Biology 191: ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY

Spring, 2008

Great Basin College-Ely

SYLLABUS

Instructor: Diana Austin Phone: 801-879-5484 (cell)

Email:

Office Hours: Prior to and directly after course. Other times by arrangement. USE E-MAIL!

Text: Biology Concepts and Connections, Neil A. Campbell, Jane B. Reese, Martha R. Taylor, Eric J. Simon

Lab Manual: Laboratory Manual General Biology, James W. Perry, David Morton, and Joy B. Perry

Lecture Reading Assignments and Exam Dates*

Date / Chapter / Exam / Quiz / Topic / Lab (Thursdays) *
1/24 / 15 / No / Diversity and Evolution / Lab 1: #19 bacteria and protists I
1/31 / 16 / No / Lab 2: #20 protists II
2/5 / 17 / Yes / Lab 3: #22Bryophytes: liverworts & mosses
2/12 / 18 / Yes / Lab 4 : #23 seedless vascular plants: club mosses and ferns
2/19 / 20, 21 / Yes / Lab 5: #21 Fungi
2/27 / 22 / 1st Hour: Exam 1 / No / Diversity and Evolution
Hour 2 lecture: Start on Animals: Form and Function / Lab 6: *26 Sponges and Cnidarians
3/4 / 23, 24 / Yes / Hour 1: Midterm Lab Practical
3/11 / 25, 26 / Yes / Lab 7: #27 Flatworms and roundworms
3/17 / 27, 28 / Yes / Lab 8: #28 Segmented worms and mollusks
3/24 / 29, 30 / Yes / Lab 9: #29 Roundworms and joint-legged animals
4/1 / 31 / 1st Hour: Exam 2 / No / Animals: Form and Function
Hour 2 lecture: Start on Seed Plants-forms and function / Lab 10: #31 Vertebrates
4/8 / 32 / Yes / Lab 11: # 24 Seed plants I: gymnosperms
4/15 / 33 / Yes / Lab 12: *25 Seed plants II: angiosperms
4/22 / 33 / Yes / Lab 13: Plant Organization: vegetative organs of flowering plants
4/29 / 34 / 1st Hour: Exam 3 / Yes / Seed Plants: forms and function
Hour 2 lecture: Start on Ecology / Finish up, review and discuss
5/6 / 36 / Yes / Final Lab Practical
5/13 / Exam 4 / No / Final Exam: Will be inclusive

*Reading assignments and exam dates are tentative and may be changed at the discretion of the instructor. Any changes will be announced in class.

** Quiz questions will normally be 7-8 from previous lab plus 2-3 from the present day’s lab. The questions for the present day’s lab are more general to check if you actually read the lab.

Catalogue Description: A study of the evolution, ecology, and diversity of life, both past and present. Required for biology majors, but will partially satisfy the science requirement for all biology majors. (4 Credits)

ADA Statement: GBC supports providing equal access for students with disabilities. An advisor is available to discuss appropriate accommodations with students. Please contact the ADA Officer, Julie Byrnes in Elko at 753-2271 at your earliest convenience to request timely and appropriate accommodations.

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes:

·  General Biology for non-majors is a four credit freshman level laboratory science course designed for the non-science major that can fulfill the science requirement for most associate degrees at Great Basin College.

·  This course is designed to introduce the student to oganismal forms and function, the human and other organisms position in the natural world, as well as the uses of the scientific method. Many biological topics of current importance will be introduced with the goal of enriching the students’ civic and personal lives.

·  The GBC General Education Objectives (see below) are addressed in this class.

Measurement of Objectives:

Learning and general education objectives will be assessed with three distinct tools. Lectures exams will consist of multiple choice questions will test three types of knowledge: Recall of factual information; definitions of terminology; and conceptual and integrative thinking. Laboratory practicals will emphasize recall of the various manipulative and study objectives used in the exercises, as well as testing that the students understand the concepts and principles that were generated with these devices. The written laboratory report will assess their written communication skills, as well as their conceptual understanding of a critical lab experiment. This last experiment was chosen for its mix of conceptual, numeric and technical skills.

Method of Instruction: Live lecture and laboratory.

