Fall Semester 2010

Biology 1309 Life on Earth Syllabus

(Courses # 21157 – 012 & 024)

INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Oranit (Orie) Gilad

Office Hours: Tuesdays, 7:00pm – 8:00pm @RRC 3323

Email: Preferred form of communication. Please include BIOL 1309 DL in your subject line

ACC Email:

Personal Email:

Office phone: (512) 223-1790 ext. # 26548

Website:

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COURSE DESCRIPTION: Biology 1309 Life on Earth is a survey of the living organisms on our planet for the non-science major students. The course focuses on evolutionary and natural history, structural and behavioral adaptations, biological diversity and co-evolution.

PREREQUISITES:This course requires college level reading and writing skills. You must have: (1) at least a 5 orabove on both the ACC reading and writing assessment tests, or (2) passed both the readingand writing portions of the TASP, or (3) are exempt from the TASP. If you do not meet theserequirements, you may be withdrawn from the course.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:The required Guidebook for this course is Biology 1309 Life on Earth Concepts and Questions, 5TH edition, by Bernice Speer, et. al. You can either buy a copy at an ACC bookstore or download and print from the ACC Biology Department website at:

Click on “Lab Manuals and Study Guides, then click on BIOL 1309 – Life on Earth.

A link is also available through Blackboard.

OPTIONAL MATERIALS: Although not required for the class, there are copies of the book, Life on Earth by David Attenborough,on reserve at the following ACC libraries: RGC, NRG, RVS, CYP and PIN. Copies are also availablefor checkout at the Austin Public Library.

COURSE RATIONALE:This course is designed for students who are primarily non-science majors. Through the use of lectures, good science videos and web-based homework assignments, students are introduced to the organisms that inhabit this planet, their characteristics, their evolutionary relationships and their adaptation to life on earth.

The course is based on a series of 13 video episodes produced by the BBC and narrated by David Attenborough. It is an evolutionary approach to studying the many life forms on earth, starting from the beginnings of life to the present day.

Since these videos were produced several years ago, some clarifications and additional information have been added to the study guide and additional resources will be introduced during the semester as separate reading/viewing assignments. This additional information will add to the concepts presented in this course and reinforce the approach of the videos.

COMMON COURSE OBJECTIVES: The common course objectives for BIOL 1309 are found at

SPECIFIC SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:There are specific skills and competencies that I expect students who complete this course to achieve:

• Ability to explain evolutionary relationships among different organisms

• Ability to discuss adaptations, using several different examples

• Ability to observe phenomena and to record information

• Ability to apply biological concepts to new examples

• Ability to demonstrate higher level thinking skills

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY:This course is taught as a Distance Learning course.

ACCeID:You will need an ACCeID to use the Blackboard site and ACC Online. If you don't already have an ACCeID, go to the ACCeID Manager Login at: Click on "First-Time Login" and follow the instructions. You must be able to access Blackboard.

BLACKBOARD SITE:A Blackboard site has been set up for this class. I will use Blackboard to post announcements, class materials and your grades. I will also use Blackboard to send e-mails to the class.For this reason, you MUSTuse your ACC e-mail address. That is the only e-mail address thatBlackboard will use and the only e-mail address that will be used to send out official notices and feedback.

Information about the ACC e-mail can be found at:

You can have your ACC e-mail forwarded to another e-mail address if you prefer. See more information at:

To get started on Blackboard, go to the login site at: and click on the “Student Guide – Getting Started with Blackboard” link. This will help you set up your

Blackboard account and get you to the course site. If you need help, call the ACC Help Desk at 512-223-HELP.

Please put my e-mail address into your address book or your Spam Blocker may block my emails.

You are expected to check Blackboard on a regular basis. I will post required class materials on Blackboard, including material for you to read or web sites to explore. If I post online lecture notes on Blackboard, I may not cover the same material in class unless you have questions.

You can also use Blackboard to keep in touch with other students who are enrolled in this course to form real or virtual study groups. You can post questions and comments to everyone through the Blackboard class discussion groups or you can use the real time Chat Room from this site.

COURSE CALENDAR:A tentative calendar with exam dates and topics of lectures will be provided separately at the beginning of the semester. Schedule changes may occur during the semester. Any changes will be announced through Blackboard and an updated calendar will be available on the course’s website and through Blackboard.

COURSE GRADING SCHEME

GRADES: Your final grade depends on the total number of points you accumulate from these sources. The course grade will be calculated according to the rubric below. There are no + or – grades given at ACC.

