USC-AIKEN
Fall 2015
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY & GEOLOGY
BIOL 122, 4 credits
BIOL 122 - BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES II
Course Policies, Procedures, & Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Kristina Ramstad
Office Location: SBDG 219A
Office Hours: Mon 2:30-4pm, Thurs 1-3pm
Lecture
Mon & Wed 1:00-2:15pm, SBDG 327
Lab
Section 001 Wed 9:00 - 11:40am, SBDG 103
Section 002 Wed 2:30 – 5:10pm, SBDG 103
Section 003 Thurs 9:25am - 12:05pm, SBDG 103
E-mail: kristinar@usca.edu
Phone: 803.641.3439
Required Texts
•
Campbell – Biology in Focus. Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, Jackson and Reece. 2014. Pearson Publ.
Online versions of this text are also available. If you rent or buy a used text, you will need to purchase access to
Mastering Biology (about $60).
•
Biology 122 Laboratory Manual, USCA Department of Biology & Geology
•
A Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory. Van de Graff and Crawley. 2005. Morton Publ.
Course Description
Biological principles and concepts from the tissue through ecosystem levels of organization and with an emphasis on
evolution.
Course Objectives
•
•
•
•
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To acquaint students with biological principles associated with multicellularity, development, phylogeny, ecology
and evolution.
To acquaint students with the anatomical organization of organisms, including tissues, organs and systems and
their functions.
To trace the development of organisms.
To trace the phylogeny of organisms.
To acquaint students with the behavior and ecology of organisms.
Key Competencies
Upon successful completion of this course students will have demonstrated the ability to:
• Discuss biological principles and topics of historical and current interest and importance.
• Describe the multicellular biological processes that operate at histological, organismal, population, community and
ecosystem levels of organization.
• Apply theoretical concepts in the laboratory by following a written procedure.
Course Presentation
This course will consist of lectures by the instructor, classroom discussion, and group and individual laboratory exercises.
Weekly lecture homework will be completed and submitted online (www.masteringbiology.com, Course ID:
MBRAMSTAD2015F); lab exercises will be completed during lab and collated into a lab notebook.
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USC-AIKEN
Fall 2015
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY & GEOLOGY
BIOL 122, 4 credits
Grading and Evaluation
Achievement of course objectives will be evaluated by weekly homework, lecture exams, lab exercises and notebook
reviews, lab reports and lab practicals. The lecture will count for 60% and the lab for 40% of final course grades, but you
must receive a passing grade in lab (C or better) to pass the class. Four lecture exams will be given throughout the
semester and your highest exam score will be counted twice, so it is well worth preparing for the exams!
The grading scale is A = 100-90%, B+ = 89-85%, B = 84-80%, C+ = 79-75%, C = 74-70%, D+ = 69-65%, D = 64-60%, F = 0-59%.
Lecture
Points each
Points total
Percent of grade
Online homework (Mastering Biology, 12)
Lecture exams (4 + highest score counted again)
Total
8 -10pts
100pts
100pts
500pts
600pts
10%
50%
60%
12-14pts
25pts
100pts
50pts
10%
5%
50pts
100pts
10%
75pts
150pts
15%
400pts
40%
Laboratory
In-lab exercises (8)
Lab notebook (2)
Lab reports (2)
Lab practicals (2)
Total
Attendance and Participation
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Course announcements and updates (eg, changes to the syllabus) will be communicated via Blackboard (post or email).
•
This is a survey course and covers a great deal of material! The text is good and can help explain lecture material you
may not fully understand. I will not cover all of the text in class, but you will understand lectures better if you read the
assigned text sections before you come to class, and you will do better on tests if you keep up with the reading.
•
Students are expected to attend lectures. I will provide information in class that will supplement your text. You will be
expected to know this additional material for lecture exams, so it is imperative that you attend lectures to do well in
this class.
•
Attendance for this class will be taken via the app Kahoot! which you can download to your smart phone at
getkahoot.com. You can participate in the Kahoot! questions on paper if you prefer.
•
The lab is heavily scheduled and you will be expected to stay for the entire period.
•
You will be expected to have read all laboratory exercises before attending labs. You must bring your laboratory
manual, photographic atlas and textbook to the laboratory.
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Passing this course requires 75% attendance in lab. You cannot get a passing grade in lab with more than three
absences and you cannot pass the course if you do not pass the lab.
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No make-up exams will be given for missed lecture exams. Should you miss an exam for a documentable, excusable
reason (eg, sickness or required university even), then an alternative may be arranged. However, you must contact me
within 24hrs of missing the exam, and only one exam will be treated in this manner; any other missed exams will be
assigned a score of zero.
•
There will be no opportunity to make-up missed lab practicals unless it can be arranged during another lab period
during the week the absence occurred.
•
Mastering Biology assignments must be turned in on time; no late assignments will be accepted. Lab reports and
notebooks turned in late will receive an automatic loss of 50% of the points.
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USC-AIKEN
Fall 2015
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY & GEOLOGY
BIOL 122, 4 credits
•
October 31st is the last day to withdraw without having a “WF” recorded on your transcript. You will receive a midterm grade prior to Fall Break to help you determine if you should withdraw from the class.
