BSC 2005 – Biological Sciences for Non-Majors (online)

BSC 2005 – Biological Sciences for Non-Majors (online) UF Sections 0087 (11681), 009B (11682), 1B49 (11714), 1B50 (11715), 1B51 (11716),

34F4 (11718), 34F8 (11719), 34F9 (11720), 417D (23088) UFO Sections 11GB (11683), 1432 (11684), 1434 (11712), 1435 (11713)

Syllabus for Spring 2019

I. CourseDescription

Thiscourseaddressescoreconceptsinbiology,includingtheCell,Genetics,Evolution,Biodiversity,Ecology,andConservation/Sustainability.Fornon-majors.3credits.

II. CourseMeetings

Firstdayofclasses:Monday07January2019Lastdayofclasses:SaturdayApril2019FinalExam:NoneCourseMeetingTimes:Thiscourseisentirelyonline,withweeklydeadlinesbutnofixedmeetingtimes.Studentsmayworkoncoursematerialattheirownpacefromanylocationwithareliableinternetconnection,butitiseachstudent’sresponsibilitytokeepupwithcourseassignmentsandmeetposteddeadlinesforallassignments.AlldeadlinesareUSEasterntime;studentswhoarenotintheUSEasterntimezoneareresponsiblefordoingtheappropriateconversionstoensuretheirworkissubmittedontime.

III. Instructors

CourseInstructor:Dr.NicoleGerlachDepartmentofBiology Office:520CarrHallE-mail:[email protected]

TeachingAssistants:Mr.JoeCollinsSections:1434/117121B51/1171634F4/11718417D/23088E-mail:[email protected]

Mr.ZachEmbertsSections:0087/11681009B/1168211GB/11683E-mail:[email protected]

Ms.TaniaPinedaSections:1432/116841B49/117141B50/11715E-mail:[email protected]

IV. CourseCommunications

A. CourseWebsite:http://lss.at.ufl.eduorhttps://ufl.instructure.com/courses/360588

B. OfficeHours:Officehoursmaybeheldviaphone,Skype,orinperson;pleasee-mailDr.GerlachoryourTAtoarrangeanappointment.Wearealwayshappytomakeappointmentstomeetwithstudents,butduetounpredictableschedules,wecannotmeetwithstudentsonadropinbasis.

C. ContactingYourInstructors:Ifyouhaveaquestionaboutcoursemechanicsorcoursematerialthatcannotbeansweredfromthesyllabus,courseannouncements,orthecourseFAQ,pleasepostittothe

BSC2005–BiologicalSciencesforNon-Majors Spring2019

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DiscussionBoardsonCanvas(seesectionVIII.“GettingHelp”,below).Ifyouhaveaquestioninvolvingapersonal/grade-relatedissue,pleasee-mailyourTAorDr.Gerlach,asappropriate.Alle-mailcorrespondencemustoriginatefromyour@ufl.eduaccountortheCanvasInboxsystem,haveyourfullnameinthebodyofthee-mail,andcontain“BSC2005”inthesubjectline.E-mailsnotmeetingtheserequirementsmaynotberecognizedbyoure-mailfilters,andthusmaynotbeanswered.Barringunusualcircumstances,expectareplywithin24hoursduringtheweek,and48hoursovertheweekend.E-mailsandDiscussionBoardpostsaretypicallycheckedatleastonceperday,butsometimesnotmorethanthat.

D. CommunicationsFromYourInstructors:Eachstudentissolelyresponsibleforreadingandfollowingtheinstructions,guidelinesandschedulesinthissyllabusandonthecoursewebpageandincourseannouncements.Nothavingreadtheinformationinthissyllabus,onthewebpage,orincourseannouncementswillnotconstituteanexcuseformissingdeadlines,assignments,orotherassessments.PleasesetyourpreferencesinCanvassothatyoureceivetimelynotificationsofcourseannouncementsandotherinformation.

V. CourseResources

A. TextbookBiologyforaChangingWorld,3ebyShuster,Vigna,Tontonoz,andSinha.SinauerAssociatesandW.H.Freeman(publisher),2018.

TherearecurrentversionsofthetextbookonreserveattheMarstonScienceLibrary.VisittheReserveMaterialsareatocheckoutthesecopies.

Aphysicalcopyofthetextbookisnotrequiredforthecourse,butisoptionallyavailableintheUFBookstore.TherequiredLaunchPadaccess(seebelow)includesanelectroniccopyofthetextbook.

