Bio 131 Spring 2010 Tentative Schedule

Principles of Organismal Biology,

Evolution and Ecology

BioSci 131-1710 & 1711

Diablo ValleyCollege

Spring Semester 2010

Instructor: Raymond Goralka, Ph. D.

phone messages: (925) 685-1230 ex. 2799.

email:

office: LHS 211

office hours: MW 9:30-11:00; TuTh 2:00-3:00

Course:BioSci 131- Principles of Organismal Biology, Evolution and Ecology

5 Units, SCstudents may opt to take the course for a Cr/NCr grade.

Web page: Log on to WebCT via the campus website

Class Hours: Both Lec:MW 8:00 a.m.- 9:15a.m.SC-501

1710 Lab:Tu Th11:00 a.m. - 1:50p.m.LHS-201

1711 Lab:Tu Th 8:00 a.m. - 10:50a.m.LHS-201

Prerequisite: Chem 120; Recommended: Eligibility for English 122.

Note:For students with little or no background in college biology, Bio 130, or Bio 102 is recommended before taking Bio 131.

Texts:Biology, 8th Edition, Campbell ReeceRequired

BioSci 131 Lab Manual, Fourth EditionRequired

Photo Atlas for Biology, Van De Graff and CrawleyOptional

Tests:Scantron Answer SheetsRequired

Student Transportation: By student to field sites, and seminars.Required

Course Description: In BioSci 131 we study three broad areas of Biology: Evolution (Origin of Species, Microevolution, Macroevolution); Biological Diversity (within and among the Kingdoms); Ecology (How organisms interact with other organisms and their environment). There is a field trip to Bodega Bay, as well as several trips taken during the regular lab period. In all trips the students must provide their own transportation.

Course Objectives: After successfully completing this course students should be able to:

  • Provide evidence for the theory of evolution by natural selection.
  • Compare microevolution, speciation and macroevolution.
  • Categorize organisms into major systematic groups in a phylogenetic classification scheme.
  • Identify major anatomical structures of the different groups of fungi, plant and animals.
  • Effectively use and care for common laboratory equipment e.g. microscopes.
  • Differentiate among lifecycles for the different groups of fungi, plant and animals.
  • Explain mechanisms of transport and growth regulation in plants.
  • Explain major ecological concepts in climate, population growth, community interactions, and ecosystem processes.
  • Summarize and report on a peer-reviewed scientific article on an environmental or evolutionary topic.

Attendance: You are responsible for all material presented in the lecture or lab, whether it can be found in the texts or not. Lab space is very limited, and missed labs and field trips last only the one period and often can not be made up later. You may be dropped if you miss (even with an excuse) four labs / lectures.

Lecture Exams: You are responsible for material assigned from the text and all that is covered in lecture, whether it is also found in the text or not. The exams as scheduled may be multiple choice, matching, definitions and short answer questions. The four lecture period exams are 100 points each. The cumulative final is 50 points.

Missed exams: Normally there are no Makeup lecture exams. The final exam (50 pts) may be doubled (100 pts.) and used to replace your lowest exam score. Normally, if you miss a lecture exam, the final will replace that score. If you miss two lecture exams, one will remain a zero. Lab Exams generally cannot be made up. Failure to attend a lab exam may result in an incomplete for the course. All students must take the final exam during the assigned time period. All missed labs must be made up before the corresponding lab exam.

Extra Credit Seminar: Students may attend an appropriate scientific presentation (e.g. U.C. Berkeley seminar) related to our course material and write a brief report. Other professional level activities presenting primary research may be substituted with prior consent. Due one week after the seminar or event. Reports will be accepted until May 17th.

Lab: The dissecting kit and photo atlas available in the bookstore are both highly recommended. General lab safety is required. You are encouraged to bring protective eyewear during the dissections.

Use of animals in the lab: Part of the course includes learning basic animal anatomy, and phylogeny. To this end, there are a few labs that require preserved animal dissection, and a toxicology lab using live brine shrimp. If you have strong objections to these procedures see me at the beginning of the semester.

