FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY (BIOL 12000) Spring 2007
Lecture: MWF
Instructor: Dr. Nancy L. Jacobson
Office: CNS 256
Email: jacobson@ithaca.edu Phone: 274-1837
Office
Hours: W 10-11am,
T 2-4 pm, and by appointment
Lab
Instructors:
Dr. Leslie Allee
Tues
9:25am-12:05pm (CNS 102), Thurs 1:00-3:50pm (CNS 102)
Dr. Nancy Jacobson
Mon
1:00-3:50pm (CNS 102), Wed 1:00-3:50pm (CNS 102), Thurs 1:00-3:50pm (CNS 105)
Dr. Becky Marquez
Thurs
9:25am-12:05pm (CNS 102)
Dr. Tze-Hai Yong
Tues
9:25am-12:05pm (CNS 105), Tues 1:00-3:50pm (CNS 102)
Textbook: Starr, C., and R. Taggart. 2006. BIOLOGY,
The Unity and Diversity of Life, 11th ed., Wadsworth Publ. Co.
NOTE: This is the same book as
was used Fall 2006 in Fundamentals of Biology (BIOL
11900). If you were not in that class
and do not already own the book, there will be a couple of copies on reserve at
the library that you may use instead.
GTCO CalComp (InterWrite PRS) RF Clicker (sold in Campus Bookstore only – it can
be sold back at the end of the semester, but if you are a PT major, you will
want to keep it for Physics next year : )
Lab Material:
The Fundamentals of Biology
Laboratory Manual will be available for purchase in lab the first week
of classes (it will be sold at-cost for $3.00-$4.00).
Rust, Thomas G. 1983. A
Guide to Biology Lab, 3rd ed. Southwest Educational
Enterprises.
Course Objectives:
We share
this planet with well over a million other species. How has all of this
diversity come about? How is it interconnected into a functioning whole? Where
do we humans fit in? And what are the consequences of our impact on the rest of
biological diversity? We will explore these questions during the course of this
semester.
Course Policies
WebCT. The lecture & lab schedule, study guides, lecture
slides, and any extra readings (in .pdf format) will
be available on WebCT at http://courses/webct/public/home.pl
(or go to IC homepage, click on site directory, click
on WebCT). You
will need to use your email username and password to log in to WebCT and then click on Fundamentals of Biology
(303-12000-NJ). There will be a short quiz on this syllabus that you
will access through WebCT anytime during the first
week – so look for it! I will post announcements (such as when there is a quiz)
just below the course name, so watch this space!
Lectures. You will be
expected to know and understand certain definitions and basic concepts from the
textbook before coming to class (which definitions and concepts will be spelled
out in that week’s study guide – this study guide will be added to throughout
the week and at the end of the week additional questions on the lectures will
be added). We will be using “clickers” to assess your
learning – these will count towards your
grade (2 points for a correct answer, 1 point for an incorrect one, with
the number of points scaled to a total possible of 130; there will be a set of
questions per class period and I will drop your three lowest sets at the end of
the semester). If I see that you have
someone else’s clicker as well as your own, I will confiscate both of them and
return them to you at the end of the semester (i.e., you will be unable to earn
clicker-question points after that time).
At
times, you will be expected to discuss questions with each other in the class,
but please do not talk socially during
lectures. It prevents other students around you from hearing lectures and
class discussions. If talking becomes a problem, I will ask those participating
to leave the classroom.
Laboratory
attendance is mandatory.
If you cannot attend your lab section for a valid reason then you must
make it up in some other section during that same week. You must arrange
your attendance in an alternative lab with both your lab instructor and the lab
instructor of the lab you wish to attend. Valid reasons for attending an
alternative lab are: your own illness; death or serious illness in immediate
family; you are participating in an athletic, musical, or other
college-sponsored event; a religious holiday; or you are required to appear in
court. Studying for tests in other courses does not constitute a valid reason
for attending an alternate lab section. If you must miss the entire week, you must
have documentation of your reason for absence (note from doctor or name and
telephone number of doctor at health center if you are ill; note from dean's
office if you are absent due to death or serious illness in immediate family).
Since the laboratory is an integral part of the course, and simply getting the
notes from another student does not substitute for participation, three
unexcused absences from the laboratory is grounds for dropping a student from
the course.
Laboratory
Dissections. There will be dissections of an
earthworm, clam, crayfish, starfish, fish, frog, pigeon, and fetal pig (some
will be already be done, one per lab; while others you will do yourself). If you have ethical objections to doing
dissections, you must come to see me at the beginning of the semester so
we can discuss alternatives.
Make-up
exams will only be given
when the student missed the exam because of illness (need note from doctor),
due to death or sudden serious illness in the immediate family (need note from
the dean's office), or if you will be out of town due to a college-sponsored
event. If at all possible, inform me that you intend to miss the exam before or
immediately after the exam. If you cannot reach me by phone or e-mail, leave a
message with the departmental secretary (607-274-3161). Make-up exams are not
multiple choice, they are short-answer, short-essay exams. Missed exams without
a valid excuse will receive a score of zero.
Grading
Final grades will be determined
accordingly (then number of points for clicker questions is an estimate):
|
Lecture Exams (3 x 60) |
180 |
|
WebCT quiz |
5 |
|
Clicker questions in class |
130 |
|
Laboratory Quizzes (13 x 10) |
130 |
|
Final lecture exam |
100 |
|
Total Possible Points |
545 |
To determine your letter grade at any time of the
course, add up the number of points you have received on each exam, quiz, etc.
