Spring 2017
Introduction to Zoology SCI04310
Instructor: Dr. Diane KallmeyerE-mail:
Office:WA 154Phone:285-7408Classroom: BU 210
Office hours:Please see my Schedule on Blackboard (posted under “Information”)
TBA
for other open times, please see my Schedule on BB and arrange by appointment.
Required texts:
1. Hickman, Roberts, Larson, & Panson. 2004. Integrated Principles of Zoology. 12th Edition. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. New York ISBN: 0-07-243940-8
2. Hickman and Kats. 2004. Laboratory Studies in Integrated Principles of Zoology, 12th Edition. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. New York. ISBN: 0-07-243944-0
Course Description:
This course is a comprehensive survey of the diversity found in the Kingdom Animalia. The course will address the issue of why such diversity exists as well as what factors influence and constrain it. At its most basic level this is a course in evolutionary biology. Comparative Anatomy will be examined through the use of animal models. The course contains a fair amount of dissection and will allow the student ample opportunity to observe/experience firsthand theme and variation of organ and organ system development. Animal behavioral studies will require the student to work with live animals both in the classroom and in the field. Students may be accorded the opportunity to undertake an independent research project. Course material will be supplemented with interactive computer programs and handouts. This is a course that is extensively “hands on” and will require a commitment of both time and interest. We will spend as much time in lab, as possible, learning by doing science.
Student Responsibilities:
Classroom Conduct:
Since this course is taught in a lab classroom, you must abide by the lab safety rules and procedures. NO eating or drinking is allowed in the lab at any time (any potential exceptions must be discussed with me in advance). Please refer to your laboratory safety guidelines handout for additional information. Each lab period you are required to clean your lab station and return materials to their proper storage place. This includes cleaning all glassware, tools, dissecting pans, etc. and properly disposing of materials as instructed by me. Failure to abide by these safety guidelines and proper lab etiquette can result in point deductions that will be reflected in your grade.
You are expected to be considerate of others in the classroom. Computers are allowed in class for taking notes and approved activities, but misuse for unauthorized activities will result in losing that privilege. Please turn OFF all otherelectronic devices (cell phones, etc.), while class is in session. It is unacceptable for you to disturb other students. Conducting extended conversations (including texting), arriving late to class, working on assignments for other classes, sleeping,etc., are examples of other disturbances that can result in point deductions that will be reflected in your grade. Multiple violations may be cause for dismissal from the course.
Academic Conduct:
You are responsible for preparing yourself before every class meeting. This includes reading the textbook sections pertaining to the present day’s topic and/or activity, and having assignments completed and turned in at the beginning of class. Late assignments will have 10% penalty deducted for being more than 5 minutes late and an additional 20% per day late after that. Once they have been graded and returned to the student body, late assignments will NOT be accepted and the score for the missing assignment will be recorded as “0”. For individuals with an Academy approved excuse, adjustments might be made on a case by case basis.
Academic Dishonesty
You are expected to conduct yourself according to the Indiana Academy Student Code of Conduct. In particular, you should pay careful attention to the section on academic misconduct. Cheating and plagiarism are dishonest and will not be tolerated. Note that copying from a text without citation is plagiarism. Copying from another student, even with their permission, is plagiarism (cheating). Any such inappropriate behavior will result in penalties ranging from a “0” for the assignment, failure of the course, or expulsion from the academy. Please refer to your student handbook for further clarification. If an ethics violation occurs, instructors are required to report them regardless of the severity. Claiming that you did not understand the assignment, plagiarism or the academic ethics policy is not an acceptable excuse, so please be sure to ask questions if you are unsure about this issue.
Students are encouraged to form study groups and to assist each other in the learning process. However, students are expected to complete their own work by writing their own independent answers for homework and lab reports. Do NOT share files with each other. Make sure everyone in your group has the raw data before leaving class. Academic dishonesty, as described in the student handbook will not be tolerated. Students who commit Academic dishonesty will be prosecuted and penalized. Plagiarized work will receive a minimum penalty of “0” for that assignment and/or reduction of the overall course grade as deemed appropriate to the severity of the infraction. If you are unclear on what is permissible collaboration, please talk to Dr. Kallmeyer.
Attendance Policy:
You are expected to attend every class meeting. I will be taking attendance daily. If you miss a lecture for any reason, it is your responsibility to get any information, announcements, and/or assignments that you missed. Most information can be accessed through Blackboard, but some handouts may be obtained from me.
Due to the nature of the laboratory portion of the course, attendance and participation for the laboratory arerequired. Since the classroom is shared by several instructors, most lab activities cannot be reproduced outside of the scheduled lab time and therefore cannot be made up. In addition, many lab assignments and activities are performed in groups, so your participation is mandatory. If you are more than 15 minutes late for lecture and 30 minutes late for lab, then these may be recorded as absences.
If you know that you will be missing class, it is your responsibility to contact me well in advance, so that accommodations might be made for you to possibly make up the work, but this done on a case by case basis. In the event of an unavoidable emergency or illness, you should contact me as soon as possible. If you find that you are unable to take an exam on the scheduled dates, please contact me immediately, if possible BEFORE the exam so arrangements can be made. If you have an unacceptable excuse, a 20% penalty can be assessed when you take themakeup exam. Only approved excuses will have no penalty.
Assignments:
There will be three exams on course material from lecture and lab. These exams can consist of multiple choice, matching, true/false, fill in the blank, short answer, and essay. There will be no “official” midterm exam. During finals week, students will take a comprehensive lab practical examover diversity and containing new material covered since the previous (third) exam.
There may be some in-class assignments given during lecture. These assignments will cover the lecture material of the previous two lectures or an application of the lecture topic of the day. These assignments may not be announced and you must be in class on the day of the assignment. There will be no makeup of in-class assignments, unless you have a documented Academy approved excuse.
