BIOL 1406 General Biology I, Section 338 Blinn College-Bryan Campus

Course Syllabus Spring 2012

1. COURSE TITLE, NUMBER, AND SECTION:

BIOL 1406-319: TR Lecture (S-216) 7:05pm-8:20pm, Lab (S-215) 8:30pm-9:45pm 2. INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION INSTRUCTOR: Lauren Douglas Phone: (979) 318-5047 (can call or text) Email: Lauren.Douglas@blinn.edu or through ecampus Office Hours: TR 6:30-7 in front of classroom or by appointment Office: S-117 (however, office hours will be held in front of classroom) 3. COURSE DESCRIPTION: An in-depth introductory survey of contemporary biology for students majoring in the biological sciences. Topics emphasized include, the chemical basis of life, structure and function of cells, energy transformations, and molecular biology and genetics. Three class hours and three laboratory hours per week. Credit: Four semester hours. 4. PREREQUISITE: Exemption from or passing score on the reading section of the state test or completion of READ 0306 with a “C” or higher score. 5. CORE CURRICULUM COURSE: This is a course in the 42-hour Core Curriculum of Blinn College. As such, students will develop proficiency in appropriate intellectual competencies, exemplary educational objectives and general perspectives. The URL of the Blinn College core curriculum web site is: http://www.blinn.edu/corecurriculum/42hourcore.htm 6. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: After completing this course, you will be able to:

Interpret the process by which scientific knowledge is acquired and evaluated.

Evaluate the characteristics of cells.

Recognize the molecular basis of evolutionary change.

Evaluate the composition of biological macromolecules and the role they play in the structure and function of cells.

Interpret selected metabolic processes carried out by cells and their essential role in sustaining life.

Compare and contrast the methods by which cells divide.

Set-up and evaluate basic Mendelian genetics problems.

Demonstrate the ability to use the compound light microscope and technological applications utilized in modern biology.

7. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS:

Textbook: Biology, 2nd ed., Brooker, Widmaier, Graham, and Stiling. 2011. McGraw-Hill Co. (Available at the Blinn Bookstore either as Split Text or Hardback).

Laboratory Manual: Blinn College Biology 1406 Laboratory Manual, Richardson et al., Fall 2011. Copy Stop Center. (Available at the Copy Center)

Notebook to keep notes in—you will be taking notes every class day. Try to stay organized and keep them all together in one location for easier studying.

8. OUTLINE OF THE COURSE CONTENT AND SCHEDULE:

Week Week

Of Day Lecture Period Lab Period

1 1/17 T R

Syllabus Ch 1: Intro to Biology

Lab 1 & 2 - Safety & Process of Science Lab 3 - Scientific Method

2 1/24 T R

Ch 2: Atoms, Molecules, Water Ch 2: Atoms, Molecules, Water

Lab 4 - Experimental Design Lab 5 - Metric Measurement

3 1/31 T R

Ch 3: Organic Molecules Ch 3: Organic Molecules

Lab 5 - Metric Measurement cont. Organic Molecules Activity

4 2/7 T R

Exam 1 (Ch. 1-3) Ch 4: General Features of Cells

Lab 6 - Testing for Organic Molecules Lab 7 - Microscopy

5 2/14 T R

Ch 4: General Features of Cells cont. Ch 5: Membrane Structure, Trans.

Lab 8 - Observing Cells in Action Ch 5: Membrane Structure, Trans. cont.

6 2/21 T R

Ch 10: Multicellularity Ch 6: Energy, Enzymes, Metabolism

Lab 9 - Prokaryotic & Eukaryotic Cells Lab 10 - Membrane Transport

7 2/28 T R

Exam 2 (Ch. 4-6, 10) Ch 7: Cellular Respiration

Lab 10 - Membrane Transport cont. Cellular Respiration Concept Map

8 3/6 T R

Ch 7: Cellular Respiration Ch 8: Photosynthesis

Review for Lab Exam 1 Lab Exam 1

9 3/13 T R

Spring Break Holiday Spring Break Holiday

10 3/20 T

REC Ch 8: Photosynthesis Ch 11: Nucleic Acid Structure

Lab 11 - Spectrophotometer Lab 12 - Chromatography

11 3/27 T R

Ch 11: Nucleic Acid Structure Exam 3 (Ch. 7-8, 11)

Lab 13 - Photosynthesis Lab 13 - Photosynthesis cont.

