Riverside Community College Course Syllabus Biology 1 Laboratory: Spring 2010 Course Code: 32059 Course Hours and Location: Tuesday 8:10 am-11:33 am IT 128 Instructor: Corrie Canaday email: [email protected] Website: http://faculty.rcc.edu/canaday Required: Lab Manual for Bio1 purchased at campus bookstore, colored pencils and pink parscore form (full sheet). Recommended Resources: These are resources that will be beneficial to you as you progress through the material. Dr. G’s website http://faculty.rcc.edu/gutierrez-monica Dr. Friedrich Finnern’s website http://faculty.rcc.edu/friedrichfinnern Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory by Van De Graaff Get Ready for Biology by Garrett Classroom Policies: Lab attendance is mandatory. The schedule does change weekly therefore you will not be able to make up missed labs. After two (2) consecutive absences, you may be dropped from the lab class. Without the lab class, you may not stay enrolled in the lecture course. Your lab manual is your ticket into class. Photocopies of labs or labs conducted on lined paper will not be accepted by the instructor. Please purchase the lab manual prior to class. You are expected to read the lab experiment prior to coming to class. You will not have enough time to read and conduct the experiment otherwise. Lab reports are due the following week at the beginning of lab class. NO LATE reports will be accepted. If you are going to miss the day a report is due, it is still your responsibility to ensure I receive it before the beginning of class on the due date. Lab exams cover theory, concepts, data analysis, and identification. We will apply the skills we are learning in addition to the material. On lab exam days, the exam will begin promptly at the beginning of class. Some of the information will be on screen, and I will not go back to information for students that are late. You will be permitted to begin where the class is when you arrive. THERE ARE NO MAKE UP LAB EXAMS! NO EXCEPTIONS!Grading Information: You will receive 1 letter grade for the entire course, which will be calculated from both your total lecture points. Total points possible in course: 1010 pts Total Lab points possible: 410 pts (Lecture pts: 600 pts, 6 exams @ 100 pts each) Lab Reports/Write-ups: 14 @ 15pts each = 210 pts Lab Exams: 4 @ 50 pts each = 200 pts Oral presentation (extra credit): 1 @ 10 pts Student Education Plan (SEP) (extra credit) 1 @ 5 pts Extra credit: Current Event Awareness. A 1 page double spaced summary on a current newspaper or magazine article (from January 2010 to present). The student will be expected to address the biological relevance of the article and how it relates to this course. Student is expected to do a short oral presentation in class. I need to approve the article and a copy of the article is required to obtain credit. (5 pts for summary, 5 pts for presentation). Deadline for completion and submission of SEP: June 1, 2010 Participation: As college students, I expect everyone to display respect and consideration for peers, the classroom, and your instructor. Please arrive to class on time and be prepared. We are all equally responsible for generating a meaningful learning environment. Use of cell phones (including texting) is prohibited in the classroom. If you need to make a call, step out of the room. Academic Honesty: You will be expected to adhere to RCC policies concerning academic honesty. Anyone caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive a 0 for that assignment and may be subjected to institutional disciplinary action according to RCC policy. Disability Accommodations: If you have a documented physical, psychiatric, medical, or learning disability that may impact your ability to complete assigned work, I recommend contacting Disabled Students Programs & Services (DSP&S). All information is confidential. Okay! Now the fun stuff! Welcome to Biology 1! I am excited about a fun filled semester of exploration. My goal is to not only provide you with the content to succeed in this class, but to give you the tools to actively engage with it. I feel it is so much better learning something when I am having a good time doing it. You get to decide if this is an active, fun class or a boring lecture-listen class. I prefer a dynamic learning atmosphere because I know there are things I can learn from you while you learn from me. You decide! I want you all to succeed, so please use the following suggestions to increase your chances of success. Fundamentally, you are responsible for your own success. I am here to help, and I will, but this is a tough class and you have to want it!Get to know me and my teaching philosophy: I want you to know that I understand your challenges as students. I have been in and out of college since 1994. It took me years before I found my passion for science. I am here not only to provide you the content you need to successfully complete this course, but to make if fun and interesting. It is a lot more fun to learn something new when you are having a good time doing it, wouldn’t you agree? I believe that education is an active process and you must be active participants in your own education. In addition to the material in class, my goal is to provide you with critical thinking skills. Content is only the minimum. Learning to ask questions and ask effective questions is just as important. I want you to not only memorize the material, but create new information from it or apply it to the real world. I am here to support your learning experience. Success Strategies: a. Stay up to date on your reading! There is a lot of material to cover, so don’t fall behind. Remember, reading your textbook is not the same as reading your favorite book. You have to ACTIVELY engage with the material. b. Come to lecture and lab. Hearing the material in addition to reading the material increases comprehension. c. Form study groups. If you are unable to explain the material to someone else, then you do not know it. d. Know your learning style! If you do not know how you learn most effectively, how can you change your study habits? e. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS of me, your peers, and yourself. Questioning is how we learn. There are no stupid questions. Chances are if you’re thinking it, someone else is too. Again, you have to engage the material to learn it, not memorize it! f. Use the resources