A pdf version
of this information is available
here.
Fall 2009 Course Syllabus
Prerequisites
Completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, Biology 200
– Foundations in Biology I. Proof of the prerequisite
requirement is due by the end of the 2nd week of class (04
September). Proof can be a transcript or downloadable printout of
Palomar course records. Required Resources
▪ Dissection kit, $22.00 (discussed under "Laboratory"
section below)
▪ Journal subscription, approx. $50.00 (discussed under "Journal
Subscription" section below)
▪ Appropriate eye protection (safety glasses)
Required Texts
▪
Biology
201 Lecture Outline, Laboratory Manual and Study Guide
by Daniel Sourbeer (download from Blackboard);
▪
Biology by Campbell and Reese; 8th ed. or later;
▪
A Guide to the Biology Lab by Rust; 3rd ed.
or
Photographic Atlas for the Biology Lab by Van De
Graaff & Crawley, 5th
ed.
▪
Highly Recommended:
A Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms by Donald
J. Borror ($11.49), ISBN 0-87484-053-8. top
Important Dates
▪ Drop deadline (without notation in record): 23 September
2009
▪ Withdraw deadline ("W" grade on record): 17 October 2009
▪
After 17 October (the end of the 8th week of classes) an
evaluative grade (A through F) will be recorded.
Student Learning Objectives
After completing Biology 201 at Palomar College,
students should understand the scientific process (method),
including formulation of a hypothesis; designing an experiment
to test that hypothesis; analysis of the results (data) produced
by that experiment; and the importance of peer review.
Course objectives and expectations
This course is designed for biology majors. As such, I
will have the following expectations:
▪ Make learning the highest priority. Be professional in your
work, i.e., any work you turn in should be neat,
complete, accurate, and on time.
▪ Practice science, following the Scientific Method; you will
design and carry out an experiment of your own design on seed
germination.
▪ Be involved in professional activities such as attending a
scientific seminar or meeting; interning, working or
volunteering in a scientific setting; and/or subscribing to a
scientific journal.
▪ Finally, strive for excellence, not mediocrity. You're
going to be producing artifacts demonstrating your expanding
knowledge and expertise. Create something you'll want to
take pride in!
This course is content heavy and will require advanced study
skills and self-discipline. As committed professionals who
enjoy their work, I will expect you to keep up in your studies
and not get behind. If you will commit to it, I think you
will find this course not only a highly rewarding experience,
but fun as well. The feeling of accomplishment is a great
one, especially when you do something well. It is my
desire to expose you to information and experiences that will
help you excel and make wise decisions in your chosen
profession.
One of the easiest ways not to succeed in Biology 201
is to not show up for class (lecture and/or lab). If
you're not committed to spending your time and effort on this
class, try again some other time. Students with
excessive absences (>3) may be dropped from the roster,
without notice, at any time during the semester. top
Due Dates
Due dates for all assignments are tentative, but are likely to
be as shown in the Lecture and Laboratory Schedule table.
Dates will be announced in class, but you are responsible
for knowing the dates of exams and other assignments.
Unless otherwise specified by me, assignments are due at
the beginning of the class period. Late
assignments will be accepted (unless specified otherwise), but
25% of the point total for the assignment will be deducted for
each class meeting or part thereof that it is late (e.g.,
after two full weeks, the assignment is worth 0 points).
Lecture Exams: On exam days, be sure to get
adequate rest, have back-up plans in place for getting to class
on time, and arrange for reliable transportation to class.
You may retake Lecture Exam 1, 2, or 3 at the last class meeting
during finals week.
Laboratory Exams and Quizzes: Due to the nature of
setting up lab exams (practicals), NO LAB EXAMS CAN BE MADE UP.
If you miss laboratory exams, or more than one lecture exam, you
will receive a score of "zero" on those exams. Quizzes are
typically given at the beginning of class meeting. If you
are late or miss class, there will be no makeup quizzes.
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Honor Code/Academic Honesty
By remaining enrolled in this class you are pledging, on
your honor, that you will not engage in any acts of dishonesty.
Cheating, plagiarism (copying anything or using data without
citing the source), or any act of obtaining or attempting to
obtain credit for work that is not your own is unacceptable.
