COURSE SYLLABUS
BIO 213
ROGUE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SPRING 2014
Monday, March 31st - Class Begins
Friday, May 9 – Staff Inservice Day – no classes
Monday, May 26 – Memorial Day – no classes
June 11 – last day of class (final exam)
Instructor: Kevin Culhane
Office: HEC 301-G
Contacts: Phone (541) 245-7621
e-mail: kculhane@roguecc.edu
Office Hours: Also by appointment if students are unable to make the posted
hours.
Mon
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Tues
noon – 1:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Wed
noon – 1:00 pm
Thurs
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
BI 213 Prerequisites: BI 211, MTH 60, RD 30; BI 212 is recommended
Course Description: This sequence of biology is primarily for the professional
student majoring in the biological sciences, science education, nursing, and allied health
fields. This course serves as an introduction to both the organization and diversity of
fungi, non-vascular plants, vascular plants as well as the principles of modern ecology. It
will include lectures on the major structures and features of the various taxonomic
representatives of the Fungi and Plantae kingdoms. In addition we will study the
relationships between species in a community, and how physical factors influence
ecosystems. Lab work will involve the use of the laboratory and field tools, observation
of specimens, and the use of the microscope. There will be two outdoor labs.
Objectives: Having successfully completed the course the student will be able to:
1. Name and describe the basic features of representative phyla in the kingdom
Fungi.
2. Name and describe the basic features of representative phyla in the kingdom
Plantae.
3. Describe the basic structures, and tissue organization and function found in
plants.
4. Describe the classification system used for differentiating various fungi and
plants.
5. Compare and contrast the various life cycles found in the plant and fungal
kingdoms.
6. Describe the evolutionary relationships of representative members of the
fungal and plant kingdoms.
7. Illustrate the energy flow and chemical cycling found in a food web.
8. Explain the combined global effect of solar energy and the Coriolis effect on
weather systems, and how this provokes change within biomes.
9. List and describe the distinguishing characteristics of major biomes.
10. Explain the importance of maintaining an ecological balance for the health of
the ecosystem.
Required Materials:
Text: Biology Campbell & Reece. 9th edition, 2011
Lab manual: exploring Biology in the Laboratory for RCC BI213 Pendarvis & Crawley
Safety Goggles: students are responsible for purchasing and using approved safety
goggles meeting ANSI Standard Z87.1-1989/2003 with polycarbonate lens and indirect
venting (optional fog-free lens). Welding supply stores carry comfortable goggles that
meet the safety standards but cost a few dollars more. Students must also supply nitrile
gloves for lab. You will also need ScanTron answer sheets for exams, an RCC approved
“iClicker,” and close-toed shoes, and long trousers for labs.
Suggested books:
Manual of Oregon Trees & Shrubs, 8th Ed – by Jensen, Randall, Keniston, & Bever.
APhotographic Atlas for the Bio Laboratory, 5th ed. Van De Graaf & Crawley, Morton
Pub 2005
Dictionary of Word Roots & Combining Forms 1988 by Donald Borror, Mayfield Pub.
Attendance and Drop Policy:
Introductory biology, while a fascinating subject, is a difficult course. Students who
attend classes only periodically will have a very difficult time succeeding in this class.
Students must sign the attendance sheet each day of class to document their presence. It
is the student's responsibility to make sure that the attendance sheet is signed. Students
who have perfect attendance will be given 10 extra credit points on the final grade.
Excused absences that do not affect the extra credit are verified and include: jury duty,
citizenship, funeral or medical emergencies (written proof required).
Items to Leave at Home:
Cell phones, media devices, and/or other electronic devices (such as electronic smoking
cessation devices) are disruptive to the learning environment and will not be allowed in
class.
Objectives will be met through the following methods of evaluation:
Lecture and lab exams that require the synthesis of material, analysis of data and
conclusions to be drawn, weekly reading quizzes, and class participation. Exams and
quizzes can only be made up with prior consent of the instructor. Make-up exams will be
allowed only if they are arranged prior to the in-class exam and are entirely composed
of essay questions.