Source / Number / Points per / Total Points
Exams / 4 / 150 / 600
Makeup Exam / 1 / 150
Discussions / 200
*Total / 800(100%)

* Please note: if the number of exams or assignments changes during the semester, the total number of points will be adjusted before computing your course average.

Final Grading Scale: 89.5-100% = A; 79.5-89.4% = B; 69.5-79.5% = C; 60-69% = D; below 60% = F

I. EXAMS:

There are four exams that are indicated on the attached schedule. Each test is worth 150 points.

The exams will be based on the information covered during the period leading to the exam not including material covered on last exam. This is including assigned questions from the study guide, material covered through videos, or in readings or articles. You will be expected to spell all terms correctly in order to receive full credit. There are no retests in this course; once you have taken an exam, you may not take it again to try for a better grade.

All tests are given in the Testing Center and are available for the dates indicated on the attached schedule. There is no curve. Exams may only be opened in the ACC Testing Centers using the Respondus lockdown browser. For information on how to take a secure computer-based exam within Blackboard click here

DO NOT OPEN AN EXAM UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO TAKE IT. Once you open an exam it will count as if you have taken the exam even if you opened it by mistake and didn't answer any of the questions. If you open an exam and don't answer any of the questions, you will receive a score of zero and the zero will be averaged with your other exam scores.

Exams can be opened only with a computer in one of the ACC Testing Centers. You can take an exam only once. Make sure you open the correct exam because if you open the wrong exam by mistake and don't answer any of the questions, you will receive a score of zero and the zero will be averaged with your other exam scores.

Each exam contains 4 types of questions:

  1. True/False:

Mark the statement as either true or false

  1. Multiple Choice (each possible answer will be preceded by a circle):

Choose the ONE best answer

  1. Multiple Answer (each possible answer will be preceded by a square)

"Select all that apply” - to get credit for a Multiple Answer question, you must select ALL of the correct answers and NONE of the incorrect answers.

  1. Open ended questions – you are expected to type in your answer

HOW TO PREPARE FOR EXAMS

  1. First, read the material in the study guide. Reading the concepts and additional information first willhelp you understand the material in the video. Be aware that some topics covered in the study guideare not mentioned in the video and vice versa. You are responsible for all material covered in the studyguide and the videos. You are also responsible for concepts covered in previous units.
  1. View the corresponding video episodes and answer the questions in the study guide. Some students have found it helpful to view the video episodes straight through the first time without answering the questions and then go through a second time slowly as they answer the questions.
  1. Participate in the online discussion groups. Make sure you are familiar with all the concepts covered in the discussion topics, whether your group discussed them all or not.
  1. Review the concepts in the study guide, additional lecture materials, discussion group information and your answers to the study guide questions as you would for any college exam. You will need to remember specific details about the various organisms shown in the video episodes. Some students have found flash cards useful for studying these details, or organizing the information into tables. Viewing the episodes one more time in the library right before taking the test has also proved helpful tomany students.
  1. When you are studying the material, pay special attention to any organism that is discussed in greatdetail in the videos or in the study guide. Then think about how you would answer a question askedabout that organism. If you are asked a written question about the organism, read the questioncarefully. If the question asks you to describe an organism, tell where it is found in terms of geographyand habitat, how big it is, what it eats, what color it is, what unusual or distinguishing features it has,and how it is adapted to its habitat. Provide as much info as you can remember. If you are asked forexamples, give as many as you can remember.

LOCATION OF EXAMS AND EXAM POLICIES

Exams are available at the following campuses: Cypress Creek, Eastview, Fredericksburg, Northridge, Pinnacle, Rio Grande, Riverside, Round Rock Campus, Round Rock Higher Education Center, San Marcos and South Austin.

Exams will be taken online unless you made special arrangements with me (example: you live outside ACC’s Testing Center area).

Exams will be available in the testing center you indicated during your Orientation Quiz.

Read the attached information about the Academic Testing Centers before taking your first exam. The locations and hours of operation for each testing center can be found at

The Testing Centers are there to facilitate the test-taking process for open campus students.

However, you must do your share in order to be prepared. Read the Guide to Student Use of the Testing Center.

Be aware of their policies.

Please have everything with you when you go to take an exam at the Testing Center.

When you go to take an exam, make sure you have the following:

1. Valid picture ID

2. Valid ACC student ID*

3. A number 2 pencil and eraser (in case a problem arises during the online version)

You must have an ACC photo student ID to use the testing center. You can get more information at this web site:

Testing is done on a “first come, first serve” basis. Sometimes there is a long wait to use the testing center.