The
Palomar College catalog (page 34) has further
information. There is to be absolutely no communication of
any kind (between students) once an exam begins. Nothing
is allowed at the test area except for a writing instrument(s)
and eraser. All questions should be directed to me and you
may not leave the room during an exam and resume it when you
return. If you leave the room I will collect the exam, and
I will grade what you have completed. My policy is that
students caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive a zero
grade on that assignment (1st
offense), or an "F" in the class (2nd
offense). In the event of a 2nd
offense, a letter describing the incident will be sent to the
Department Chair and Student Affairs. Important:
allowing another student to copy from your material makes you
complicit in the act of cheating.
If you are aware of cheating of any kind, I would appreciate
what information you have, as it is essential to maintain the
integrity of the course -- this includes communication between
individuals in different class sections, copying assignments to
be collected, plagiarizing papers, etc.
Courtesy
Your education, as you know, is an extremely valuable
commodity. It is therefore important to extend as much
courtesy as possible to your fellow classmates, so that everyone
gets as much as possible out of the course. These
courtesies include the following: If you are late to class,
please enter quietly (it helps to take your materials out of
your backpacks before entering the room). If you have to
leave early, put your personal materials away after leaving the
room. Please do not talk, exchange notes, or otherwise
disrupt the class during instruction. Please turn off
pagers, alarms, and cell-phone ringers. If your
behavior in any way distracts other students, you may be
dismissed from the class. top
Grading
Points will be earned for activities in both lecture and
laboratory, in the following ways (these are approximations):
| Lecture Exams |
3 x 100 points each |
| Laboratory Exams (Practicals) |
3 x 100 points each |
| Laboratory Exercises |
2 x 20 points each |
| Autobiography |
30 points |
| Journal Subscription |
50 points |
| Artifact of Learning Project |
80 points total |
Your percent score in the class will be determined as
follows:
| Course % = |
Sum of points earned by you
|
x 100 |
| Total of points possible on
all assignments |
Grades in the course are assigned according to the following
scale:
A = 90% and above B = 80 - 89.99% C = 70 - 79.99% D = 60 -
69.99% top
Laboratory
The laboratory component is a crucial part of the course.
The Department of Life Sciences requires that you participate
fully in laboratory exercises, i.e., the laboratory must
be experienced. If you miss the equivalent of more than
three laboratory periods, your participation will be considered
unsatisfactory and you will receive an “F” in the course.
Use laboratory time wisely, as you can reduce outside study time
if you do. The attitude "I'll learn it later" is the
attitude of a mediocre to poor student, not the attitude of a
committed professional.
We will be using some preserved specimens in class. Be
sure to review the Materials Safety Data Sheets provided to you.
If you have any suspected or known allergies to materials we
will be using, or if you are pregnant or trying to become
pregnant, please notify me of the condition, and consult with a
physician as soon as possible. We will be doing some
dissections, and you will need to provide your own dissection
kit and eye protection (disposable gloves will be made available
to you in lab).
Eye protection is required in the
laboratory. You will not be allowed to participate
without proper eye protection.
top
Autobiography Assignment
30 points, due Tuesday, 01 September
Tell me about yourself, and be sure to include the following
information:
Tell me about your science background, and the reason for taking
this class in particular.
What letter grade do you expect to earn in the class and why?
What is your career goal, and what is your plan to achieve that
goal?
What are your interests and hobbies?
Anything else you would like me to know about you?
Refer to the Syllabus for the complete details of this
assignment.
Journal Subscription
50 points, due Tuesday, 20 October
In keeping with the departmental philosophy that
biology majors are "biologists-in-training," each of you will be
expected to meet a "professional experience" requirement. That
experience is to subscribe to the peer-reviewed scientific
journal, e.g., Science. I will pay you for
this service in the currency of your academic life, points --
fifty points, to be exact. This requirement adds another
expense to your semester, but I consider it essential to your
development. Take care of this requirement immediately, as
it takes six weeks to get the first issue of some journals, and
you must bring in the journal (with your address label) to get
the points. To subscribe, go to
http://promo.aaas.org/darwin. This is a special rate of
$50 (instead of the usual $99). Be sure to register as a
student even if you are not full-time. If you bring in your
journal after the required date, listed above, you will lose
points.
Artifact of
Learning Project
80 points total
There are three separate "deliverables" for the Artifact of
Learning Project (see the
separate handout for details on content):
▪ Project
Proposal paper: 20 points
▪ The Electronic Artifact
(presentation plus CD-ROM copy): 40 points
▪ Project Summary Paper: 20
points
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Lecture and Laboratory
Schedule
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