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BSC 2005 – Biological Sciences for Non-Majors (online) UF Sections 0087 (11681), 009B (11682), 1B49 (11714), 1B50 (11715), 1B51 (11716),
34F4 (11718), 34F8 (11719), 34F9 (11720), 417D (23088) UFO Sections 11GB (11683), 1432 (11684), 1434 (11712), 1435 (11713)
Syllabus for Spring 2019
I. CourseDescription
Thiscourseaddressescoreconceptsinbiology,includingtheCell,Genetics,Evolution,Biodiversity,Ecology,andConservation/Sustainability.Fornon-majors.3credits.
II. CourseMeetings
Firstdayofclasses:Monday07January2019Lastdayofclasses:SaturdayApril2019FinalExam:NoneCourseMeetingTimes:Thiscourseisentirelyonline,withweeklydeadlinesbutnofixedmeetingtimes.Studentsmayworkoncoursematerialattheirownpacefromanylocationwithareliableinternetconnection,butitiseachstudent’sresponsibilitytokeepupwithcourseassignmentsandmeetposteddeadlinesforallassignments.AlldeadlinesareUSEasterntime;studentswhoarenotintheUSEasterntimezoneareresponsiblefordoingtheappropriateconversionstoensuretheirworkissubmittedontime.
III. Instructors
CourseInstructor:Dr.NicoleGerlachDepartmentofBiology Office:520CarrHallE-mail:[email protected]
TeachingAssistants:Mr.JoeCollinsSections:1434/117121B51/1171634F4/11718417D/23088E-mail:[email protected]
Mr.ZachEmbertsSections:0087/11681009B/1168211GB/11683E-mail:[email protected]
Ms.TaniaPinedaSections:1432/116841B49/117141B50/11715E-mail:[email protected]
IV. CourseCommunications
A. CourseWebsite:http://lss.at.ufl.eduorhttps://ufl.instructure.com/courses/360588
B. OfficeHours:Officehoursmaybeheldviaphone,Skype,orinperson;pleasee-mailDr.GerlachoryourTAtoarrangeanappointment.Wearealwayshappytomakeappointmentstomeetwithstudents,butduetounpredictableschedules,wecannotmeetwithstudentsonadropinbasis.
C. ContactingYourInstructors:Ifyouhaveaquestionaboutcoursemechanicsorcoursematerialthatcannotbeansweredfromthesyllabus,courseannouncements,orthecourseFAQ,pleasepostittothe
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DiscussionBoardsonCanvas(seesectionVIII.“GettingHelp”,below).Ifyouhaveaquestioninvolvingapersonal/grade-relatedissue,pleasee-mailyourTAorDr.Gerlach,asappropriate.Alle-mailcorrespondencemustoriginatefromyour@ufl.eduaccountortheCanvasInboxsystem,haveyourfullnameinthebodyofthee-mail,andcontain“BSC2005”inthesubjectline.E-mailsnotmeetingtheserequirementsmaynotberecognizedbyoure-mailfilters,andthusmaynotbeanswered.Barringunusualcircumstances,expectareplywithin24hoursduringtheweek,and48hoursovertheweekend.E-mailsandDiscussionBoardpostsaretypicallycheckedatleastonceperday,butsometimesnotmorethanthat.
D. CommunicationsFromYourInstructors:Eachstudentissolelyresponsibleforreadingandfollowingtheinstructions,guidelinesandschedulesinthissyllabusandonthecoursewebpageandincourseannouncements.Nothavingreadtheinformationinthissyllabus,onthewebpage,orincourseannouncementswillnotconstituteanexcuseformissingdeadlines,assignments,orotherassessments.PleasesetyourpreferencesinCanvassothatyoureceivetimelynotificationsofcourseannouncementsandotherinformation.
V. CourseResources
A. TextbookBiologyforaChangingWorld,3ebyShuster,Vigna,Tontonoz,andSinha.SinauerAssociatesandW.H.Freeman(publisher),2018.
TherearecurrentversionsofthetextbookonreserveattheMarstonScienceLibrary.VisittheReserveMaterialsareatocheckoutthesecopies.
Aphysicalcopyofthetextbookisnotrequiredforthecourse,butisoptionallyavailableintheUFBookstore.TherequiredLaunchPadaccess(seebelow)includesanelectroniccopyofthetextbook.
B. LaunchPadOnlineResourcesLaunchPadisanonlineassignmentsandtutorialsystemfromthetextbookpublisherthatincludesanelectronicversionofthetextbook.LaunchPadwillbeusedforrequiredreadings,interactiveactivities,andquizzes.AccesstoLaunchPadisrequiredforBSC2005.
