Betsy Kirkpatrick

TH 344....... X3797....... kirkpatrick@ups.edu

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Biology by Campbell and Reece / 7th ed., 2006

A Student Handbook for Writing in Biology by Knisely, 2002

Biology 111 Laboratory Manual, Fall 2006

CLASS TIMES:

Lecture: ....... MWF....... 9:00 -9:50...... Harned 245

Lab Sections:

CA Mon 1 - 4 pm HA 245........ Betsy Kirkpatrick

CB Tues 1 - 4 am HA 245....... Christine Gray

Optional Weekly Discussion Session: Mondays 5-6 (Location HA 251)

I welcome students at any time in my office, however, to be sure I am there when you come, you should make an appointment. Messages to me may be delivered by email, voice mail, or through Carol Curtin, the department secretary (879-2855).

My office hours are Mon 10 - 12 and Tues 12:30-2. You may also set up an appointment at another time if these hours are inconvenient for you. The best way to reach me is by email.

BIOLOGY 111B WEB SITE

http://www.ups.edu/faculty/kirkpatrick/bio111/111b.htm

BIOLOGY 111B BLACKBOARD COURSE

Sign in at http://blackboard.ups.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Biology 111 is an introductory-level course in the biological sciences that satisfies a Natural Sciences Approaches requirement. This course is designed for introductory level students intending to major in biology or a related science. Biology majors are required to complete both Biology 111 and 112 before taking most upper level courses in the major. If you do not plan to major in the sciences you may want to consider enrolling in Biology 101, a Natural Science Approaches core Biology course designed for non-majors.

Adequate preparation for participation in Unity of Life would include satisfactory completion of one or more years of high school biology and chemistry. If you are considering a major in biology, you should be taking Chemistry concurrently.

Students in Biology 111 will begin to recognize and understand the cellular structure/function relationships that make life possible. In addition to basic structural features, I will emphasize the capacity of cells to process materials and energy, to reproduce, and to communicate with other cells. As students in Biology 111, you will be asked to go beyond memorizing details to applying these concepts to novel situations, such as considering how cellular processes underlie whole organism function or dysfunction in specific examples. In addition, you will be introduced to some of the principles underlying DNA technology and some recent applications of that technology.

To be successful, students in Biology 111 need to acquire a firm grasp of basic concepts and develop the ability to apply these concepts to new problems. Each student should begin to develop confidence in his or her ability to think logically and critically and to communicate ideas effectively. Writing clearly is one of the most important skills you will develop in college. One of the goals of this course is to help you recognize the elements of good scientific writing and allow you to begin to develop your scientific writing skills.

The major objectives for this course are to:

• Introduce you to some basic principles of modern biology.
• Relate these principles to your own existence as an individual and as a member of society.
• Develop your power of reasoning and analysis through application of scientific methods.
• Develop your ability to accurately collect and record data, thoughtfully analyze data, and articulate and defend claims based on data.
• Enhance your use of writing, both as effective communication and as a learning strategy.

COURSE FORMAT

The course includes both lecture and laboratory portions. In addition, students may be asked to work together in small groups from time to time. During lecture, I will not simply reiterate the textbook; therefore it is important that you do the reading assignments and come to class prepared. Reading assignments are associated with each lecture. Use these reading assignments as background and as another way to explain the concepts covered in lecture; in other words, use your textbook as a reference. In lecture, I will stress the important points and help you synthesize the information, but don't have time to cover everything that is in the text. Exams and quizzes will cover only the material I have presented in lecture except for specific readings I indicate will be covered. However, you will gain a much better understanding of the processes and their contexts in organisms if you do the reading. You must begin your own dialog with the subject of biology and take an active role in your learning process. You should come to class prepared to think, to ask questions, and to answer questions. You are responsible for your own learning; I am here as a guide to offer you assistance in that process. To that end, thoughtful note-taking is essential to your success.

If you are having trouble with the information presented in the book, in lecture, or in lab, please talk to me as soon as possible. Please do not be shy; once you get lost, the problem compounds itself. Remember that there are no stupid questions; if you have a question, ask it&emdash;no doubt other students have the same question. If you are uncomfortable asking questions in class, feel free to make an appointment or send an email.

