Semester:  Summer 2008

                                                                                                                         CRN  44668  

                                                                                                                        

SUBJECT AREA AND COURSE NUMBER:  Biology (BIOL) 107

 

COURSE TITLE:  General Biology                                                             UNITS:  4.00

                                                                                                                        Letter Grade only           

LECTURE/LAB HOURS PER WEEK: 

Lecture hours per week:          3.00

Lab hours per week:                3.00

           

INSTRUCTOR:  Janice Clymer, Ph.D.                                                                    

Phone (619) 388-2785                 website: http://homework.sdmesa.edu/jclymer

e-mail:  jclymer@sdccd.edu       Web CT: http://www.sdccdonline.net/

           

            Message center (mailbox):  K202

 

ROOM LOCATIONS and CLASS MEETING TIMES, Summer Schedule:

            Lecture            I 105   MTWR 5:15 – 7:05 PM  (4 nights/week)

            Laboratory       I 101 and I 121 (varies by night) MTR 7:15 – 9:55 PM (3 nights/week)

           

 

CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is an examination of living organisms and their environment. The lecture and laboratory are intended for students planning on taking more advanced courses in the Life Sciences or students majoring in Education, Child Development, Physiological Psychology, or related areas. Topics that are emphasized in this course include the fundamental chemical and physical processes common to all living organisms, the interactions between organisms and their environment, classical and molecular genetics, metabolism, plant and animal anatomy and physiology, animal behavior, evolution, cellular and molecular biology, and the experimental and cognitive processes used to examine these fields.

 

PREREQUISITES, ADVISORIES, and LIMITATIONS:

Advisory: English 51 and English 56, each with a grade of “C” or better, or equivalent, or Assessment Skill Level R5; and Mathematics 95 with a grade of “C” or better, or equivalent, or Assessment Skill Level M40.

 

Limitation on Enrollment:  This course is not open to students with credit for Biology 103, 104, or 105, 106, or 210A.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEXTS AND SUPPLIES:

1.     Concepts in Biology, 12th ed. Or 13th ed., by Enger, Ross, and Bailey.  Three copies of the 12th edition are available at the Library Reserve Desk (1st floor of LRC).

2.     Laboratory Experiences in General Biology, Mesa College Staff.

3.     Biology 107 lab kit, gloves

4.     Scantrons

5.     Cps e-instruction RF keypad and enrollment http://www.einstruction.com/ 

                        e-instruction Class Key  N39888L745. 

                        Your school is San Diego Mesa College.

Note:  Purchase of the keypad is required before enrollment online.  Enrollment fee or coupon also required for enrollment (coupons in some of the 12th edition books.)

6.     Enrollment at www.turnitin.com, Class ID 2303823, enrollment password is monkey.  There is no fee for this.

           

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

It is the student’s responsibility to add, drop, or withdraw from classes before the deadlines stated in the class schedule.  Petitions to add, drop, or withdraw after the deadline will not be approved without proof of circumstances beyond the student’s control which made him/her unable to meet the deadlines.  Lack of money to pay fees is not considered an extenuating circumstance.  Students anticipating difficulty in paying fees before the add deadline should check with the Financial Aid Office about sources of funds or other alternatives for which they may be eligible.  If you decide to withdraw from this course, you are reminded to do so before 7/17/08.  IF YOU FAIL TO WITHDRAW BY THAT DATE, EVEN IF YOU STOP COMING TO CLASS, A FINAL GRADE MUST BE ASSIGNED TO YOU.

 

STATEMENT OF RETENTION:

Students, please discuss your plans to withdraw from class with your instructors.  They may have other options for you that may allow you to continue in class.

           

INSTRUCTOR’S ATTENDANCE POLICY:  

Attendance is critical to teaching and learning.  You will fall behind in acquiring course content and skills if you do not attend class regularly.  I realize that situations may develop which are beyond your control and which may interfere with your attendance.  You are expected to attend class and participate in all assignments, including field trips and labs.  Please see additional information below under “Evaluation.”   You may be dropped if you miss more than 6 hours accumulated unapproved absence.

 

DISTRICT POLICY ON INSTRUCTOR’S ABSENCE:

If no substitute appears, students wait 15 minutes for classes up to two hours and 20 minutes for classes meeting over 2 hours.  Students may sign an attendance sheet.

 

STUDENT TARDINESS:

In a professional setting, tardiness is not acceptable.  Tardiness is also disruptive to the learning environment.  Promptness reflects professional courtesy and is expected.  If you miss the attendance check, you may be counted as absent even if you are late.  If you leave class before dismissal it may also be considered an absence.

 

 

LATE WORK, INCOMPLETE WORK, and MAKE-UP EXAMS:

Exams, quizzes or labs missed with an approved excuse will be dropped from the point weighting or a suitable make-up exam will be given at the instructor’s discretion.  An example of an approvable excuse is significant personal illness requiring a doctor’s visit.  A planned family vacation is not an approvable excuse.  If you miss two exams, or three labs, you may be dropped from the course if it is before the withdrawal deadline. 