LaunchPadwillbeofferedatthelowestcostoptionthroughUFAllAccess.UFAllAccessallowsstudentsthechoiceto“opt-in”foralimitedtimetoreceiveaccesstoLaunchpadforareducedpriceandpayforthesematerialsthroughtheirstudentaccount.StudentswhodonotchoosethisoptionwillbeabletopurchasetheaccesscodethroughtheUFBookstore,ordirectlyfromtheLaunchPadsite.Alloptionsprovideaccesstothesamematerials.
ToaccessLaunchPadviaUFAllAccess:
1.Clickonthefollowinglinkhttps://www.bsd.ufl.edu/G1CO/IPay1f/start.aspx?TASK=INCLUDED.ThispromptsyoutologinwithyourGatorLinkaccount.2.StudentsareshownalistofclassesinwhichtheyareenrolledthatareparticipatinginUFAllAccess,withtheprices.3.StudentsshouldclicktheOpt-incheckboxnexttotheclass(es)towhichtheyaretryingtogetaccess.4.Studentsthenneedtoclickthebuttonbelowtoauthorizethecharges.5.ClicktheOpt-Inbuttonnexttothe“AmounttoCharge”onceyouhavereviewedyourcourseselections.6.Theaccesscodeisnowdisplayed****Note:copythiscodetobeusedwhenregisteringLaunchPadinCanvas.Forhelpwiththissystem,difficultiesfindingyouraccesscode,orissueswithaninvalidaccesscode,[email protected].
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IfyouarewaitingonfinancialaiddisbursementandchoosenottousetheUFAllAccessprogram,youcanregisterfortemporaryLaunchPadaccessviatheLaunchPadsite,butyouwillhavetopurchaseaccessoncethetemporaryaccessexpires.InstructionsoncorrectlyregisteringforLaunchPadwillbeavailableontheCanvascoursesiteoncethesemesterhasstarted.PleasewaitfortheseinstructionsbeforeregisteringforLaunchPad;incorrectregistrationonLaunchPadmayresultinreceivingzeropointsforallLaunchPadassignments.ForhelpwithLaunchPad,contactLaunchPadTechnicalSupport:(800)936-6899(phone)orviatheirwebformathttp://support.bfwpub.com/supportform/form.php?View=contact.
C. CourseWebsite(Canvas)Allclassmaterial-includingthesyllabus,lectures,assignments,discussions,quizzes,andgradebook–thatisnotpartoftheLaunchPadsystemwillbepostedonthecourseCanvaswebsite(https://ufl.instructure.com).ForhelpwithCanvas,calltheUFComputingHelpDeskat352-392-4357,orvisitthee-Learningsupportwebsite:http://help.instructure.com/.
D. CourseFeeForUFstudents,thecoursefeeis$129.99.ForUFOstudents,thisfeeisincludedintuition.
E. AdditionalCourseSuppliesSomeactivitieswillrequirestudentstoacquireadditionalinexpensivematerialsfor“kitchenexperiments”.Theseinclude:raisins,salt,rubbingalcohol,acoffeefilter,someutensils,andsomedryparticulatefood(likedrybeansoruncookedmacaroni)orhouseholditems(likepaperclips).
VI. CoursePolicies
A. TimeCommitmentTheUFCollegeofLiberalArtsandSciencesassumesthateachstudentwilldevoteonaverage3-4hoursperweekpercredit-hourtoeachcourseduringtheregularsemester.BecauseBSC2005is3credits,eachstudentshouldthereforeexpecttodevoteanaverageof9-12hoursperweektothiscourseina15-weeksemester.Thistimewillnotnecessarilybeevenlydistributed;someweekswillhaveheavierworkloadsthanothers.
B. AttendanceStudentsareexpectedtocompleteallassignedwork(quizzes,interactive,discussions,activitiesetc.)bytheduedate.Unavoidablecircumstances(e.g.hospitalizationorfamilyemergencies)thatpreventyoufromcompletingyourworkinatimelymannerrequireyoutoobtainaletterfromamedicalprofessionalortheDeanofStudentsoffice(https://www.dso.ufl.edu/home/contact-us)thatspecifiesthetimeperiodforwhichyouareexcusedfromclasswork,andsubmitittoyourinstructorsassoonaspossible.Otherwise,manageyourtimewiselyandworkaheadwhenyouneedto.Excusessuchas“wedidn’tgetbackfrom(activity)whenplannedandIdidn’thavetime”or“mycomputercrashedhalfanhourbeforethedeadlineandtechsupportwasn’topen”willNOTbeacceptedasexcusesformisseddeadlines.