COURSE SCHEDULE

The lecture schedule I've provided is my best guess of the time I need to cover each topic. It is subject to change, if necessary, and I will announce any changes ahead of time. It is your responsibility to be aware of the announced changes.

READINGS

The required texts for the course are BIOLOGY, 7th ed., 2006, written by Campbell and Reece, and A Student Handbook for Writing, 2002, by Knisely. You must also purchase the Biology 111 Spring 2006 Lab Manual. The main text was written for a comprehensive, year-long, introductory college biology course. It is highly readable, well-illustrated, and covers many more topics than I will be able to cover in Biology 111. In this respect, you are encouraged to keep this book and use it as a comprehensive, general resource for future biology courses and to study for the MCAT, GRE, etc. For each lecture, I've assigned a chapter or a portion of a chapter; this material should be read in preparation for the lecture. Look over the "Summary of Key Concepts," "Self-Quiz," "Evolution Connection," "Scientific Inquiry," and "Science, Technology, and Society" sections at the end of each chapter, check out the suggested Web Links and learn to use the glossary regularly. These aids will help you identify important concepts and terms associated with the topics and provide questions that will help you organize and apply your learning. I may also hand out supplemental reading material from time to time. This material is required unless I state otherwise. Following each lecture, it is important that you integrate the information in the text with that from lecture.

STUDY STRATEGIES

The CD ROM that is included with your text is designed to enhance your thinking about the topics in this course. It includes animations that help you visualize the processes I cover. Another very effective vehicle for learning is to participate in or organize a small study group with other students in this class. Use this group to review information, test your knowledge, and practice explaining the concepts. Often it isn't until you try to explain a concept to someone else that you see a gap in your understanding. The more you intellectually engage your mind with these concepts, the more you will learn and the better prepared you will be for the quizzes and exams.

I will be holding a weekly discussion session Mondays from 5-6 in TH228. In this optional session, I will give you samples of quiz questions and I will discuss application problems to give you practice in writing good answers to these kinds of questions on the exams. Most students who have attended these sessions in the past have found them very helpful. I strongly encourage you to come.

LABORATORY

Each student must be registered for a laboratory section. Each laboratory section will meet at its assigned time each week for 3 hours. You are expected to attend the laboratory section for which you are registered and be on time. Only in unusual circumstances will you be allowed to make arrangements to attend a different laboratory section in a given week. The laboratory activities provide an opportunity to make first-hand observations, learn data collection techniques, sharpen one's skill in analysis and reasoning, and practice clear and effective communication. A short introduction to the laboratory will generally be given at the beginning of each lab period. This introduction will provide information not available in your lab manual and to demonstrate new techniques&emdash;but it cannot replace your own advance preparation.

You must carefully read through the laboratory description BEFORE the lab to know what it is you are expected to do during the laboratory session. You should also review the portions of your text and lecture notes that relate to the laboratory topic. You will also usually have a set of pre-lab questions to turn in at the beginning of the lab period. Detailed instructions for each lab are included in the Biology 111 Laboratory Manual, Fall 2006, available at the bookstore. Each lab description includes many questions for thought and most include a page or more of questions to be turned in at the end of the laboratory session. It is a good idea to bring your text and your lecture notes with you to lab to help you answer the questions.

One lab will provide data for a full lab report. This writing assignment is part of your introduction to scientific writing. In science it is essential to communicate observations and reasoning through clear, concise, and well-documented written papers. This lab is worth 100 points total, written in three stages: an introductory proposal, figures and figure legends, and the full lab report.

ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments will include writing assignments, problem sets, and questions designed to help reinforce important concepts. To receive full credit, an assignment must be turned in by the time it is due. Late assignments will be assessed a penalty of 10% a day. No credit will be given for assignments turned in after the exam on that particular subject.

There will be weekly 10 point quizzes throughout the semester except in exam weeks; these will be given each Wednesday at the beginning of class. The quizzes are designed to help you keep up with the material, to give you practice answering the kinds of questions presented on the exams, and to help you recognize where you need to focus your study time.

