BI231, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES II, Fall 2016, 4 credits, Section M1
This course is a comparative study of the major anatomical structures and physiological processes of living organisms. Basic taxonomy and major life cycles are covered, as well as how organisms solve problems of fluid transport, gas exchange, excretion of waste, water/salt balance, nutrition, communication and movement.The course also focuses on the study of evolutionary processes and the interaction of organisms with each other and with their environment. Topics include natural selection, speciation, behavior, dynamics of populations, species interactions, ecosystem and global dynamics, and conservationbiology.
Class:MWF 9:10-9:55, CSA244
Lab BI231L:R 1:00-3:50 (Section M1),CSA129
Professor:Dr. Kendra Cipollini
Email Address:
Professor Website:http://plato.wilmington.edu/faculty/kcipolli/default.htm
Office:CSA118
Office Hours:M 12:15-1:45, W 1:45-2:20, R 11:30-1 and F 12:15-1:10 by appointment
Office Phone:937-481-2367
Required Materials:Reece et al.2011.Campbell biology.10th edition.Pearson Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco, CA.
Mastering Biology Access Code for Campbell biology. 10th edition.
Knisely, Karin.2013.A student handbook for writing in biology, 4thedition.Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, MA.
Course Objectives:
- Improve quantitative, critical thinking, writing, data analysis and library research skills through lab reports and lab exercises, with a focus on quantitative skills.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific process through development, implementation, analysis and presentation of experiments.
- Demonstrate an understanding of evolution, the central unifying theme of biology, including the Hardy Weinberg Principle, natural selection, adaptation, generation of diversity and biological classification.
- Recognize levels of biological organization from cells to the organism and the relationship of structure to function at all levels of biological organization across plants, animals, viruses, fungi, and microorganisms.
- Be able to outline and describe major phyla in terms of structure, nutrition, life history, and evolutionary relationships.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the general organization of plants and animals, including differences in transport, reproduction, internal regulation and signaling.
- Demonstrate an understanding of relationship between life forms and their environment including: the evolutionary basis of behavior, population ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology and human impacts on the environment, including efforts to offset these impacts.
Quantitative Reasoning Skill Development: This course is designated as a “Q” course in the general education curriculum, meaning that it will focus on developing quantitative reasoning skills in students and that 25% of the grade will be determined by assessment of these skills. Students will develop quantitative reasoning skills throughout the course. Students will learn and apply statistical methods such as t-tests and chi-square, present quantitative data in figures and tables, and interpret these data in laboratory reports and in laboratory exercises using Microsoft Excel. Students will use simple algebra to test for the occurrence of evolution by the application of the Hardy Weinberg equation. Students will evaluate quantitative data to draw evidence-based conclusions in both laboratory and lecture activities.
Some Important Dates:
Friday, August 26– Last day to add class
Thursday, October 26 - Plant hormone lab report (final copy) dueat start of lab
Tuesday, October 25- Last day to drop class
Thursday, November 16 - Cricket biology lab report (final copy) dueat start of lab
General Information:
Important course announcements will be made in class and posted on the Facebook course page (which can be forwarded to your email account) and/or sent to your WC email account.It is expected that you will check your emails at least once every 24 hours during the semester.The Higher Learning Commission requires that Wilmington College use the definition of a credit hour as “one hour of classroom instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week.”Therefore, you should plan on spending at least 8 hours per week on average outside of lecture and laboratory on material related to this class.
Doing and learning science requires time outside of specified class time.For this course, you will be performing scientific experiments.Doing science does not always fit conveniently into a schedule and can sometimes require unexpected, lengthy tasks.It is imperative that you properly plan for experiments and projects, which may require commitment during weekend and evening times.If a project fails due to inadequate planning or improper care, you will receive a zero for any related assignments.Please contact the professor as soon as any issues arise to assure success in your experiments.
You absolutely must take an active role in your learning to be successful in this course.The professor will be available by appointment during office hours and other times, through email, by phone and through Facebook to answer any questions you have concerning assignments, course content and your progress.There is one guarantee for this course; if you start off with a true commitment to do well, question the professor at every opportunity, be prepared, plan ahead, meet deadlines, and study hard, you will pass this course with no trouble.