C. ComputingRequirementsItistheresponsibilityofthestudenttomaintainafunctioningcomputingsystemandinternetconnection.Computing/internetconnectivityissueswillNOTbeacceptableexcusesformisseddeadlinesunlesstheyarebroughttotheattentionoftheinstructoratleast24hourspriortothedeadlineandaccompaniedbytheticketnumberfromtechnicalsupport.SeesectionVIIIforTechnicalSupportcontactinformation.MicrosoftOfficeprogramsarerequiredformanyoftheassignments;thesecanbeaccessedbycurrentUFandUFOstudentsthroughGatorCloud:http://www.it.ufl.edu/gatorcloud/.SubmissionsmustbemadeeitherinanMSOfficeformat(.docor.docx,.ppt,etc.)orinagenerallyreadablefileformat(.pdf,.jpg,
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.txt,etc.);proprietaryfileformatssuchasPages,Keynote,etc.cannotbeopenedandwillnotcountasanon-timesubmission.
D. LateWorkAssignments,discussions,quizzes,andotheractivitiesinCanvasandLaunchPadautomaticallycloseatthedeadline.NolateworkwillbeacceptedwithoutanexcusedextensionfromtheDeanofStudents(seeVI.Babove)oratechnicalsupporttroubleticketdocumentingtechnicalissuesforatleast24hourspriortothedeadline(seeVI.Cabove).Pleasedonotwaituntilthenightofthedeadlinetocompleteyourassignments!
E. AssignmentSubmissionsandResubmissionsQuizzeswithinbothCanvasandLaunchPadaregradedonthefirstattempt;pleasedonotstartthesequizzesuntilyouarereadytocompletethem.Aftercompletingaquiz,pleaseensurethatthescorehasbeenpostedtothegradebook.NotethatLaunchPadscoresmaynotsynctotheCanvasgradebookimmediately,butscoresfortheseactivities/quizzesshouldalwaysbevisibleintheLaunchPadgradebook.Itiseachstudent’sresponsibilitytoensurethattheirworkissubmittedpriortothedeadline.Pleasedouble-checkyourfilesubmissionstomakesuretheyhavecompletedsuccessfully.Errorswiththesubmissionprocess(suchastheinternetconnectionbeinglostmid-submission)willnotbegroundsfordeadlineextensionsunlesstheyoccuratleast24hourspriortothedeadlineandareaccompaniedbyaUFHelpDeskticketnumber(seeVI.Cabove).Pleasealsodouble-checkthatyouhavesubmittedthecorrectfile;submittinganincompleteorincorrectfilewillresultinazero.ForassignmentswithinCanvasthatrequireafileupload,thesemayberesubmittedmultipletimes;wewillonlyconsiderthemostrecentsubmission.However,onceasubmissionhasbeengraded,evenifitispriortothedeadline,nofurthersubmissionswillbeconsidered.
F. ClassroomBehaviorPleasebehavewithcourtesytowardsyourfellowstudentsandtheinstructors.Thisisparticularlyimportantindiscussionboardswhereyouarevoicingopinionsandcommentingonthoseofotherindividuals.Studentswhopersistinbeingrudeordisrespectfulwillbeblockedfromfutureparticipation(withcorrespondinglossofpoints).
G. GrammarCorrectgrammar,punctuation,spelling,capitalizationandparagraphingshouldbeusedinanycollegelevelsubmission,includingthediscussionboards.(USHLDNTUSTXTSPEAKLKEIDKORBFFTHXALSODNTUSEALLCAPS.Ugh.)Wewilltakenoteofspellingandgrammarinallsubmissionsandwewillgradeaccordingly,evenifitisnotexplicitlyincludedontherubric.Ifyouneedhelpwithanyaspectofyourwriting,pleasevisittheUFWritingStudioathttp://writing.ufl.edu/writing-studio/.
H. CourseMaterialsAllmaterialsforthiscourse,includingbutnotlimitedtolectures,quizzes,andworksheets,aretheintellectualpropertyoftheprofessor,TAs,ortextbookpublisher,andareprovidedsolelyforthepersonaluseofthecurrentlyenrolledstudents.Thesematerialsmaynotbedistributedtootherstudentsorrepositorieswithoutexpresswrittenpermission,evenaftertheconclusionofthecourseattheendofthesemester.DoingsowillbeconsideredaviolationoftheUFHonorCode(seebelow).
