Course Syllabus and Schedule General Biology I: Organismic Biology Biology 1300-H01, Spring 2015 Instructor Information: Nicole J. Huber Office: Osborne B327 Phone: (719) 255-3765 E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: M 12:30 – 1:30 PM, Th 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, by appointment, and walk-in. If I am in my office, I am usually available. If I am not available in person, the best way to contact me is via e-mail. Course Information: This course presents the diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms emphasizing structure, function, ecology, and evolution. Prerequisites: High school biology and chemistry or consent of the instructor. Although this is an introductory-level course, knowledge of basic biological and chemical principles from high school is assumed. Credit Hours: 3 credits; concurrent enrollment in the 1-credit lab component of this course, Biology 1310, is strongly recommended. If you have not already taken it, concurrent enrollment in Chem 1301 (formerly 1030) is strongly recommended as well, as both Biol 1300 and Chem 1301 are prerequisites for General Biology II. This section of Biology 1300 is a hybrid class. It is designed for students who feel comfortable working on their own with guidance from the instructor. There will be no lectures or regular classroom sessions. Weekly quizzes and homework assignments will all be completed online. Help is available via e-mail, during the instructor’s office hours, and/or by appointment. This course is designed with the following students in mind: Students with a strong interest in science/potential science majors who are self-motivated, learn well on their own, and who wish to be able to complete course work without having to attend class regularly. Students with a strong background in science who have passed the AP exam but who need the course for college credit (e.g., for application to medical school); or alternatively, students who did not pass the AP exam but may know a lot of the material already. Students who may be repeating the course for a higher grade, who already have had exposure to the course material. In-Person Requirements: th You must be present three times during the semester to take exams in person. Exam dates are February 18 , March th th 18 , and May 6 from 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM in Osborne B215. Except in cases of a verifiable, documented emergency, everyone is expected to take the exam during the scheduled times. Major Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, I hope you will be able to: Understand how science both relates to and differs from other academic disciplines; describe the scientific method and how to ‘do science’ through the process of scientific inquiry Use scientific knowledge combined with critical thinking to evaluate current societal concerns Understand and interpret basic scientific data Explain how evolution is the unifying theme in biology; be able to describe the process of natural selection, mechanisms and patterns in evolution, and how these can explain many of the phenomena we observe in nature Recognize that all living organisms are intertwined and, ultimately, affected by all other organisms Describe the characteristics of, and compare and contrast organisms from the three domains of life Understand how organisms are related to one another; recognize that even diverse organisms from bacteria to fungi to humans share common features Understand how organisms are uniquely adapted to their environments; recognize that differences between organisms exist due to varying adaptations and survival strategies that utilize specialized structural and behavioral features Understand humans in the context of the natural world; recognize that they are just a small part of the living world and its history; understand and explain the importance of organisms that you may not have appreciated before Above all, develop an appreciation for both the unity and diversity of life on earth, as well as an understanding of the profound impact humans have on life on earth N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule 1 General Information This course is designed for biology majors and selected health sciences majors. While the difficulty level of the course will depend largely upon your academic background and academic abilities in general, the majority of students find the material to be challenging, and have to put in a significant amount of time and effort to succeed. You need to be realistic about how much time you will need to devote to this class, and plan your schedule accordingly. Taking this course for the sole purpose of fulfilling your natural science requirement is not recommended. Required Materials: 1. Principles of Biology digital textbook by Nature Education. Cambridge, MA: NPG Education, 2012. To purchase access to the text, go to http://www.nature.com/principles. Under the ‘Get Started’ tab, click on ‘Students.’ The course code for this class is 36350930. Access to the text is only $49 for the lifetime of the text. Course material is centered around the required reading. More information on the textbook can be found at the end of the syllabus. 2. An e-mail address that you check regularly. As this is primarily a distance learning class, it is imperative that I be able to communicate with you via e-mail. I will send out e-mails from Blackboard, so please be sure that whatever e-mail address you have on record at UCCS is an account you check regularly. Note that e-mails from non-UCCS e-mail addresses (e.g., Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.) often go into my junk e-mail box or are marked as spam, so your safest bet is to use your UCCS e-mail. 3. A reliable connection to the Internet that will allow you regular access to online course materials on Blackboard at http://bb.uccs.edu. It is essential that you check Blackboard regularly for announcements. 4. Three 100-question scantrons (50 questions per side) and a #2 pencil with a good eraser for exams. These are available in the campus bookstore. Methods of Evaluation Grading Criteria: Exams Online Quizzes Homework Assignments A AB+ 93% + 90-92.99% 87-89.99% B BC+ 3 exams @ 100 points each 10 @ 5 points each The lowest two scores will be dropped. 4 @ 10 points each; 1 @ 20 points = 300 points (75%) Total points possible = 400 points total 83-86.99% 80-82.99% 77-79.99% C CD+ 73-76.99% 70-72.99% 67-69.99% = 40 points (10%) = 60 points (15%) D DF 63-66.99% 60-62.99% below 60% Exams: There are two parts to each exam. Part I consists of 70 multiple choice questions worth one point each; Part II consists of 30 points of ‘open response’ (e.g., matching, fill-in-the blank, diagram drawing, short answers, short essays, etc.) Exam questions are not just factual recall, but will require you to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the material. Plan to study for this level of comprehension. The exams are not cumulative; each covers the parts of the text indicated on the accompanying schedule. However, note that there are many recurring themes in science that will appear over and over again. A lot of material in science is ‘cumulative’ in the sense that most scientific knowledge relies on prior knowledge. After the first exam, each subsequent exam assumes you have retained knowledge of prior course content and can apply it to new material. Use of any electronic devices during exams is strictly prohibited. For specific guidelines about expected behavior during exams, please refer to the document ‘General Guidelines for Exams’ in the Exam Preparation section of the course material. Failure to follow proper protocol during exams may have severe consequences. Make-up exams will be considered only in the event of a verifiable and documented emergency. Being a proficient test-taker is essential for success in science. Many tools will be provided to help you prepare for the exams. These are located in the Exam Preparation section. N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule 2 Online Quizzes: There are weekly, multiple choice ‘quizzes’ over the course material that you must complete online. These are available in the Online Quizzes section of the course material. Each quiz consists of ten questions, worth ½ point each, for a total of five points. You may attempt each quiz three times; only your highest score will be counted. However, you need to submit every attempt. If you have any unsubmitted attempts, Blackboard may not record a score for you, and you may not receive any credit for taking the quiz. There are ten quizzes throughout the semester; your lowest two quiz grades will be dropped. Quizzes must be completed before the stated deadline, which will always be 11:59 PM on a Friday night. Once the deadline has passed, there is no way to take the quiz. It is your responsibility to leave enough time to deal with possible technical difficulties that may arise. Because you are allowed multiple attempts for each quiz, the correct answers will be available after the deadline has passed. The modules from the text that correspond to the online quizzes for each week are noted in the course schedule. The quizzes are open-book and open-note, with no time limit. They are designed to force you keep up with the material (procrastination is natural!), understand the level of comprehension that is expected of you, as well as give you an idea of what the multiple choice questions on exams are like. Many of the quiz questions come straight from old or even current exams. Homework Assignments: There are five homework assignments; four are worth 10 points each, and your final assignment on animal behavior is worth 20 points. The assignments, along with their deadlines, are available in the Homework Assignments section of the course material. The focus of most homework assignments is on understanding selected topics in depth and applying information to understand novel situations/concepts. Homework assignment deadlines are always on a Friday night, before midnight. I am very strict with deadlines. Homework submitted even a minute late is late. Late homework will be penalized two points per day for 10-point assignments, and five points per day for your animal behavior report. Homework over three days late will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to leave enough time to deal with possible technical difficulties that may arise. Extra Credit: I occasionally grant extra credit opportunities to the entire class, but there is no extra credit other than that. I do not offer any extra credit on an individual basis. Extra credit opportunities will be posted in the Extra Credit section of the course. Course Discussion Board: I have set up a Discussion Board to help facilitate communication between myself and you, as well as between you and your classmates. As there are no regular class meetings, this is a place for us to interact with one another. Additionally, many times several students will ask me the same question. If you have a question you feel fits into the category of ‘Frequently Asked Questions,’ I encourage you to use the discussion board to ask me so that your classmates can also read my response. Miscellaneous Information and Policies Reviewing Exams: I strongly encourage you to come by my office to review Part I of your exam and pick up Part II of your exam. During this time, you may take notes by hand, but no electronic devices are allowed. This includes laptops and cell phones. It is best to review your scantron as soon as possible after the exam, before the next exam. Understanding your mistakes will help you avoid making the same mistakes in the future, as well as improve your thought processes and understanding of the material. As noted previously, being a proficient test-taker is an essential skill in science courses. Fortunately, testtaking, just like any other skill, can be improved with practice and effort. Contesting a Grade: I attempt to evaluate your work as objectively as possible. If you believe that your work has been graded unfairly, you have the right to request that it be re-graded. You must state the specific reasons you believe your grade was unfair and submit your re-grade request within a week of when the work was returned and/or the feedback was available online. Your entire exam and/or assignment will be re-graded and you must accept the new score, even if it is lower than the old one. I may occasionally use a grader to evaluate your homework assignments. If you believe that the grader has graded your work unfairly, you have the right to request that it be re-graded by me. Again, you must state the specific reasons you believe your grade was unfair and submit your re-grade request within a week of when the grader’s feedback was made available to you. I will re-grade your assignment and you must accept the new score, even if it is lower than the old one. N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule 3 Dropping or Withdrawing: Online courses are certainly not for everyone. If you do not feel that you can succeed in this class, you should drop it immediately. You are responsible for following and understanding the university’s policies regarding deadlines and conditions for adding, dropping, and withdrawing. The last day to withdraw from the course without a serious and rd compelling, extraordinary, documentable circumstance is Friday, April 3 . I will not sign withdraw slips after that. Military Students: If you are a military student with the potential of being called to military service and/or training during the course of the semester, please contact me no later than the first week of class for discussion. For more information, please see http://www.uccs.edu/~military/. Students with Disabilities: If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to register with Disability Services and provide them with documentation of your disability. They will work with you to determine what accommodations are appropriate for your situation. To avoid any delay, you should contact Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and disability accommodations cannot be provided until a Faculty Letter has been given to me. Note that if you receive test-taking accommodations, you must fill out the required paperwork for each exam and turn it in to me at least one week before the exam if you want to ensure that your accommodations are met. Please contact Disability Services for more information about receiving accommodations at Main Hall room 105, 719-2553354 or [email protected]. Course FCQs: There will be