Houston Community College System
BIOL 1413: GENERAL ZOOLOGY
FALL, 2013
Catalog Description: A general overview of the animal kingdom including principles, life
histories, and classification. Emphasis is placed on the vertebrates
Course Title:
General Zoology
Course Number
Biol. 1413; CRN # 65460
Credit Hours:
4 Semester Credit Hours:
College reading and writing skills/one year of high school
Prerequisites
Biology recommended.
Semester and Year
Fall 2013
Instructor
Dr. William Palmer
Class Days and Times
Tuesday & Thursday 8:00 – 11:00 AM
Class Room Location
West Loop Campus – Lecture Tue. & Lab Thur. in 163
Office:
Biology Office SW Campus; room F11
Office Hours:
Appointments arranged in advance
E-mail
william.palmer@hccs.edu
Office Phone:
713-718-8136
ADA STATEMENT:
The HCCS colleges are dedicated to providing the least restrictive learning environment for all
students. The college district promotes equity in academic access through the implementation of
reasonable accommodations as required by the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title V,
Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) which will enable students
with disabilities to participate in and benefit from all post-secondary educational activities.
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing,
etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services
Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty is authorized to
provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.
BIOLOGY PROGRAM STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (PSLO):
PSLO#1 - Students will display an understanding of biological systems and evolutionary
processes spanning all ranges of biological complexity, including atoms, molecules, genes,
cells, and organisms.
PSLO#2 -Students will demonstrate the ability to think critically and to integrate factual and
conceptual information into an understanding of scientific data by written, oral and/or visual
communication; this may include successful completion of a course-specific research project
or a case study module.
PSLO#3 - Students will apply principles of the scientific method to problems in biology and
apply basic laboratory safety procedures in the collection, recording, quantitative
measurement, analysis and reporting of scientific data.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLO):
The following Student Learning Outcomes with their associated assessment criteria are not meant to be
all-inclusive, and are to be used along with all other course learning outcomes and assessment devices,
listed under Course Objectives, in the determination of the student's final course grade. Completion of the
specific Student Learning Outcomes listed below, at any assessment grading level, does NOT and will
NOT guarantee the student that final course grade at the end of the semester!
LEARNING OUTCOMES for BIOLOGY 1413:
Biol 1413 SLO#1
The student will be able to recognize the basic structure and describe the function of eukaryotic animal cellular
organelles, cells, organs, and organ systems.
PSLO#1
Biol 1413 SLO#2
The student will be able to describe mitotic and meiotic cell division and inheritance patterns in animals.
PSLO#1
Biol 1413 SLO#3
The student will be able to explain Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection both in terms of anatomical
change and by changes in gene frequencies between and among animal groups.
PSLO#1
Biol 1413 SLO#4
The student will be able to explain animal classification schemes and associated taxonomic group
diagnostic characteristics
PSLO#1
Biol 1413 SLO#5
The student will be able to devise an experiment containing the correct experimental test points along with correct
positive and negative controls.
PSLO#2
Biol 1413 SLO#6
The student will develop the habit of reliable attendance by being absent from class no more than four times per
semester, and will demonstrate punctuality in the submission of class assignments on their due date.
PSLO#3
Prerequisites
College reading and writing skills/one year of high school Biology recommended.
Required Texts
Textbook: Zoology, 9th Edition, Miller & Harley, McGraw Hill, 2010.
Lab Manual: General Zoology – 1413: Laboratory Exercises. Available on my Learning Web
page.
Instructor Requirements: Basic requirements
Students should be on time for class and be prepared with required materials including textbook and lab
manual. Full class attendance is required including lecture and lab portions. Full attention during
lecture and lab is required. No use of any electronic devices during the class period. Students are
expected to conduct themselves as adults. This includes courteous and respectful behavior towards the
instructor and classmates. Disruptive behavior or any behavior that interferes with any educational
activity being performed by the instructor will not be allowed. Additionally, no student may interfere
with his/her fellow students‟ right to pursue their academic goals to the fullest in an atmosphere
appropriate to a community of scholars. Disruptive behavior may result in removal from the class.
Other Operating Guidelines
(1) You are spending a good deal of time, energy and money on this course – please, make the most of your
investment! There is a school-mandated attendance requirement for this course (please see the “Classroom
Evaluation” section for a description). If you’re still struggling with certain aspect of the course, please
make an effort to see me and I will gladly make time to help you work through the material.
(2) Make up tests are very difficult to schedule and may not be rescheduled for unauthorized absences. I
reserve the right to give students who miss a test an alternate version of the appropriate test. Other
assignments not turned in on time will be docked 10% of their final value for each class day that they are
late. There will be NO make up labs.
(3) My purpose in this class is to act as your guide through this subject material. I also must make sure that
your grade in this class indicates your mastery of the subject material required by this college. I am not
here to spoon-feed you. It takes approximately 2-3 hours of study time for each hour of class time to
master the material. This class will have over 96 contact hours (4 hr. credit) compared to 48 contact hours
that comprise the normal class (3 hr. credit).