Electronic Resources:
Textbook webpage ():
The textbook webpage contains information from each chapter, as well as supplementary study tools.This is a very good resource when trying to understand the reading of each chapter, as well as a helpful resource when studying for exams.You should read the relevant textbook chapter prior to coming to lecture and therefore come to lecture already having a good understanding of the lecture topic for the day.The textbook webpage will be used to do online homework, which makes up 16% of your grade.Students must use a code purchased through the textbook company to access the online quizzing. To join the class (which ensures that the grades go to the proper gradebook), use the course code BI231CIPOLLINIFA2016.Students are responsible for submitting the online quizzes by each due date.
Course webpage (http://plato.wilmington.edu/faculty/kcipolli/bi2312016.htm):
Lecture notes will generally be posted on the course webpage prior to the relevant lecture.You should print out these notes prior to coming to class to use in your note-taking during lecture.These notes are not meant to replace your attendance in class, nor your note-taking during class.Many times there are important concepts covered in the lecture and lab that are not explicitly addressed in the notes and textbook; therefore it is important you take careful notes during lecture and lab.Lab information will be posted prior to each lab activity, while lab handouts will be provided to you during lab.You should read the laboratory information prior to coming to lab and therefore come to lab having a good understanding of the lab activity for the day.
Facebook group ():
The purpose of this page is to facilitate communication between classmates and with your professor.Sign up for a Facebook account and join the group “WC Biological Sciences II.”Post any questions about the course or the material on the Facebook page, as chances are others in the class might have a question as well or another classmate can easily answer your question. It can be also used to facilitate study groups. Additionally, the professor will post important announcements on the Facebook group page.Set your notifications for the group to “Yes” to receive notifications.It is also suggested that you check the box under “Notifications” > “Settings” to receive an email notification as well to be alerted when someone posts to the Facebook group page.
Grading System:
Grades will be based on:
5 exams, 100 points each500
Final comprehensive exam150
Lab reports100
Participation points 80
Learning exercises, lab assignments, etc.200
Online homework200
Total Possible Points:1230
Points earned will be added and grades will be assigned based on the scale below.Do not expect any "curving" of grades in this course.From the Wilmington College Faculty Handbook:“It is the policy of Wilmington College to strive to fairness in grading and avoid grade inflation.Faculty are encouraged to regard ‘C-‘ as a satisfactory grade, which means the student is meeting College standards, and will treat it as such in talking with students.The grade of ‘A’ on the other hand, should mean outstanding achievement, with a grade of ‘B’ in between.The grade ‘D’ represents minimally acceptable achievement, and the grade ‘F’ indicates failure.”
Letter grade and pointsMeaning of grade (from WC Handbook)
A = 1131-1230, A- = 1107-1130Range of outstanding achievement
B+ = 1070-1106, B = 1008-1069, B- = 984-1007Range of good achievement
C+ = 947-983, C = 885-946, C- = 861-884Range of average achievement
D+ = 824-860, D = 738-823Range of below average achievement
F = < 738Inadequate achievement
Exams and Assignments:
Exams will be a mixture of multiple choice, matching, short answer and essay.Since learning science is a cumulative endeavor, exams will test on cumulative information.However, exams will mostly focus on material learned in lecture and lab since the last exam.The final exam will be comprehensive and test on all material learned in the course.Homework and quiz questions have been assigned through the textbook course page and are to be completed throughout the semester.You will have two chances to complete each question in the homework and will receive bonus points if you are able to answer the question without relying on a hint.(You will not be penalized if you do open a hint).It is your responsibility to keep track of assignment due dates and assure that your homework submitted on time.Be certain to leave yourself extra time in case of computer or other unavoidable problems; try not to wait until a few hours before the due date to complete computer assignments.
