Biology 41Contemporary Biology Spring 2008Dr. Elizabeth NashEmail: [email protected], Required Text: Krogh, D. 2007. A Brief Guide to Biology. The text is available through the bookstore or online. There are earlier editions of Krogh, although not in the brief form. You may use these, but of course the page citations and chapters will not be the same. Good sources for used texts are half.com, Amazon or ebay. Aida’s University Texts on Bellflower may carry it also. You also have the option of buying an online text. Krogh is available is the long form or the short form with physiology from the Coursesmart.com textbook site. A 150 day access to the books cost around $55.00 to $60.00. Materials: 4-Scantron #886 mini-bluebooks, writing implements, your brain, notetaking paraphernaliaCourse Content and Objectives: This course is a discussion of the general concepts of modern life science, the same basic concepts that govern our lives. Although we seem to exist in a concrete-covered world, driven by the demands of modern existence, our lives and surroundings are really a wonder to behold. Many of the phenomena we experience daily have their roots in the topics discussed in this class. Sure, it’s a science class, but that doesn’t mean you’ll bebored to tears, or have to memorize countless factoids. You will have to take a scientist’s view of our surroundings. What you get from this class will be determined by what you put into it.Grading:4 tests at 100 points each: 400In class activities 100Reading notebook 1001 field trip and report: 50Total points possible: 650Letter grades will be assigned as follows:A=90%=585B=80%=520C=68%=440D=60%=390F=below 60%=389 and belowTestsThe tests will take various forms. The tests will be a combination of multiple choice and short answer essay questions. Sample tests will be put in D214 one week before the test. See below for test schedule. If you miss a test, and want the option of taking a make up test, you must e-mail me before the start of the test. Make-ups will be taken on the same day as Test 4, unless otherwise arranged with Dr. Nash. See me for the time. All tests will count; lowest score willnot be thrown out. All tests must be taken or a grade of F will be assigned.In-class ActivitiesThese activities will include video worksheets, an organism study and unannounced pop quizzes.Reading NotebooksIn my experience, most people have no idea that life science articles and related materials are published everyday. That’s going to change. All students will compile a reading notebook. Ten articles from newspapers or popular literature (non-technical magazines) will be read and a brief 100 word summary provided. The following must be included in the article summaries:- Summary of the major points of the article- Identification of bias—did the author have an identifiable bias, was the article one-sided, was the author totally nuts- Your personal reaction—why did you choose this article, did you learn anything, would you recommend this article.See the attached form at the end of the syllabus for the Reading Notebook guidelines. Reading notebooks will be submitted in two installments. See schedule for due dates.Field TripThe field trip is a fun and educational assignment. This is where we experience living things; we take our class out of the book and the classroom and experiencethings in the wild. You can go anywhere that things are alive. It’s fun to go with others in the class. Examples include, but are not restricted to:- Whale Watching: early spring ($$$) - El Dorado Nature Center in Long Beach- Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro- Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve- Aquarium of the Pacific- Monterey Bay Aquarium- Scripps La Jolla Aquarium- San Diego, Santa Ana, Orange County or Los Angeles Zoos- Huntington Library and Botanic Garden in San Marino- South Coast Botanic Garden in Torrance- National or state parks (surfing at Bolsa Chica doesn’t count)Field trip submittals must include the following:- Your name- Identification of the site you visited- One paragraph discussion (definition) of biodiversity- Brief description of the facility- Identification of the five exhibits you found most interesting and why- Photo of you inside the facility and your ticket or parking stub.The field trip report is not a group assignment. Although you may go as a group, each student must submit their own original paper. Don’t plagiarize, don’t cheat. I don’t expect to read identical papers. All submittals must be word-processed, spell checked, 12-point font, 1 inch margins and stapled. Please, no report covers. Check below for due date.Assignment Due Dates:Field trip: April 24, 2008Reading Notebook: March 20 and May 8, 2008All assignments may be turned in before the due date. No late projects are accepted.My viewI love the material presented in this class and I love teaching it. Although I don’t expect every student to enjoy the material as much as I do, I hope that all students maintain an open mind and at the least be respectful of the many views that will undoubtedly be presented throughout the class. If you have a question, ask it. Feel free to contribute to the conversation. College instructors have a different role than do high school teachers. We guide your learning through lectures and encourage independent fact gathering with the use of textbooks andassignments. The student is responsible for learning. You chose to come to college, make the most of it.Attendance Policy: I follow the College’s attendance policy; refer to the catalog or the website for details. It is common sense: you’ll do better if you attend. Life does interfere andthe accepted College policy takes this into consideration. If you are going to be absent for a test or an assignment, I must be notified ahead of time by e-mail... Arrangements for make-ups and late submittals will be arranged, only if there arevalid reasons for which you can provide documentation. If you run into trouble of some sort during the semester, let me now. It is easier to deal with problems earlier than later. I do not drop students; dropping is the student’s responsibility.Extra Credit:Extra credit will take the form of extra articles in the reading notebook. The extra articles must be identified as such and appear