B. LaunchPadOnlineResourcesLaunchPadisanonlineassignmentsandtutorialsystemfromthetextbookpublisherthatincludesanelectronicversionofthetextbook.LaunchPadwillbeusedforrequiredreadings,interactiveactivities,andquizzes.AccesstoLaunchPadisrequiredforBSC2005.

LaunchPadwillbeofferedatthelowestcostoptionthroughUFAllAccess.UFAllAccessallowsstudentsthechoiceto“opt-in”foralimitedtimetoreceiveaccesstoLaunchpadforareducedpriceandpayforthesematerialsthroughtheirstudentaccount.StudentswhodonotchoosethisoptionwillbeabletopurchasetheaccesscodethroughtheUFBookstore,ordirectlyfromtheLaunchPadsite.Alloptionsprovideaccesstothesamematerials.

ToaccessLaunchPadviaUFAllAccess:

1.Clickonthefollowinglinkhttps://www.bsd.ufl.edu/G1CO/IPay1f/start.aspx?TASK=INCLUDED.ThispromptsyoutologinwithyourGatorLinkaccount.2.StudentsareshownalistofclassesinwhichtheyareenrolledthatareparticipatinginUFAllAccess,withtheprices.3.StudentsshouldclicktheOpt-incheckboxnexttotheclass(es)towhichtheyaretryingtogetaccess.4.Studentsthenneedtoclickthebuttonbelowtoauthorizethecharges.5.ClicktheOpt-Inbuttonnexttothe“AmounttoCharge”onceyouhavereviewedyourcourseselections.6.Theaccesscodeisnowdisplayed****Note:copythiscodetobeusedwhenregisteringLaunchPadinCanvas.Forhelpwiththissystem,difficultiesfindingyouraccesscode,orissueswithaninvalidaccesscode,[email protected].


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IfyouarewaitingonfinancialaiddisbursementandchoosenottousetheUFAllAccessprogram,youcanregisterfortemporaryLaunchPadaccessviatheLaunchPadsite,butyouwillhavetopurchaseaccessoncethetemporaryaccessexpires.InstructionsoncorrectlyregisteringforLaunchPadwillbeavailableontheCanvascoursesiteoncethesemesterhasstarted.PleasewaitfortheseinstructionsbeforeregisteringforLaunchPad;incorrectregistrationonLaunchPadmayresultinreceivingzeropointsforallLaunchPadassignments.ForhelpwithLaunchPad,contactLaunchPadTechnicalSupport:(800)936-6899(phone)orviatheirwebformathttp://support.bfwpub.com/supportform/form.php?View=contact.

C. CourseWebsite(Canvas)Allclassmaterial-includingthesyllabus,lectures,assignments,discussions,quizzes,andgradebook–thatisnotpartoftheLaunchPadsystemwillbepostedonthecourseCanvaswebsite(https://ufl.instructure.com).ForhelpwithCanvas,calltheUFComputingHelpDeskat352-392-4357,orvisitthee-Learningsupportwebsite:http://help.instructure.com/.

D. CourseFeeForUFstudents,thecoursefeeis$129.99.ForUFOstudents,thisfeeisincludedintuition.

E. AdditionalCourseSuppliesSomeactivitieswillrequirestudentstoacquireadditionalinexpensivematerialsfor“kitchenexperiments”.Theseinclude:raisins,salt,rubbingalcohol,acoffeefilter,someutensils,andsomedryparticulatefood(likedrybeansoruncookedmacaroni)orhouseholditems(likepaperclips).

VI. CoursePolicies

A. TimeCommitmentTheUFCollegeofLiberalArtsandSciencesassumesthateachstudentwilldevoteonaverage3-4hoursperweekpercredit-hourtoeachcourseduringtheregularsemester.BecauseBSC2005is3credits,eachstudentshouldthereforeexpecttodevoteanaverageof9-12hoursperweektothiscourseina15-weeksemester.Thistimewillnotnecessarilybeevenlydistributed;someweekswillhaveheavierworkloadsthanothers.

B. AttendanceStudentsareexpectedtocompleteallassignedwork(quizzes,interactive,discussions,activitiesetc.)bytheduedate.Unavoidablecircumstances(e.g.hospitalizationorfamilyemergencies)thatpreventyoufromcompletingyourworkinatimelymannerrequireyoutoobtainaletterfromamedicalprofessionalortheDeanofStudentsoffice(https://www.dso.ufl.edu/home/contact-us)thatspecifiesthetimeperiodforwhichyouareexcusedfromclasswork,andsubmitittoyourinstructorsassoonaspossible.Otherwise,manageyourtimewiselyandworkaheadwhenyouneedto.Excusessuchas“wedidn’tgetbackfrom(activity)whenplannedandIdidn’thavetime”or“mycomputercrashedhalfanhourbeforethedeadlineandtechsupportwasn’topen”willNOTbeacceptedasexcusesformisseddeadlines.