If you miss an exam, you will receive a zero on the exam; there will be no make-ups.If extreme and unavoidable circumstances occur that make you miss an exam, you must contact the professor prior to the exam by first calling the professor’s office and then also emailing the professor.You must have documented proof of these unusual circumstances.Similarly, no late assignments will be accepted except under documented extraordinary circumstances.
Electronic assignments submitted via email or disk will not be accepted unless otherwise indicated by theprofessor.All multi-page assignments must be stapled when turned in; an assignment is not considered complete until it is properly stapled and will not be accepted by the professor unstapled.
Attendance/Absence/Behavior Policy:
Attendance at the entire lab period is mandatory.You may miss only one lab period or portion thereof in the entire semester without penalty.For each lab (or portion thereof) that you miss after one absence, 15 points will be deducted from your lab attendance points, regardless of the excuse.If you miss a lab where a presentation or assignment is due, you will receive a zero for the presentation and assignment, unless you make arrangements to turn in the assignment with the professor prior to your absence.
Students are expected to actively participate in laboratory and lecture activities and will be graded on their level of participation and preparation for each class.Students are expected to exhibit appropriate classroom etiquette, including, but not limited to,listening attentively when the professor or another student is speaking, raising your hand before speaking, arriving to class on time and turning off cell phones.In addition, students are expected to clean their laboratory area and return laboratory materials to the appropriate location prior to leaving lab.Points will be deducted from participation points for inadequate participation or improper classroom etiquette.
Attendance at lectures is strongly encouraged, but attendance will not be taken.There will be learning activities and quizzes in class.If you miss a class in which these unannounced activities are administered without a documented valid excuse (see below), you will not be able to make up the points and will receive a zero.Students are responsible for getting information from other students or from the professor on what material they have missed from a lecture or laboratory, whether the absence is excused or unexcused.See the current Student Handbook for the college’s attendance policy especially as it pertains to excused absences.
There are only a total of three excused absences in lecture (see above policy for lab) that can occur in the semester without penalty.All excused absences must be documented.The College accepts these four categories of excused absences:
1)Activities in which the student serves as an official representative of theCollege (e.g., musical performances, athletic contests, field trips)
2)Personal illness, with documentation by the College nurse or a physician
3)Family or personal emergencies
4)When severe weather makes travel to campus dangerous
Cell Phone Policy:
Cell phones are to be turned off during both lecture and laboratory, including driving time on field trips.Cell phones should remain in a student’s pocket or bag during the entire class.If a cell phone goes off, the class will get a warning.The second time, the entire class will get a pop quiz. Please be courteous and turn cell phones off.If there is a genuine reason you need to receive a call (e.g., awaiting an important call from a family member)let the professor know at the beginning of class.
Field Trip:
Please wear comfortable closed-top shoes and bring water for the field trip. Wear long pants and long sleeves. The field trip will only be cancelled in the event of extreme weather conditions.If you miss the van, it will count as an absence from the lab.
Academic Integrity Policy:
See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.Students are expected to understand and adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy in the Student Handbook and will be reported to The Office of Academic Affairs if a violation occurs.All work in this course should be independent unless specifically stated otherwise.Many times laboratory projects will be group projects and group members share responsibility for such tasks as gathering data and giving presentations; however, any work that is turned in, such as laboratory reports or handouts, should be independently generated. Even though you may share information such as data with your lab partner, your written assignments should be done independently. Do not share laboratory reports or written information to avoid plagiarism. If it is your first academic integrity offense at the College, you will receive a zero on the relevant assignment(s).If it is your second academic integrity offense at the College, you will receive an F in the entire course.
Students with Disabilities:
Americans with Disabilities Act: If you have a documented disability that requires accommodation, contact the Academic Services Director (LeighAnn M. Oettinger, College Hall 305A, (937) 382-6661 Ext. 444, ). Please do so within the first week of class so that your needs may be appropriately met.
Schedule of Classes:
Note:The course content may be modified as required, at the professor’s discretion (e.g. change of pace, change in chapter readings, change in laboratory exercises, etc.).Such changes will be announced in class and posted on the course website.