If you are asked to fill out a test request form thisis the information you will need:

  • course number = BIOL 1309
  • synonym number and section numbers: Be sure to use the correct synonym & section numbers for the section you are registered in
  • test number = (be very careful to put the correct test number)
  • instructor = Oranit Gilad
  • instructor’s home campus = RRC

EXAM DEADLINES

You must take your exams by the deadlines shown in the class schedule

II. MAKEUP FINAL:

There is an optional comprehensive make-up exam covering material from the entire semester. It will be used as a make-up exam if you miss a regularly scheduled exam or do poorly on any one exam. The optional make-up exam can only substitute one test score. If you miss more than one exam, you will receive a grade of 0 for the second missed exam and the instructor reserves the right to withdraw you from the course.

III. VIDEOS AND STUDYGUIDE QUESTIONS:

Videos are available for viewing at the Fredericksburg High School and in the ACC Media Centers at the following locations: Cypress Creek*, Eastview*, Northridge*, Pinnacle*, Rio Grande*, Riverside*, Round Rock Campus, and South Austin Campus*. Starred (*) locations also have checkout copies.

Be advised: there are only a FEW checkout copies of the videotapes. Be PREPARED to have to watch the videotapes in the library. If you cannot check out the videotape and take it home to watch, you are expected to watch the video episodes in the library. Otherwise, you may have insufficient time to prepare for the exam by the exam deadline. Exam deadlines will NOT be extended if you are unable to check out the videotapes.

The running time for each episode is about one hour. However, it usually takes at least two hours per episode to record the answers to the study guide questions.

BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO BUY THE VIDEOS: The videos are made in the UK and do not run on American DVD players. Make sure your computer is able to play the videos before you decide to purchase them.

STUDYGUIDE QUESTIONS: The study guide contains written material about the concepts covered in each video, and questions that help you take notes on the video episodes. Be sure to study the written material as well as your answers to the study guide questions. Exam questions may be selected from the written material as well as the questions.

IV. DISCUSSIONS:

Students are expected to participate in small group online discussion forums in Blackboard under “Discussion Topics”. You will be assigned to a discussion group during the first week of class.

Discussion topics are presented in MS Word documents, with links to websites and questions to answer regarding this additional material.

I will post a set of discussion topics during the course of the semester for the group to discuss. Some of these questions may pertain to the videos; other questions may require you to look at materials on the web.

You are also welcome to start your own areas of discussion. This is a great place to ask your group members to explain some concept that you did not understand.

General Guidelines for Discussion Groups:

1. I expect you to participate in your group discussion forums at least twice for each topic. Yourrequired two posts must occur on different days. At least one of your two required posts should be aresponse/reply to someone else.

2. When you post an answer to a discussion topic, especially if you are the first one to respond, pleasedo not try to answer everything. Leave some room for your other group members to be able to share inthe discussion. For example, if you asked to compare two organisms, you might discuss one way thatthe two organisms are similar and one way they are different. That gives an opportunity for your othergroup members to contribute to the discussion by bringing up different similarities and differences.

3. It is perfectly okay and even encouraged to bring up new material, point out interesting websites, and add more informationin your posts, as long as the material posted pertains to the concepts and organisms covered in that section under discussion. You may also post questions and answers about study guide materials, but try tomake sure that you cover all the discussion topics, too.

4. Be polite to each other. It is okay to disagree with someone else’s opinion or interpretation butdisagree politely. Remember that people may not be able to tell if you are being sarcastic or witty whenthey are reading your posts. Be careful and considerate! The instructor can remove you from yourdiscussion group for inappropriate postings. If this happens, your grade for any remaining discussiontopics will be a zero (0) and you will not be given the chance to make these points up.

5. You will receive a grade for your participation in your group discussion forum for a total of 200 points.

Discussion grades will be assessed using the following criteria:

  1. Did you contribute at least twice to the discussion?
  2. Were your posts made on the same day (bad) or on at least two separate days (good)?
  3. Were posts relevant to the discussion topic?
  4. Did posts show evidence of thoughtful analysis? (Were your posts meaningful?)
  5. Did you read and respond to ideas of your classmates? You MUST reply at least once toanother student to get full credit for your posts.
  6. To make the discussion groups feel like a real discussion, it helps if you ask questions as part of yourpostings. Such questions make it easier for other students to reply. A good place for such a question isat the end of the post.

7. During the first week, you are required to greet your group: make a post describing a bit aboutyourself and why you are taking the course. Your greeting post will be worth 10 points.