Semester & Year: Fall 2009 Instructor: Cynthia Littlejohn
Course Number: BSC 103Phone: 601-266-5796
Course Name: Biology & SocietyEmail:
Class Meeting Time: MW 2:00 – 3:15Office: 135 WSB
Office hours: MW 12:30 -1:30; F 12:30 -2:00 or by appointment
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Biology and Society is an introductory course whose lectures are designed to acquaint the student with the scientific method and the basic concepts of biology. Because it is a course designed for non-majors, special emphasis is placed on concepts essential for understanding important issues such as evolution, biotechnology, and environmental biology. This course satisfies the general education curriculum requirement for laboratory sciences (Category IV) and cannot be taken in combination with BSC 110 or 111 to meet the general education curriculum requirement. This course is not counted toward a major in Biological Sciences.
I.COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Students will develop and demonstrate:
• Knowledge of the methods, basic data, ideas, and scope of the natural sciences
• Understanding of contemporary issues and concerns in biology
• Suitable reading, writing, and other communication skills
• Fundamental mathematical and computer skills (exercised in lab)
• Capacity for intellectual independence and analytical thought
• Understanding of people as moral agents
II.TEXT/MATERIALS:
The text for the course is Life on Earth. 5th ed.by Audesirk, Audesirk, & Byers. This text is required. You should have your own personal copy. There is a recommended study guide to accompany the text if you purchase a used copy.
III.GRADES: The course grade consists of scores on scheduled exams and weekly class assignments. There is also a required class project that will serve to meet the writing requirement of this general education core course. Weekly assignments may be in the form of quizzes, worksheets or out of class assignments.The lowest quiz grade (not exam grade) will be dropped. Homework or out of class assignments may NOT be used for the drop grade. No assignments will be accepted late even with an excuse.I do not accept unstapled assignments. Please invest in a stapler. All of the exams will be non-comprehensive. Due to the large class size exam questions will consist of matching, multiple choice, labeling, and short answer. You will need a scantron for each exam. If your scantron is so damaged it can not pass through the machine, your exam will not be graded. Come prepared for each exam/quiz. Make sure you have a pencil, eraser, tissues or any other materials. Each exam will be worth 16.7% of your grade. The cumulative total of your quiz/assignment grades will be worth 16.7% of your grade and the project will be worth 16.7% of your grade. Grades will be computed based on the following scale: 89-100% -A; 79-88% -B; 69-78% -C; 59-68% -D; 0- 58% -F. I can not discuss grades by phone or email. You must come see me in person to receive any information about your class standing.
IV.ATTENDANCE: Although student attendance will not be monitored, coming to class is strongly recommended. Do not cut beyond you means. It is also recommended you read the appropriate topic before coming to class. Be on time. Do notdisrespect your fellow students and the instructor by coming in late and causing a disruption. If you arrive late for an exam or quiz, you will not be allowed to take it. Late is defined as after the instructor has finished passing out the exam or quiz. If you are late do not come in and argue your case. See me after class to discuss a make-up. Do not leave in the middle of a lecture unless you have made a prior arrangement with the instructor. This is rude and distracting. If you leave after a quiz you will not get credit for that quiz. No MP3 players are allowed in class. No cell phones are allowed in class.No sending text messages during class. This is rude and distracting. If your phone rings during any exam you will be asked to surrender your exam andleave. Excessive disruptive behavior (leaving during lecture, talking, texting) may be rewarded with a pop quiz.
V.MISSED EXAMS OR ASSIGNMENTS: If a student misses an exam; averified excuse must be obtained from the Assistant to Vice President of Student Affairs in Union 219. Your documentation must be submitted to the VP of student affairs within one week of the date of the absence. The make-up exam must be scheduled no more than one week after the original exam was given.Only 1 exam can be made up. If a student misses more than one exam, a grade of 0 will be given on all but the 1st exam. An exam can only be made up if the student has the proper excuse. There is no make-up for the final exam. The only course of action for a missed final exam is an incomplete for the semester. Make-up exams may be in a different format than regularly scheduled exams. Assignments/quizzes may not be made up.If a quiz was missed it will be the drop grade for that student.No out of class assignments will be accepted late even with an excuse.
VI. LAST DAY TO DROP:The last day to drop the course without academic penalty isWednesday, September 30th. The university’s policy of withdraw is strictly enforced. If a student drops a course after the deadline a grade of WP or WF is assigned. This grade will be shown on the transcript and affect the GPA. I will not sign withdraw forms after the date unless there are extreme extenuating circumstances.These extenuating circumstances DO NOT include failing the course or finding out it is not required.A student who receives an incomplete is required to make up missed assignments during the next semester he or she is enrolled. If you fail to complete the work the following semester, the incomplete will automatically become an F on your transcript.
VII.STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Office for Disability Accommodations;118 College Drive # 8586Hattiesburg, MS39406; Tel. (601) 266-5024; Fax (601)266-6035. Students with hearing impairments can use the Mississippi Relay Service at 1-800-582-2233 or email Suzy Hebert at .
VIII. CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM: Students are encouraged to study and work in groups, but cheating and/or plagiarism of another student’s work or any other source are expressly forbidden (see the code of student conduct in your student handbook). The minimum academic penalty is a grade of zero on the assignment or the examination in question. All class assignments will be assessed with plagiarism detecting software to ensure academic integrity. This software will recognize and flag papers generated by cutting and pasting from Web materials, previously submitted papers by other students at this and other participating institutions, papers purchased from commercial databases, and material from library subscription databases.Do not wear hats on exam or quiz days. Do not bring beverages or food on exam or quiz days. Do not have your cell phone or other electronic devices in sight on exam or quiz days. If your cell phone goes off during an exam you will be asked to leave. When you finish a quiz please sit quietly until the rest of the class has finished. After an exam please exit quietly to minimize the distraction. If you leave the room during an exam you may not return to complete that exam.