VII. UFPolicies
A. AcademicHonestyAllstudentsregisteredattheUniversityofFloridahaveagreedtocomplywiththefollowingstatement:
“IunderstandthattheUniversityofFloridaexpectsitsstudentstobehonestinalltheiracademicwork.IagreetoadheretothiscommitmenttoacademichonestyandunderstandthatmyfailuretocomplywiththiscommitmentmayresultindisciplinaryactionuptoandincludingexpulsionfromtheUniversity.”
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Inaddition,onallworksubmittedforcreditthefollowingpledgeiseitherrequiredorimplied:
“OnmyhonorIhaveneithergivennorreceivedunauthorizedaidindoingthisassignment.”
MoredetailscanbefoundintheUFHonorCodeathttps://sccr.dso.ufl.edu/process/student-honor-code/.AcademicdishonestyorotherHonorCodeviolationswillnotbetolerated,andeachincidentwillresultin–atminimum–thelossofafulllettergradeinthecourse,azeroontheassignmentinquestion,andadditionalsanctionsasappropriate,uptoandincludingafailinggradeintheclass.Inthiscourse,academicdishonestyincludes(butisnotlimitedto)collaboratingwithotherstudentsoncourseassignmentsorquizzes,copyingtheworkofotherstudentsinwholeorinpart,allowingotherstudentstocopyyourworkorotherwisesharingcompletedassignmentsinpersonoronline,discussingorsharingquizquestionsoranswerswithotherstudents,givingotherstudentsthepasswordforlockedquizzes,andplagiarism,includinginsufficientparaphrasing.Pleasereviewhowtodefineplagiarismandhowtoavoidit:http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/games/gap/gameoverview.
AllwrittensubmissionsinthiscoursearerunthroughTurnItIn’santi-plagiarismsoftware,whichgiveseachsubmissionasimilarityscore,dependingonthedegreetowhichitmatchesthesourcesinTurnItIn’sdatabase,whichincludewebsites,journalarticles,andotherstudentsubmissions.StudentscanviewtheirownTurnItInscoreandsimilarityreportonasubmission,generallywithinafewminutesofsubmission.SubmissionswithahighTurnItInscoreshouldberewrittentobetterputconceptsintoyourownwords,andungradedassignmentsmayberesubmittedwithoutpenaltypriortothedeadline(seesectionVI.Eabove).
Ifyouhaveknowledgeofanyinstancesofacademicdishonestyinthisclass,youareobligatedtonotifytheinstructororcontacttheStudentHonorCourt(392-1631)orCheatingHotline(392-6999).ForadditionalinformationonAcademicHonesty,pleaserefertotheUniversityofFloridaStudentHonorCodeat:https://sccr.dso.ufl.edu/policies/student-honor-code-student-conduct-code/
B. AccommodationsforStudentsWithDisabilitiesStudentswhowillrequireaclassroomaccommodationforadisabilitymustcontacttheDeanofStudentsOffice’sDisabilityResourceCenter,in001ReidHall(phone:352-392-8565).PleaseseetheUniversityofFloridaDisabilityResourceswebsiteformoreinformationat:https://drc.dso.ufl.edu/.StudentsshouldprovidetheirDRCaccommodationlettertoDr.Gerlachassoonaspossible,ideallybythesecondweekofclasses.Noaccommodationsareavailabletostudentswholackthisdocumentation,andaccommodationsarenotretroactive(i.e.accommodationscannotbemadeforassignmentssubmittedpriortoDr.Gerlachreceivingtheletter).ItisthepolicyoftheUniversityofFloridathatthestudent,nottheinstructor,isresponsibleforarrangingaccommodationswhenneeded,andinstructorscannotprovideaccommodationsbeyondthoselistedonastudent’sdocumentation.Oncenotificationiscomplete,theDisabilityRecourseCenterwillworkwiththeinstructortoaccommodatethestudent.
C. Drop/Add/WithdrawalAstudentcandrop/addthiscourseduringthedrop/addperiodwithnopenalty.Afterdrop/add,astudentwhodropswillreceiveaWuntilthedatelistedintheacademiccalendar.Afterthatdate,thestudentmaybeassignedan“E”(fail).Note:itistheresponsibilityoftheSTUDENTtowithdrawfromacourse,nottheinstructor.Failuretoparticipate/completetheclassdoesNOTconstituteadrop.
