BISC 120L Lecture Syllabus, Fall 2007
General Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution
Overview:BISC 120L covers key topics in evolution, ecology and the diversity of life. Includes three weekly lectures and one weekly laboratory section. 4 credits.
Instructors:Suzanne Edmands, AHF 314, 213-740-5548,
Eric Webb, AHF 331, 213-740-7954,
Regina Wetzer, ZHS Biospace, 213-763-3217,
Lab DirectorPamela Lum, ZHS 362, 213-740-6078,
Textbook: Lec. – Campbell & Reece (2005). Biology. 7th ed.
Lab. – Van de Graaf & Crawley (2005). A Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory, 5th ed.
Lum, Shakhbandaryan & Halchak (2007). General Biology Laboratory Manual
Website:
(for course materials, lecture notes, quizzes, additional readings, grades etc.)
Lecture: MWF 9-9:50am THH 101 (=13004R), MWF 10-10:50am THH 101 (=13005R)
Laboratory: Various times in ZHS 361, 363, 365
Office Hours: Edmands WF 11-12, Webb MW 11-12, Wetzer M 11-1
Exams:The lecture portion of the course will include three mid-term examinations and a comprehensive final examination. The lecture examinations may include multiple choice questions, fill-ins, short answer, short essays, definitions, and problems. The lecture examinations will cover lecture material and the laboratory examinations will cover laboratory information. Examinations completed by the student may be photocopied. Students must take at least two midterm lecture examinations and the final examination to complete the course. There will also be 12 multiple choice quizzes to be completed on Blackboard (
Grading:A curve will be produced after each examination and a tentative letter grade given for each student. Grading on a curve means that grades are determined based on a student’s performance relative to other students and that there is no fixed score that earns an A, B, etc. Final grades are also assigned on a curve, determined by the total number of points earned on lecture examinations and in the laboratory. The point system will total 1000 points, as follows:
Midterm 1 Lecture Examination 100 pts
Midterm 2 Lecture Examination 100 pts
Midterm 3 Lecture Examination 100 pts
10 10-pt quizzes (12 quizzes given, lowest two scores dropped) 100 pts
Final Lecture Examination 300 pts
Laboratory Reports and Examinations300 pts
Laboratory scores will be normalized as explained in the lab syllabus to correct for differences in grading between TAs. Final grades that are borderline (± 5 pts from the grade cutoff line) will receive a grading decision based on attendance, effort, participation in the laboratory, improvement over the semester, etc. TAs will evaluate the total performance of the students and give students a + (grade goes up 1/3 grade, i.e. from B to B+, B+ to A-, A- to A, etc.), a 0 (grade stays where it is), or a – (grade goes down 1/3 grade). The grading will be approximately the following: A = 15%, B = 25%, C = 40%, D = 15%, and F = 5%.
Schedule (subject to modification):
Day / Lecturer / Lecture / Readings27 Aug (M) / Edmands / 1Patterns of Inheritance / 14
2Inheritance of Chromosomes & DNA / 15.1-15.3, 16.1
3The Darwinian Revolution / 22.1, 22.2
03 Sep (M) / Holiday
4The Case For and Against Evolution / 22.3 & R1
5Evolutionary Mechanisms I / 23.1, 23.2
10 Sep (M) / 6Evolutionary Mechanisms II / 23.3, 23.4
7Speciation / 24.1, 24.2
8Macroevolution / 24.3 & R2
17 Sep (M) / 9Phylogenetic Systematics / 25.1-25.3
10Insights from Molecular Systematics / 25.4, 25.5
11Behavioral Evolution / 51.1, 51.2
24 Sep (M) / 12Social Evolution / 51.5, 51.6 & R3
13Conservation Genetics / 55.1, 55.2 & R4
Exam 1 / EXAM
01 Oct (M) / Webb / 14Origins of Life / 26
15Viruses and Bacteria / 18.1, 18.2
16Bacterial Genetics / 18.3, 18.4
08 Oct (M) / 17Prokaryote Structure/Function / 27.1, 27.2
18Prokaryote Phylogenetic/Metabolic Diversity / 27.3, 27.4
19Protist Origins and Diversity / 28.1-28.4
15 Oct (M) / 20Protist Ecology / 28.5-28.8
21The Fungi / 31.1-31.3, 31.5
22How the Plants Colonized Land / 29
22 Oct (M) / 23Plant Diversity / 30.1-30.4
24Plant Structure / 35.1-35.4
25Plant Transport / 36
29 Oct (M) / 26Plant Transport and Nutrition / 37
Exam 2 / EXAM
Wetzer / 27Animal Diversity / 32
05 Nov (M) / 28Invertebrates 1, Arthropods / 33
29Invertebrates 2, Molluscs / 33
30Invertebrates 3, Nematodes/Flatworms / 33
12 Nov (M) / 31Invertebrates 4, Annelids/Echinoderms / 33
32Invertebrates 5, Sponges/Cnidarians / 33
33Invertebrates 6, Spineless Inherit Earth / 33
19 Nov (M) / 34Vertebrates 1, Origins of Jaws / 34.1 – 34.5
35Vertebrates 2, Amniotes / 34.6 – 34.7
Holiday
26 Nov (M) / 36Vertebrates 3, Primate/Human Evolution / 34.8
37Ecology and Biosphere / 50
38 Population Ecology / 52
03 Dec (M) / 39Community Ecology / 53
40Ecosystems Ecology / 54
Exam 3 / EXAM
17 Dec (M) / FINAL / 11-1pm for 9am section, 8-10am for 10am section
Additional readings (will be posted on Blackboard; others will be added later in the semester)
R1: Zimmer, C. 2007. Fast-reproducing microbes provide a window on natural selection. NY Times June 26.