12 4/3 T R

Ch 12: Gene Expression Ch 13: Gene Reg./Ch 14: Mutation

Gene Expression cont. Gene Expression Concept Map

13 4/10 T R

Ch 15: Eukaryotic Cell Cycle Ch 15: Eukaryotic Cell Cycle

Lab 14 - Mitosis Lab 15 - DNA Isolation

14 Q 4/17 T R

Exam 4 (Ch. 12-15) Ch 16: Simple Patt. of Inheritance

Lab 16 - Restriction Endonucleases Lab 17 - Mendelian Genetics

15 4/24 T R

Ch 16: Simple Patt. of Inheritance Ch 17: Complex Patt. of Inheritance

Review for Lab Exam Lab Exam 2

16 5/1 T R

Review for Final Final Exam (7:45-9:45pm)

Review for Final

EC Extra Credit Assignment is due Thursday, March 22nd, by 7:00pm. No late submissions will be accepted. Q The last day to withdraw with a “Q” is Friday, April 13th. 9. CIVILITY STATEMENT: Members of the Blinn College community, which includes faculty, staff and students, are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all aspects of campus life. Blinn College holds all members accountable for their actions and words. Therefore, all members should commit themselves to behave in a manner that recognizes personal respect and demonstrates concern for the personal dignity, rights, and freedoms of every member of the College community, including respect for College property and the physical and intellectual property of others. Civility applies to attire as well as language, behavior, and cell phone usage. Please dress appropriately for the academic classroom and laboratory. 10. CIVILITY NOTIFICATION STATEMENT: If a student is asked to leave the classroom or have access to the online classroom denied because of uncivil behavior, the student may not return to that class until he or she arranges a conference with the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange for this conference. 11. COURSE REQUIREMENTS a. eCampus: Internet access is REQUIRED. All students at Blinn College have computing resources available through The Open Computer Labs, located in Room H-225, the Learning Center L-258 (above the Library), and the Library. eCampus is an online course tool where I will be posting course related materials and information, exam dates and assignment due dates, and important announcements. You can also contact me with questions or problems and you have the ability to contact your classmates. It is your responsibility to check it daily and complete the required assignments. https://ecampus.blinn.edu/default.asp b. Exams: There will be four exams each worth 100 points. Student’s test totals will consist of the top three tests for a total of 300 points. Tests will consist of a combination of the following: true/false, multiple choice, matching, and short answer questions. The exam dates are listed in the above schedule. c. Final Exam: The Final Exam is a common comprehensive final worth 200 points. I will reschedule your final exam date only when you have a clash in final exam time and can provide a letter from your academic advisor to confirm the time conflict. Let me know ASAP so that I can plan accordingly. Section 338 Final Exam will be on Thursday, May 3 at 7:45-9:45pm. d. Daily Lecture Quizzes and Activities: Daily quizzes and activities will be made available after each lecture through eCampus. These are graded for completion and will prepare you for short answer exam questions. They will cover material from previous lectures and the textbook. There will be 20 assignments, each worth 5 points for a total of 100 points. e. Laboratory Practical Exams: There will be two lab practical exams worth 100 points each. Lab pratical exams will tests your ability to carry out specific tasks or techniques that relate to lab activities performed and/or the overall student learning outcomes for the laboratory. Additional short answer, problem solving, or fill-in-the-blank questions may also be administered. There are NO MAKE-UP EXAMS FOR LAB.

f. Laboratory Exercises: There are at least 15 labs, worth a total of 200 points. Each lab exercise is to be completed during the lab and turned in at the end of the period, or when instructed. In general, each exercise will be assigned a maximum grade of 12 points. Points will be deducted for incomplete work or inability to demonstrate competency in the concept. g. Bonus Points: You will have the opportunity to earn up to 50 points of extra credit through an Extra Credit assignment and 50 points of extra credit through Daily Lab Quizzes (up to 100 points total).

You will receive a packet of information detailing the criteria for the Extra Credit Assignment (Due date: Thursday, March 22nd by 7:00pm NO LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED).

Lab Quizzes will be comprised of information to be covered in lab that day. To do well on these quizzes and earn up to 50 points of extra credit you will need to read each day’s lab prior to arriving in the classroom.

12. EXAM CALENDAR AT A GLANCE:

EXAM DATE LAB PRATICAL DATE

Exam #1 2/7, Tuesday Lab Practical #1 3/8, Thursday

Exam #2 2/28, Tuesday Lab Practical #2 4/26, Thursday

Exam #3 3/27, Thursday

Exam #4 4/17, Tuesday Extra Credit Assignment

Due: Thursday, March 22nd 7:00pm

Final Exam 5/3, Thursday

13. CRITERIA FOR GRADING AND DETERMINING FINAL GRADE: a. Point Allocation:

Evaluation Method Points

Comprehensive final exam 200

Tests (Top 3 of 4) 300

Daily Lecture Quizzes/Activities 100

Lab Practical Exams (2) 200

Lab Exercises 200

Total Points 1000

b. Grading Scale:

Letter Grade Percent Total* Total Points

A 90-100% ≥900

B 80-89% 800-899

C 70-79% 700-799

D 60-69% 600-699

F Below 59% ≤599

*Your Percent Total= (Your Total Points + Bonus)/1000 x 100= ___%

c. Grade Updates: I will provide periodic updates of your total points and current grade to help you gauge your progress in the class.