C. ComputingRequirementsItistheresponsibilityofthestudenttomaintainafunctioningcomputingsystemandinternetconnection.Computing/internetconnectivityissueswillNOTbeacceptableexcusesformisseddeadlinesunlesstheyarebroughttotheattentionoftheinstructoratleast24hourspriortothedeadlineandaccompaniedbytheticketnumberfromtechnicalsupport.SeesectionVIIIforTechnicalSupportcontactinformation.MicrosoftOfficeprogramsarerequiredformanyoftheassignments;thesecanbeaccessedbycurrentUFandUFOstudentsthroughGatorCloud:http://www.it.ufl.edu/gatorcloud/.SubmissionsmustbemadeeitherinanMSOfficeformat(.docor.docx,.ppt,etc.)orinagenerallyreadablefileformat(.pdf,.jpg,


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.txt,etc.);proprietaryfileformatssuchasPages,Keynote,etc.cannotbeopenedandwillnotcountasanon-timesubmission.

D. LateWorkAssignments,discussions,quizzes,andotheractivitiesinCanvasandLaunchPadautomaticallycloseatthedeadline.NolateworkwillbeacceptedwithoutanexcusedextensionfromtheDeanofStudents(seeVI.Babove)oratechnicalsupporttroubleticketdocumentingtechnicalissuesforatleast24hourspriortothedeadline(seeVI.Cabove).Pleasedonotwaituntilthenightofthedeadlinetocompleteyourassignments!

E. AssignmentSubmissionsandResubmissionsQuizzeswithinbothCanvasandLaunchPadaregradedonthefirstattempt;pleasedonotstartthesequizzesuntilyouarereadytocompletethem.Aftercompletingaquiz,pleaseensurethatthescorehasbeenpostedtothegradebook.NotethatLaunchPadscoresmaynotsynctotheCanvasgradebookimmediately,butscoresfortheseactivities/quizzesshouldalwaysbevisibleintheLaunchPadgradebook.Itiseachstudent’sresponsibilitytoensurethattheirworkissubmittedpriortothedeadline.Pleasedouble-checkyourfilesubmissionstomakesuretheyhavecompletedsuccessfully.Errorswiththesubmissionprocess(suchastheinternetconnectionbeinglostmid-submission)willnotbegroundsfordeadlineextensionsunlesstheyoccuratleast24hourspriortothedeadlineandareaccompaniedbyaUFHelpDeskticketnumber(seeVI.Cabove).Pleasealsodouble-checkthatyouhavesubmittedthecorrectfile;submittinganincompleteorincorrectfilewillresultinazero.ForassignmentswithinCanvasthatrequireafileupload,thesemayberesubmittedmultipletimes;wewillonlyconsiderthemostrecentsubmission.However,onceasubmissionhasbeengraded,evenifitispriortothedeadline,nofurthersubmissionswillbeconsidered.

F. ClassroomBehaviorPleasebehavewithcourtesytowardsyourfellowstudentsandtheinstructors.Thisisparticularlyimportantindiscussionboardswhereyouarevoicingopinionsandcommentingonthoseofotherindividuals.Studentswhopersistinbeingrudeordisrespectfulwillbeblockedfromfutureparticipation(withcorrespondinglossofpoints).

G. GrammarCorrectgrammar,punctuation,spelling,capitalizationandparagraphingshouldbeusedinanycollegelevelsubmission,includingthediscussionboards.(USHLDNTUSTXTSPEAKLKEIDKORBFFTHXALSODNTUSEALLCAPS.Ugh.)Wewilltakenoteofspellingandgrammarinallsubmissionsandwewillgradeaccordingly,evenifitisnotexplicitlyincludedontherubric.Ifyouneedhelpwithanyaspectofyourwriting,pleasevisittheUFWritingStudioathttp://writing.ufl.edu/writing-studio/.

H. CourseMaterialsAllmaterialsforthiscourse,includingbutnotlimitedtolectures,quizzes,andworksheets,aretheintellectualpropertyoftheprofessor,TAs,ortextbookpublisher,andareprovidedsolelyforthepersonaluseofthecurrentlyenrolledstudents.Thesematerialsmaynotbedistributedtootherstudentsorrepositorieswithoutexpresswrittenpermission,evenaftertheconclusionofthecourseattheendofthesemester.DoingsowillbeconsideredaviolationoftheUFHonorCode(seebelow).