R2: Zimmer, C. 2006. A fin is a limb is a wing. National Geographic Magazine. November.
R3: Scheib et al. 1999. Facial attractiveness, symmetry and cues of good genes. Proc. Roy. Soc B. Biol. Sci. 266:1913-1917.
R4: Roemer GW & RK Wayne. 2003. Conservation in conflict: The tale of two endangered species. Conservation Biology 17(5):1251-1260.
Course Policies
Policy on Re-grading Examinations
If you feel that an error was made in the grading of an examination, you need to do the following: 1) Check the answer key with your TA, 2) Prepare a printed statement explaining why you feel your grade was incorrect, 3) Submit your printed statement, Regrade Request Form (download from Blackboard) and your original examination to your TA within one week of the time the examination was returned to you. The TA will either handle the re-grade or consult with the professors. The entire exam will be regraded; your grade may increase or decrease as the result of the re-grade. No frivolous reasons will be accepted for grade changes (e.g., “I had a bad cold and couldn’t study” or “My dog bit me and I had to miss a quiz”). The reasons for a grade change must be legitimate (e.g., error in totaling the score).
Policy on Missed Exams or Quizzes
No make-up examinations or quizzes will be given in this course. If you miss a lecture examination or laboratory quiz due to illness you may present a valid medical excuse to the Laboratory Director within one week of the missed examination or quiz. The excuse cannot be to attend conferences or dental appointments. It must be life-threatening or totally unavoidable (e.g., verified auto collision on the day and time of the examination). Remember that the USC Student Health Center does not provide routine medical excuses. You should notify the Laboratory Director in writing that you were seen by a doctor, making sure that you include: 1) the doctor’s name and telephone number, and 2) a statement authorizing us to discuss with the doctor whether you were too ill to take the examination. We will contact the doctor and decide whether or not you have a valid excuse. If the excuse is valid, your grade for that examination will be pro-rated based on the average of your other comparable examinations. An invalid excuse will result in an examination score of zero. You will receive zero points on an examination if you oversleep and miss the examination.
If you miss the final examination and have provided a valid medical excuse to the Laboratory Director (ZHS 362) within 48 hours of the examination time, a final course grade of incomplete (IN) will be recorded and you will be permitted to take a make-up final examination during the following semester. If no excuse is submitted within 48 hours of the missed final examination, a final course grade will be calculated based on your other scores and a zero score for the final examination.
Extra Credit
No extra credit will be given for special projects, etc.
Students with Disabilities
Students requesting academic accommodations based on a disability are required to register with the Office of Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Be sure that the letter is delivered to the Laboratory Director as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The telephone number of DSP is 213-740-0776. If a student’s approved accommodation is limited to extra time on examinations, the teaching staff of Bisc 120 will provide the accommodation. For any other accommodation, such as a private room, translator, etc., students must make arrangements with the DSP office 2 weeks before the exam date. For more information please visit the following website:
Website
Students are responsible for logging onto Blackboard ( and checking the course website on a regular basis. This will be the source for announcements, course materials, lecture notes, grade postings and general discussions. Weekly quizzes will also be completed on Blackboard.
Changes in Lab Section
During the first 3 weeks of class you are responsible for changing your laboratory sections by dropping your current section and adding your new choice through OASIS. You can only change into a lab section if it is open. If a lab section is currently closed you must wait until other students drop before you can switch into that section. No changes are allowable after the first 3 weeks of class.
Gifts
No gifts (or presents) to the instructors or TAs.
Final Comments
No exceptions will be made to these policies under most circumstances. If you think that the instructor or TA has granted you any deviation from the policies in this document and associated course syllabus, you must obtain their writtenagreement to support that claim.
BISC 120L Lab Syllabus, Fall 2007
Lab Director:Pamela Lum, Ph.D. ZHS 362 Tel. 213-740-6078
Fax 213-821-2097 Email:
Office hour: Th 11-12p, F 10:30-11:30a
Laboratory Schedule:
Lab #Week beginningLaboratory General Biology Lab Manual
August 27No Lab This Week1September 3Laboratory Safety and Technique Chapter 1
Forensic Microscopy Chapter 2
Nature of Science: hypotheses Chapter 3
2September 10Evolution and Population GeneticsChapter 4
3September 17Behavior Chapter 5
4September 24Domain Bacteria* Chapter 6
5October 1A Modern Survey of Protistan Clades Chapter 7
6October 8 Kingdom Plantae Chapter 9
October 15Lab practical I
7October 22Plant Hormones and Responses* Chapter 10
8October 29Animal Diversity - Invertebrates Chapter 11
9November 5Animal Diversity: Vertebrate Evolution Chapter 12 Chapter 11
10November 12Ecology: Organisms and Environment Chapter 13
November 19Thanksgiving Holiday -- No Lab This Week
November 26Conservation Biology Presentation
December 3LAB PRACTICAL II
*Exercise for which lab reports are required.
