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Principles of Biology
(BIOL-12200)
Spring 2009

TR 10:50 - 12:05
225 Williams Hall

Labs :  M, T, W, or R 1:00-3:50 p.m.
CNS 107 or CNS 110
See section instructors' sections and TAs here.
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Lecture Instructors: Bruce Smith (CNS 166)
smithb@ithaca.edu
274-3971
Office Hours: Thur 1:30-3:30, Wed 11-12,
or by appt
 Leann Kanda (CNS 159)
lkanda@ithaca.edu
274-3986
Office Hours: Mon 10-12, Wed 10-11, or by appt.





Lab
Instructors:		 Anne Stork (CNS 156)
astork@ithaca.edu
274-3575
Office Hours: by appointment 		Sofia Windstam (CNS 280)
swindstam@ithaca.edu
274-5141
Office Hours: Wed and Fri 8-10, or by appt




Robin Bingham (CNS 213)
rbingham@ithaca.edu
274-1086
Office Hours: Tues and Thurs 8:15-9,
10:40-12 or by appt.
Lecture Schedule  (PDF) 
Lab Schedule {PDF)
Print-friendly Syllabus  (PDF)





Teaching Assistant:  
Becca King
rking1@ithaca.edu

Weekly review sessions: Mondays 6-8:00 pm, CNS 110. 





Required Texts:
  • Campbell, N.A., J.B. Reece, L.A. Urry, M.L. Cain, S.A. Wasserman, P.V. Minorsky, and R.B. Jackson. 2008. Biology, 8th edition. Pearson, San Francisco.
  • Van de Graaff, K.M., and J. L. Crawley. 2005. A Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory, revised 5th edition. Morton Publishing, Englewood.
Course Website: This course is on Blackboard at http://blackboard.ithaca.edu. Use your IC email address as your Blackboard ID (without the @ithaca.edu); your password is your IC email password. Readings, homeworks, and lecture notes will all be posted at this site. Announcements about review sessions, changes to schedules or assignments, etc. will be put on Blackboard, so you will have to check Blackboard regularly.

Recommended Contact: We recommend you contact us by email if you have personal questions or appointments to make. However, if you have questions about material, or logistical questions about assignments, please use Blackboard discussion, as this will post the question (and answer) available to everyone.

Course Description: This is the second semester of the introductory biology series for biology majors.  Emphasis is placed on evolution, biodiversity, and ecology.

Learning Objectives: The Biology Department has identified seven Student Learning Objectives to be mastered by students in our majors. We expect students completing this course to have achieved an introductory-level competence in all seven of these outcomes.
  1. demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles in biology
  2. demonstrate an understanding of the application of biological concepts to everyday life.
  3. articulate connections among biological concepts at various levels (e.g. molecular, cellular, organismal, ecological) as well as between biology and other natural sciences.
    Specific concepts students will be able to address at these three levels after taking this couse:
    origin and evolution of life and how scientific and creationist perspectives differ
    populations genetics; origin of species and species concepts
    organismal diversity; systematics & phylogenetics
    ecological basis of evolutionary adaptations
    ecology at multiple levels (e.g. population, community, ecosystem)
    human dependence & impacts on natural systems; sustainability
  4. critically analyze biological information, including analysis of the effectiveness of methods, the meaning of observational and experimental data, and the appropriateness of conclusions.
  5. carry out scientific investigations to answer questions about the natural world.
  6. effectively communicate scientific works in both oral and written form. 
  7. carry out work in a way that demonstrates a professional standard of ethics, collaboration, and respect for nature.
Specific processes students will be able to apply:
comparative statistics
hypothesis building & experimental design
lab techniques for observation and comparative analysis of taxa
communication via written media
accessing scientific literature using electronic tools & the evaluation of reliable sources
distinguishing between original thought & plagiarism
Lecture:  Students are expected to attend all lectures with the exception of health emergencies, religious holidays, court appearances, or college-authorized extracurricular events. If you miss a lecture, it is your responsibility to get the notes from a classmate (do not ask the instructors). Do not assume that all lecture material is covered in the text. Poor attendance generally correlates with poor grades.  
Exams will be a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions.  Make-up exams will be given only in special situations (see above in Lecture attendance). Requests for make-up exams MUST be made ONE WEEK ahead of the regularly scheduled exam time. Unexplained absences will result in a zero grade for that exam. The final exam will be given during finals week (see the Lecture Schedule).

Homeworks (a total of four) will be assigned during the semester.  Each set is worth 20 points. They will be made available electronically on Blackboard and you will submit them electronically on Blackboard before the deadline (see the Lecture Schedule).

Reading assignments are found in the Lecture Schedule. Students should keep up with the readings as listed on the schedule. To get the most out of the lectures, students should complete the readings before the class when they will be discussed. Reading assignments are mandatory unless otherwise noted.  Additional readings may be added that are not listed on the lecture or lab schedules. Readings that are not part of the textbook will be found on Blackboard.

Blackboard quizzes will be assigned regularly through the term. These short multiple-choice online tests will not be evaluated for your performance, but for your participation.

Behavior: Please be respectful of your instructors and fellow students (do not talk during lecture). Cell phones, iPods, etc. may not be used during lecture or exams. Inappropriate behavior during class could result in dismissal (or an embarrassing verbal request to keep quiet!).

Students with Disabilities:  Students that need special accommodations should contact the Office of Academic Support Services for Students with Disabilities, 322A Smiddy Hall (274-1005, TDD - 274-7319).

Laboratory: Laboratory attendance is mandatory. If you miss your lab, please arrange to attend another lab section during the same week. You must notify both your regular lab instructor and the instructor of the make-up lab section (see below). Lab absences will result in a loss of 10 points per missed lab if labs are not made up.

Lab instructors:

Ecology Project: The ecology project is a semester long exercise. Details will be explained in lab. You will also be required to hand in weekly lab assignments. Due dates for each assignment are listed in the Lab Schedule. Routine short lab quizzes will act as a distributed practical test.

Lab Evaluation: Your laboratory instructor will determine the number of points earned from a total of 20 possible. Factors important in this part of your grade include behavior, preparedness, and participation in discussions.

Grading: There are a total of 800 points to earn in this class. Your lab grade accounts for about 30% of your overall grade. You will be graded on a straight scale (no curving).

Points Summary
Grading Scale
  


In-Class Exams (3 x 100) 300 points
93-100%
 A
77-79%
 C+
Final Exam 175 points
90-92%
 A-
73-76%
 C
Homeworks 80 points
87-89%
 B+
70-72%
 C-
Lab Assignments 100 points
83-86%
 B
67-69%
 D+
Ecology Project 65 points
80-82%
 B-
63-66%
 D
Lab Quizzes 50 points  
60-62%
 D-
Blackboard quizzes 10 points

below 60%
 F
Lab evaluations 20 points

Total 800 points

There will be no extra-credit assignments in this course.

Academic Conduct: Familiarize yourself with the college's policies on academic conduct ((http://www.ithaca.edu/judicialaffairs/).  Please make yourself familiar with plagiarism as it is defined in the Student Handbook.  Academic dishonesty can result in a grade of zero on an assignment or test and/or judicial referral.

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Page maintained by Leann Kanda and Nancy Pierce 
Last updated January 2009