VII. UFPolicies

A. AcademicHonestyAllstudentsregisteredattheUniversityofFloridahaveagreedtocomplywiththefollowingstatement:

“IunderstandthattheUniversityofFloridaexpectsitsstudentstobehonestinalltheiracademicwork.IagreetoadheretothiscommitmenttoacademichonestyandunderstandthatmyfailuretocomplywiththiscommitmentmayresultindisciplinaryactionuptoandincludingexpulsionfromtheUniversity.”


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Inaddition,onallworksubmittedforcreditthefollowingpledgeiseitherrequiredorimplied:

“OnmyhonorIhaveneithergivennorreceivedunauthorizedaidindoingthisassignment.”

MoredetailscanbefoundintheUFHonorCodeathttps://sccr.dso.ufl.edu/process/student-honor-code/.AcademicdishonestyorotherHonorCodeviolationswillnotbetolerated,andeachincidentwillresultin–atminimum–thelossofafulllettergradeinthecourse,azeroontheassignmentinquestion,andadditionalsanctionsasappropriate,uptoandincludingafailinggradeintheclass.Inthiscourse,academicdishonestyincludes(butisnotlimitedto)collaboratingwithotherstudentsoncourseassignmentsorquizzes,copyingtheworkofotherstudentsinwholeorinpart,allowingotherstudentstocopyyourworkorotherwisesharingcompletedassignmentsinpersonoronline,discussingorsharingquizquestionsoranswerswithotherstudents,givingotherstudentsthepasswordforlockedquizzes,andplagiarism,includinginsufficientparaphrasing.Pleasereviewhowtodefineplagiarismandhowtoavoidit:http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/games/gap/gameoverview.

AllwrittensubmissionsinthiscoursearerunthroughTurnItIn’santi-plagiarismsoftware,whichgiveseachsubmissionasimilarityscore,dependingonthedegreetowhichitmatchesthesourcesinTurnItIn’sdatabase,whichincludewebsites,journalarticles,andotherstudentsubmissions.StudentscanviewtheirownTurnItInscoreandsimilarityreportonasubmission,generallywithinafewminutesofsubmission.SubmissionswithahighTurnItInscoreshouldberewrittentobetterputconceptsintoyourownwords,andungradedassignmentsmayberesubmittedwithoutpenaltypriortothedeadline(seesectionVI.Eabove).

Ifyouhaveknowledgeofanyinstancesofacademicdishonestyinthisclass,youareobligatedtonotifytheinstructororcontacttheStudentHonorCourt(392-1631)orCheatingHotline(392-6999).ForadditionalinformationonAcademicHonesty,pleaserefertotheUniversityofFloridaStudentHonorCodeat:https://sccr.dso.ufl.edu/policies/student-honor-code-student-conduct-code/

B. AccommodationsforStudentsWithDisabilitiesStudentswhowillrequireaclassroomaccommodationforadisabilitymustcontacttheDeanofStudentsOffice’sDisabilityResourceCenter,in001ReidHall(phone:352-392-8565).PleaseseetheUniversityofFloridaDisabilityResourceswebsiteformoreinformationat:https://drc.dso.ufl.edu/.StudentsshouldprovidetheirDRCaccommodationlettertoDr.Gerlachassoonaspossible,ideallybythesecondweekofclasses.Noaccommodationsareavailabletostudentswholackthisdocumentation,andaccommodationsarenotretroactive(i.e.accommodationscannotbemadeforassignmentssubmittedpriortoDr.Gerlachreceivingtheletter).ItisthepolicyoftheUniversityofFloridathatthestudent,nottheinstructor,isresponsibleforarrangingaccommodationswhenneeded,andinstructorscannotprovideaccommodationsbeyondthoselistedonastudent’sdocumentation.Oncenotificationiscomplete,theDisabilityRecourseCenterwillworkwiththeinstructortoaccommodatethestudent.

C. Drop/Add/WithdrawalAstudentcandrop/addthiscourseduringthedrop/addperiodwithnopenalty.Afterdrop/add,astudentwhodropswillreceiveaWuntilthedatelistedintheacademiccalendar.Afterthatdate,thestudentmaybeassignedan“E”(fail).Note:itistheresponsibilityoftheSTUDENTtowithdrawfromacourse,nottheinstructor.Failuretoparticipate/completetheclassdoesNOTconstituteadrop.