 

LABORATORY AND FIELD TRIP RESPONSIBILTIES:

You must follow safety instructions for each lab.  Proper attire, including closed-toe shoes, is mandatory for all wet labs, as is attendance during orientation for each lab.  The laboratory portion of this course includes field work.  It is your responsibility to arrange transportation to and from field trips and arrive at the scheduled meeting time.

 

EVALUATION:

Grades will be based on laboratory work, classroom participation, quizzes, and exams that may include true/false, multiple choice, completion, matching, short answer, and essay questions.  It is expected that you will spend a minimum of 15 hours a week on this summer course in addition to classroom and laboratory time to complete the readings and assignments. 

           

            Laboratory Grade                               

                        Lab completion           10%

                        Lab summaries            10%

                        Lab quizzes                 10%    

            Lecture Participation              

                        Response pads            5%

                        Activities                    5%

            4 Lecture Exams                      60%

 

 

Course Grades will be assigned as follows:

            A = 90% and above

            B = 80 to 89%

            C = 70 to 79%

            D = 60 to 69%

            F = less than 60%    

 

Material covered in the laboratory may be included in lecture exams.

 

Laboratory Grade

The laboratory grade consists of 3 parts:  participation in lab exercises, completion of lab summary reports, and lab quizzes.  Lab quizzes will be administered every Thursday at the beginning of the lab period, weeks 1-4, and on Monday and Thursday, week 6.

 

The typed summary (approximately 500-600 words) of each lab (don’t forget field trips) is to be submitted by hard copy AND through www.turnitin.com.  Computers and internet access is available at the CIL, 4th floor of the LRC during all hours that the LRC is open.  Additional on-campus computer labs also offer some open access hours.  Summaries are due on Thursdays, weeks 1-5, and on WED, Jul 30, week 6.  See www.turnitin.com for specific due dates and times.

 

The www.turnitin.com Class ID is 2303823, enrollment password monkey.  This is a free service.

 

The typed summary will include:

1.     The student learning outcomes (SLOs) or objectives of the day.

2.     The materials and methods you used to achieve those outcomes.  Examples: you used a pipette to sample liquid, or a thermometer to measure temperature.

3.     A sentence or two about the results of your studies that day.  Examples: the bacteria were smaller under the microscope than the human cell, measuring 3 microns, the enzyme tested worked best at pH 9, the water heated at a steady rate up until it boiled.

4.     Concluding statements tying the learning outcome to your result.  Example: I learned each enzyme works best under specific and particular conditions of pH and temperature, and the one that we used, alkaline phosphatase, worked best at pH 10 and 37° C.

 

Lecture Participation will be based on involvement in discussions and completion of in-class exercises (5% total course grade), and response to in-class questions primarily through the cps e-instruction keypad (5% total course grade).  A 1% bonus will be applied if you participate in every class or have participated in every class with two or fewer excused absences.  Note:  your e-instruction answers do not have to be correct to get credit for this portion of lecture participation, but if you achieve overall 75% or better on the cps questions, a 1% bonus will be applied to your grade.  Failure to obtain and use an e-instruction keypad by the third day of class may result in a significant reduction of your participation grade.

 

Lecture Exams

There will be 4 Exams; exams on later units may contain a portion of material from previous units as the course builds upon earlier material.  Each exam will be approximately 75 min. in length.  (There will be lectures after the exams on exam days.)

 

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR AND STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT:

Students are expected to respect and obey standards of student conduct while in class and on the campus.  The student Code of Conduct, disciplinary procedure, and student due process (Policy 3100, 3100.1 and 3100.2) can be found in the current college catalog in the section “Academic Information and Regulations”, p. 39-51, and at the office of the Dean of Student Affairs (H-500).  Charges of misconduct and disciplinary sanctions may be imposed upon students who violate these standards of conduct or provisions of college regulations.  As your instructor, I have the following expectations of your behavior in this class:

  1. Promote a courteous learning atmosphere by exhibiting mutual respect and consideration of the feelings, ideas, and contributions of others.
  2. Demonstrate respect for your work, as well as the work of others, by recognizing and acknowledging strengths and improvements.
  3. Demonstrate respect for tools, equipment and supplies in the classroom.
  4. Practice consideration for others by maintaining a clean and orderly learning environment.
  5. Recognize everyone’s opportunity to contribute information in a relevant and meaningful manner by not monopolizing discussions, interrupting, interjecting irrelevant, illogical or inappropriate questions or comments.
  6. No food or beverages are allowed in class (bottled water excepted).
  7. In consideration of others, please turn off or turn to vibration mode all cell phones during the lecture period.  The second infraction due to a ringing cell phone/pager will result in dismissal from class.
  8. No cell phones, pagers, MP3 players or similar electronic devices are allowed during examinations; however, they may be kept turned off and closed within your backpack at the side of the room during examinations.
  9. This class will be conducted in accordance with the college student code of conduct and basic standards of academic honesty.  Cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty are not acceptable and will not be tolerated.  Cheating, plagiarism or other academic dishonesty on any exercise or exam in this class will result in a grade of “0” (F) on that exercise or exam and possible additional disciplinary action, up to failure in the class. All violations of standards of academic honesty will be reported to the school dean for appropriate action. 

