Percent of Final Grade |
Lab Final Exam | 10 |
2 Long reports |
5 |
4 Short reports |
5 |
4 Quizzes |
2.5 |
3 Work Plans |
0.5 |
6 Assignments |
2 |
Total | 25% |
Your grade in lecture will be based on these
criteria:
Quizzes, Hourly Exams, and Final Exm, Attendance and Participation in
Group Discussions (which is modified by your Peer and Instructor
Evaluation Score
A more detailed breakdown of the components
of the lecture grade is shown below:
Component | % of Course Grade |
3 Quizzes @ 4% each |
12% |
3 Hourly Exams @15% each |
45% |
Final Exam |
13% |
Attendance & Participation* |
5% |
*Modified by Peer Evaluation Score
The final grade will be determined from the following approximate
range which is shown below. HOWEVER, this range is NOT set in
stone. Assignment of the final
course grade can be influenced by something such as final overall 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 TA's (in which case,
laboratory grades may be "normalized" among sections). Adjustments to
grading, if made, will be done fairly for all students.
A plus or minus MAY be
assigned for upper and lowermost grades in
each range. For example, 78 and 79 may be a C plus, while 70
and 71 may be a C
minus.
A | 90 - 100 |
B | 80-89 |
C | 70-79 |
D | 60-69 |
F | below 60 |
PEER EVALUATION SCORE
When problems are discussed
by groups
in class or practice quizzes are done, the expectation is that
everyone makes equal
contributions
and expends equal effort. However, in reality, that may not be true -
some
may work much harder than others. 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. These will be done at the end of the term, in a
quantitative
way; i.e. an average "score" for each group member will be determined.
These
will then be used to advise me in determining how, or whether, to
modify
a person's "Attendance and Participation" grade component.
Evaluation scores will be
given by assigning 0-5 points to fellow group members. A score of 5
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. Usually students receive between 4-5
points
for their peer score. 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.
I reserve the right to modify peer evaluation scores if I think someone
has been unfairly evaluated by group members.
A peer evaluation score
would be used to modify your grade in the following way. I will
determine
how much of the 5% you deserve for attendance alone. If your
attendance
was perfect, you deserve the total 5%; this would be multiplied by
your peer evaluation score
(if
you attended 75% of the time, you would automatically start at 5 x 75%
or 3.75% ,
multiplied
by your peer evaluation score). If for example, you receive scores of
4, 5, 5, 4 and 4.5 from your other group members, your average is
4.5
pts. If you had perfect attendance, your Attendance-Participation grade
of 5%
will
be multiplied by 4.5/5 to give a grade of 4.5%.. If your peer
evaluation average is 4 out of 5 pts., and
you attended only 75% of classes your Participation grade is determined
by multiplying 5 x 75% x 4/5, to give 3% toward your grade.
Everyone should strive for an
attendance/participation score of 5%. This can be
accomplished through perfect attendance, a concerted effort to work
constructively with your group, and diligent work on problems,
demonstrating that you have understood their application.
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, 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.
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: