Houston Community College: Spring Branch
Syllabus - General Biology I - Fall 2014
Instructor: Dr. Judith Solti
judith.solti@hccs.edu
Course: Biology 1406, General Biology I
Credit: 4 hrs
CRN: #28458
Campus: Spring Branch
Class Time: Tues 8:00 am - 11 am, Room 515 &
Thursday 8:00 am - 11 am, Lab 528
Textbook: BIOLOGY How Life Works, 1st ed. - Volume I, by Morris, J. et al , 2014
Lab Manual: BIOLOGY 1406 LABORATORY MANUAL, 2nd Edition, HCC/Blue Door
Publishing, 2012
Online Materials: www.launchpad.com & hccs.edu Learning Web pages of Dr.Judith Solti
Attendance: Class attendance is MANDATORY. Attendance will be taken at some point
during every class period. By HCC District policy, more than four absences (for any reason)
may result in administrative withdrawal (W). There are no exceptions for veterans, international
students, students on financial aid or on their parents' insurance. If you are absent, you are
responsible for all material covered and any homework/labs assigned. Class will start on time;
tardiness is disrespectful to the Instructor and other students. If you arrive 30 minutes or more
late, it will be counted as an absence. If you arrive late, it is your responsibility to inform the
Instructor of your attendance before you leave class that day and to catch up on any
announcements given. If you must leave class early for any reason, please discuss your
departure with the Instructor as it may be counted as an absence. Late arrivals, early
departures, and excessive absences will affect your grade. Missed poppers will be a grade of 0.
Withdrawals: Any time at 4 absences, your Instructor will discuss the option of withdrawing
you from this course as mandated by HCCS policy. October 31, 2014, however, is the last day
a Counselor/Instructor may withdraw you from classes. After that date, withdrawal is not
permitted and students may risk getting an “F” in the course.
Student Conduct (refer to Student Handbook): HCC views college-level students as adults
who subscribe to a basic standard of conduct. Therefore, appropriate student conduct is
expected in the classroom at all times.
Lecture Examinations: Students are expected to participate in all examinations. If a student
arrives late, they will have only the time remaining from the official start of the exam. Students
must take the final exam during the scheduled time/date or a grade of “F” will be given for the
final exam. No exam grades will be dropped. Make up exams will be given only for valid
excuses (must provide documentation); the format for a make-up exam will be primarily essay.
Each of the 4 lecture exams will have 48 questions, for a total of 96 pts. The remaining 4 points
may be earned by evidence for meaningful studying (EMS). This is a mandatory part of each
test grade and can be earned by hand-written (only, no exceptions!) notes, flash-cards, etc.They
are due first thing on the day of each lecture exam.
Poppers & Homework: Poppers are in-class quizzes given at any time during the day. They
are 5 questions given to assess understanding of that chapter's material. Answers will be
written on blank notebook paper and will be graded. Homework will be pre-lecture assignments
on LaunchPad to facilitate reading of the textbook prior to class.
Module/Group Project: Students will be working on a module related to Chapter 7, Cellular
Respiration. Individual quiz and group project/presentation will count towards this Module grade.
Missing any of the Module days is STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.
Fall 2014
Biology 1406
CRN # 28458
Tues (Rm515 ) & Thr (Lab528); 8-11am
Case Studies & In-Class Activities: Cases are in the textbook as well as on LaunchPad.
There will also be assigned scientific articles from LaunchPad related to the subject, as well as
in-class activities. You will be graded for group and individual work on assignments in-class.
Bonus Point Opportunity: Learning Curve Activity on LaunchPad (up to 50 pts or 5% for
completion). This must be completed by December 2, 2014.
Laboratory Conduct and Examinations: Students are expected to abide by the rules of
safety at all times during the lab exercises and are required to read/sign the HCC "Safety
Guidelines Acknowledgement”. Students will work in groups in the lab, and may work within the
group to complete lab reports. These lab reports are worked in your own lab book (no Xeroxes
allowed) and shown/turned in at the end of that class period. Late lab reports may be turned in
for a starting grade of 50%, but must be turned in before the scheduled Lab Practical Exam.
There is no make-up for a missed Lab Practical Exam - it is an automatic “0”.
Scholastic Dishonesty During Examinations: A written warning will be issued for a first
suspicion of dishonesty on a lab report. Further dishonesty will result in a grade of “0” on those
reports. In the case of dishonesty on an examination (refer to Student Handbook), a grade of
“0” will be given for the exam and the student will not be allowed to complete the exam or stay in
the room. If dishonesty is a chronic problem, the student may receive an “F” for the course.
Miscellaneous: Smoking is not allowed in the class or lab. Cellular phones must be turned off
and out of sight, especially during exams . Any student texting will be asked to step out of the
class or lab. Video recording is not permitted. Tape recorders or laptops may be allowed with
permission (laptops may only be used for course material). If you have ANY problem that you
would like us to address, please inform the Instructor as soon as possible. Students with
disabilities (ADA) should inform their Instructor as soon as possible for a referral to the ADA
counselor for "reasonable accommodations" recommendations. Students who repeat a course
for a 3rd or more times WILL face tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges.
Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System: (EGLS3): At HCC, professors
believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning. At the
end of the semester, you will be asked to answer a short, anonymous survey related to
instruction, which will be made available to your professors and department chairs.
