1

S215

COURSE SCHEDULE WITH

PRE-CLASS PREPARATION AND

LAB SCHEDULE ................. 4

TR 9:25am-11:55am Rm Sc202

Biology

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND

GOALS ............................. 1

COURSE LEARNING

OBJECTIVES, ASSESSMENT AND

GRADING.......................... 2

110 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE AND LABORATORY BIOLOGY

PROFESSOR: SARAH N CASSELLA

OFFICE HOURS: T/R IN SC 205, BY APPOINTMENT.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

TEXTBOOOK: INQUIRY INTO LIFE, MADER 13TH ED. 2011

CHAPTER READINGS LISTED IN THE SCHEDULE COME FROM

THIS TEXT

NO PREREQUISITES

Understanding and

Appreciating Biology in the

World around You

Biological processes are happening all around you, all the time, in

almost every aspect of your life! Together, we will learn to

appreciate the complex workings of living organisms, including

ourselves, in a positive and inquiry-based learning environment. We

will explore topics such as cell biology, genetics, evolution, disease

and some student-chosen subjects. Your goal in this course is to

understand fundamental biological concepts and to appreciate

your world in a biological context. To reach this goal, we will utilize

readings, videos, lectures, class discussion and activities, field trips

and student presentations. In addition to the biological concepts you

will learn, the activities planned will help enhance your critical

thinking and communication skills. Your understanding of the

material will be assessed by classroom discussion, lab reports, exams

and quizzes.

MARKET WATCH

COURSE POLICIES......... 6

Course Description:

2

Reaching our goals: Course Objectives

Over the course of the semester we will explore a number of biological topics. We will complete a number of activities that will help you remember, understand and use the information we cover. The learning objectives for this course, and those required by MSJ, are listed below. You will have successfully met the course goal if you are able to:

Demonstrate your understanding of organisms and their biological functions and processes via logical and accurate discussion, written essays, oral presentations and lab assignments.

Comprehend and interpret quantitative information.

Apply knowledge of biology, critical thinking skills and creativity to make observations and solve problems.

Observe and identify biological processes in the world around you.

Use technology to gain knowledge and to find appropriate sources of information.

Use the scientific method to design and assess experiments

Analyze, integrate, and appreciate the interconnectedness of disciplines of biology, chemistry, mathematics, geology and physics

SMARTER LEARNING:

Active vs. Passive

We will utilize active learning

techniques in our studies of

biology. This means that

lecture (passive) will only take

up a small portion of class

time while discussion, writing

and lab activities (active) will

take up a majority. For these

methods to help you the

most, be sure to prepare for

class according to the

schedule and be ready to get

involved!

Assessment and Grading: Demonstrating Your Knowledge

1. Pre-Class Preparation and Quizzes will be important to familiarize yourself with material that will be covered in class. Material you need to cover prior to class will be listed in the course schedule. Readings that list a chapter (ex: Ch. 1) refer to chapters in the required textbook, Inquiry Into Life, Mader. 13th edition. 2011. Other articles or videos that may be assigned will be posted to Blackboard, as indicted in the schedule. Expect to spend up to an hour and a half preparing for class lecture and activities. A pre-class quiz (PCQ) will be posted to Blackboard and will ask you to recall information from the preparation material. The quizzes will be available for the 24 hours preceding class, closing when class begins. These quizzes are mandatory and count toward your participation grade.

Your grasp of the material and completion of learning objectives will be assessed several ways. More information regarding these assessments is below:

3

2. Class Discussion will also contribute to your participation grade. Questions,

thoughtful inquiries, perspectives on the material and answers to questions are all appropriate ways to contribute to class discussion.

3. Writing-to-learn (WTL) exercises will exercise your ability to communicate

your ideas. WTLs will be completed at the beginning of every class. I will provide a prompt regarding your pre-class prep work and you will have five minutes to write your thoughts. These brief in-class writing assessments are designed to do exactly what the name implies – to help you learn as you write. These writing assignments will be compiled in a class journal (I will talk about this in class) and will be graded on a weekly basis and returned with feedback. The grading system I will use for these assignments is as follows:

a. 0 points – you were absent from the class or failed to hand in the

writing assignment b. 1 point – you wrote something completely unrelated to the topic c. 2 points – wrote something tangentially related to the topic d. 3 points – wrote related material but completely failed to address

the question posed by the prompt e. 4 points – partially addressed the question(s) posed by the prompt f. 5 points – completely addressed the question posed by the prompt.

At the end of the semester, you will be able to drop your lowest WTL grade. Consequently, there are NO MAKEUPS FOR WTL even if you are only a couple minutes late to class—no exceptions.

Each student will give a 15 minute presentation about a biology topic that is chosen from a list generated by me. Students will be encouraged to create original, engaging content that helps teach a difficult biological concept. A rubric for this assignment will be provided at a later date. Dates of the presentations are on the class schedule. Demonstration slots will be assigned randomly.

4. Instagram will be utilized to demonstrate your appreciation for biology in the world around you! Using #msjbio, take photos and describe how they apply to the biological concepts you have learned. For each Instagram you take that meets this criteria, you will earn ¼ extra credit point toward your final grade. To see some examples of acceptable posts, search #msjbio on Instagram.

5. Laboratory activities and reports will assess your ability to apply classroom

knowledge and the scientific method to solve problems. Your lab grade will be

calculated from your lab reports and will be dependent on correct use of the

scientific method, clear organization of thoughts and proper application of

course knowledge. More information and a rubric for lab reports will be

provided on Blackboard and in your lab manual.

6. Three exams will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your mastery of the

course learning objectives. The course schedule shows specific dates as well as

material covered on each exam. The format for each exam assessment may be

a combination of any of the following formats: true/false definition, matching,

short answer, or identification. NO MAKE UP EXAMS will be allowed except in

STUDY TIPS:

What you can do for success

Review class notes and

reading notes after each

class and connect

concepts and information

Participate in and

contribute to class activities

and discussion

Group study with

classmates - ask each

other questions, make

each explain concepts

Practice recalling facts and

using concepts with

questions in the text and

on Bb

4. Oral Presentations will allow you to demonstrate your communication skills and knowledge. Each student

will give a 15 minute presentation about a biology topic that is chosen from a list generated by me. Students will be encouraged to create original, engaging content that helps teach a difficult biological concept. A rubric for this assignment will be provided at a later date. Dates of the presentations are on the class schedule. Demonstration slots will be assigned randomly.

5. Instagram will be utilized to demonstrate your appreciation for biology in the world around you! Using #msjbio, take photos and describe how they apply to the biological concepts you have learned. For each Instagram you take that meets this criterion, you will earn ¼ extra credit point toward your final grade. To see some examples of acceptable posts, search #msjbio on Instagram. Extra credit points will cap off at 5 points.

6. Laboratory activities and reports will assess your ability to apply classroom knowledge and the scientific

method to solve problems. Your lab grade will be calculated from lab reports and will be dependent on

correct use of the scientific method, clear organization of thoughts and proper application of course

knowledge. More information and a rubric for lab reports will be provided on Blackboard and in your lab

manual.

7. Three exams will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your mastery of the course learning

objectives. The course schedule shows specific dates as well as material covered on each exam. The

format for each exam assessment may be a combination of any of the following formats: true/false

definition, matching, short answer, or identification. NO MAKE UP EXAMS will be allowed except in

extreme circumstances (i.e. death of a family member, serious illness, etc), and I have been notified

4

Attendance/Participation____________5% WTL_____________________________5% Oral Presentation__________________20% Lab Reports_______________________30% Exams___________________________40%

Total___________________________100%

Grade Scale A = 90 – 100% B = 80 – 89% C = 70 – 79% D = 60 – 69% F = < 60%

7. Three exams will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your mastery

of the course learning objectives. The course schedule shows specific

dates as well as material covered on each exam. The format for each

exam assessment may be a combination of any of the following formats:

true/false definition, matching, short answer, or identification. NO

MAKE UP EXAMS will be allowed except in extreme circumstances (i.e.

death of a family member, serious illness, etc), and I have been notified

of such a conflict in an appropriate fashion PRIOR to the exam date. The

final exam is not a cumulative exam and no student is exempt from

taking this exam.

Grade Breakdown:

Course Outline and Schedule:

Our exploration of biology will begin with the study of life at the atomic level, moving then to the cellular and systems organization of organisms and closing with the study of ecosystems and conservation. This path is outlined by the image to the right. All of these levels of are connected and make up the big picture: our world! The following pages contain the tentative course schedule. Any changes to this will be posted on Blackboard and an email will be sent to your MSJ email account. Additionally, every day when you arrive to class learning objectives will be posted that you will be assessed on at exam time. These objectives will also be listed on Blackboard following the class meeting in which they were covered.

5

Biology 110 Lecture & Lab Schedule with Pre-Class Preparation

Week Unit Lecture Topic Pre-Class Prep In-Class Activities

1

UN

IT 1

Jan-13 Introduction to the course and to the study of Biology

Read the syllabus Read Ch. 1 of text

PCQ

WTL

Lab #1: Scientific Method

Jan-15 Molecules of the Cell Read Ch. 2 PCQ

WTL

Lab #2: DNA Extraction from a Strawberry

2 Jan-20 Cell and Membrane Structure and

Function

Read Ch. 3 & 4 PCQ

WTL

Lab #3: Egg Diffusion Lab

Jan-22 Cell Division Read Ch. 5 Watch Crash Course Biology

videos on Mitosis and Meiosis (Bb) PCQ

WTL

Lab #4: Mitosis and

Meiosis

3 Jan-27 Metabolism and Respiration

Read Chs. 6&7 PCQ

WTL

Lab #5: Cellular Respiration

Jan-29 Microbiology Read Ch. 28 PCQ

WTL

Lab #11: Gram Stain and Yogurt Making

4 Feb-3 Field Trip – New Riff Distillery

Read The Science and Art of Whisky Making (Bb)