1. Lecture: There will be three exams each worth 100 pts. They are not
accumulative, but previously learned material may be needed to answer questions
on the current exam. The exams are tentatively scheduled for Wed April 23rd,
Mon May 19jh, and Wed June 11th.
2. Lab: there will be two lab exams during the term, each worth 75 pts. The exams
are tentatively scheduled for Monday, April 21rstand Monday, June 9th. Lab
attendance is required since lab sessions and lab exams cannot be made up.
Students are free to leave when all sections of the lab have been completed, and
the work station has been properly cleaned. Lab science courses require that at
least 70% of labs must be completed with a “C” grade or better in order to get a
passing grade for the course. e.g., if you had 80% in the class, but only turned in
50% of the lab reports, you would receive a failing grade for the course.
3. Quizzes:
a) There will be a take home reading quiz given each week during the first day
of lecture. The quizzes will cover reading material for the next week. Any late
work must include reference page numbers and explanations for the multiple
choice answers, otherwise will receive no credit. Assignments after graded work
has been handed back will not be accepted.
Course Grading Scale and Points:
Lecture Exams
Lab Work, quizzes & Exams
Reading Quizzes
Clicker Questions
Leaf Press Notebook
Reseearch on Beta fish paper
Beta fish experiment
Additional assignments
Total
300 pts
245 pts
100 pts
75 pts
50 pts
20 pts
30 pts
20 pts
840 pts
100.0-90.00% = A
89.99-80.00% = B
79.99-70.00% = C
69.99-60.00% = D
59.99-00.00% = F
Student Responsibilities:
1. It is each student's responsibility to be aware of all college procedures, such as
how to add, drop, or withdraw from a class, and the available student services.
For more information, refer to your Student Handbook, Schedule of Classes,
and the Student Rights, Freedoms, and Responsibility Statement.
2. CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM ARE VIOLATIONS OF THE
COLLEGE POLICY AND ARE CONSIDERED SERIOUS OFFENSES.
THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES TAKES ALL
INCIDENTS OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY SERIOUSLY AND ACTS
ACCORDINGLY: THIS INCLUDES A FAILING GRADE FOR THE
COURSE OR EXPULSION FROM THE COLLEGE.
Students With Disabilities:
Any student that feels that he or she may need an academic accommodation for any
disability, such as vision, hearing, orthopedic, learning disabilities, psychological or other
medical conditions, should make an appointment with the Support Services Office
(located in the Wiseman Tutoring Center on the RWC, or 227 East Ninth Street, at RVC.
Syllabus Disclaimer:
A syllabus is designed to provide the student with a guide to course procedures,
requirements, and grading policy. Sometimes it is necessary to alter the assignments or
point totals due to availability of materials, emergencies, or to create the most beneficial
learning program for the success of the student. I reserve the right to alter the grade
total + 10%, to change the assignments to deal with situations or emergencies as needed,
or to alter the suggested test or lab schedule to create a more productive learning program
for student success.
Studying Skills:
Biology is a challenging and involved field of study that requires a considerable effort on
the part of the student. Students should commit a portion of each day for reviewing
lecture and reading notes. Nothing can take the place of good study habits; the following
is a list of helpful hints:
1.
Read the text before the material is covered in class.
2.
When reading new material, note a question mark alongside sections that
you do not understand. If the lecture does not clear it up, ASK
QUESTIONS!
3.
Use office hours for one-on-one assistance.
4.
Write down new or difficult words on 3x5 cards. Put definitions or
concepts on the back. Carry these flash cards and use them to quiz
yourself.
5.
Carefully study diagrams and illustrations.
6.
While reading, use markers to highlight key ideas.
7.
Summarize what you have read. After finishing a paragraph restate the
main ideas in your own words.
8.
Form study groups with your classmates and friends.
9.
Take good notes! Compare notes during study sessions.
10.
Review material on a daily basis: flash cards, reading, notes, and review
questions. DO NOT CRAM FOR EXAMS!
11.
Answer the review questions at the end of the chapter.
12.
Build a mental image or model of what is discussed or read.
13.
Employ mnemonic devices to remember material.
14.