Coastal habitats Field Trip: There is a required field trip on Saturday May 14th or Sunday May 15th to Bodega Bay, and Coastal Dunes.

Field trips: Students are required to arrange their own transportation to and from the field study sites. While at the site students should consider themselves “In Class” and avoid distractions (no talking, cell phones, smoking, dogs, etc.).

Late Work: All work turned in past the start of the class period on the due date will automatically loose 25% of the points possible per calendar day late.

Format: All reports must be typed, doubled spaced (except graphs which may be drawn by hand on graph paper). Assignments may not be emailed in lieu of print nor turned in on disk for me to print out. If a paper copy is not turned in on time, the assignment is late (see above).

Withdrawing from the course: I will drop anyone not in attendance at the beginning of the semester. After the first class it is the responsibility of the student who registered to withdraw, even if he/she has stopped attending class. If you miss too many Labs / Lectures (even with an excuse) but attend most classes you still may be dropped!!

Academic Integrity: I will help eliminate the temptation to cheat by making cheating difficult. When taking exams, you may only have a pencil at your desk. Anyone caught cheating will receive a zero on that exam and maybe be dropped from the course and reported to the Dean of the College.

Support Services: Please take advantage of the support services on campus: Learning center, Computer Lab, Assessment Center, Disabled Students Programs and Services, Career Center Media Center, ESL (English as Second Language) Puente, and the Counseling center.

LearningCenter: The Biology department has a learning center / computer lab in LHS 116. Tutoring for 131 is provided either by the professional tutor or former students. Graph drawing / report writing on the computers may be done there as well. You may use the CD’s from your text here, and do web research for your oral report. Tutoring can help anyone in the course. It can help you keep an already good grade in the class, and facilitate your studying. Please take advantage!!

Learning Disabilities: If you have any kind of learning or reading disability, please see me at the beginning of the semester. If you are working with a counselor to overcome a disability, ask your counselor to send me information on your special needs.

Grading: A single grade will be given for the entire course based on total points earned:

Lecture Exams (4 @ 100 pts.)...... 400

Final Exam (also low score replacement)...... 50

Laboratory Practical Exams (5 @65)...... 325

Laboratory quizzes (5 @ 10)...... 50

Seminar Report (extra credit up to 10)...... 0

Laboratory Projects ...... 140

Total Points Possible...... 965

Letter Grade / Per Cent / Estimated Points Needed*
A / > 90% / 869
B / 80% / 772
C / 70% / 676
D / 60% / 579
F / < 60% / 578 or less

Lab Projects:...... Points:Due date:

  1. Antibiotic Resistance Graph( 5 pts.)2/8
  2. Fungi Growth Graph( 5 pts.)2/25
  3. UC Botanical Garden report(10 pts.)3/4
  4. Plant Communities at Briones( 5 pts.)3/16
  5. Plant Growth Project (GA) Report(15 pts.)4/13
  6. Coast (BodegaBay) report(25 pts.)5/18
  7. Environmental Oral Report**:
  8. Start choosing topics 2/11
  9. Bibliography- Primary resource (10 pts.)3/22
  10. Written essay on topic (20 pts.)5/3
  11. Oral Presentation- Power Point(20 pts.)5/11,13,18
  12. LD50Graphs( 5 pts.)in lab
  13. Active Constructive Participation in Lab(20 pts.)all semester

Lab Projects Total:140 pts.

* The percent scale (90, 80, 70, 60) of the total points will be used for the grades.If complications causes assignments to be changed, the points estimated will change as well.

** To receive any credit for the sections preparing for the oral report, an oral report must actually be given in front of the class. ( i.e. No oral report, no credit for essay, biblio. etc.)

