Biology 1082
General Biology for Educators
Spring 2013
Instructor: Dr. Rudi Thompson, Associate Professor
Office Hours: Tuesdays: 2:00 – 3:00 pm;
Thursdays: 9:30 – 11:30 am.
Office: EESAT 310D Office Phone: 940-891-6713 email:
This class meets in the GAB, #104,
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 8:00-9:20 am
1) There are three (2) choices for the Required Text. Students may select:
A. (Paperback) Biology Science for life/Physiology, 4th Edition, with
Mastering Biology
Belk & Borden Maier
ISBN# 0321767586
OR
B. (Loose-leaf/a-la-carte) Biology Science for Life/ Physiology, 4th
Edition with Mastering Biology
Belk & Borden Maier
ISBN #0321774329
1) REQUIRED Technology: Turning Point Clicker
ISBN# 9781934931400
2) REQUIRED Laboratory Manual: The Scope of Biology: From Cells to Ecosystems, Thompson, Neugent, King, & Piccolo.
ISBN# 978-0-7575-4428-6
Recommended Text: Life On Earth Student Study Guide, 5th Edition, Sonja Stampfler & Ruthanne Thompson, ISBN# 0131755390.
Course Description:
Biology 1082 is a general biology course designated for elementary and middle school education majors for certification in laboratory science. Note: This course may not be used to satisfy the laboratory science requirement for majors in the College of Arts and Sciences. The objectives of the course are to:
ü Aid students in developing a meaningful and functional command of key biological concepts.
ü Aid students in understanding the interrelationships among all living things.
ü Help students develop more positive attitudes about science.
ü Increase student’s confidence in their ability to do science (efficacy).
ü Provide students with a problem-solving environment in order to create insight into the nature of science.
ü Explore alternative conceptions of scientific phenomena.
Course Rationale
Under state accreditation guidelines elementary and 4-8 generalist education programs are required to prepare future teachers to teach science. UNT requires an elementary major Interdisciplinary Studies student to take a minimum of 4 sciences and a 4th-8th Generalist to take a minimum of 5 sciences. In both cases, Biol. 1082 meets this requirement. This course has been specifically designed to prepare future elementary teachers to teach life science at the K-5 levels with references to state and national benchmarks for scientific literacy.
Goals
Students will:
1. Become familiar with the TEKS and STAAR related to the life sciences.
2. Begin to understand the importance of the life sciences for children.
3. Recognize the process of doing science, rather than memorizing a body of facts.
4. Gain a better understanding of what biological concepts are the most important for children to learn; and
5. Reflect upon how one learns biology as a preservice teacher and the implications of these reflections on how it would be /should be /is taught to children.
Instructional Methods and Activities
BIOL 1082 meets twice per week for lecture and one time per week for lab. This class may have a different format from what many of you may have come to expect from previous experiences. The class will consist of a variety of the following: lectures, class discussions, clicker questions, working in small groups, and homework. While this is not a methods class, the point of learning the life sciences within the context of your career is so that you can begin to practice how you will be expected to teach science in a K-8 classroom.
Policies and Procedures
Attendance and participation:
Attendance and participation in class activities is highly recommended for all students. The discussions and group activities scheduled for class times are an essential part of your professional preparation. There will be in-class activities for which attendance will be required.
Disability Accommodations:
The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at http://www.unt.edu/oda. You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.”
Academic Misconduct:
Any student suspected of, or caught in the act of, cheating will receive a grade of zero for the assignment and the matter will be turned over to the Office of Student Development.
Course Requirements
Students will be evaluated on the basis of class attendance and participation, homework, laboratory work, and three exams as follows:
Exams = 45%
In Class and Online Activities = 25%
Laboratory grade = 30%
ü Exams – there will be three (3) exams given during the semester. The exams will include short answer; fill in the blank; matching, and multiple-choice questions. The exams will be less focused on discrete facts and more focused on conceptual understanding.
o Students MAY have the opportunity to re-take ONE exam for the semester. This could be done to replace a missed exam or to attempt to improve a grade on one of the first 2 exams. Students will be required to sign up for the re-takes and they will only be offered during dead week.
ü In Class and Online Activities – there will be activities that will be conducted in the classroom, (at least three of which will be graded) and there will be six (6) that will be conducted online. In addition, there will be opportunities to earn bonus points using the interactive Clickers during class.
ü Laboratory work – the laboratory portion of this course is critical and constitutes 30% of the overall grade. A student must pass both the laboratory portion and the lecture portion of the course in order to receive a passing grade for the class.
ü Extra Credit – there MAY be a variety of possible extra credit opportunities including, but not limited to:
o Clicker questions (added to test points)
o Family Fun Science Saturday event(s)
o Volunteering at the Elm Fork Education Center
TRiO Tutoring Opportunities
Located in Highland Hall, #201
Services:
· Free Tutoring
· Academic and Career Guidance
· Study Skills Assistance
· Financial Aid and Scholarship Assistance
· Graduate School Advising
· Peer Mentoring
Resources
· Book lending library
· Computer lab
· Free Co-curricular social/cultural programming
· Incentives, monetary incentives and give-a-ways
Eligibility Criteria
· Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
· Have academic need, and
· Qualify under one or more of the following categories:
1. Have parents or guardians who do not have a four year college degree.
2. Have economic need (as established by the U.S. Department of Education.
3. Have a diagnosed learning or physical disability.