NO LAB

Feb-5 Review Day

5

Feb-10 UNIT 1 EXAM

UN

IT 2

Feb-12 Photosynthesis Read Ch.8 PCQ

WTL

Lab #6: Photosynthesis

6 Feb-17 Field Trip – Dr. Keener’s Algae lab at

UC

Watch Jonathan Trent: Energy from floating algae pods (Bb)

NO LAB

Feb-19 Plant Organization and Function

Read Ch.9 Read Michael Pollan’s The

Intelligent Plant article (Bb) PCQ

WTL

Lab #7: Plant Structure

7 Feb-24 Human Organization Read Ch. 11 PCQ

WTL

Lab #8: Human Tissues

Feb-26 Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems

Read Ch. 12 and 15 PCQ

WTL Lab #9: Blood Lab

8 Mar-3 Nervous System Read Ch. 17 PCQ

WTL

Lab #10: Senses

Mar-5 Abstract Workshop Reading TBA (Bb)

Work on abstract and presentation materials

9 Mar-10&12 Spring Break!

10

Mar-17 Review Day

Mar-19 UNIT 2 EXAM

6

Communication: All students are required to use BLACKBOARD for this course.

https://blackboard.msj.edu/. This is the online portal for the site; announcements for the class will be posted here and forwarded to your email. You are expected to check email and the Blackboard course page daily to keep up with developments in the class. Assigned problems, online quizzes, and other information will be posted there. If you ever have any questions on course material, policies, issues, etc., contact me via my listed email. I check my account daily and you will hear from me within 24 hours. If I need to reach you individually, I will email your school account.

Academic Honesty: As integrity, honesty, and truthfulness are expected standards of ethical conduct,

cheating, plagiarism, and collusion will not be tolerated. This class is subject to The University Rules, including the Student Code of Conduct and other policies related to academic integrity. Any violation of these regulations will be penalized accordingly and could result in a failing grade for the course.

Accommodations: Any student with a documented disability that requires accommodation must

contact me immediately to discuss arrangements for exams and assignments. Attendance Policy: Attendance for this course is mandatory and will be necessary for you to learn the

material and to participate in discussions, activities, and lab work. If for some serious reason you must

11

UN

IT 3

Mar-24 Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

Read Ch.24 PCQ

WTL

Lab #13: Chromosome BioKit

Mar-26 Evolution of Life Read Ch.27 PCQ

WTL Lab #14: Evolution

12

Mar-31 Ecology Read Ch. 33 PCQ

WTL

NO LAB

Apr-2 Lab #15 Lab #15: Ecology

13 Apr-7 Conservation Biology Read Ch. 36 PCQ

WTL

NO LAB

Apr-9 Field Trip – Cincinnati Zoo, Meet Bernadette

Plair

Read Bernadette – best friend to the macaws (Bb)

WTL

NO LAB

14 Apr-14 Bioethics Read assigned articles on Bb PCQ

WTL

NO LAB

Apr-16 Student Selected Topic / Presentation

Workshop

TBA WTL

NO LAB Work on presentation

materials

15 Apr-21 Student Selected Topic

TBA WTL

NO LAB

Apr-23 Student Presentations

16 Apr-28 Student Presentation

Apr-30 Review Day

FINALS

TBA UNIT 3 EXAM

Course Policies:

7

miss class, such as significant illness or family emergency, or you have a conflict with class time due to participation in a varsity athletics event, email me as soon as possible so accommodations can be made.

Electronic Media Usage: Computers are allowed and encouraged in class (and sometimes required!),

unless usage is a distraction to either me or other students. Inappropriate use of computers, cell phones and tablets during class will result in your excusal from class and an absence for the day.

Withdrawal/Drop Information: If you think you need to drop/withdraw from this course PLEASE

confer with me as soon as you can to discuss the wisdom and rational of your decision. Each semester or class term is segmented into three withdrawal periods. Please see the handy chart below.

Additional information can be found at the following website:

http://www.msj.edu/view/academics/catalogs--class-schedules/graduate-catalog/advising--registration/registration-procedures.aspx.

Other resources: The College of Mount St. Joseph provides a centralized system of support that enhances the ability of every motivated student to succeed in his/her studies. These support systems include the Writing Center, Math Center, Peer Tutoring and Individualized Study Skills Assistance. More information can be found by contacting contact Dana Freer, the Director of Academic Support; at (dana_freer@mail.msj.edu, or [513] 244-4524, The Learning Center, Room 156 Seton Building or at http://www.msj.edu/view/academics/the-learning-center.aspx.