(4) The class and study time necessary to succeed in this class will be close to 300 hours. If you cannot put in
the time, please take a different course!
Please do not talk during class. If you feel the need to discuss something with a classmate, please do so
outside. I will not be offended if you need to take an important conversation outside briefly so as not to
distract your classmates. No cell phones on in class and pagers off or on vibrate.
EVALUATION:
The final course grade will be determined by the percentage of points earned in the following:
5 Tests @ 100 points each
=
500 points
attendence
50 points
1 Final Exam @ 200 points
=
200 points
2 Lab Tests @ 100 points each
=
200 points
Lab exercises
100 points
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------TOTAL
1050 points
Tests There will be 4 tests throughout the course (plus the comprehensive final exam). Dates for the tests are listed
in the course calendar. The tests will cover material covered prior to the date of each test material). Tests will be
given at the beginning of class on designated dates (see course calendar) with lecture or lab following the test. The
final exam will cover material from the entire course, but about half of the final exam will contain material from the
chapters and labs not covered in previous tests.
Attendance Policy: Students are expected to be on time for class. After four unexcused absences, the professor
recommends the student drop the class. In order for an absence to be considered “excused” the student must bring
some form of documentation as to the reason for the absence (e.g. doctor’s note, court record, etc.). Partial
unexcused absences from class will also be considered to be “absences”. The instructor reserves the right to take
attendance at any time, even several times, during class. A student may be dropped from the class after four
absences, but it is the student’s responsibility to drop the class officially if that is their intension.
Reading Assignments & Possible Unannounced Quizzes:
It is expected that each student will read the pre-assigned section of the text BEFORE coming to CLASS each
day. Reading assignments for each class will be given at the end of the previous class. Use the class schedule to stay
ahead of the lectures. The instructor may give pre-lecture quizzes to make sure the students are prepared for class.
These quizzes MAY NOT BE ANNOUNCED in advance.
Class Participation:
While there is no “formal” assessment of your participation in class, it is appreciated and will no doubt aid in your
learning (and your classmates’ learning) of the material! Lab exercise reports will be used to decide the final grade if
a student’s grade score is between one grade and another.
Make-UP Exam Policy:
Make up tests are very difficult to schedule and may not be rescheduled for unauthorized absences. I will substitute
the percentage score of the final for a missing test any other test missed will receive a 0. Other assignments not
turned in on time will be docked 10% of their final value for each class day that they are late. There will be NO
make up labs.
Warning: Students who are repeating this class for the third time will be charged an additional fee per class
hour.
International Students: Receiving a W in a course may affect the status of your student visa. Once a W is given
for the course, it will not be changed to an F for visa considerations. You may contact the International Student
Office at 713 718 8520 if you have any questions about your student visa status or other transfer issues.
Changes may be made to this syllabus when deemed appropriate by the professor. Students will be notified of any
changes in a timely manner.
Final Grade “Calculator”
Test #1 - __________________________ (100 points max)
Test #2 - __________________________ (100 points max)
Test #3 - __________________________ (100 points max.)
Test #4 - __________________________ (100 points max)
Test #5 - __________________________ (100 points max)
Attendence - _______________________ ( 50 points max)
Total Lecture Points _________________ (550 points max)
Lab Test # 1 _______________________ (100 Points)
Lab Test # 2 _______________________ (100 Points)
Lab exercises ______________________ (100 points)
Total Laboratory Points ______________ (300 points)
Final Exam - _______________________ (200 points)
TOTAL - _________________________ (1050 points)
Divide your total by 1050 = Final Percentage = _________________ %
Letter Grade Assignment:
A = 90-100% (or higher)
B = 80-89 %
C = 70-79 %
D = 60-69 %
F = 0-59 %
GUARANTEED GRADUATE POLICY:
Houston Community College System guarantees that graduates of its Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or
Associate of Applied Science and all Certificate programs, providing under certain circumstances, additional
education and training tuition free to students lacking appropriate mastery of specified competencies. For additional
information, refer to the HCCS college catalog.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
HCCS is committed to a high standard of academic integrity in the academic community. In becoming a part of the
academic community, students are responsible for honesty and independent effort. Failure to uphold these standards
includes, but is not limited to, the following: plagiarizing written work or projects, cheating on exams or
assignments, collusion on an exam or project, and misrepresentation of credentials or prerequisites when registering
for a course. Cheating includes looking at or copying from another student's exam, orally communicating or
receiving answers during an exam, having another person take an exam or complete a project or assignment, using
unauthorized notes, texts, or other materials for an exam, and obtaining or distributing an unauthorized copy of an
exam or any part of an exam. Plagiarism means passing off as his/her own the ideas or writings of another (that is,
without giving proper credit by documenting sources). Plagiarism includes submitting a paper, report or project that
someone else has prepared, in whole or in part. Collusion is inappropriately collaborating on assignments designed
to be completed independently. These definitions are not exhaustive. When there is clear evidence of cheating,
plagiarism, collusion or misrepresentation, a faculty member will take disciplinary action including but not
limited to: requiring the student to retake or resubmit an exam or assignment, assigning a grade of zero or
"F" for an exam or assignment; or assigning a grade of "F" for the course. Additional sanctions including
being withdrawn from the course, program or expelled from school may be imposed on a student who
violates the standards of academic integrity.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY:
Withdrawal from the course after the official day of record (see current catalog) will result in a final grade of “W”
on the student transcript and no credit will be awarded. Prior to the official day of record, it is the student’s
responsibility to initiate and complete a request for withdrawal from any course. (Fall = Nov 1st)
SOFTWARE PIRACY:
Law strictly prohibits unauthorized copying of software purchased by Houston Community College for use in
laboratories. Houston Community College administration will take appropriate disciplinary action against anyone
violating copyright laws.