Divide this number by the total number of points possible (this will be 545 at
the end of the course) and multiply the result by 100 to arrive at a
percentage. Grades are usually assigned according to the following
percentages.
|
|
B+ 87-89 |
C+ 77-79 |
D+ 67-69 |
F below 60 |
|
A 94-100 |
B 84-86 |
C 74-76 |
D 64-66 |
|
|
A- 90-93 |
B- 80-83 |
C- 70-73 |
D- 60-63 |
|
FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY
TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE – CK WEBCT FOR CHANGES!
Date
Topics
Mon. Jan. 22 Science, Evolutionary thought Chapters 1.5, 1.7, 17
Wed. Jan. 24 Evidence: Fossils (& register clickers in
class) Chapter 17
Fri. Jan. 26 Comparative morphology, development, biochemistry “
Mon. Jan. 29 Natural selection, Sexual selection Chapter 18
Wed. Jan. 31 Genetic drift, Gene flow “
Fri. Feb. 2 Adaptation, Microevolution
in review
“
Mon. Feb. 5 Speciation Chapter 19
Wed. Feb. 7 Classification & cladograms “
Fri. Feb. 9 Origin and early evolution of life Chapter 20
Mon. Feb. 12 Prokaryotes Chapter 21
Wed. Feb. 14 Viruses, Evolution of infectious diseases Chapter 21
Fri. Feb. 16 EXAM 1 (Study
Guides 1-3)
Mon. Feb. 19 Protista Chapter 22
Wed. Feb. 21 Plant evolutionary trends Chapter 23
Fri. Feb. 23 Plant diversity “
Mon. Feb. 26 Plant diversity “
Wed. Feb. 28 Protista
(part), Fungi Chapters 22, 24
Fri. Mar. 2 Animal body plans & development Chapter 25, Lab 6
Mon. Mar. 5 Animal development Lab 6 in lab
manual
Wed. Mar. 7 Animal diversity Chapter
25
Fri. Mar. 9 Animal diversity
“
Mar. 10-18 SPRING BREAK
Mon. Mar. 19 Animal diversity “
Wed. Mar. 21 Animal musculoskeletal systems Chapter 37.1-37.3
Fri. Mar. 23 EXAM 2
(Study Guides 4-6)
Mon. Mar. 26 Animal musculoskeletal systems, Chordates Chapters 37.2-37.3, 26
Wed. Mar. 28 Vertebrate evolutionary trends, Fishes Chapter 26
Fri. Mar. 30 Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds “
Mon. Apr. 2 Mammals
“
Wed. Apr. 4 Vertebrate respiration & circulation Chapters 40.3, 38.1
Fri. Apr. 6 Vertebrate respiration & circulation “
Mon. Apr. 9 Population ecology -
exponential & logistic growth Chapter
45
Wed. Apr. 11 Life history patterns “
Fri. Apr. 13 EXAM 3
(Study Guides 7-10)
Mon. Apr. 16 Human population growth Chapter 45
Wed. Apr. 18 Human population growth “
Fri. Apr. 20 Behavioral ecology Chapter 49
Mon. Apr. 23 Behavioral ecology “
Wed. Apr. 25 Community ecology Chapter 46
Fri. Apr. 27 Ecosystems: Energy
flow Chapter
47
Mon. Apr. 30 Nitrogen & Phosphorous
cycles, Eutrophication “
Wed. May 2 Carbon cycle, Global warming “
Fri. May 4 Global warming, Alternative energy sources, Ecological footprints
Tues., May 8 Final Lecture Exam Exam 4: Study Guides 8-11
4:30 pm - 7
pm (Exam 4 +
Comprehensive)
Comprehensive: From Exams
1-3
In Gym
Laboratory Schedule
Note: There will be a quiz every week, both entrance quiz and on previous week=s lab!
|
Lab:
Dates |
Topic |
Bring
to lab: |
|
Intro:
Jan. 22-25 |
|
Purchase
Lab manual for $4.00 |
|
Lab
1: Jan. 29- Feb. 1 |
Scientific
Method, Evidence for Evolution |
Lab
manual |
|
Lab
2: Feb. 5-8 |
Microevolution
I |
Lab
manual, calculator |
|
Lab
3: Feb. 12-15 |
Microevolution
II, Cladograms |
Lab
manual |
|
Lab
4: Feb. 19-22 |
Viruses,
Eubacteria, Protista
(part) |
Lab
manual |
|
Lab
5: Feb. 26-Mar. 1 |
Plant
Evolution |
Lab
manual, Rust |
|
Lab
6: Mar. 5-8 |
Protista
(part), Fungi, & Animal Development & Evolution |
Lab
manual, Rust |
|
Mar.
10-18 |
SPRING
BREAK - no labs |
|
|
Lab
7: Mar. 19-22 |
Animal
Diversity |
Lab
manual, Rust |
|
Lab
8: Mar. 26-29 |
Animal
Digestion & Musculoskeletal Systems |
Lab
manual, Rust |
|
Lab
9: Apr. 2-5 |
Vertebrate
Diversity & Evolution |
Lab
manual, Rust |
|
Lab
10: Apr. 9-12 |
Comparative
Vertebrate Anatomy |
Lab
manual, Rust |
|
Lab
11: Apr. 16-19 |
Population
Ecology |
Lab
manual, calculator |
|
Lab
12: Apr. 23-26 |
Human
Behavioral Ecology |
Lab
manual |
|
Lab
13: Apr. 30-May 3 |
The
|
Lab
manual |