Biology 22 Information Sheet
Fall 2009
Instructors:
Dr. Andres Durstenfeld (Dr. D.), Office LS 103B, Phone 646-4103.
email:
Dr. Kevin Raskoff, Office LS 203B, Phone 646-4132
email:
Student Learning Outcomes for Biology 22:
SLO #1- Understand how science provides a basis for interpreting Nature and understanding species diversity and distribution.
SLO #2- Appreciate the path of evolutionary thought from Darwin, to Neodarwinism (the Modern Synthesis), to a modern evolutionary synthesis informed by molecular and developmental biology.
SLO #3- Recognize phylogenetic relationships that exist between and among major taxa and how these inform our understanding of evolution.
SLO #4- Understand the fundamentals of ecological theory from the individual to the biosphere, and the mechanisms that structure species interactions and form ecological patterns.
Course Description:
Biology 22 (Concepts in Biology II) is the second course of a two semester biology series for students interested in transferring to 4-year colleges and universities as biology majors. Its purpose is to provide a fundamental understanding of principles and concepts relating to evolution and ecology and to develop a basic knowledge of biodiversity ranging across all modern taxa. This course is a requirement for transfer students in Biology and/or for those interested in pursuing careers in biological research, in education, in industry, and as physicians, dentists, pharmacists, veterinarians or other allied health professions.
It is not uncommon for students to enroll in this course prior to taking Biology 21. For those students lacking prior experience in Biology, or who do not feel confident with the subject, having taken it in the distant past, we recommend you consider taking Biology 10 before enrolling in the Biology 21/22 series. Because there is a great deal of overlap in the content of these courses, the Bio 10 experience can improve your chances of success with the major’s series.
Instruction:
The first two thirds of the lecture component of this course covers the fundamentals of evolution, the origin of life and biodiversity, including an extensive overview of major taxonomic groups among the five kingdoms. Both instructors will participate in delivering this material, with Dr. Raskoff delivering most of the material on animal evolution and diversity, and Dr. D covering the evolution of the other four kingdoms. During the last five weeks of the course Dr. Raskoff will utilize these Evolution and Biodiversity concepts as background to present a final component covering Ecology and Behavior. Along the way these lectures and labs will be interspersed with current topics in marine science and environmental biology that relate specifically to the Monterey Bay.
Lab technicians:
Beth Benoit: Responsible for setting up the organisms for dissection and study. Beth is an especially great resource when it comes to plant dissection and identification.
Karen Warburton: Mostly responsible for the equipment and technology used in the field portion of the course. Karen oversees our computer lab and has a strong background in computers and the use of technology in field monitoring.
Office Hours: Office hours will be posted on our office doors during the first week of classes.
Learning Objectives: Throughout the course we will try to provide you with daily outlines and lists of study questions or learning objectives that you should review and master using your lecture notes and the textbook.
Required books:
1. Campbell, Biology, 7th or 8th editions, Benjamin Cummings Publishing.
2. Van De Graaff, A Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory, Morton Press
3. There is also an optional dictionary of biological terms available in the bookstore.
4. A self-published lab manual that uses an integrative approach to learning is in the final editorial stages and will be distributed to you for free on a weekly basis.
Grading:
Letter Grade-Your grade in this course will be determined by the number of points you accumulate during the semester in both lab and lecture. During lab graded assignments will include frequent quizzes, two large lab practical exams and other assignments and projects. This part of the course will account for about 40% of your grade. The lecture portion of the course will account for the balance of your grade and will result from three midterm exams and a comprehensive final exam. In order to make a grade of A, you must have 90% or more of the total possible points. 80 to 89% for a B. 65% to 79% for a C. 50% to 64% for a D and less than 50% will earn you an F. THERE WILL BE NO EXTRA CREDIT.
Credit/No Credit- This course cannot be taken for credit/no credit grading status.
Drop or Withdrawal from the course:
If you decide to drop Bio 22, here is the correct procedure:
1. Come and talk to Dr. D. or Dr. Raskoff before you file any paperwork. We may be able to help you succeed. Don't walk away from the class without first asking for assistance.
2. If we decide jointly that a drop is in your best interests, go to the Office of Admissions and Records and submit a drop form. We do not have to sign it.
Drop Date: In order to get no record on your transcript you must drop by Sept. 18 by 2:30pm.
Withdraw Date: The last day to drop and get a W on your record is Nov 17 by 5:00pm. If you wait until close to end of the semester to try to make these changes, or just disappear, you’ll probably end up receiving an F. Do not assume that if you stop attending class we will drop you automatically!
Incomplete Grade:
A grade of "I" will be assigned only under the most extraordinary circumstances and must be made up within one year or the grade will revert to an "F."