D. CourseEvaluationsAnonymouscourseevaluationswillbeopenviaUF’sonlineevaluationssystem(https://evaluations.ufl.edu)neartheendofthesemester;youwillreceivee-mailnotificationsofwhentheevaluationsopen.Wedotakestudentfeedbackintoaccountwhenplanningfuturesemesters;pleaseletyourinstructorsknowifthereareparticularmodulesand/oractivitiesthatyoufoundhelpfulortopicsthatyouwouldhavelikedtocoverinmoredepth,aswellasanythatyoufoundlessuseful.
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VIII. GettingHelp
A. ComputingProblemsForissueswithtechnicaldifficultiesinCanvas,orwithgeneralcomputingquestions,pleasecontacttheUFHelpDeskat:
• (352)392-HELP• https://lss.at.ufl.edu/help.shtml
ForissueswithLaunchPad,pleasecontactLaunchPadtechnicalsupportat:
• (800)936-6899• http://support.bfwpub.com/supportform/form.php?View=contact
B. UniversitySupportServicesCollegecanbeaverystressfultimeinaperson’slife.Resourcesareavailableoncampustohelpstudentsmeetacademicgoalsandsolvepersonalproblemsthatmayinterferewiththeiracademicperformance.Ifyoufindthatyouarehavingdifficultyemotionallyoracademically,thereissubstantialsupportavailable.See“ASelfHelpGuideforStudents”orcontactonofthefollowingservices:
1. UFCounselingandWellnessCenter,RadioRdFacility,392-15752. DeanofStudentsOffice,202PeabodyHall,392-12613. CareerResourceCenter,ReitzUnion,392-16014. CLASAcademicAdvisingCenter,FarriorHall,100FletcherDrive,392-15215. UFFieldandForkPantry,564NewellDr.,294-3601
Anystudentwhohasdifficultyaffordinggroceriesoraccessingsufficientfoodtoeateveryday,orwholacksasafeandstableplacetolive,andbelievesthismayaffecttheirperformanceinthecourse,isurgedtocontacttheDeanofStudents(202PeabodyHall,392-1261)forsupport.Furthermore,pleasenotifyyourinstructor(s)ifyouarecomfortableindoingso.Thiswillenableustoprovideanyresourcesthatwemaypossess.
C. OtherQuestionsIfyouhavenon-tech-supportquestionsaboutotheraspectsofthecourse,checkthefollowingsourcesfirsttoseeifitisalreadyanswered,beforee-mailingyourinstructors:
o CourseSyllabuso StartHere/AboutCanvas/AboutLaunchPad/AboutModulespageso CourseAnnouncements(thisistheprimarymeansthatyourinstructorhastocommunicatewith
youinatimelymanner)o CourseFAQorModule-specificQuestionsDiscussionBoards
Ifyoustillcannotfindtheanswertoyourquestions:
o Ifitisaquestionthatothersmightfindusefultoknowtheanswertoaswell,postittothediscussionboard–eithertheDiscussionBoardfortheparticularunitforquestionsoncoursetopics,orthegeneralDiscussionBoardforquestionsaboutcoursemechanics.
o Ifitisaquestionspecifictoyou(e.g.accountorgradespecific),contactDr.GerlachoryourTAviae-mail.
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IX. GeneralEducation
A. GeneralEducationClassificationBSC2005meetsthegeneraleducationrequirementsforBiologicalSciences.
B. ProgramAreaObjectivesBiologicalsciencecoursesprovideinstructioninthebasicconcepts,theoriesandtermsofthescientificmethodinthecontextofthelifesciences.Coursesfocusonmajorscientificdevelopmentsandtheirimpactsonsociety,scienceandtheenvironment,andtherelevantprocessesthatgovernbiologicalsystems.Studentswillformulateempirically-testablehypothesesderivedfromthestudyoflivingthings,applylogicalreasoningskillsthroughscientificcriticismandargument,andapplytechniquesofdiscoveryandcriticalthinkingtoevaluateoutcomesofexperiments.
C. GeneralEducationStudentLearningOutcomesThegeneraleducationstudentlearningoutcomes(SLOs)describetheknowledge,skillsandattitudesthatstudentsareexpectedtoacquirewhilecompletingageneraleducationcourseattheUniversityofFlorida.TheSLOsfallintothreeareas:content,communicationandcriticalthinking.
1.Content:Studentsdemonstratecompetenceintheterminology,concepts,methodologiesandtheoriesusedwithinthediscipline.
2.Communication:Studentscommunicateknowledge,ideas,andreasoningclearlyandeffectivelyinwrittenororalformsappropriatetothediscipline.
3.CriticalThinking:Studentsanalyzeinformationcarefullyandlogicallyfrommultipleperspectives,usingdisciplinespecificmethods,anddevelopreasonedsolutionstoproblems.
