BIO 181 General Biology for Majors I
(Subject
to Change)
Instructor: Lisa
Werner
Office: E 209;
Phone: 206-6002; E-mail:
Office Hours: MW 10:30 – 12:00 pm; Tues 3:00 – 4:00 pm; Th 10:00–11:00
am. Also by email and appointment!
Texts
1) Campbell & Reece - Biology 7th ed. Required.
2) BIO181 Lab Exercises Fall 2006. Required.
Web Sites
Lisa’s
Website: http://wc.pima.edu/~lwerner
Entrance
Requirements
BIO 181
entrance requirements: CHM 151 or permission of instructor. Assessment placement at MAT
122 and beyond REA 91.
Work Load
At college, it is expected that students work two or more
hours a week, per credit hour, in outside class preparation. This means that for a typical 4 credit hour
course, you would spend at least eight hours a week in outside of class
preparation.
Format
Instructional
delivery format: approx. 6 hrs per week; each class meeting will usually
include lecture, discussion and lab, as well as student presentations; this
will vary depending on the topics we’re covering
Course
description and performance objectives:
Principles of structure and function of living things at the molecular,
cellular and organismic levels of organization. Includes introduction to the
scientific process, chemistry of cells, organization of cells, metabolism, patterns
of cell division, patterns of inheritance, nucleic acids, and biotechnology.
By the time
the semester is over, you should be able to:
and gel
electrophoresis equipment.
Assessment:
In order to
determine whether this course is meeting its above-stated objectives, a variety
of classroom assessment techniques will be used. These may include but are not
limited to “objective” questions regarding your comprehension of the material
presented in class, essay exams, oral exams, discussions, analysis and
presentation of case studies, and student peer- and self-evaluations. These
assessments fulfill two purposes. First, they help you and your instructor
determine how well you are acquiring factual information in the class; and
second, these assessment instruments will assist your instructor in improving
this course. Because this course fulfills a general education requirement, your
instructor will also assess whether the skills of the students in your class
improved in any of the following areas: oral and written communication,
critical thinking, awareness of cultural diversity and global awareness.
Grade Determination:
- Based on percentage
of total accumulated points from both lecture and lab.
|
Evaluation |
Points |
Percentage |
|
Laboratory
Investigations and Assignments |
300 |
30% |
|
Laboratory Notebook |
30 |
3% |
|
Class Participation |
20 |
2% |
|
Quizzes |
50 |
5% |
|
Midterm Exams |
400 |
40% |
|
Comprehensive Final
Exam |
200 |
20% |
|
TOTAL POINTS |
1000 |
100% |
Lab
Investigations and
Assignments: These will include lab write-ups, presentations of lab
results to the class, completion of review questions, completions of worksheets,
etc. The due dates and point values for these assignments will be given at the
time they are assigned.
Lab Notebooks You will keep a laboratory note
book. Directions are given on a separate
handout.
Class Participation Includes your ability to answer and ask
questions thoughtfully, note taking and active learning during lecture, and
your contribution to your lab group and your classmates. You must be
present in class or you will lose class participation points.
Quizzes: The quizzes cover the
learning objectives of the previous lecture, are usually multiple choice, and
are worth 5 points each. The quiz is
usually given at the beginning of the class period and will be given in a team
learning format. You first take it
individually, and then with your lab team.
Your grade will be the average of these two attempts. If you arrive after the quiz has been
completed, you will not be able to participate in the quiz. You may substitute your lowest three quiz
scores with the final exam average.
Midterm exams: There will be 4 midterm exams. Exams are mixed format
(multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, define, essay, etc.)
and will ask questions about material covered in lecture, lab, and the
quizzes. This material is summarized in
the course learning objectives. Some parts of the exams may be open
note, with one page of handwritten notes allowed. You may substitute your
lowest midterm score with your final exam average. There are no make-ups on missed exams
unless you have made specific arrangements with me ahead of time.
Midterm exams are worth 100 pts each for a total of 400 points in the grade
calculation.
Final
Exam: This exam is
comprehensive, and will ask questions about material covered in lecture, lab,
and the quizzes. This material is summarized
in the course learning objectives. The
format will be similar to that of the midterm exams and quizzes. Note that the final exam is worth 20% of the
grade and should not be considered optional. You may replace your three lowest quiz
scores, and your one lowest midterm scores with the final exam average (only if
it helps your grade).
Final
Grade:
A = 90 - 100%; B = 80 - 89%; C = 70 - 79%; D= 60 -
69%; F = Below 60%
of total points
Policies
Attendance
Policy: You are expected to arrive to class on time (see
"Make-up Policy below) and to actively participate each class period. If you miss all or a portion of a class, then
you are solely responsible for obtaining missed class material from fellow students. Because quizzes, and/or other assignments
occur every class period, points will be lost each class period missed. If you miss any portion of class you will
lose class participation points.