14. BLINN COLLEGE POLICIES: a. Attendance: The College District believes that class attendance is essential for student success; therefore, students are required to promptly and regularly attend all their classes. Each class meeting builds the foundation for subsequent class meetings. Without full participation and regular class attendance, students shall find themselves at a severe disadvantage for achieving success in college. Class participation shall constitute at least ten percent of the final course grade. It is the responsibility of each faculty member, in consultation with the division chair, to determine how participation is achieved in his or her class. Faculty will require students to regularly attend class and will keep a record of attendance from the first day of class and/or the first day the student’s name appears on the roster through final examinations. If a student has one week’s worth of unexcused absences (2 classes) during the semester, he/she will be sent an e-mail by the College requiring the student to contact his/her instructor and schedule a conference immediately to discuss his/her attendance issues. Should the student accumulate two week’s worth of unexcused absences (4 classes), he/she will be administratively withdrawn from class. There are four forms of excused absence officially recognized by Blinn College: (1) observance of religious holy days: The student should notify his/her instructor(s) not later than the 15th day of the semester concerning the specific date(s) that the student will be absent for any religious holy day(s); (2) representing Blinn College at an official institutional function; (3) official involvement in a high school activity for “dual credit” students; and (4) military service. Other excuses will be considered and may be considered excusable at the instructor’s discretion, with documentation. Missing lecture or lab or both will count as one absence. b. Dropping: If a student chooses to drop the course, it is that student’s responsibility to complete a drop order at the Office of Enrollment Services. Failure to do so could result in a grade of F in the course. The last day to withdraw with a “Q” is Friday, November 18, 2011. c. Honor System: Blinn College does not tolerate cheating, plagiarism, or other acts of dishonesty. Definitions of these acts and procedures for dealing with them are described in "Scholastic Dishonesty" in the Blinn College Student Handbook, copies of which are available at the information desk in the administration building. All tests will be closed book and notes. All students will remove hats and sunglasses before tests. In my classes, we are on a student honor system which we will talk about the first day. Plagiarized work will be automatically given a zero and may be reported for disciplinary action. d. Electronic Device Policy: All the functions of all personal electronic devices designed for communication and/or entertainment (cell phones, pagers, beepers, iPods, and similar devices) must be turned off and kept out of sight in all Blinn College classrooms and associated laboratories. Any noncompliance with this policy will be addressed in accordance with the Blinn College civility policy (Administrative Policy). e. Problem Resolution: If you have a complaint about your class, you should first request a conference with your instructor to try and resolve the problems or issues. If the problems or issues cannot be resolved at the instructor level, you should request a conference with the Division Chair, Mr. Dwight Bohlmeyer, Science 241, dbohlmeyer@blinn.edu. f. Health Concerns: Eating and drinking are not allowed in classrooms or laboratories.

g. ADA Statement: Blinn College is dedicated to providing the least restrictive learning environment for all students. Support services for students with documented disabilities are provided on an individual basis, upon request. Requests for services should be made directly to the Office of Disability Services

serving the campus of your choice. For the Bryan campus, the Office of Disability Services (Administration Building) can be reached at (979)209-7251. The Brenham, Sealy and Schulenburg campuses are served by the Office of Disability Services on the Brenham campus (New Administration Building Room 104) and can be reached at (979)830-4157. Additional information can be found at www.blinn.edu/disability. If you need individual accommodations to meet course objectives because of a documented disability, please make an appointment with me to discuss your needs as soon as possible so that we can ensure your full participation in class and fair assessment of your work. h. Blinn Handbook: The above requirements and policies are discussed more fully in the Blinn College Student Handbook which, by reference, is incorporated into this information. Blinn College Student Handbook is available online at http://www.blinn.edu/student%20handbook.pdf. Please obtain and read. 15. TIPS FOR SUCCEEDING IN THIS COURSE a. Read the required materials: To be successful in this class you should spend 3-6 hours a week reading the textbook, studying your lecture notes, or looking over assignments you’ve completed. Constant refreshing of the material in your mind will help you with each exam. b. Find a study buddy(ies): It is very important to work well with your peers in and out of the class. Often, studying with additional people (when everyone is on task) will help you see where you need to study more or where you have a firm grasp of the course material. c. Be proactive: If you are confused about a topic or feel like you need additional explanation, talk to me ASAP. I can work with you and help you solve problems or answer questions you may have. I look forward to working with each and every one of you. Welcome to my class!