Attendance:
Lectures are scheduled three days a week (MWF) and lab meets twice a week (TTh) either in the morning or in the afternoon. Attendance to both lecture and lab components of the course is required for successful completion of the course. Further, as a courtesy to the instructor and your classmates, and so that you don’t miss any of the course material or announcements, we ask that you please arrive to class or lab on time. MPC has changed its class start times, now they start on the hour, and end 10 minutes before. We plan to begin lecture promptly at 1:00 and will end at 1:50. Attendance will be taken during lab sessions. If you miss three labs in a row without notifying either one of the instructors, you may be dropped from the course. Lab will begin meeting on Tuesday, August 26.
Making up missed work:Please try not to miss any class or lab sessions unless your circumstances make this unavoidable, e.g., personal illness of family crisis. If you are unable to come to a lecture, make arrangements to get notes from a classmate. If you can anticipate an absence on the day of an exam, please let one of us know ahead of time so that a makeup exam can be scheduled. If illness prevents you from attending class or lab on the day of an exam it is up to you to call us prior to the start of the exam period. Failure to notify either instructor of your planned or unplanned absence prior to the beginning of the exam period will result in forfeiture of your opportunity for a makeup and a score of zero on the exam. To ensure fairness to all class members, any absences require legitimate verification (e.g., a note from physician). If you miss a lab, call the instructor and ask about making up the work. In most cases making up a lab activity is not possible because either live specimens are ordered for use on a particular day, or we as a group go out to work at field sites. Consequently, it is important that you make every effort to attend labs on the day they are scheduled.
Exams:
The lecture exams will be a combination of a multiple choice/objective format to be described in more detail later on, and a few short answer and/or essay questions. In lecture there will be three midterm exams worth 100 points each and a final exam worth about 200 points. The lab work will be worth 300 points.
Cheating and plagiarism:
Any cheating on exams will result in a zero for that exam. If you turn in lab work that is not your own, you will get a zero for that assignment. All incidents of cheating or plagiarism will be referred to the Vice President of Student Services.
Language and Learning Challenges:
If English is not your first language, please speak with one of us at the beginning of the semester. If you cannot understand the lectures, or if they go too fast, consider taping them. You can always ask us to slow down. Also, if you have any kind of learning disability or impairment, please speak with one of us early in the semester. There may be help available at MPC to allow you to master the course material more easily. If you are working with a counselor at MPC, please ask your counselor to send the instructors information on your specific needs. We will work closely with you to help you succeed.
Physical Disabilities:
If you have a physical disability or chronic health problem that interferes with your class work or ability to fully participate in laboratory activities, please come see either one of us. We will try to provide whatever assistance or support you may need in order to succeed.
10 STEPS FOR SUCCESS IN BIOLOGY 22:
Our goal as your instructors is to try to help you to learn and to bring you as much success as possible. However, this task also requires a great deal of commitment and effort on the part of the student. We recommend that you develop a study system that you can adhere to on a weekly basis and that includes the following 10 elements:
1. Attend lecture and labs faithfully and please be on time. Getting notes from a friend or simply reading the textbook is not a substitute for attending lectures. Often, if you miss the first 5 minutes of class, you may find yourself struggling to understand the rest of the lecture.
2. Take careful and thorough notes in class and ask questions whenever you are unclear about what was presented. We would be much happier if our classroom sessions more closely resembled a dialog between us than a sermon on the mount. If you have trouble keeping up bring along a tape recorder; this should not be a substitute for note taking, these can be very useful when used properly.
3. Do the assigned readings and use your textbook to supplement your own notes. We especially recommend that you study the figures in your text. We will frequently refer to these in lecture, knowing that you have copies of these and can review them on your own.
4. Organize, revise and review your lecture notes on the day they are presented and regularly in the days that follow. Seek immediate help if you find areas that need clarification. At the end of each week of class you should have a complete and well-organized set of notes that you fully understand and can then sit down with and review on the weekend.
5. Make use of the Study Question/Learning Objective sheets provided at each lecture or with each unit. These should help you to prioritize the course information and identify the major concepts from the details.
6. Form study groups that meet your schedule and learning style and formalize a weekly meeting schedule. Working in small groups of 2-4 people can become an effective system for clarifying difficult subject areas, for reviewing course material, and for quizzing each other prior to exams. Larger sized groups tend to be less productive than smaller groups.
7. Don't fall behind. While other courses may allow you to succeed by cramming the night before an exam, that strategy will not work when studying biology. The volume of material, the pace of the course, and the fact that the material from one day lays the foundation for understanding the next day requires that you keep up on a daily basis.
8. Try to learn for the long-term and seek to identify and understand concepts rather than simply memorizing facts. Science is a deductive process; hence, understanding concepts and ideas should enable you to make predictions as you ponder and explore new topics and areas of interest.
9. Remember the 3:1 rule and be sure to budget a sufficient amount of time to this course.
10. Finally, make regular (not last minute) use of our office hours.
Let us remind you once again that our goal is that you find success with this subject and in your future academic and professional endeavors. We guarantee that the efforts you extend to adopt the above strategies will ensure your success long after you’ve completed Biology 22. Commit yourselves to work hard in the weeks ahead; the payoff will be worth it. Good luck and have fun!
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