D. CourseEvaluationsAnonymouscourseevaluationswillbeopenviaUF’sonlineevaluationssystem(https://evaluations.ufl.edu)neartheendofthesemester;youwillreceivee-mailnotificationsofwhentheevaluationsopen.Wedotakestudentfeedbackintoaccountwhenplanningfuturesemesters;pleaseletyourinstructorsknowifthereareparticularmodulesand/oractivitiesthatyoufoundhelpfulortopicsthatyouwouldhavelikedtocoverinmoredepth,aswellasanythatyoufoundlessuseful.


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VIII. GettingHelp

A. ComputingProblemsForissueswithtechnicaldifficultiesinCanvas,orwithgeneralcomputingquestions,pleasecontacttheUFHelpDeskat:

• (352)392-HELP• https://lss.at.ufl.edu/help.shtml

ForissueswithLaunchPad,pleasecontactLaunchPadtechnicalsupportat:

• (800)936-6899• http://support.bfwpub.com/supportform/form.php?View=contact

B. UniversitySupportServicesCollegecanbeaverystressfultimeinaperson’slife.Resourcesareavailableoncampustohelpstudentsmeetacademicgoalsandsolvepersonalproblemsthatmayinterferewiththeiracademicperformance.Ifyoufindthatyouarehavingdifficultyemotionallyoracademically,thereissubstantialsupportavailable.See“ASelfHelpGuideforStudents”orcontactonofthefollowingservices:

1. UFCounselingandWellnessCenter,RadioRdFacility,392-15752. DeanofStudentsOffice,202PeabodyHall,392-12613. CareerResourceCenter,ReitzUnion,392-16014. CLASAcademicAdvisingCenter,FarriorHall,100FletcherDrive,392-15215. UFFieldandForkPantry,564NewellDr.,294-3601

Anystudentwhohasdifficultyaffordinggroceriesoraccessingsufficientfoodtoeateveryday,orwholacksasafeandstableplacetolive,andbelievesthismayaffecttheirperformanceinthecourse,isurgedtocontacttheDeanofStudents(202PeabodyHall,392-1261)forsupport.Furthermore,pleasenotifyyourinstructor(s)ifyouarecomfortableindoingso.Thiswillenableustoprovideanyresourcesthatwemaypossess.

C. OtherQuestionsIfyouhavenon-tech-supportquestionsaboutotheraspectsofthecourse,checkthefollowingsourcesfirsttoseeifitisalreadyanswered,beforee-mailingyourinstructors:

o CourseSyllabuso StartHere/AboutCanvas/AboutLaunchPad/AboutModulespageso CourseAnnouncements(thisistheprimarymeansthatyourinstructorhastocommunicatewith

youinatimelymanner)o CourseFAQorModule-specificQuestionsDiscussionBoards

Ifyoustillcannotfindtheanswertoyourquestions:

o Ifitisaquestionthatothersmightfindusefultoknowtheanswertoaswell,postittothediscussionboard–eithertheDiscussionBoardfortheparticularunitforquestionsoncoursetopics,orthegeneralDiscussionBoardforquestionsaboutcoursemechanics.

o Ifitisaquestionspecifictoyou(e.g.accountorgradespecific),contactDr.GerlachoryourTAviae-mail.


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IX. GeneralEducation

A. GeneralEducationClassificationBSC2005meetsthegeneraleducationrequirementsforBiologicalSciences.

B. ProgramAreaObjectivesBiologicalsciencecoursesprovideinstructioninthebasicconcepts,theoriesandtermsofthescientificmethodinthecontextofthelifesciences.Coursesfocusonmajorscientificdevelopmentsandtheirimpactsonsociety,scienceandtheenvironment,andtherelevantprocessesthatgovernbiologicalsystems.Studentswillformulateempirically-testablehypothesesderivedfromthestudyoflivingthings,applylogicalreasoningskillsthroughscientificcriticismandargument,andapplytechniquesofdiscoveryandcriticalthinkingtoevaluateoutcomesofexperiments.

C. GeneralEducationStudentLearningOutcomesThegeneraleducationstudentlearningoutcomes(SLOs)describetheknowledge,skillsandattitudesthatstudentsareexpectedtoacquirewhilecompletingageneraleducationcourseattheUniversityofFlorida.TheSLOsfallintothreeareas:content,communicationandcriticalthinking.

1.Content:Studentsdemonstratecompetenceintheterminology,concepts,methodologiesandtheoriesusedwithinthediscipline.