The Lab Director reserves the right to make some adjustments to the syllabus during the semester.
Required Textbooks available at the USC bookstore
General Biology Laboratory Manual BISC 120 & Bisc 121, Lum, Shakhbandaryan, & Halchak, Thomson Publishing Company, ISBN 0-4954-6770-7
Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory; Van de Graaf, 5th Edition, Morton Publishing Company, ISBN 0-89582-684-4
Bring your lab manual and atlas to lab each week.
LABORATORY POINT DISTRIBUTION
*Lab Reports (2 as indicated above @ 25 points each)50 pts
Lab Quizzes (10 @ 5 points each)50 pts
Lab Notebook (10 @ 5 points each)50 pts
Conservation Biology Presentation50 pts
Lab practicals ( 2 @ 50 points each)100 pts
300 pts total
LABORATORY PERFORMANCE GUIDELINES
1. You are required to attend all lab sessions. Any unexcused absences will seriously affect your evaluation. Come to lab on time. You are also to remain for the entire lab session or until excused by your instructor. Don’t make other appointments for the time you are scheduled to be in lab. Students who are within 5 points of a grade borderline at the end of the semester will be considered for an upgrade based on the following criteria: class participation, attendance, participation in reviews, coming to office hours, and subjective evaluation by the T.A., Lab Director, and faculty.
2.Before you begin the lab exercise, make sure that you remove all unnecessary materials from your work area. At the end of the lab session, clean and return all supplies to their proper place, clean your work area, and slide your chair under the table. Check with your instructor before leaving. NO EATING OR DRINKING IS ALLOWED IN THE LABORATORY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
3. Switching Laboratory Sections: If you must miss a lab exercise due to illness or emergency, please contact the Administrative T.A to see whether it will be possible to attend an alternative lab section. For logistical reasons, it will not be possible to make up a missed lab exercise after Friday afternoon of the week in question. Obviously, students with labs scheduled on Fridays will have little or no alternative should they miss lab unexpectedly. Only a few requests for alternative labs can be accommodated, because few sections have available space. Thus, it is very important for you to attend your scheduled lab section if at all possible. Please note that no lab switching will be allowed during the week prior to a holiday or Spring Break. Athletes who must miss occasional labs for legitimate reasons should bring documentation to the Administrative TA well in advance to arrange alternatives. If you must miss a lab due to religious holidays, please notify the Administrative T.A. 2 weeks in advance.
4.LAB QUIZZES: Each student will take a quiz at the beginning of each lab session. Students coming late to lab without an excuse will not be allowed to make up the quiz.
5. POST-LAB REPORTS: Each student will be required to provide a copy of his or her work for each lab exercise. You may use sheets of carbon paper or a notebook that incorporates tear-out copies. Your chemistry lab notebook may be suitable for this purpose. Before leaving the laboratory, you must submit a copy of your notes, Each post-lab report should include the following:
- Name and partner’s name
- Title of laboratory exercise
- Brief purpose and background of the lab
- Record of data and analysis, include graphs, tables, drawings…
- Answers to all post-lab questions
NOTE: If you do not submit a Post-lab Report for one of the two exercises that requires a lab report, you will not be able to submit that report. The Post-lab Report is required of every student, not just one per lab group.
6.LAB REPORT: Lab reports are due at the beginning of the lab session (within the first 10 minutes). The format for writing a lab report is in the Appendix section of your lab manual.
7.CONSERVATION BIOLOGY PRESENTATION: Detailed information about this assignment will be posted on Blackboard under Course Documents.
8. LABORATORY SCORE NORMALIZATION: The laboratory scores will be normalized at the end of the semester by the Laboratory Director in conjunction with the TAs to correct for differences in grading between TAs. In this procedure, the mean total score of all students in each TAs labs is compared to the mean total score of the entire class. If there is a difference, points will be added or subtracted to bring each TAs lab average toward the mean of the class as a whole. For example, if the class average laboratory score is 250 and your lab average is 260 points, then 10 points will be added to each student’s total lab scores to correct for the difference from the class mean.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
September 3th – no classes observance of Labor Day
September 14th -- last day to drop without a mark of “W”
November 4th – change those clocks – FALL BACK so you gain an hour!
November 16th -- last day to drop with a mark of “W”
November 22-24th – Thanksgiving Observance
December 7th – Last day of instruction
December 8-11th – Study days
Final Exam – 9 AM lecture: Mon., Dec. 17th from 11 AM - 1 PM
10 AM lecture: Mon., Dec. 17th from 8 AM to 10 AM
Please consult your USC catalog for final exam accommodations. In short, you must have 3 or more finals on the same day to qualify for a final exam day adjustment. Appropriate documentation would need to accompany your request.
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