Use the textbook’s accompanying CD for review and additional
information
EXAMINATION POLICY
There will be NO opportunity to make up missed lab exams. If a student finds that it
will be unavoidable to miss a lab exam, they should contact the instructor prior to the
scheduled exam if at all possible. Make-up lecture exams will be entirely composed of
essay questions.
Tentative Schedule of Lecture Topics & Readings for Bio 213
Week
Topic
Lecture Date
Chapter
1
Intro to Bio 213 & Fungi
Fungi
Mon
Wed
Mar 31
April 2
31
31
2
Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land
Mon
Wed
Apr 7
Apr 9
29
29
3
Plant Diversity I: Evolution of Seed Plants
Mon
Wed
Apr 14
Apr 16
30
30
4
Reproduction in Flowering Plants (portions)
Mon
Apr 21
38
Catch up Wed Apr 23
Take Home EXAM #1 Chap 29, 30, 31 & 38 Due Mon (NO LATE EXAMS)
5
Plant structure, Growth & Development
Photosynthesis
Mon
Wed
Apr 28
Apr 30
35
10
6
Photosynthesis; structure
Resource Acquisition & Transport
Mon
Wed
May 5
May 7
10 & 35
36
7
Transport; Soil & Plant Nutrition
Soil & Plant Nutrition - Beta Research due
Mon
Wed
May 12
May 14
36 & 37
37
8
EXAM #2 Chapters 10, 35, 36, & 37
Intro to Ecology & the Biosphere
Mon
Wed
May 19
May 21
52
Mon
Wed
May 26
May 28
53
9
Memorial Day Holiday (No school)
Population ecology
10
Community Ecology
Ecosystems & Restoration Ecology
(Botaniocal Journal Notebook due)
Mon
Wed
June 2
June 4
54
54 & 55
11
Conservation biology & Global Change
EXAM #3: Chapters 52 thru 56
Mon
Wed
June 9
June 11
55 & 56
One betta research paper will be due on Wednesday May 14th.
STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANNOUNCED CHANGES IN THE
SYLLABUS
Tentative Schedule of Laboratory Topics for Bio 213
1
March 31
Lab # 28
Understanding Fungi
2
April 7
Lab # 22 & 23
Green machine parts 1 & 2:
Non-Vascular & Seedless Vascular plants
3
Apr 14
Lab # 24 (thru p.397) & 25 Green machine pts 3 & 4:
Seed Plants: Gymno & Angiosperms
4
April 21
Lab #27
5
Apr 28
Lab Practicum Exam#1
6
May 5
Handout:
7
May 12
Lab #26 & 24 (p.398-404) Part 1:
Understanding Roots, Stems, & Specialized leaves
8
May 19
Handout: Intraspecific Competition in Betta Fish:
formal exp’t and lab write up due Mon June 2
9
May 26
Holiday No Lab Class
10
June 2
Lab #26 Part 2: Leaf Classification (field trip) &
Jelly bean ecology predation activity
11
June 9
Lab Practicum Exam#2
Flowers, Fruits, & Seeds
Phtsynthsis lab handout
Photosynthesis
Work on formal lab write
up & botany journals
LAB DUE DATES
Lab assignments will be due at the beginning of the next week’s lab. Labs must
be stamped BEFORE you leave the lab; unstamped labs will not be accepted.
All assigned sections must be completed in each lab before the summary sheet
will be accepted for grading. No late work will be accepted unless instructor
agrees for extenuating circumstances only, and then only a two day extension
will be allowed.
Labs and lab exams can NOT be made up. If you know that you will have to
miss a lab, be sure to inform the instructor well in advance.
STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANNOUNCED CHANGES IN THE
SYLLABUS
Intended Outcomes
Selected ILO Indicator
Assessment Methods
1. Students will be responsible
members of the class.
2. Students will be self-confident
in their relationships with
instructors and other students.
3. Students will arrive on time to
class and use class time wisely.
4. Students will work in a
laboratory setting in groups
allowing for mutual support and
success.
5. Students will use the MS Suite
of programs to analyze and
communicate results of laboratory
exercises.
6. Students will be confident and
comfortable in class to ask relevant
questions.
7. Students will organize research
data as well as data they collect
themselves.
8. Students will understand the
implications of their actions on the
ecological systems of the Earth.