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D. GeneralEducationintheContextofThisClassEachmodulewillcontainbetween1-3activitiesworthbetween10and30pointseach;thisrepresentsapproximately35%ofthefinalgrade.ThepurposeoftheseactivitiesistoencouragestudentstothinkaboutBiologyoutsidetheframeworkimposedbythetextbookorinstructorlecturesbygivingthemtheopportunitytodeveloptheirownmaterialstosupportorrejectexistingscientifichypotheses.Hypothesistestingismostexplicitlyaddressedinthefirstmodule,onthescientificmethod.Studentswillgainpracticeformulatinghypothesesandanalyzingexperimentaldatathroughouttheclass,invariousactivitiesthatinvolvevirtualand/or“kitchen”experiments.Activitiesthatincludeanemphasisonhypothesistestingaremarkedontheschedulebelowwith‡.
Foreachactivity,studentsareprovidedwithspecificinstructionsforcompletingtheactivityaswellasagradingrubric.Thegradingrubricsaredesignedtoevaluatethestudent’smasteryofspecificcontentandtheirabilitytoproducebodiesofworkwithintheguidelinesspecifiedintheinstructions.Someexamplesofactivitiestypesinclude:researchusingreliablewebsources,expositorywriting,videoreviews,“kitchenexperiments”,inquiryactivitysheets,andconstructionoffiguresandtables.
Thecoursealsoincludesninediscussions,inwhichstudentsansweranopen-endeddiscussionpromptregardingtheethicsandapplicationofbiologyindailylife.Studentswillbeexpectedtoprovideathoughtfulanswertotheinitialprompt,aswellastorespondtotheanswerofatleastoneoftheirclassmates,inordertofostercriticalthinkingskillswithinalearningcommunity.
X. AssessmentsandGrading
A. CourseStructureandDueDatesThiscourseisdividedintofifteenmodules,withonedueeachweekofthesemesterduringFallandSpringsemesters.ModulestypicallyopenforworkontheSaturdaysofeachweek,andallmaterialsexceptyourfirstdiscussionboardpost(seebelow)aredueby11:59:00pmbyFridaytwoweekslater.TheonlyexceptionsareforthefirstModule,whichisdueearlyinthesecondweekofclasstoaccommodatetheadd/dropperiod,andthefinalmodule,whichisdueby11:59p.m.onthelastdayofclass(listedinsectionIIabove)toaccommodatethescheduleofwhenfinalgradesareduetotheregistrar.Nolateworkwillbeacceptedaftertheseweeklydeadlines;pleaseplanyourtimewiselyandworkahead,anddonotwaittothelastminutetobegin!Theduedatesforeachmodulearelistedonthelastpagesofthesyllabus,andwillalsobelistedoneachmodule’spagewithinCanvas.
B. CourseworkEachunitwillconsistofvariousmaterialstoread/watch,activitiestocomplete,andquizzestotake.Allrequiredactivitiesandassignmentsforeachunit(includingthoseinLaunchPad)willbelistedonthatmodule’spageonCanvas.Thevariouspiecesthatmightbeincludedinaunitareoutlinedbelow.Theactivitiesvaryinhowmanypointstheyareworthbuteachmoduleisworth~90-100ptsoverall.
1. LaunchPad(~40%oftotalpoints)a. Readthechapter(s).b. Interactiveinfographics.Therearetypically3-4perchapter.Eachoneinvolvesashort
animatedinfographictoworkthrough,followedbyashortquiz(usually2-3questions)onthematerialcoveredintheinfographic.Thesequizzesareworth1pointperquestion.
c. LearningCurve:Theseareadaptivequizzes,wherethequestionsgetharderoreasierdependingonhowyoudo.You'renotpenalizedforgettingquestionswrong,butyouneedtoreachacertainlevelofquestionforeachunit.Onceyoureachthatlevel,youreceivefullcredit(10pts)fortheunit.Afterthatpoint,youcancontinueansweringquestionstoreviewthematerialwithoutaffectingyourscore.
d. TaketheChapterquizoverthereading;typicallyworth18-30pts.Questionsareworth1.5pointsapiece.