All assignments are due on the date announced in class. Those due dates may also be posted with the assignment on Blackboard, as a reminder. Lab assignments are usually due the following week in lab. Late work will receive a 20% penalty deducted for each day late unless permission is granted by Dr. Kallmeyerin advance. No credit will be given to assignments turned in after graded assignments have been returned to the class. Those assignments will receive a grade of “0”. The only exception will be for those individuals with extenuating circumstances and/or an Academy approved documented excuse.
If you are absent for an exam, the exam MUST be made up within the week of your return. If you have an unexcused absence, then the exam will be treated as a late assignment and late penalties will be applied when making up the exam. In the rare event that a student misses another exam due to a second unexcused absence, then there will be no make-up of the exam and the score will be recorded as “0” for that exam. Consequently, the student might consider dropping Zoology at that point, because the grade will likely not recover from a test score of “0”.
Make-up work for pre-arranged absences should be negotiated with the Dr. Kallmeyerin advance.
Unexcused absences – The instructor reserves the right to accept or not accept make-up work for unexcused absences as directed by Academy Handbook policy. Students may not have the ability to make-up any work that was missed and the grade will be recorded as “0” in Powerschool. Exceptions might be made on a case-by-case basis. Please note: suspensions count as unexcused absences.
Grades:
I am making every effort to provide a cohesive course that integrates laboratory and lecture experiences. A portion of your grade in the course is determined by participation. Failure to turn in more than 3 laboratory assignments automatically results in a failing grade in the class. Other assignments include several (weekly) quizzes, lab write-ups, activities, and homework as noted in the grade breakdown below:
Lecture Exams ……………………………………. 50%
Homework/Participation/Binder ….……………… 15%
Lab Write-ups …………………………….………. 25%
Quizzes …………………….………………..……. 10%
Weekly quizzes will cover material since the previous quiz. The quiz with the lowest score will be dropped from the final course grade calculation.
Grade Scale:
Your grade will be determined as a percentage of the total possible points on the following scale:
A = 93 – 100%B- = 80 – 82.5%D* < 64.5%
A- = 90 – 92.5%C+ = 77 – 79.5%
B+ = 87 – 89.5%C = 70 – 76.5%
B = 83 – 86.5%C- = 65 – 69.5%
The total number of points will depend on the number of assignments during the semester. Lecture and lab are combined into the total points possible. Final grades will not be curved, but I reserve the right to curve individual assignments.
Grades will be posted on PowerSchool, so that each student and their parents will be able to track theirprogress. Please be sure to keep track of scores on Powerschool to help prevent any missing or late assignments. In the event that a student has questions about a grade on an assignment, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss the issue. I do my best to provide timely feedback, so I would prefer to address any issues promptly. It would be better to address an issue earlier in order to provide clarification on material before it is revisited on an exam. I am always available for any questions or clarification of material during my office hours, or other open time slots in my schedule by appointment.
Special Circumstances: If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.
If you are struggling with study habits, stress and/or personal issues, I encourage you to discuss this with your SLC and/or contact the Guidance Office for help in dealing with these issues so that you can thrive at the academy. Important contact information is listed below:
For Academic assistance: Mr. Michael McClure ()
phone: 765-285-8108office: WA 160-B
For Tutoring: Ms. Shannon Crouch ()
phone: 765-285-2889office: WA 160-D
Mental Health Therapist:Dr. Mindy Wallpe()
phone: 765-285-8130office: WA 160-C
I reserve the right to change the syllabus on an “as needed” basis. Students will be notified of any changes, as they might occur. Please be sure to check Blackboard and your e-mail regularly for announcements.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
WeekTopicLabReading
1 (Jan. 9)Intro/life characteristicsSafety/ScienceCh 1 & 2
Chemistry
2 (Jan. 16)Mon. Jan. 16 (no classes) ML King Day
Cells/ Animal KingdomMicroscopy/CellsCh 3, 8 & 9
3 (Jan. 23)Classification/ProtozoaProtozoaCh 10 & 11
4 (Jan. 30)Porifera/CnidariansSponges/CnidariansCh 12 & 13
5 (Feb. 6)Acoelomates/PseudocoelomatesExam 1Ch. 14 & 15
No Classes Feb. 4-5 (extended weekend)
6 (Feb. 13)MolluscsMolluscsCh 16
7 (Feb. 20)AnnelidsAnnelidsCh 17
Evolutionary ProcessesCh. 6
8 (Feb. 27)Arthropods:Crustaceans &Ch. 18
Chelicerates& CrustaceansCheliceratesCh. 19
9 March 6 – 10 Spring Break (no classes)(no lab)
10 (Mar. 13)Arthropods: (Mandibulates)InsectsCh 20
11 (Mar. 20)Arthropods (Insects)Exam 2
12 (Mar. 27)EchinodermsEchinoderms*Ch 22
Chordates (invertebrate groups)Ch. 23
13 (Apr. 3)Chordates: Vertebrates, FishesFish Diversity*#Ch 24
(Ecology – parts of Ch. 37 & 38)
14 (Apr. 10)Amphibians & ReptilesAmphibians*Ch 25
No Classes:Fri. Apr.14 & Mon. Apr. 17 (extended weekend)
15 (Apr. 17)ReptilesReptiles/Birds*#Ch 26
16 (Apr. 24)BirdsExam 3#Ch 27
17 (May 1)Mammals(Christy Woods)*Ch 28
18May 9 – 13Final Exams (TBA) =Lab PracticalExam 4
*please note: Field trips to Christy Woods are possible on days with good weather.
#There will be at least one Saturday Field trip in April – TBA
April 8April 22April 29