online FCQs to evaluate the course and your learning experience. These should be available during the final week of classes. I will alert you to the necessary procedure for accessing them when the FCQ administrator notifies me they are posted. Academic Integrity: I strongly encourage you to choose the honest route when it comes to your education. I do not tolerate cheating, and will make sure there are severe consequences for any students I catch in an act of academic dishonesty. If you choose the dishonest route, not only are you depriving yourself of the valuable education you are paying for and participating in voluntarily, but you are also putting your academic career and future in jeopardy. You are much better off putting your energy into studying and learning the material than trying to figure out ways to pass exams or complete homework assignments without having to learn anything! You are responsible for knowing the university’s academic honor code, as well as other academic procedures, which are outlined on the Dean of Students’ web site at http://www.uccs.edu/dos/student-conduct.html. General Guidelines How/What to Study: 1. Read the assigned modules in the digital textbook. This course is very reading intensive! For more information about the textbook, see Guidelines for Using the Digital Text below. 2. Read through my study guides for each topic. I have outlined in detail the points that I really want you to focus on. The study guides, in conjunction with my notes within the online text, should give you a good idea of what you need to know. Study guides may also include links to external resources (e.g., videos) that you are required to watch and/or information that is not included in the text that I want you to know. 3. Complete the online quiz for the week. Although you can obviously use outside resources when taking the quizzes, I recommend using these to see if you truly know the information. If you can answer the quiz questions correctly without using any notes, it is a good indication that you are on the right track. 4. There are also practice tests available for each unit. These are available in the Exam Preparation section and consist of all the questions from the weekly quizzes for the unit. You can take these as many times as you want; they will not affect your grade. 5. Check to see if there are any homework assignments that go along with the course material. There are two homework assignments for the first unit, two for the second unit, and one for the final unit. Do a good job on the homework if you want to get a good grade. N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule 4 Some Tips for Success: You want to succeed, and I want you to, also! 1. Set aside a significant amount of time each week to devote to this class. It is tempting to ignore online course work, but it is essential that you not fall behind. The course is designed to prevent this from happening. Pay attention to deadlines! Missing deadlines will not only hurt your grade, but it will also make it difficult for you succeed on exams. Almost every successful science student will tell you that cramming in science doesn’t work! 2. I encourage you to create study groups if possible. You can use the course discussion board to aid in this process. 3. Read instructions carefully! In order to succeed in a class like this one, without face-to-face communication, you need to be able to read and follow directions. 4. If you do not understand something, whether it be instructions for an assignment or a concept pertaining to the course material, ask! Communication is essential. 5. Don’t hesitate to e-mail me, come in during my office hours, or set up an appointment for one-on-one help. Although this is a distance learning class, I am here to help. If you have a problem, contact me. Don't just ‘disappear,’ which is tempting in an online course. 6. Above all, take responsibility for your own education. Ultimately, the quality of the education you receive depends on what you make of it, whether in a traditional classroom or online course. I recommend making the most of it! Be proactive – develop a positive attitude toward hard work and learning. If you don’t understand something, are generally confused, or have any concerns and/or questions about any facet of the class, e-mail me, come talk to me, or do whatever you need to do until you are satisfied. We are here to help each other! Guidelines for Using the Digital Text I have chosen this text for a number of reasons. It is affordable. $49 grants you access to the text for the lifetime of the text. The instructors who teach introductory biology at UCCS have agreed to transition toward using this text for all sections of General Biology I and II, so it is likely that you will be able to use this text for General Biology II as well. It was ‘born digital.’ Unlike other e-texts, this text was designed for digital use, which means it has many useful features. Since this is an online course, I hope you are comfortable with this sort of technology. However, if you are not, you can always print the text. It is adaptable. Instead of chapters, the book consists of modules that are generally no more than 3-4 pages, much like sections within a chapter of a tradition textbook. I have edited the book significantly to include only the modules I feel are essential to the course, in the order I would like you to read them. This way you do not have to pick through over a thousand pages of information wondering what to focus on. If I have included a module in my version of the text, you can be certain that it contains important information. Note that when the course is over, the text will revert to its original form. I can annotate the text. Please pay attention to the notes that I have made within the text. For more information, see below. YOU can annotate the text. You can use the note feature to add your own notes to the text, or the highlight feature to highlight important passages. To do so, simply highlight the information of interest, and you will have the option to add a note or highlight the text. When you add a note or highlight a passage, it automatically generates a study card for you. Study cards for each module are available from the main course page under Study Resources Study Cards. The notes I have made will also appear in your study cards. Study Cards can be downloaded and printed out. In addition to the study cards, other interesting resources are available to you under ‘Study Resources.’ Notably, in this section, you can download a desktop version of the text for times when an Internet connection is not available. You can also view the modules I have left out of the adapted text, should you need them for reference. N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule 5 How to View the Instructor’s Notes: Sections of the text that have been annotated appear in purple: Clicking on the highlighted text should bring up the following options. If you click on ‘View Note,’ you should be able to view my comments. Although most of my annotations are simply to alert you to an important concept, some notes are also letting you know to skim and/or skip a section, so please pay attention to the contents of the note. Also, there are some limitations/glitches in the note/highlight feature and I am working with the publishing company to resolve these. At this point, you cannot use the note/highlight on the first page of a module or on headings, figure captions, or across paragraphs. There are also some random sections within the text where the note/highlight feature will not work, for no apparent reason. Because this is a relatively new text, there are some issues to be worked out. If you run into a problem, please let me know so I can pass the information on to our textbook representative. N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule 6 General Biology I: Organismic Biology Hybrid/Online Spring 2015 Schedule Unit 1: Evolution and Ecology Unit 2: Prokaryotes, Protists, and Plants Unit 3: Fungi and Animals Please note that you are always free to work ahead of the given schedule. Week 1: Tuesday, 1/20 – Topic: Read and understand the syllabus! Introduction to Biology Scientific Method Important Biology Basics Although the focus of this course is on organismic biology, it is important for you to have a basic understanding of water and cells for this course. Thus, I have included these three modules for background information, as well as for you to use for reference in the future. Assignments: Homework Assignment #1: Introduce Yourself and Syllabus Quiz Quiz #1 on Modules 1-5 Required Reading: Syllabus Module 1: Evolution and Life on Earth Module 2: Practicing Biology Module 3: Water Module 4: Cells Module 5: Eukaryotic Cells Deadline: Friday, 1/30 Friday, 1/30 Week 2: Monday, 1/26 – Topic: Evolution and Natural Selection Speciation Phylogeny Assignments: Homework Assignment #1: Introduce Yourself and Syllabus Quiz (if not yet completed) Quiz #1 on Modules 1-5 (if not yet completed) Quiz #2 on Modules 6-15 N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule Required Reading: Module 6: Introduction to Evolution Module 7: The Darwinian Revolution Module 8: Forces that Drive Evolution Module 9: Calculating Changes in Allele Frequencies Module 10: Effects of Natural Selection Module 11: Interactions in Evolution Module 12: The Biological Species Concept Module 13: Geographic Factors in Speciation Module 14: Pace of Speciation Module 15: Phylogenies Deadline: Friday, 1/30 Friday, 1/30 Friday, 1/30 7 Week 3: Monday, 2/2 – Topic: Introduction to Ecology Population Ecology Required Reading: Module 16: Ecology Module 17: Climate Module 18: Terrestrial Biomes Module 19: Aquatic Biomes