2.Communication:Studentscommunicateknowledge,ideas,andreasoningclearlyandeffectivelyinwrittenororalformsappropriatetothediscipline.

3.CriticalThinking:Studentsanalyzeinformationcarefullyandlogicallyfrommultipleperspectives,usingdisciplinespecificmethods,anddevelopreasonedsolutionstoproblems.


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D. GeneralEducationintheContextofThisClassEachmodulewillcontainbetween1-3activitiesworthbetween10and30pointseach;thisrepresentsapproximately35%ofthefinalgrade.ThepurposeoftheseactivitiesistoencouragestudentstothinkaboutBiologyoutsidetheframeworkimposedbythetextbookorinstructorlecturesbygivingthemtheopportunitytodeveloptheirownmaterialstosupportorrejectexistingscientifichypotheses.Hypothesistestingismostexplicitlyaddressedinthefirstmodule,onthescientificmethod.Studentswillgainpracticeformulatinghypothesesandanalyzingexperimentaldatathroughouttheclass,invariousactivitiesthatinvolvevirtualand/or“kitchen”experiments.Activitiesthatincludeanemphasisonhypothesistestingaremarkedontheschedulebelowwith‡.

Foreachactivity,studentsareprovidedwithspecificinstructionsforcompletingtheactivityaswellasagradingrubric.Thegradingrubricsaredesignedtoevaluatethestudent’smasteryofspecificcontentandtheirabilitytoproducebodiesofworkwithintheguidelinesspecifiedintheinstructions.Someexamplesofactivitiestypesinclude:researchusingreliablewebsources,expositorywriting,videoreviews,“kitchenexperiments”,inquiryactivitysheets,andconstructionoffiguresandtables.

Thecoursealsoincludesninediscussions,inwhichstudentsansweranopen-endeddiscussionpromptregardingtheethicsandapplicationofbiologyindailylife.Studentswillbeexpectedtoprovideathoughtfulanswertotheinitialprompt,aswellastorespondtotheanswerofatleastoneoftheirclassmates,inordertofostercriticalthinkingskillswithinalearningcommunity.

X. AssessmentsandGrading

A. CourseStructureandDueDatesThiscourseisdividedintofifteenmodules,withonedueeachweekofthesemesterduringFallandSpringsemesters.ModulestypicallyopenforworkontheSaturdaysofeachweek,andallmaterialsexceptyourfirstdiscussionboardpost(seebelow)aredueby11:59:00pmbyFridaytwoweekslater.TheonlyexceptionsareforthefirstModule,whichisdueearlyinthesecondweekofclasstoaccommodatetheadd/dropperiod,andthefinalmodule,whichisdueby11:59p.m.onthelastdayofclass(listedinsectionIIabove)toaccommodatethescheduleofwhenfinalgradesareduetotheregistrar.Nolateworkwillbeacceptedaftertheseweeklydeadlines;pleaseplanyourtimewiselyandworkahead,anddonotwaittothelastminutetobegin!Theduedatesforeachmodulearelistedonthelastpagesofthesyllabus,andwillalsobelistedoneachmodule’spagewithinCanvas.

B. CourseworkEachunitwillconsistofvariousmaterialstoread/watch,activitiestocomplete,andquizzestotake.Allrequiredactivitiesandassignmentsforeachunit(includingthoseinLaunchPad)willbelistedonthatmodule’spageonCanvas.Thevariouspiecesthatmightbeincludedinaunitareoutlinedbelow.Theactivitiesvaryinhowmanypointstheyareworthbuteachmoduleisworth~90-100ptsoverall.

1. LaunchPad(~40%oftotalpoints)a. Readthechapter(s).b. Interactiveinfographics.Therearetypically3-4perchapter.Eachoneinvolvesashort

animatedinfographictoworkthrough,followedbyashortquiz(usually2-3questions)onthematerialcoveredintheinfographic.Thesequizzesareworth1pointperquestion.

c. LearningCurve:Theseareadaptivequizzes,wherethequestionsgetharderoreasierdependingonhowyoudo.You'renotpenalizedforgettingquestionswrong,butyouneedtoreachacertainlevelofquestionforeachunit.Onceyoureachthatlevel,youreceivefullcredit(10pts)fortheunit.Afterthatpoint,youcancontinueansweringquestionstoreviewthematerialwithoutaffectingyourscore.

d. TaketheChapterquizoverthereading;typicallyworth18-30pts.Questionsareworth1.5pointsapiece.