COMPUTER VIRUS PROTECTION:
Computer viruses are, unfortunately, a fact of life. Using storage devices on more than one computer creates the
possibility of infecting computers and devices with a computer virus. This exposes the computers of the college,
your personal computer, and any others you may be using to potentially damaging viruses. The college has
aggressive anti-virus procedures in place to protect its computers, but cannot guarantee that a virus might not
temporarily infect one of its machines. It is your responsibility to protect all computers under your control and use
and ensure that each device you use, whenever or wherever you use it, has been scanned with anti-virus software.
Since new viruses arise continually, your anti-virus software must be kept current. And, since no anti-virus software
will find every virus, keeping copies of data (backups) is extremely important.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT:
It is the policy of the Houston Community College System to provide equal employment, admission and educational
opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
HCCS Colleges strive to provide an excellent learning environment free from harassment or intimidation directed at
any person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Any form of harassment will not be
tolerated.
For those of you, who after the first exam wonder, “How on earth can they expect me to remember all of this stuff?”
I have a couple of suggestions.
Do you know how to read a textbook? If you thought so and now have some doubts, go to
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/reading.html
Do you know how to take class notes? If you are beginning to wonder, go to
http://sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssi.html
COURSE CALENDAR: LECTURE & LAB IN 163.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Tuesday: Introduction, Syllabus, & Chapters 1 & 2:
Thursday: Introduction to the Laboratory, Laboratory Safety & the Scientific Method
Tuesday: Chapter 2:
Thursday: Lab Exercises 1 & 2:
Tuesday: Chapters 3:
Thursday: Lab Exercise 3:
Tuesday: Lecture Exam 1 on Chapters 1-3 & Chapter 4, 5 & 6:
Thursday: Chapters 5 & 6 continued & Lab Exercise 4
Tuesday: Chapter 7: and Lab Exercise 5
Thursday: Chapter 8
Tuesday: Lecture Exam 2 on Chapters 4-7 Lab Exercise 6
Thursday: Chapter 9
Tuesday: Chapters 10 & 11:
Thursday: Chapters 12 & 13
Tuesday: Chapters 14 & 15 & lab exercise 7
Thursday: Lab Exam 1 on Exercises 1-6; Chapter 15 & Lab Exercise 8
Tuesday: Lecture Exam 3 on Chapters 8-12 & finish Chapters 14 & 15
Thursday: Chapter 16 & Lab 12
Tuesday: Chapters 17 & 18:
Thursday: Chapter 19 & Lab Exercise 9
Tuesday: Chapters 20 & lab exercise 10
Thursday: Chapter 21 & Lab exercise 11
Tuesday: Lecture Exam 4 on Chapters 13-17 & Chapter 22 continued & labs exercise 12
Thursday: Chapter 23 continued and lab exercise 13
Tuesday: Chapter 24 & 25
Thursday: Chapter 25 continued and Lab Exercise 14
Tuesday: Lab Final on Exercises 7-14
Thursday: Lecture Exam 5 on Chapters 18-22
Tuesday: Chapter 26
Thursday: Chapter 28
FINAL EXAM
Dates
Fall 2013
8/27 - 8/30
9/3 - 9/6
9/10 - 13
9/17 – 9/20
9/24 – 9/27
10/1 - 10/4
10/8 – 10/11
10/15 – 10/18
10/22 – 10/25
10/29 - 11/1; Last Day for Admin./Student Withdrawals- at 4:30pm
11/5 - 11/8
11/12 - 15
11/19 - 11/22 (23 & 24=(Thanksgiving holiday)
11/26 - 11/29
12/3 - 12/06 (12/5 last day of class)
Finals; Lecture 12/10 @ 8AM – 10AM; Lab 12/12 @ 8AM – 9AM
Biology 1413
Acknowledgement Page
I acknowledge that I have read the syllabus for Biology 1413 and understand
the effort and time commitment necessary to succeed in this class.
(approximately 300 hours)
Name_____________________________________________________
Email Address _____________________________________________
Current Phone # ____________________________________________