Module 20: Populations Module 21: Life History Strategies Module 22: Human Population Growth Assignments: Deadline: Quiz #3 on Modules 16-22 Friday, 2/6 Homework Assignment #2: Ecological Footprint Friday, 2/13 th Also please note that Wednesday, February 4 is the census date, the last day to drop the course without instructor signature. Week 4: Monday, 2/9 – Topic: Community Ecology Ecosystem Ecology Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology Required Reading: Module 23: Species Interactions Module 24: Energy and Biomass Module 25: Human Impacts Module 26: The Biodiversity Question Module 27: Conservation Biology Module 28: Landscape and Regional Conservation Module 29: Ecological Restoration Assignments: Quiz #4 on Modules 23-29 Homework Assignment #2: Ecological Footprint (if not yet completed) Deadline: Friday, 2/13 Friday, 2/13 Weeks 5 and 6: Monday, 2/16 – Unit 1 Exam is on Wednesday, FEBRUARY 18TH, from 7:30 – 9:00 PM in OSBORNE B215. Bring your ID! Material comes from Modules 1-29 and Homework Assignments #1 and #2. N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule 8 Weeks 5 and 6: Monday, 2/16 – (continued) Topic: Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic Cells Bacteria and Archaea Protists Assignments: Quiz #5 on Modules 4, 30-36 Homework Assignment #3: The Human Microbiome Required Reading: Module 4: Review the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Module 30: Prokaryotes Module 31: Nutritional and Metabolic Adaptation in Prokaryotes Module 32: Prokaryotes in Our Environment Module 33: Bacteria Module 34: Archaea Module 35: Protists Module 36: Protists in Our Environment Deadline: Friday, 2/27 Friday, 3/6 Week 7: Monday, 3/2 – Topic: Animal vs. Plant cells Photosynthesis Importance of Plants Plant Diversity Assignments: Quiz #6 on Modules 5, 37-46 Homework Assignment #3: The Human Microbiome (if not yet completed) Required Reading: Module 5: Review the differences between animal and plant cells. Module 37: Photosynthesis Overview Module 38: Plants and Humans Module 39: The Evolution of Land Plants Module 40: Nonvascular Plants Module 41: Seedless Vascular Plants Module 42: Seed Plants Module 43: Gymnosperms Module 44: Angiosperms Module 45: Flowering Plant Life Cycle Module 46: Flowering Plant Reproduction Deadline: Friday, 3/6 Friday, 3/6 Week 8: Monday, 3/9 – Topic: Plant Structure, Growth, and Development Resource Transportation Plant Biotechnology Assignments: Quiz #7 on Modules 47-50 Homework Assignment #4: Genetically Modified Plants N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule Required Reading: Module 47: Plant Growth and Development Module 48: Plant Structure and Function Module 49: Plant Transport Systems Module 50: Plant Domestication and Genetic Engineering Deadline: Friday, 3/13 Friday, 3/13 9 Week 9: Monday, 3/16 – Unit 2 Exam is on Wednesday, MARCH 18TH, from 7:30 – 9:00 PM in OSBORNE B215. Bring your ID! Material comes from Modules 30-50 and Homework Assignments #3 and #4. Week 10: Monday, 3/23 – Spring Break! Have a great vacation! Week 11: Monday, 3/30 – Topic: Fungi Introduction to Animal Diversity Required Reading: Module 51: Fungi Module 52: Fungi in the Environment Module 53: Fungal Feeding Strategies Module 54: Fungal Reproduction Module 55: Diversity of Animals Assignments: Deadline: Quiz #8 on Modules 51-55 Friday, 4/3 rd Also, please note that Friday, April 3 is the last day to withdraw from the class without special permission from the dean. Week 12: Monday, 4/6 – Topic: Invertebrates Vertebrates Assignments: Quiz #9 on Modules 56-65 N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule Required Reading: Module 56: Invertebrates Module 57: Nonbilateria Module 58: Protostomes Module 59: Arthopods Module 60: Deuterostomes Module 61: Vertebrates Module 62: Fishes Module 63: Tetrapods Module 64: Amniotes Module 65: Mammals Deadline: Friday, 4/10 10 Weeks 13 and 14: Monday, 4/13 – Topic: Animal Structure and Function Required Reading: Module 66: Animal Structure and Function Module 67: Homeostasis Module 68: Thermoregulation in Animals Module 69: Animal Energy Requirements Module 70: Animal Behavior Module 71: Learning Module 72: Mate Choice Module 73: Altruism and Inclusive Fitness Animal Behavior Start research for your report. Assignments: Quiz #10 on Modules 66-73 Homework Assignment #5: Animal Behavior Report Deadline: Friday, 4/24 Friday, 5/1 Week 15: Monday, 4/27 – Topic: Animal Behavior Required Reading: Research for your report Assignments: Homework Assignment #5: Animal Behavior Report (if not yet completed) Deadline: Friday, 5/1 Week 16: Monday, 5/4 – Unit 3 Exam is on Wednesday, MAY 6TH, from 7:30 – 9:00 PM in OSBORNE B215. Bring your ID! Material covers Modules 51-73. Have a wonderful summer! N. J. Huber: Biology 1300-H01 Syllabus and Schedule 11
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