GRADE COMPUTATION
4 Lecture Exams
Final Exam(s)
Lab/Genetics Exam
Lab Reports
Poppers, Pre-Class Homework
Module/Group Project
Case Studies, In-Class Activities
TOTAL
= 400 pts
= 200 pts
= 100 pts
= 100 pts
= 100 pts
= 50 pts
= 50 pts
=1,000PTS+
GRADING SCALE .......straight scale; no curve
1000 - 900 points = 100 - 90% = A
899 - 800 points = 89 - 80% = B
799 - 700 points = 79 - 70% = C
699 - 600 points = 69 - 60% = D
599 - 0 points = 59 - 0% = F
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= 40%
= 20%
= 10%
= 10%
= 10%
= 5%
= 5%
=100%+
Fall 2014
Biology 1406
CRN # 28458
Tues (Rm515 ) & Thr (Lab528); 8-11am
COURSE SCHEDULE
CHAPTER#
Syllabus & Technology
1
DATE
Aug 26
Aug 28
TOPIC
Introduction
Life
Sept 2
Sept 4
Molecules of Life
Molecules of Life
2
2
1
2
Sept 9
Sept 11
NA & Transcription
Proteins and Translation
3
4
-3
Sept 16
Sept 18
EXAM #1 (Ch 1-4)
Lipids & Membranes
EXAM
5
Sept 23
Sept 25
Cell Compartments
Energy
5
6
12
5, 6
Sept 30
Oct 2
Cellular Respiration Module
Cellular Respiration Module
7
7
-8
Oct 7
Oct 9
Photosynthesis
Cell Communication
8
9
-7
Oct 14
Oct 16
EXAM #2 (Ch 5-8)
Module Presentations
EXAM
Presentations
--
Oct 21
Oct 23
Cell Form and Function
Mitosis
10
11
Oct 28
Oct 30
Meiosis & Cancer
DNA Replication & Manipulation
11
12
Nov 4
Nov 6
Genomes & Mutations
EXAM #3 (Ch 9-12)
13, 14
EXAM
Nov 11
Nov 13
Genetic Variation
Mendelian Inheritance
15
16
Nov 18
Nov 20
Mendelian Inheritance
Sex Chromosomes
16
17
Nov 25
Nov 27
EXAM #4 (Ch 13-17), Ch 18
No School Holiday
EXAM
--
Dec 2
Dec 4
Genetic Regulation & Final Review 19
No Class: Study Day
--
Dec 11, Thurs
LAB#
Lab Safety
--
Case 1: The First Cell
4
-Case 2 Cancer, 10
-9
.
-Case 3:Your Genome, 11
-Genetics Probs
Genetic Take-Home Exam
Return Genetics Exam
----
Cumulative Final Exam: Ch 1-19
Note: Dr. Solti reserves the right to modify the schedule, including exam dates. Students will
be advised of any changes as soon as possible.
Page 3
Fall 2014
Biology 1406
CRN # 28458
Tues (Rm515 ) & Thr (Lab528); 8-11am
"Teachers open the door;
but you must enter by yourself."
Chinese Proverb
IMPORTANT DATES
Aug 25
Classes begin
Sept 1
School closed-Labor Day Holiday
Sept 8
Official date of record
Oct 31
Last day for administrative/student withdrawals-4:30 p.m.
Nov 27-30
School closed-Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec 8-15
Final examinations
Specific Concepts you will be expected to learn:
Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs) for the Biology Discipline:
 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.
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Fall 2014
Biology 1406
CRN # 28458
Tues (Rm515 ) & Thr (Lab528); 8-11am
Course Student learning Outcomes (CSLOs) for Biology 1406:
 CSLO#1 - The student will be able to describe the characteristics of life: its unity and
diversity and the evidence for evolution through genetics, variation, and natural selection.
 CSLO#2 - The student will be able to understand the basic requirements of life: explain
atomic structure, types of chemical bonding, properties of water, and the
structures/functions of the macromolecules of life: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and
nucleic acids.
 CSLO#3 - The student will be able to compare and contrast the structures, reproduction,
and characteristics of viruses, prokaryotic cells, and eukaryotic cells.
 CSLO#4 - The student will be able to identify the substrates, products, and important
pathways in the metabolic processes of energy transformation, cell communication, cellular
respiration, fermentation, and photosynthesis.
 CSLO#5 - The student will understand the cell cycle and be able to differentiate between
the processes and functions of mitosis and meiosis.
 CSLO#6 - The student will understand the principles of genetics/inheritance and be able to
quantitatively solve classical genetic problems.
 CSLO#7 - The student will demonstrate knowledge of DNA structure, its replication, the flow
of genetic information from gene to protein, gene expression, and ultimately their
methodologies and applications in biotechnology.
 CSLO#8 - The student will develop critical thinking skills and habits of active collaborative
learning by successfully participating in an INSPIRE (Innovative Science Program Initiatives
To Reform Education)-oriented case study module(s).
 CSLO#9 - The student will utilize the scientific method, as well as quantitative and empirical
skills to collect, record, measure, analyze, and communicate scientific data.
 CSLO#10 - The student will exhibit competence in the laboratory by appropriate use of the
light microscope and other laboratory equipment to collect and analyze data.
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Fall 2014
Biology 1406
CRN # 28458
Tues (Rm515 ) & Thr (Lab528); 8-11am
Biology 1406
Acknowledgement Page
I acknowledge that I have read the syllabus for Biology 1406 and
understand the effort and time commitment necessary to succeed
in this Science Majors Class. (over 200 hours of study)
Name: ________________________________________________
Signature: _______________________________________________
Date: ____________________________________________________
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