Week / Date / Topic / Reading / Laboratory Activity1 / M, Aug 22 / Intro to course / Ch. 1 / Introduction to science
W, Aug 24 / Evolution / Ch. 22
F, Aug 26 / Evolution of populations / Ch. 23
2 / M, Aug 29 / Hardy Weinberg / Building phylogenetic trees
W, Aug 31 / Speciation / Ch. 24
F, Sept 2 / Macroevolution / Ch. 25
3 / M, Sept 5 / LABOR DAY HOLIDAY / Evolution of paper bugs
W, Sept 7 /
Phylogenetics
/ Ch. 26F, Sept 9 / EXAM 1
4 / M, Sept 12 / Bacteria, archaea & protists / Ch. 27-28 / Plagiarismand library activity
Meet at Watson Library
W, Sept 14 / Early plant evolution / Ch. 29
F, Sept 16 / Evolution of seed plants / Ch. 30
5 / M, Sept 19 / Fungi / Ch. 31 / Animal classification
W, Sept 21 / Animal diversity / Ch. 32
F, Sept 23 / Invertebrate diversity / Ch. 33
6 / M, Sept 26 / Vertebrate evolution / Ch. 34 / Data analysis and presentation exercise
Meet in Robinson Lab
W, Sept 28 / EXAM 2
F, Sept 30 / Plant growth / Ch. 35
7 / M, Oct 3 / Resource acquisition/transport / Ch. 36 / Plant hormones
Writing an introduction and methods
W, Oct 5 / Plant nutrition / Ch. 37
F, Oct 7 / Plant reproduction / Ch. 38
8 / M, Oct 10 / Plant hormones / Ch. 39 / Plant hormones
W, Oct 12 / Plant responses
F, Oct 14 / EXAM 3
9 / M, Oct 17 / Animal form and function / Ch. 40 / Plant hormone peer review
Cricket biology
W, Oct 19 / Animal nutrition / Ch. 41
F, Oct 21 / Circulation and gas exchange / Ch. 42
Week / Date / Topic / Reading / Laboratory Activity
10 / M, Oct 24 / Immune system / Ch. 43 / Plant hormones lab report due
Cricket biology
Writing a results and discussion
W, Oct 26 / Osmoregulation / Ch. 44
F, Oct 28 / EXAM 4
11 / M, Oct 31 / Hormones / Ch. 45 / Data analysis and presentationMeet in Robinson Lab
W, Nov 2 / Animal reproduction / Ch. 46
F, Nov 4 / Animal signaling / Ch. 48
12 / M, Nov 7 / Nervous systems / Ch. 49 / Cricket biology peer reviews
W, Nov 9 / Sensory mechanisms / Ch. 50
F, Nov 11 / EXAM 5
13 / M, Nov 14 / Animal behavior / Ch. 51 /
Cricket lab report due
Service learning – Invasive species
W, Nov 16 / Intro to ecology / Ch. 52F, Nov 18 / Population ecology / Ch. 53
14 / M, Nov 21 / Community ecology / Ch. 54 / NO LABS
W, Nov 23 / THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
F, Nov 25
15 / M, Nov 28 / Species interactions / Putting results together: A jig saw exercise
W, Nov 30 / Ecosystem ecology / Ch. 55
F, Dec 2 / Materials cycling
16 / M, Dec 5 / Conservation biology / Ch. 56 / NO LABS
W, Dec 7 / Climate change
COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM – FRIDAY, DEC 9, 8-10 AM
Semester Schedule:
Below is the current semester schedule for Dr. Cipollini. The easiest and quickest way to reach your professor is to arrange an appointment during office hours.If you need to meet outside of office hours, you may also schedule an appointment outside of office hours (though availability is not guaranteed). If you come to the office without an appointment, the professor may be with another student or working elsewhere on campus; thus, you should make an appointment or call ahead before coming to the professor’s office. Phone calls will be forwarded to a cell phone. If you reach the office without an appointment and the professor is not there, please call to have the professor meet you there. Questions can also be addressed via the Facebook group page or via email.