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2. Canvas(~60%oftotalpoints)

a. Watchthelecturevideos.b. Discussionposts.Someunitshaveadiscussiontopicworth10points;6pointsforyour

initialpostaddressingthediscussionprompt,whichisduethreedaysbeforetherestofthematerial(i.e.11:59p.m.Tuesdayforamoduledue11:59p.m.Friday),and4pointsforyourreplytoone(ormore!)ofyourclassmates'posts(duewiththerestofthemodulematerialsat11:59p.m.onFriday).Discussionboardpostsandrepliesshouldeachbeaboutaparagraphlong(minimum3-4meaningfulsentences)andshouldreflectsomecriticalthoughtinresponsetothepromptorclassmate’spost(e.g.“Yes,Iagree.Goodpost!”isnotasufficientresponse.)Allpostsshouldbecomposedoflogicallyandsyntacticallyvalidsentenceswithproperspellingandgrammar.

c. Activities.Theseareactivitiesthatwillaskyoutoreadsomething,watchsomething,dosomething,orwritesomethingrelatedtothetopicoftheunit.Therearetwotypesofactivitiesinthiscourse,basedonhowyougetcreditforthem.

i. Thefirsttyperequiresyousubmityourwork(ashortessay,acompletedworksheet,etc.)byuploadingittothecorrespondingAssignmentinCanvas.Thesearemarkedontheschedulebelowwith(S).

ii. Forthesecondtype,insteadofsubmittingyourcompletedwork,youwilluseittoanswerquestionsabouttheactivityonthecorrespondingquizontheQuizzespageinCanvas.Thesearemarkedontheschedulebelowwith(Q).

iii. InsomeunitsthereareworksheetslinkedfromtheModule’spagethatdon'thaveaseparatequizoranythingtosubmit,butmaterialfromtheseassignmentswillappearontheLectureQuizforthatunit.

d. LectureQuiz.Thesequizzescovermaterialfromtheentireunit,withafocusonthelecturematerial.Questionsareworth1pointapiece.

RecommendedOrder:Youcancompletethevariousassignmentsforeachunitinanyorderthatyouwant,aslongastheyareallcompletebytheduedate.However,Iwouldrecommendreadingthechapter,watchingthelectures,andcompletingtheinfographicsfirst;answeringthediscussionprompt,doingthelearningcurvequiz,andcompletingtheactivitiessecond;andcompletingthechapterquiz(onLaunchPad)andthelecturequiz(onCanvas)last,onceyouareconfidentwiththematerial.

C. GradingGradesfromassignments,discussions,LaunchPadactivities,andlecturequizzeswillbepostedonCanvasthroughoutthesemester.ItistheresponsibilityofthestudenttochecktheirgradesonCanvasandtoletinstructorsknowaboutdiscrepancieswithinoneweekofthegradesbeingpostedtoCanvas.

Minimumgradecutoffsarelistedinthetabletotheright.Thescoresforthecourseasawholewillnotbecurved(i.e.thesegradecutoffswillnotbelowered)exceptunderextremelyrarecircumstances(i.e.,unlesswetellyouotherwisethesecutoffswillnotbelowered,sodonotask).However,thesecutoffswillnotberaised;inotherwords,ifyoureceiveatleast93%ofthepossiblepoints,youareguaranteedtoearnanAgrade.FinalscoreswillberoundedtoonedecimalplacebutwillNOTberoundedbeyondthat(e.g.,89.92%willberoundedto89.9%,not90%).Beingontheborderlineofthenexthighestgradecanbefrustrating,sopleaseputintheworkyouneedtomakesureyouearnthegradeyouwant!

NotethatthecurrentUFpolicyforassigninggradepointsisavailableatthefollowingundergraduatecatalogwebpage:https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx.

PointRange(%) LetterGrade≥93 A≥90 A–≥87 B+≥83 B≥80 B–≥77 C+≥73 C≥70 C–≥67 D+≥63 D≥60 D–<60 E


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D. Incomplete(“I”):IfastudenthascompletedthemajorityofthecourseworkwithapassinggradeandparticularDOCUMENTEDcircumstancespreventcompletionofthecourseinthetimeallotted,thestudentmay,withtheagreementoftheinstructor,beassignedan“I”pendingresolutionofthegrade.AllincompletesMUSTberesolvedbytheendofthefollowingtermorthestudentwillreceiveagradeof“E”(failing).

E. ExtraCreditExtracreditassignmentsmaybeofferedattheinstructors’discretion;ifextracreditisoffered,itwillbeopentoallstudentsandwillbeclearlyannouncedonthecoursewebsite.Noindividualizedextracreditwillbeoffered.