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2. Canvas(~60%oftotalpoints)
a. Watchthelecturevideos.b. Discussionposts.Someunitshaveadiscussiontopicworth10points;6pointsforyour
initialpostaddressingthediscussionprompt,whichisduethreedaysbeforetherestofthematerial(i.e.11:59p.m.Tuesdayforamoduledue11:59p.m.Friday),and4pointsforyourreplytoone(ormore!)ofyourclassmates'posts(duewiththerestofthemodulematerialsat11:59p.m.onFriday).Discussionboardpostsandrepliesshouldeachbeaboutaparagraphlong(minimum3-4meaningfulsentences)andshouldreflectsomecriticalthoughtinresponsetothepromptorclassmate’spost(e.g.“Yes,Iagree.Goodpost!”isnotasufficientresponse.)Allpostsshouldbecomposedoflogicallyandsyntacticallyvalidsentenceswithproperspellingandgrammar.
c. Activities.Theseareactivitiesthatwillaskyoutoreadsomething,watchsomething,dosomething,orwritesomethingrelatedtothetopicoftheunit.Therearetwotypesofactivitiesinthiscourse,basedonhowyougetcreditforthem.
i. Thefirsttyperequiresyousubmityourwork(ashortessay,acompletedworksheet,etc.)byuploadingittothecorrespondingAssignmentinCanvas.Thesearemarkedontheschedulebelowwith(S).
ii. Forthesecondtype,insteadofsubmittingyourcompletedwork,youwilluseittoanswerquestionsabouttheactivityonthecorrespondingquizontheQuizzespageinCanvas.Thesearemarkedontheschedulebelowwith(Q).
iii. InsomeunitsthereareworksheetslinkedfromtheModule’spagethatdon'thaveaseparatequizoranythingtosubmit,butmaterialfromtheseassignmentswillappearontheLectureQuizforthatunit.
d. LectureQuiz.Thesequizzescovermaterialfromtheentireunit,withafocusonthelecturematerial.Questionsareworth1pointapiece.
RecommendedOrder:Youcancompletethevariousassignmentsforeachunitinanyorderthatyouwant,aslongastheyareallcompletebytheduedate.However,Iwouldrecommendreadingthechapter,watchingthelectures,andcompletingtheinfographicsfirst;answeringthediscussionprompt,doingthelearningcurvequiz,andcompletingtheactivitiessecond;andcompletingthechapterquiz(onLaunchPad)andthelecturequiz(onCanvas)last,onceyouareconfidentwiththematerial.
C. GradingGradesfromassignments,discussions,LaunchPadactivities,andlecturequizzeswillbepostedonCanvasthroughoutthesemester.ItistheresponsibilityofthestudenttochecktheirgradesonCanvasandtoletinstructorsknowaboutdiscrepancieswithinoneweekofthegradesbeingpostedtoCanvas.
Minimumgradecutoffsarelistedinthetabletotheright.Thescoresforthecourseasawholewillnotbecurved(i.e.thesegradecutoffswillnotbelowered)exceptunderextremelyrarecircumstances(i.e.,unlesswetellyouotherwisethesecutoffswillnotbelowered,sodonotask).However,thesecutoffswillnotberaised;inotherwords,ifyoureceiveatleast93%ofthepossiblepoints,youareguaranteedtoearnanAgrade.FinalscoreswillberoundedtoonedecimalplacebutwillNOTberoundedbeyondthat(e.g.,89.92%willberoundedto89.9%,not90%).Beingontheborderlineofthenexthighestgradecanbefrustrating,sopleaseputintheworkyouneedtomakesureyouearnthegradeyouwant!
NotethatthecurrentUFpolicyforassigninggradepointsisavailableatthefollowingundergraduatecatalogwebpage:https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx.
PointRange(%) LetterGrade≥93 A≥90 A–≥87 B+≥83 B≥80 B–≥77 C+≥73 C≥70 C–≥67 D+≥63 D≥60 D–<60 E
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D. Incomplete(“I”):IfastudenthascompletedthemajorityofthecourseworkwithapassinggradeandparticularDOCUMENTEDcircumstancespreventcompletionofthecourseinthetimeallotted,thestudentmay,withtheagreementoftheinstructor,beassignedan“I”pendingresolutionofthegrade.AllincompletesMUSTberesolvedbytheendofthefollowingtermorthestudentwillreceiveagradeof“E”(failing).
E. ExtraCreditExtracreditassignmentsmaybeofferedattheinstructors’discretion;ifextracreditisoffered,itwillbeopentoallstudentsandwillbeclearlyannouncedonthecoursewebsite.Noindividualizedextracreditwillbeoffered.
F. SpecialTreatmentPleasedonotrequestindividualspecialtreatment(extendeddeadlineswithoutadocumentedexcusedabsence,gradeadjustments,extracredit)attheendofthesemester;wedonotadjustgradesorprovidespecialtreatmentforindividualsforanyreason.Plantodowellonallquizzesandotherassignmentsfromthebeginningofthesemester;ifyouarehavingdifficultyintheclass,pleaseletyourinstructorsknowsoonerratherthanlater.
