1 Course Syllabus BIO 110 - INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY – FALL 2011 LECTURE: JM 219; TUESDAY & THURSDAY 9:00 AM – 10:27 AM LAB: JM 135; TUESDAY OR THURSDAY 10:30 AM – 12:30 AM Course Description: Students will investigate the nature of science and critically analyze scientific data and current biological issues. Basic biological concepts including cell structure and function, molecular biology, biotechnology, nutrient cycles, and evolution are presented in the context of current issues. This course is designed for non-science majors. This course includes a laboratory component. Prerequisites: ENG 085 or 090, and MTH 098 Course Objectives: Students successfully completing this course should be able to: - Describe the nature of science and how it is a self correcting process. - Identify cell structures and describe their functions. - Explain the origin of cancer cells and factors affecting their growth. - Understand the basic structure and function of DNA. - Give examples of how biotechnology is applied and describe basic procedures. - Understand the mechanisms of evolutionary change and how evolution differs from non-scientific explanations. - Understand the factors affecting global warming and other human impacts on the environment Instructor: Jon F. Powell; Ph.D. Office: 136b Phone: (517) 796-8599 e-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 10:00AM – 12:00PM Tuesday & Thursday 1:00PM – 3:00 PM Required Text: Biology: Dimensions of Life, Presson & Jenner Biology 110 Lab Manual Course Web Site: tinyurl.com/blfvo Instructors Statement: The main focus of this course is to improve scientific literacy. Many students fail to see the relevance of science in their lives. To address this, this course will approach science from current topics that you should be able to relate to in your life. We will then need to learn some biology to understand these topics. Although this is an introductory course, do not think that makes it an easy or blow-off course. Do not think introductory should mean “easy”, introductory simply means that it does not require background knowledge in biology. You will be required to do a fair amount of reading, writing, and critical thinking. This will require you to put in time studying and working on class materials. By the end of2 this course you should develop a lifelong skill to be able to critically consider and investigate scientific information. Expectations & Guidelines for Success: o Attend all classes and arrive on time o When you have an unavoidable absences, contact the instructor for missed assignments o Read the assigned chapters, either before or after lecture. This will help reinforce the topics covered. o Study class materials for at least 2 hours outside of class for each hour in class. o Participate in class discussions. o Participate in group study sessions, this can be the most effective form of learning for many students o Do not hesitate to contact the instructor about concerns you may have with the class. o Make use of the instructor’s office hours. Grading: Your final grade for the course will comprise both lecture (75%) and lab (25%) components. Lecture - Tests: In class tests may consist of multiple choice, matching, fill-in, short answer, application, problem solving, and essay. Your lowest test score for the semester will be dropped when calculating your final grade (final exam cannot be dropped). This policy will not apply in cases of academic dishonesty. Tests will include information from lecture, metric system, and discussion papers. - Quizzes, activities, and homework may also be assigned. You must be present for in-class activities to receive credit. - Discussion: Discussion reading assignments will be assigned periodically throughout the semester. The papers will be assigned for you to critically read and provide written feedback. Discussion papers MUST be typed and will be graded on both content and grammar (typically 15 pts per assignment). Responses to each question should be in paragraph format. The papers will only be accepted if they are turned in either before or within the first 5 minutes of the start of lecture class the week they are due. Papers may be submitted to me electronically, however, if your documents do not arrive due to technical difficulties the work will not be accepted. You will be required to prepare 2 copies of your assignment, one to turn in, and another to have during class discussion. If you miss a discussion assignment, you may do one make-up by doing a review of an article from the magazine Scientific American (on-line3 articles are not acceptable). The article you choose to review must be longer than 2 pages. The review will be a minimum of 2 pages typed and provide a review of the article as well as your personal perspective. You must include proper citation of the article you are reviewing to receive credit. Lab: Points will be awarded for each lab whether they are collected for grading or not. The instructor will inform you if the lab is to be collected prior to the end of lab. Labs not collected for grading will be submitted to the instructor prior to the end of lab and will receive up to 5 points. Labs that are collected will be graded out of 10 points and scored on content. Four lab quizzes will be assigned over the semester. The lab quizzes will cover the material related to the lab activities and concepts. Each quiz will be worth 25 points. Missed lab quizzes cannot be made up, however, the lowest lab quiz will be dropped. Grading Scale: The grading scale will be as followed pending further notice and grades will be rounded to the nearest percent. Grades will be curved at the instructor’s discretion, and will only be applied if it will improve grades. Percent Grade Percent Grade Percent Grade 90 - 100% 4.0 75 – 79 % 2.5 60 – 64 % 1.0 85 – 89 % 3.5 70 – 74 % 2.0 55 – 59 % 0.5 80 – 84 % 3.0 65 – 69 % 1.5 Note: Extra credit will not be given/accepted under any circumstance. Rather time should be taken to learn the concepts central to the topics being covered in class. Absences & Arriving to Class Late: Although you will not be graded on attendance, it is an important factor to your learning and success in this course. In the case of an absence you are encouraged to get the notes