Date / Lecture- Lab Topic / Chapter
Jan 25 / Introduction, Darwin, Evolution / 1.2, 22
26 / Lab safety, Phylogeny, Evolution
27 / Prokaryotes / 27
28 / Proper use of Microscope Fungi set up: plate cultures
Feb 1 / Protist Origins and Diversity / 28
2 / Bacteriology: oil immersion lens Set up antibiotic test
3 / History of Life on Earth / 25
4 / Protista 1– Non-photosynthetic Finish antibiotic test
8 / Descent with Modification Antibiotic graph due / 22
9 / Protista 2-(Algae) Lab Quiz 1
10 / Microevolution / 23
11 / Lab Exam I Start taking Oral Report Topics
Feb. 15 / Holiday
16 / Fungi : Chytrids, Zygomycetes, Ascocmycetes
Set up: Fungi projects
17 / Exam I Chapters 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28
18 / Fungi : Ascocmycetes; Basidiomyctes, Lichens, Mycorrhizae
Finish: Fungi projects
22 / Speciation / 24
23 / Plant Diversity: Mosses and Ferns Set up: Plant dwarf peas
24 / Fungi / 31
25 / Plant Diversity: Seed Plants (Conifers and Angiosperms)
Fungi Graphs due; Lab Quiz 2
Sat 27 / Field trip: UC Botanical field trip (meet there at 9:00 or 11:30)
March 1 / Plants: Colonization of Land / 29
2 / No lab – UC Botanical Garden field trip compensation.
3 / Plants: Evolution of Seed plants / 30 (38)
4 / Lab Exam 2
UC Botanical Garden report due; Set up: Plant normal peas
March 8 / Transport in plants / 36
9 / Angiosperm Diversity: Floristics; Fruits
10 / Transport in plants / 36
11 / Field Trip: Meet at Briones park.
15 / Plant Structure (On exam 3) / 35
16 / Plant Anatomy: Primary Growth; Stems
Set up: plant growth experiments Briones report due
17 / Exam 2 Chapters ( 24, 29, 30, 31, 36)
18 / Plant Anatomy: Secondary Growth; Roots
22 / Plant growth regulation Oral Report Bibliography due / 39
23 / Structure Plant Anatomy: Anomalous growth, Leaves
24 / Plant growth regulation / 39
25 / Finish Plant Anatomy - Plant growth measurements
Lab Quiz 3
29 / Introduction to Animals / 32
30 / Lab Exam 3
31 / Invertebrates (lab mostly) , Vertebrates / 33, 34
April 1 / Animal Diversity: Sponge, Hydra, Planaria
4-9 / Spring Break
12 / Animals: Vertebrates / Human evolution / 34
13 / Animal Diversity: Nematode, Rotifer, Earthworm
Plant growth (GA) experiment due
14 / Behavioral Biology / 51
15 / Finish Animals thru Annelida Video: Signs and Signals
Lab Quiz 4
19 / Intro to Ecology – Climate & Biomes (on exam 4) / 52
20 / Lab Exam 4
21 / Exam 3 Chapters 32, 33, 34, 35, 39, 51
22 / Animal Diversity: Clam, Squid, Crayfish
April 26 / Intro to Ecology- Climate & Biomes / 52
27 / Insect Diversity – ID Insect orders Grasshopper dissection
28 / Population Ecology / 53
29 / Animal Diversity: Sea Stars, Lancelets, Vertebrates
Power Point info.
May 3 / Population Ecology Environmental Essays due / 53
4 / No lab (Bodega Bay Field Trip Compensation)
5 / Community Ecology / 54
6 / Human Evolution Skull models measurements Video: Human Evolution
10 / Ecosystems Ecology / 55
11 / Environmental Oral Reports Set up: Toxicology: LD 50's
12 / Ecosystems Ecology / 55
13 / Environmental Oral Reports
Finish: Toxicology: LD 50 graphs
Sat 14 or Sun 15 Bodega Bay Field trip
17 / Conservation Last Seminar reports due / 56
18 / Environmental Oral Reports Bodega Bay Report Due
Video: Empty Oceans Empty Nets Lab Quiz 5
19 / Exam 4 Chaps 52, 53, 54, 55, 56
20 / Lab exam 5
24 / Final Exam 8:00 – 10:00 Required (50 pts) , and may replaces either missed lecture exam or lowest lecture exam score (100 pts.).

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