Attendance at your registered lecture and lab sections is required; if you are not in class when an assignment is due, you must arrange to have it delivered or you will not receive full credit for your work. If you miss a quiz or in-class activity for which points are given, you will receive a zero. If you know that you will be unable to attend a particular class, special arrangements MAY be made, depending on the circumstances, and these must be made in advance. IF YOU DO MISS A CLASS, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINDING OUT WHAT MATERIAL WAS COVERED DURING THAT PERIOD INCLUDING ASSIGNMENTS, SCHEDULE CHANGES, ETC.

GRADING POLICY AND EXAMS

There will be 3 in-class midterm exams and a mandatory COMPREHENSIVE final exam. The dates for all exams are in the course schedule and will not be changed. Check your own schedule carefully against the exam schedule: there are NO MAKE-UP EXAMS; only under exceptional circumstances will an alternative arrangement be made, and then only in advance. Absence from an exam for bona fide medical reasons will be considered ONLY with written evidence from a health care provider.

Each midterm will cover the material since the previous exam. Lecture, lab, and designated readings are all fair game for quizzes and exams, so be sure to include your lecture notes, lab activities, and designated readings in your studying. All exams will count toward your grade (none can be dropped). In addition to exams, you will receive points for quizzes, lab work, and some homework assignments. Your total number of points at the end of the semester will be used to determine your average percentage (92%, 78%, etc.) which can be easily converted to a letter grade using the table below.

Average Percentage	Grade
93-100	....... A
90-92	....... A-
87-89	....... B+
83-86	....... B
80-82	....... B-
77-79	....... C+
70-76	....... C
68-69	....... C-
66-67	....... D+
60-65	....... D
0 - 59	....... F

If you wish to calculate your grade at any point during the semester, simply divide your total points by the number of possible points at that time. Convert the decimal to a percent and look up your grade in the table above.

COURSE POINT SUMMARY

Quizzes (10 @ 10 pts each)	100 pts
Midterm exams (3 @ 100 pts each)	300 pts
Final exam	150 pts
Lab pre- and post questions, problems	170 pts
Lab report [proposal (30), figures (20), final (50)]	100 pts
Total	820 pts

EXAMS

Exams will be a combination of multiple choice, short answer, problems, and application/essay questions. Sample exams are available on the web site and on Blackboard. These samples are meant to give you an idea of what to expect and to help you focus on important concepts. THESE QUESTIONS WILL NOT APPEAR ON THIS YEAR'S EXAMS, but the questions will cover the same concepts and ideas. Memorizing the answers to these questions will not help you, but understanding how the answers were derived and recognizing the detail required to fully answer an application/essay question will help you.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

You are expected to conduct yourself with integrity. ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE WRITTEN INDIVIDUALLY AND ALL SOURCES OF INFORMATION MUST BE PROPERLY CITED. If you plagiarize or cheat, or aid someone else in doing so, you violate a trust. No credit will be given for work copied or paraphrased from other sources (including another student) and harsher penalties may be applied (e.g. dismissal from the course with a failing grade, suspension, and/or expulsion from the University). Refer to the University of Puget Sound Logger (http://www.ups.edu/x4718.xml) for a definition and examples of plagiarism, as well as potential penalties for academic dishonesty. Every incident of academic dishonesty in this course will be reported to the Registrar. Academic dishonesty includes:

•plagiarism, copying, or misrepresenting yourself on written work

•misrepresenting data in lab reports

•using written notes during quizzes or exams

•altering an exam after it has been returned

•defacing or unauthorized removal of library materials

 

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS:

• Attend all lectures and labs.
• Prepare for lecture by reading the assigned text and reviewing previous lecture notes.
• Prepare for lab by reading the text, lecture notes, lab instructions, and do the pre-lab questions.
• Study material after each lecture by trying to integrate current lecture with reading assignment and previous lectures.
• Organize or join a study group. It's very useful to talk about the material with other students.
• Come to lecture and lab prepared to ask questions about material you do not understand.
• Don't be afraid to seek help. . . I'm pretty user friendly.

 

I hope you find this an interesting and intellectually stimulating course and I wish you success!