 

ACCOMMODATION OF DISABILITY:

Students with disabilities who may need academic accommodations should discuss options with their professors during the first two weeks of class.  Students must provide some kind of verification of need and evidence of participation in DSPS.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

The following are general Student Learning Outcomes for the course.  More detailed SLOs and terms will be provided with each lecture.

 

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1.     Apply the scientific methods and formulate steps to a given scientific investigation.

2.     Define and distinguish atoms, molecules, compounds, chemical bonds, mechanisms of chemical bond formation, and name and recognize the components of biological molecules.

3.     Describe the structure and function of the organelles in a eukaryotic cell.

4.     Interpret and compare processes of metabolism including cellular respiration and photosynthesis.

5.     Compare and contrast mechanisms of reproduction and development in animals.

6.     Compare and contrast mechanisms of reproduction and development in plants.

7.     Describe, apply, and distinguish Mendel's principles of genetics and their exceptions.

8.     Describe the process of DNA replication, protein synthesis, mutation, and methods used in DNA technology, and demonstrate an ability to predict outcomes when given a particular nucleotide or amino acid sequence.

9.     Describe the process of evolution and speciation by employing the concepts upon which modern evolutionary theory is based and recognize examples of each.

10.  Explain, employ, and evaluate basic ecological concepts.

PROJECTED CLASS SCHEDULE

 

Date                 Lecture Topic                                   Chapter (Enger, Ross, & Bailey)           

 

Week 1            Science and Biology                           1

                        Cell Structure, Membranes                  4

                        The Basics of Life: Chemistry 2

                        Organic Molecules                              3         

                                               

Week 2            Monday 6/30   EXAM 1

                        Enzymes and Metabolic Pathways      5

                        Cellular Respiration                            6

            Ecology, (tide pool lab handout)        15

            Thursday, 7/3 FIELD TRIP assigned

             

Week 3            Photosynthesis                         7

            Cell Division                                      9.1-9.3, 9.7-9.10

             Thursday, 7/10 EXAM 2

             Inheritance                                          10

                         Ecosystems (lagoon lab 7/10)            15

 

Week 4            DNA Replication, protein synthesis    8

                        Natural Selection                                13

            Speciation                                           14

                       

Week 5            Monday, 7/21 EXAM 3

                        Classification and Evolution               20

                        Microorganisms and Fungi                  21

                        Thursday, 7/24 FIELD TRIP

                       

Week 6            Animals                                               23

Plants                                                  22                   

                       

                        Thursday, 7/31 EXAM 4        

 

                         

 


                       

SUCCESSFUL STUDY HABITS:

 

Plan your schedule recognizing that you are expected to spend at least 15 hours per week outside of class on this course. Find an undisturbed, quiet, well-lit, and comfortable location where you can focus on the subject matter when you study.  

 

You will be more refreshed and alert if you break up your study periods, so try to schedule an hour for study every day.  When you are studying, take brief study breaks to clear your head – about 5 or 10 minutes each hour.  During your breaks get up, stretch, and walk around or get something to drink. 

 

Using different learning modalities will also contribute to your success.  Repeated exposure to information provided in different ways, e.g., both written and oral, the use of visual information (graphics in your book or the CD), and problem solving questions will improve your ability to master the subject.

 

This is an example of how you might manage preparation and study time for this course with a variety of study methods.

 

1.     Lecture preparation. Spend time reading the chapter(s) covering the lecture topics before class. Identify topics or problems you don’t understand.  Write them down. 

 

2.     Attend lecture and take notes.  Writing down information reinforces it.  If you still don’t understand a topic or problem, ask questions. 

 

3.     When you get home after class, spend 15 minutes briefly scanning your notes from that day.  Do this even if you think you are too tired!!!  This will help reinforce what you just learned, and help you get the information into your long-term memory.  Put an asterisk next to or underline/circle areas where you think you are weak and need to focus more time.

 

4.     Lab preparation and summaries. Spend time reading the lab before class. Identify topics or problems you don’t understand.  Write them down.  Write up you lab summary at the end of class or that same day while it is fresh in your mind.

 

5.     Review and quizzes.  Review your notes from lecture in a more detailed and methodical way, going back to the book when there are gaps or if there are things that are unclear.   Strengthen your weak areas with the text, your notes, and by working through sample questions in the book.  Take the quizzes.

 

6.     Preparation for Exams.  Review the chapter figures and the chapter summary. You will be processing the same information in a different format this way. Write out definitions for important terms and write a paragraph using the terms for each key concept.  Look at the Student Learning Outcomes.