Course SyllabusBIO 110 - INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY Fall 2007Course 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 85, ENG 90, and MTH 110 or higherCourse 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 environmentAssociate Degree Outcomes:Associate Degree Outcomes. The Board of Trustees has determined that all JCC graduates should develop or enhance certain essential skills while enrolled in the college. Several of these Associate Degree Outcomes are addressed in this class, including critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and a knowledge of science.ADO 4: Critical ThinkingStudents will learn to critically analyze and interpret scientific data fromscientific experiments as in the analysis carried out in numerous labs that involve interpreting and graphing data.ADO 6: Scientific ReasoningStudents will be able to design and carry out valid experiments to asses a given hypothesis, and draw appropriate conclusions based on the results.ADO 11: Knowledge of ScienceStudents will be able to understand factors involved in contemporary scientific issues. Examples include evolution, global warming, and biotechnologyHours:Lecture (2 hours/ week) Monday: 9:00 – 9:57 1 hr Discussion per week Wednesday: 9:00 – 9:57 2 hr lab per weekInstructor: Jon F. Powell; Ph.D. Office: 136bPhone: 796-8599 Office Hours: 3:00 – 4:30 Monday &e-mail: [email protected] Wednesday or by appointmentRequired Text:Biology: Dimensions of Life; Presson & JennerExpectations & Guidelines for Success:As an adult college student you are responsible for participating in the learning process. Below are somepoints to being successful in this course:o Attend all classes and arrive on timeo When you have an unavoidable absences, contact the instructor for missed assignmentso Read the assigned chapters, either before or after lecture. This will help reinforce the topics covered.o Study class materials for at least 1 hour 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 studentso Do not hesitate to contact the instructor about concerns you may have with the class.o Make use of the instructor’s office hours.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. Unlike a general biology course which focuses on attaining a knowledge base of biology, this course will focus on critical thinking. This will still entail gaining some knowledge base however it will not be to the depth of a general biology course.Although this is an introductory course, do not think that makes it an easy or blow-off course. You will be required to do a considerable amount of reading, writing, and thinking. This will require you to put in time studying and working on class materials. By the end of this course you should develop a lifelong skill to be able to critically consider and investigate scientific information.Classroom Management: We are all here to learn. Disruptive behaviors such as talking out of turn and being disrespectful of otherswill result in being asked to leave the class. If there are situations that I may not be aware of, please let me know so the situation may be addressed. Working and studying together is strongly encouraged, as this is the way you will get the most out of the course.Grading: Your grade for the course will comprise lecture, discussion, and lab components. Lecture and discussion will comprise 75% of your final grade. This will include homework, quizzes, and tests in lecture. Homework written assignments must be typed and are turned in at the beginning of class unless otherwisestated. The tests may consist of multiple choice, matching, fill-in, short answer, application, problem solving, and essay. Lab activities will include lab reports turned in at the end of lab and quizzes. 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 Grade90 - 100% 4.0 75 – 79 % 2.5 60 – 64 % 1.085 – 89 % 3.5 70 – 74 % 2.0 55 – 59 % 0.580 – 84 % 3.0 65 – 69 % 1.5Absences & 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 from a classmate or you may schedule a time with the instructor to go through any accompanying power-point presentation. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor about missed materials or assignments. In-class assignments and outline points may not be made up. Late assignments will not be accepted after the assignment has been returned to the rest of the class.Missing an exam is strongly discouraged. If you miss an exam, you are not required to provide justification for your absence. One make-up exam may be taken without penalty. A second, and subsequent, make-up exam will only be worth 80% of the total maximum points. Make-up exams will generally be in essay form. Make-up quests may be taken from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on December 7 or following the final exam on