9. Students will solve problems
using a combination of experience,
new knowledge, and available
resources.
10. Students will use mathematical
tools to develop relationships
between data sets.
11. Students will work safely in
lab.
COM 3. Collaborate effectively to
achieve course/learning goals.
Assessment rubric for COM3 will
be used to measure student
progress toward mastery of COM3.
Botany Journal Notebook due: Wednesday June 4th
Description:
You are required to turn in an 8 ½ by 11 page notebook of native tree leaves.
Materials:
Two 10 x 12” pressboards, with four bolts and wingnuts, cardboard and
newspaper (or absorbent paper).
Three ring binder (or comparable) with mounted and labeled pressed leaves.
Elmer’s glue
Requirements:
Each page must have a well mounted, professionally labeled, well-pressed
example of native trees or shrubs of southern Oregon. You will be graded on the
quality and number of your specimens, the correct labeling, and the overall
professional aesthetics of your collection. Pressing takes a while, so it is
strongly recommended that you do not procrastinate on this project! Start your
collection as early as possible once leaves have reached mature size. Conifer
leaves (needles & scales) are available year round.
You will have a minimum of twenty (20) specimens: ten (8) native conifers, and
fifteen (12) native deciduous trees or shrubs.
It is strongly suggested that you purchase a Manual of Oregon Trees and Shrubs
to help you with your identification and scientific terms.
This typed information is required for each leaf specimen:
1. Date collected
2. Location collected (city, county, state)
3. Common name
4. Scientific name – Genus and species
5. Complexity of the leaf (simple or compound)
6. Venation pattern (palmate net, pinnate net, or parallel)
7. Type of margins (entire, serrated, pinnately or palmately lobed, etc.)
8. Arrangement of leaves on the stem (alternate, opposite, whorled)
9. Photo or sketch of bark pattern attached on a separate page
10. Interesting fact (i.e. the tree’s role in the ecosystem, use by humans,
etc)
Directions for making a leaf press:
1. Cut 15 - 20 pieces of corrugated cardboard 30 cm by 50 cm in size.
2. Cut several sheets of newspaper the same size as the cardboard.
3. Lay 10 or 12 sheets of newspaper between each cardboard layer sandwich
style. These sheets will need to be changed every couple of days as they
absorb moisture from your leaves; therefore, cut extra sheets.
4. Sandwich layers with hard board top and bottom, and tighten down with wing
nuts and bolts.
Leaf Collecting:
1. Make sure to bring the materials that you will need (press, pencil, scissors,
notebook for recording information, and sometimes ziplock baggies are helpful).
2. ALWAYS ask permission before collecting leaves from someone else’s
property.
3. Collect two of each type of leaf so that you can mount a top and bottom view.
Make sure to collect the whole leaf! Be careful not to tear the leaves. Collect
seeds or fruits if you would like to add sketches or confirm your identification.
4. Put your leaves into your press as soon as possible after collecting them so
that they don’t begin to wrinkle as they dry. Make sure that none of the leaf parts
extend beyond the edge of the press.
5. Record the name of each leaf, date collected, and place collected in your
notebook as you collect. Also record tree characteristics such as shape of the
crown, color and type of bark, etc.
NOTE: Sketches of entire trees and/or bark rubbings added on a separate page
to your specimen are mandatory.
Mounting leaves:
1. Use Elmer's glue to adhere two leaves to each page --- one showing the upper
surface of the leaf and the other showing the underside of the leaf.
2. Each page should have only one type of leaf on it.
3. Arrange the leaves so they do not overlap each other and so there is room to
glue the label in the lower right hand corner. The leaves should look nice on the
page.
4. On compound leaves, mount the topside of the complete leaf and then mount
the underside of a single leaflet. Make sure the leaflet comes from another leaf.
5. Use a small amount of Elmer's glue to adhere the completed label in the lower
right hand corner of the page.
6. LET THE PAGES DRY COMPLETELY BEFORE ASSEMBLING THEM
TOGETHER IN YOUR COLLECTION OR THE PAGES WILL STICK
TO EACH OTHER!
CAUTION: Do NOT include poison oak as one of your samples!