XI. Disclaimer
Thissyllabusrepresentsthecurrentplansandobjectives;however,schedules,requirements,andassignmentsmaychangethroughoutthesemesterastheneedarises.Suchchanges,communicatedclearly,arenotunusualandshouldbeexpected.
XII. WeeklyCourseSchedule
Unit Duedate* Chapter Topic LaunchPad Discussion Activities** LectureQuiz
1Tuesday
15January11:59p.m.
1 ProcessofScience
InfographicsLearningCurveChapterQuiz
IntroduceYourselfANDProcessof
Science
CricketExperiment(Q)‡HypothesisTesting(S)‡
Module1
2Friday
18January11:59p.m.
3 CellStructure&Function
InfographicsLearningCurveChapterQuiz
n/a Osmosis:Fish&Raisins(Q)‡BuildaCell(S)
Module2
3Friday
25January11:59p.m.
5 EnergyFlow&Photosynthesis
InfographicsLearningCurveChapterQuiz
ArtificialPhotosynthesis
ArtificialPhotosynthesis(Q)PigmentChromatography(S)‡ Module3
4Friday
01February11:59p.m.
7 DNA&GeneticsInfographics
LearningCurveChapterQuiz
Ethicsingeneticfingerprinting
WhatisDNA?(Q)VirtualGeneticsLab(Q)StolenArtifacts(S)‡
n/a
5Friday
08February11:59p.m.
11-12 Inheritance InfographicsChapterQuizzes n/a GeneticsandInheritance(Q)
BloodTestsandBabies(Q) n/a
6Friday
15February11:59p.m.
13 NaturalSelection&Adaptation
InfographicsLearningCurveChapterQuiz
Evolutionaryideasandmisconceptions
PocketMouseSelection(Q)SticklebacksandSelection(Q)FeedingToolsSelection(S)‡
Module6
7Friday
22February11:59p.m.
14 Species&Speciation
InfographicsLearningCurveChapterQuiz
n/a AntsandSelection(S)‡LabBenchVirtualExperiment(Q)‡ Module7
BSC2005–BiologicalSciencesforNon-Majors Spring2019
12
Unit Duedate* Chapter Topic LaunchPad Discussion Activities** LectureQuiz
8Friday
01March11:59p.m.
15 EvidenceforEvolution
InfographicsLearningCurveChapterQuiz
EthicsinPaleontology
FossilWhales(Q)DinoDig(Q)‡ Module8
SPRINGBREAK–NOCLASSES
9Friday
15March11:59p.m.
19 HumanEvolutionInfographics
LearningCurveChapterQuiz
HumanSpeciation BecomingHuman(Q) Module9
10Friday
22March11:59p.m.
16 LifeonEarthInfographics
LearningCurveChapterQuiz
n/a Tree-BuildingActivity(Q)EvolutioninourWorld(S) Module10
11Friday
29March11:59p.m.
17 ProkaryotesInfographics
LearningCurveChapterQuiz
ProkaryoteDiversity
GutMicrobes(Q)ProkaryoteDiversityChart(Q)ProkaryoteSymbioses(S)
n/a
12Friday05April
11:59p.m.18 Eukaryotes
InfographicsLearningCurveChapterQuiz
GettoKnowaEukaryote
EukaryoteDiversity(S)PlantsandFungiChart(Q) n/a
13Friday12April
11:59p.m.20 PopulationEcology
InfographicsLearningCurveChapterQuiz
PrimeDirective ParameciumActivity(Q)‡IsleRoyaleWolves&Moose(S)‡ Module13
14Friday19April
11:59p.m.21 Community
Ecology
InfographicsLearningCurveChapterQuiz
n/a SeaOtters(Q)CommunityInteractions(S) Module14
15Saturday27April
11:59p.m.22-23 EcosystemEcology
&SustainabilityInfographicsChapterQuiz HumanImpacts
EcologicalFootprintQuiz&Survey(Q)ClimateChange:TheCrisis(Q)
EcosystemsandaWarmingEarth(S)n/a
Note:Thisscheduleissubjecttochange;themostup-to-datelistingoftherequiredassignmentswillbefoundoneachmodule’swebpage.*Moduleswithadiscussionhavethefirstdiscussionpostduethreedaysbeforetheduedatefortherestofthematerial.**Q:Activityassessedbyaquiz;S:Activityassessedbysubmittedwork.‡:Activityincludesanemphasisonformulatingand/ortestinghypotheses