IX.ONLINE MATERIALS: Information about the course, including printable lecture notes, should be obtained from the following web site: http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w536943 Click on courses, then choose the appropriate link (BSC 103).Check this website frequently for assignments. Print notes and review them before each lecture. Notes are not intended to replace attendance in lecture. Students are also responsible for all material discussed in class, as well as the material covered in the assigned chapters of the textbook. If you miss class, you are responsible for checking the website for any assignments.
X.CLASS NUMBERS: Each student will be assigned a class number during the 1st quiz. It is your responsibility to remember this class number and put it on all work for the semester (exams, quizzes, homework, and extra credit). I will deduct points from all work turned in with no class number on it. If you do not take the 1st quiz, see me for a class number. I will not have these numbers with me in class once I assign them. If you forget or misplace your number, you must come by my office to obtain your number.
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TopicReading Assignment(chapter)
Introduction/ Syllabus
Life on Earth1
Molecules and Membranes2-3
Cells and Energy Flow4-5
Photosynthesis and Respiration6-7
EXAM 1
DNA and Gene Expression8 – 9
Cell Division10
Inheritance11
Biotechnology 12
Evolution13 & 14 (234-245)
History of Life on Earth15
EXAM 2
Diversity and Taxonomy / Systematics14 (245–246)16 (282–287)
Archaea, Bacteria, and “Protists” 16 (287–297)
Fungi and Lichens16 (297–300)
Plants16 (300–304), 17, 18
Animals16 (304–319)
19 25 (493-496)(505-506)
EXAM 3
Animal Behavior26
Populations27
Communities28
Ecosystems29
Climate and Biomes30
FINAL EXAM
Pertinent dates:
September 7Labor Day Holiday No Classes
September 25First 5 articles/synopses due
September 30Last Day to Drop
October 8- 9 Fall Break Holiday No Classes
November 25-27Thanksgiving Holiday No Classes
December 2FINAL EXAM(regularly scheduled class time)
Extra Credit
Each student may complete 2 of the following suggested projects for 10 points of extra credit for each project(only one project per student may be a movie review). Each project summary should be at least 2 pages, typed, double spaced, Times New Roman 12 point font with 1.0 inch page margins at top, bottom and both sides.
1. Watch the movie GATTACA; summarize the content and discuss the ideas presented relating to
bioethics.
2. Watch the movie an Inconvenient Truth; summarize the content and discuss the ecological
impacts of global warming.
3. Read the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and write a summary including a discussion about
the environmental movement.
4. Prepare a research article outlining the pros and cons of stem cell research including discussions
regarding bioethics.
5. Prepare a research article outlining the pros and cons of immunizations including discussions
regarding potential links to neurological damages and disease.
Extra credit may be turned in at any time during the semester, but no more projects will be accepted after November 20, 2009.
There will also be extra credit available in the form of bonus questions included on each exam. There will be no other opportunity for extra credit in this course.
Class Project
Each student will prepare a collection of 25 print media articles (e.g., from a magazine, newspaper) related to the biological sciences. Articles from online sources are acceptable, but may not make up more than one of the articles per topic. The collection of articles must represent the range of scientific activity in the biological sciences. This range of activity is reflected in the textbook and the syllabus, which includes the following five topics:Inheritance & Genetics, Evolution, Ecology, Organismal Biology and Molecular Biology. Organize your collection of articles accordingly (i.e., 5 articles per topic category).
You should collect five articles in each topic, and then organize your collection of 25 total articles by category. Clearly, you may find some articles that could fit into more than one category; choose one. You will have no trouble finding articles in non-scientific print media sources, whether newspapers or magazines. Articles from scientific journals (e.g., Nature, American Journal of Botany) and science magazines (e.g., Scientific American, Science News, Discovery) are not to be included. Articles should come from a wide variety of sources. A project with all articles from a single source or just a couple of sources will receive less credit. Length of articles may vary from a single column in thenewspaper to several pages in a magazine.
Collect and organize your articles in a 3-ring binder. Include with your set of articles the following:
(1) Typed cover sheet that includes your name, course title, and semester.
(2) Typed table of contents(list of article titles grouped according to topic)
(3) Articles (or copies, if you can’t rip up the dentist’s magazine), each followed by:
(4) Typed page with (a) title of article, (b) source of article (e.g., Hattiesburg American, 16 Jan. 2006, pp. A6-A7; Rolling Stone, June 2005, p. 18), and (c) a synopsis that paraphrases the article, including the main point of the article and your thoughts on the subject. The length of your synopsis should be one-third a page to a whole page, double-spaced, at 12-point Times New Roman font with title and source at top on two lines.
Your cover sheet and five articles and synopses are due on Sept. 25,2009. These should be in the correct format and placed in the binder. No table of contents is needed. These will be corrected for grammar and content to improve your writing skills. If the assignment is turned in on time, you will receive full credit. These synopses should be included in your final project, along with your corrected and re-written version (so that I can see how you improved).
The final project is dueon November 20, 2009.Final assignments not in 3-ring binder will not be accepted.Evaluation of your project, which represents 16.7% of your course grade, is based on the following scheme:
First Assignment
10 On-time delivery (5 articles/synopses and cover sheet in binder)
Final Assignment
25 Having 25 Articles, 5 in each subject area
25 Synopsis (including title and source) composed of original thoughts not simply re-written articles
10 Grammar, spelling
10 Variationof sources(no more than 1 article per source per category)
10 Inclusion of corrected copies from first assignment
5 Title Page (with student number) and Table of Contents
5 Neatness (materials neatly organized in a 3-ring binder not loose in a folder)