F. SpecialTreatmentPleasedonotrequestindividualspecialtreatment(extendeddeadlineswithoutadocumentedexcusedabsence,gradeadjustments,extracredit)attheendofthesemester;wedonotadjustgradesorprovidespecialtreatmentforindividualsforanyreason.Plantodowellonallquizzesandotherassignmentsfromthebeginningofthesemester;ifyouarehavingdifficultyintheclass,pleaseletyourinstructorsknowsoonerratherthanlater.

XI. Disclaimer

Thissyllabusrepresentsthecurrentplansandobjectives;however,schedules,requirements,andassignmentsmaychangethroughoutthesemesterastheneedarises.Suchchanges,communicatedclearly,arenotunusualandshouldbeexpected.

XII. WeeklyCourseSchedule

Unit Duedate* Chapter Topic LaunchPad Discussion Activities** LectureQuiz

1Tuesday

15January11:59p.m.

1 ProcessofScience

InfographicsLearningCurveChapterQuiz

IntroduceYourselfANDProcessof

Science

CricketExperiment(Q)‡HypothesisTesting(S)‡

Module1

2Friday

18January11:59p.m.

3 CellStructure&Function


n/a Osmosis:Fish&Raisins(Q)‡BuildaCell(S)

Module2

3Friday

25January11:59p.m.

5 EnergyFlow&Photosynthesis


ArtificialPhotosynthesis

ArtificialPhotosynthesis(Q)PigmentChromatography(S)‡ Module3

4Friday

01February11:59p.m.

7 DNA&GeneticsInfographics

LearningCurveChapterQuiz

Ethicsingeneticfingerprinting

WhatisDNA?(Q)VirtualGeneticsLab(Q)StolenArtifacts(S)‡

n/a

5Friday

08February11:59p.m.

11-12 Inheritance InfographicsChapterQuizzes n/a GeneticsandInheritance(Q)

BloodTestsandBabies(Q) n/a

6Friday

15February11:59p.m.

13 NaturalSelection&Adaptation


Evolutionaryideasandmisconceptions

PocketMouseSelection(Q)SticklebacksandSelection(Q)FeedingToolsSelection(S)‡

Module6

7Friday

22February11:59p.m.

14 Species&Speciation


n/a AntsandSelection(S)‡LabBenchVirtualExperiment(Q)‡ Module7


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Unit Duedate* Chapter Topic LaunchPad Discussion Activities** LectureQuiz

8Friday

01March11:59p.m.

15 EvidenceforEvolution


EthicsinPaleontology

FossilWhales(Q)DinoDig(Q)‡ Module8

SPRINGBREAK–NOCLASSES

9Friday

15March11:59p.m.

19 HumanEvolutionInfographics


HumanSpeciation BecomingHuman(Q) Module9

10Friday

22March11:59p.m.

16 LifeonEarthInfographics


n/a Tree-BuildingActivity(Q)EvolutioninourWorld(S) Module10

11Friday

29March11:59p.m.

17 ProkaryotesInfographics


ProkaryoteDiversity

GutMicrobes(Q)ProkaryoteDiversityChart(Q)ProkaryoteSymbioses(S)

n/a

12Friday05April

11:59p.m.18 Eukaryotes


GettoKnowaEukaryote

EukaryoteDiversity(S)PlantsandFungiChart(Q) n/a

13Friday12April

11:59p.m.20 PopulationEcology


PrimeDirective ParameciumActivity(Q)‡IsleRoyaleWolves&Moose(S)‡ Module13

14Friday19April

11:59p.m.21 Community

Ecology


n/a SeaOtters(Q)CommunityInteractions(S) Module14

15Saturday27April

11:59p.m.22-23 EcosystemEcology

&SustainabilityInfographicsChapterQuiz HumanImpacts

EcologicalFootprintQuiz&Survey(Q)ClimateChange:TheCrisis(Q)

EcosystemsandaWarmingEarth(S)n/a

Note:Thisscheduleissubjecttochange;themostup-to-datelistingoftherequiredassignmentswillbefoundoneachmodule’swebpage.*Moduleswithadiscussionhavethefirstdiscussionpostduethreedaysbeforetheduedatefortherestofthematerial.**Q:Activityassessedbyaquiz;S:Activityassessedbysubmittedwork.‡:Activityincludesanemphasisonformulatingand/ortestinghypotheses

Documents

BSC 2005 – Biological Sciences for Non-Majors (online)