Make-up
Policy: Due to the experiential nature of this class, make-up
quizzes, labs, or presentations are generally not allowed. Assignments are
generally due at the beginning of class.
Late assignments are deducted 25% each class meeting after the due date,
and are not accepted after the assignment has been graded and returned to other
students. In some cases, accommodations
can be made if you contact me and make specific arrangements before the class meets.
Scholastic
Ethic: Students are expected to abide by the Scholastic Code
(copies are available in the library and online). Quizzes (except the group portion) and exams
are an independent effort. You may
confer with other students about assignments, but your answers must be in your
own words. You also must cite all
outside sources used for assignments (see the handouts on plagiarism and citing
sources). Breaches in scholastic ethic will be dealt with severely. If you disrupt the classroom, you will be
asked to leave. If you cheat or
plagiarize, you will receive an F on the exam or assignment, and possibly for
the course.
Official
Withdrawal (W): If you decide you cannot continue in
class, then officially withdraw by Nov 6.
Students who do not attend the first class also may be withdrawn from
the class. If you do not officially
withdraw or receive a general withdrawal, your final grade will be based on the
number of points you have earned in the class.
Special
Withdrawal (Y): A grade of Y may be given at the
instructor's discretion following a written request by the student. The student
should be aware that receiving a grade of Y might have financial aid and
transfer consequences (see financial aid and transfer advisors).
Incomplete
(I): May be given only when a student has missed 30% or less of
the course material for a reason acceptable to the instructor. Eligibility for an incomplete requires earned
grades that average "C" or above at the time of request, and is up to
the discretion of the instructor. The instructor
will provide a written contract outlining work to be made up and a schedule by
which the work must be completed. Both
the student and the instructor must sign this contract.
Posting
of Grades: Grades will be posted anonymously
using a personal identification number (PIN or 'secret code') supplied by the
student. Posting grades allows students to track their grade throughout the
semester (and to double-check my bookkeeping).
If you do not wish your grades to be posted in this manner, please
inform me. You will receive notification
of your final course grade from the college through Banner. Grades will not be given over the telephone
or by email.
Americans
with Disabilities Act: Pima Community College District
strives to comply with the provisions of Title III of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973. Students with disabilities
requiring special accommodations are strongly encouraged to notify the
instructor at the beginning of the semester so that appropriate verification
and identification of reasonable accommodations may be made in a timely
manner. (Accommodations cannot be made
without verification of need).
Classroom conduct:
-
Some
topics considered in this class may be controversial, and you may not agree
with the opinions of others. Class discussions are an important aspect of
learning, and your opinions are valued, but you are expected to be courteous to
your fellow students and to your instructor at all times. Harassment of others,
in any form, will not be tolerated.
-
Pets
and children are not allowed in classrooms, except in special circumstances.
-
If you come in late, please take a seat
as close to the entrance as possible, and try not to disrupt the class.
-
Do not carry on private conversations
during lecture or student talks.
-
Telephones,
pagers and other electronic devices must be turned off. If you are expecting an
emergency call, please talk with your instructor BEFORE class; otherwise
prepare to surrender your device.
-
Possession
of drugs, alcohol or firearms on college property is illegal.
-
Students
creating disturbances that interfere with the learning of others will be asked
to leave.
-
Food
and drink are not allowed in the classroom.
-
Appropriate
attire: You must wear shoes (& clothes) into and around the lab. You will
have splash goggles to wear during labs involving chemicals.
The
bottom line:
Your
success in this class is up to YOU. I am here to help you understand difficult
material, but it is your responsibility to read assigned material before
coming to class, to take notes and to organize information so that you can
retrieve it. If you need help improving your study skills, talk to me. I won't
know you're having trouble till test time, and it might be too late!
Recommendations for success:
1) ATTEND
CLASS -- if you aren't here, that will affect how well you grasp the material,
etc.
2) PREPARE
AHEAD OF TIME -- read the assigned material BEFORE coming to class.
3) KEEP
YOUR NOTES IN GOOD ORDER -- I recommend that you copy notes over within 24 hrs
of lecture - you can ask for missing information in the next lecture, and the
material is still fresh in your mind. The single most common problem in UA
upper division courses is students without proper study skills. Note taking and
note recopying are important study skills.
4) IF YOU
DON"T UNDERSTAND IT (after reading the text and reviewing your notes) ASK
FOR CLARIFICATION.
5) BE AN
ACTIVE LEARNER: See the “Fail Safe Study
Technique” .