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You are strongly encouraged to meet with me if you are having problems in the course. Please make an appointment or
drop by during my office hours (see first page).
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You may use a portable electronic device to take part in Kahoot! questions at the start of lecture. However, use of
portable electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, pagers, MP3 players, iPods, ereaders) is not allowed for any other
reason during class. Their use during any assessment will result in a failing grade on that assignment or exam.
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If you have a physical, psychological, and/or learning disability that might affect your performance in this class, please
contact the Office of Disability Services, B&E 134, (803) 643-6816, as soon as possible. The Office of Disabilities Services
will determine appropriate accommodations based on medical documentation.
Honor Code
It is the responsibility of every student at the University of South Carolina Aiken to adhere steadfastly to truthfulness and to
avoid dishonesty, fraud, or deceit of any type in connection with any academic program. Students who violate this Honor
Code, or knowingly assists another to violate this Honor Code, shall be subject to discipline. By signing your name to an
assignment, quiz, or exam you are acknowledging that you will adhere to The Honor Code at USCA. Infractions of this
honor pledge will not be tolerated. Cheating, plagiarism, and other activities that can be reasonably considered as
dishonest will result in a failing grade for the course and forwarding of the matter to the University Judicial Committee.
Note: Plagiarism is the theft of ‘intellectual property’ through an intentional attempt to present another’s ideas or work as
your own.
3
USC-AIKEN
Fall 2015
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY & GEOLOGY
BIOL 122, 4 credits
Lecture Schedule
Date
24 Aug
26 Aug
Topic
Foundations of evolution
Foundations of evolution
Readings
Ch 1
Ch 19
Due
31 Aug
2 Sept
Phylogeny
Mitosis & meiosis
Ch 20
Pp 174-183, Ch 10
HW2
7 Sept
9 Sept
Labor Day - No class
Evolution of populations
Ch 21
HW3
14 Sept
16 Sept
Evolution of populations
Exam 1
21 Sept
23 Sept
Speciation
Broad patterns in evolution
Ch 22
Ch 23
HW4
28 Sept
30 Sept
Origin and diversification of prokaryotes
Origin and diversification of eukaryotes
Ch 24
Ch 25
HW5
5 Oct
7 Oct
Colonization of land by plants & fungi
Colonization of land by plants & fungi
Ch 26
12 Oct
14 Oct
Exam 2
Rise of animal diversity
Ch 27
19 Oct
21 Oct
Rise of animal diversity cont'd
Plant structure & growth
Ch 28
HW7
26 Oct
28 Oct
Reproduction in flowering plants & animals
Reproduction in flowering plants & animals
Ch 30
Ch 36
HW8
2 Nov
4 Nov
Animal behavior and communication
Animal behavior and communication
Pp 779-789, Ch 39
9 Nov
11 Nov
Exam 3
Population ecology
Ch 40
HW10
16 Nov
18 Nov
Population ecology
Community ecology
Ch 41
HW11
23 Nov
25 Nov
Ecosystems and energy
Thanksgiving Break - No class
Ch 42
30 Nov
2 Dec
Global ecology and conservation biology
Global ecology and conservation biology
Ch 43
9 Dec, 2pm
Exam 4
HW1
HW6
HW9
HW12
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USC-AIKEN
Fall 2015
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY & GEOLOGY
BIOL 122, 4 credits
Lab Schedule
Dates
Topic
Lab Exercise
26, 27 Aug
Scientific Method
I
2, 3 Sept
Microscopy, Prokaryotes & Eukaryotes
II
Due
Lab exercises &
Lab I report
9, 10 Sept
Mitosis & Meiosis
III
Lab exercises
Group project initiated
16, 17 Sept
Plant & Fungi Diversity
IV & VII
Lab exercises
23, 24 Sept
Monocots vs Dicots & Plant Tissues
V
Lab exercises
30 Sept, 1 Oct
Flowers, Fruits & Seeds
VI
Lab exercises
7, 8 Oct
Lab Practical 1
14, 15 Oct
Animal Development
21, 22 Oct
No Lab - Fall Break
28, 29 Oct
Animal Phylogeny I
IX
4, 5 Nov
Animal Phylogeny II
X
Notebook
VIII
Lab exercises
Group project completed
11, 12 Nov
Vertebrate Form, Function & Tissues
XI
Lab exercises
18, 19 Nov
Ecology - Trophic Pyramids & Food Webs
XII
Lab exercises &
Group project report
25, 26 Nov
No Lab - Thanksgiving
2, 3 Dec
Lab Practical 2
Notebook
5
USC-AIKEN
Fall 2015
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY & GEOLOGY
BIOL 122, 4 credits
6
USC-AIKEN
Fall 2015
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY & GEOLOGY
BIOL 122, 4 credits
Acknowledgement of having read the syllabus
In your natural handwriting copy out the following statement in the space provided below:
I have read the BIOL 122 syllabus and understand the policies on lecture, lab, grading, exams, attendance, quizzes, honor
code, and cheating. While attending this class, I will act in a manner that is respectful to me, other students, the professor,
and guest speakers.
Please write out statement below and print your name.
Your name
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