Grading System: The grade for this course will be based on two components: performance in lecture and laboratory. To be fair, grades will based on actural highest total number of points (class high). The components will be weighted 75% for the lecture and 25% for the lab. The lecture grade will be based on four one hour exams, each worth 100 points and 10 quizzes, each worth 10 points. The lab grade will be based on two practical exams, each worth 50 points; 10 weekly quizzes worth 10 points each. The grading scale is as follows:

Percent / Grade / Comments
94-100 / A / You’re doing super. Have you considered a career in the life sciences?
90-93 / A-
87-89 / B+
84-86 / B / Excellent! Continue what you’re doing and consider asking questions on the finer details in the text and lecture material.
80-83 / B-
77-79 / C+
74-76 / C / Adequate. You’ve got it under control, but don’t get complacent. Review your notes and text carefully. Ask questions either in class or in my office to clarify important topics.
70-73 / C-
67-69 / D+
64-66 / D / Danger zone! All is not lost, but you are at risk. You need to carefully work through the materials and resources available to you. Attend regularly and work on your note taking skills. Make sure to either ask questions in class or come by my office for help.
60-63 / D-
60 / F / Failing. Definitely speak with me so we can work on a strategy for your improvement.
I / Incomplete / See guidelines in course catalogue.
W / Withdrawal / See guidelines in course catalogue.

Miscellaneous Policies:

All exams and lab practicums will be held on the dates listed in the syllabus. Any changes to that schedule will be announced in class well in advance. Missing an exam due to personal reasons or illness must be approved in advance if possible, or by contacting me within 24 hours of the exam in the case of emergency. Make up exams will be allowed and scheduled at instructor’s discretion.

Lab practicums are difficult to set up. As a result make-up lab practicums will only be scheduled in unusual circumstances. In these cases the format of the exam may change. Do not miss lab practicums! The lab quizzes will be scheduled at random throughout the semester. There will be no make up for any quiz.

No attendance will be taken, but be advised: Regular attendance is the single most important thing you can do to get and maintain a good grade.

This syllabus does not in any way represent a contract. If is a reflection of the intent of the instructor, but do recognize that it is an organic construct that may change as the semester progresses. Any changes will be announced in class.

General Education Objectives:

Communications Skills Objective

Students will have several opportunities to exercise written and oral communications skills throughout this course. They will complete laboratory reports and written assignments accessing scientific information as well as written exams. Oral communication skills will also be utilized during discussions involved in completing laboratory assignments.

Critical Thinking Objective

·  Quantitative Ability-Students will use mathematical principles and quantitative methods to complete the laboratory assignments. They will also learn how to quantitatively measure biological characteristics.

·  Reasoning and Independent Thought-Students will use reasoning and independent thought to complete laboratory experiments and to complete assignments.

·  Scientific Understanding-Students will comprehend workings of human biological systems and the process by which the scientific knowledge is discovered. They will also develop the ability to understand biological information and how it relates to them will also be utilized in this course.

Personal and Cultural Awareness

·  Sense of the Individual in Society-Students will gain an understanding of human biological and genetic diversity and how this affects them and society.

·  Sense of the Past-Students will gain an understanding of how biological knowledge was discovered and how this knowledge has changed society and their lives.

·  Sense of Accountability-Students will comprehend the consequences of human actions on ecology and the implications of their actions.

·  Appreciation of Fine Arts-Students will develop an understanding of the value of organismal diversity and will increase individual curiosity and creative thought.

Personal Wellness

Students will develop skills in determining the consequences of their actions in relation to the environment and their personal health. They will gain knowledge needed to make important decisions involving personal health.

Technological Understanding

Students will gain knowledge of how advancing technology in the field of biology will affect their lives and their personal health.

Assessment of Objectives

Learning and general education objectives will be assessed with three distinct tools. Lecture exams will consist of multiple choice questions that will test three types of knowledge: recall of factual information; definitions of terminology, and conceptual and integrative thinking. Laboratory practicums will emphasize recall of the various manipulative and study objects used in the exercises, as well as testing that the students understand the concepts and principles that were generated with these devices. The written laboratory report will assess their written communication skills, as well as their conceptual understanding of a critical lab experiment. This experiment has been chosen for its mix of conceptual, numeric, and technical skills.

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