Bio. 105 BIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS: UNITY - FALL 2009
SECTIONS C 01-07 AND D 01-07
LECTURER: Dr. Margaret Beard
OFFICE: Halsey 161
PHONE: 424-7089
E-MAIL: beard@uwosh.edu
OFFICE HOURS: To Be Announced I am generally on campus each day of the week from 8:00am and until at
least 5:30pm.
LECTURE HOURS: C Section - 1:50-2:50pm MWF in Clow 103;
D Section – 8:00-9:00pm MWF in Halsey 106
LABORATORY SESSIONS MEET ONCE PER WEEK for 2 hours. You must attend the laboratory section
that corresponds to your lecture section. See the Lab Make-Up Policy.
LECTURE TEXT: Campbell, Reece, Taylor and Simon (2009 edition) Biology: Concepts and Connections,
6th edition, custom version for University of Wisconsin, Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. Note: Your
book is invaluable....USE IT! Read over the assignments before coming to class; then re-read those
assignments after lecture; make margin notes in the text; study the figures closely....THEY ARE
IMPORTANT.
FYI – I will be referring to figures and concepts as presented in the 2009 edition of the lecture text.
You may use the 2006 edition of the text, realizing however, that you are responsible for any material
not found in this edition that is found in the current edition.
LABORATORY TEXT: Bio-105 Concepts in Biology: Unity, Laboratory Manual. (as revised 2009). Buy a
three-ring binder in which to keep this manual. Bring, a 6 inch ruler and a calculator to each lab.
ATTENDANCE POLICY.
LECTURE I do not take role in lecture; role is taken in laboratory. By attending lecture and developing
good note taking skills your ability to do well in this course does increase. I DO NOT repeat my
lectures, nor do I publish my lecture notes or podcast my lectures.
QUIZZES I do give quizzes in lecture and/or via D2L that can be answered easily if you attend class,
listen and learn. Some quizzes will be announced; others will not. So you should expect a quiz on any
lecture day. Quizzes may not be made-up
LABORATORY – Nearly 1,000 students are enrolled in Biology 105 this fall. Lab exercises are set up over
the weekend and run from 8:00 a.m. Monday to 5:00 p.m. Friday the following week after which the rooms
are cleaned out and the lab exercise for the following week is set up. Therefore, if a student misses a lab,
there is no possibility of making it up the next week. No laboratory may be made-up after the week in
which it is scheduled.
Role is taken and while attendance per se does not count in your grade, your active participation in each
lab exercise does. So – attend your labs and be an active learner. However -----. If -- and I stress IF -- it is
not possible to attend your regularly scheduled laboratory, you may be able to attend an alternate lab section
in that same week. If you do not do this, you will receive a score of zero for that day’s work. To attend
an alternate laboratory section you must:
1. Notify the instructor of the lab section you will miss BEFORE you miss the lab. Failure to do this
will result in a 10-point deduction in your lab grade, AND make you ineligible to earn any quiz, worksheet or
lab report points available for that day.
2.
Choose which alternative lab section you wish to attend. The lab schedules and instructor contact
information are posted on D2L (see "Schedule for HS201" and "Schedule for HS211").
3.
Contact the instructor of the alternative lab section you wish to attend and ask permission to join
that alternative lab. We will do everything we can to accommodate students' needs, but if the section
you wish to visit is overly crowded, that instructor is under no obligation to grant you permission to join
his/her lab.
4.
Each student is allowed ONE lab swap a semester. Any more than that and you need to talk your
lecture instructor.
5. If possible the alternative lab section you choose should be one taught by your regular lab section
1instructor.
OVERALL COURSE DESCRIPTION
Biology 105 is the introductory course for all Biology courses on this campus. It serves as a general
education course for many students, the start of a biology major for others, or the first step towards the
nursing or other health professions program for some. It is assumed you are entering this course with no in
depth background in, although a general familiarity of, Biology gleaned by simply living in the natural
world that surrounds us (ecosystems) to reading the newspapers and listening to television report.
In this introductory course we will examine characteristics, both structural and functional, that are shared by
all living organisms. Thus the bulk of the course is an introductory cell biology course. We begin by
studying basic chemistry, then move on to biological molecules and how they interact, then onto cells and
cell structure, how cells make and use energy, how they reproduce, and finally how cells and organisms
evolve.
Throughout the course abstract ideas and concepts will be tied into real life examples about how Biology
relates to your everyday life (and it really, really does). I hope you leave the course with a better
understanding of basic biology that enables you to make informed decisions about your life, about current
political and social issues such as genetically modified organisms and stem cell research, drug interactions,
effects of pesticides and other environmental pollutants (e.g.heavy metals), among others.
TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE: The topics and readings outlined below will all be discussed during
the course; however the exact timing of this may vary from that given in this schedule.
Week of Sept. 9-11
14-18
21-25
Lecture Topics/Questions we are asking
Text Ref.
What is science? What is the scientific method? Are scientists the only
people who follow the scientific method...or do we all use it?
How and why life exists and functions and how all life forms are similar,
means one must understand a bit of chemistry....What molecules are used
in living systems; What are their properties; How is each molecule crucial
to the existence of life?
How are the simplest forms of life different from and/or similar to each
other? What are the common components of individual cells? How have
some of these components been specialized for certain functions/roles some cells sending messages (neurons), some storing energy (liver and fat
cells) and some lifting weights (muscles)? What caused multi-cellular
organisms to evolve? Is there competition and/or cooperation between
cells in multicellular cellular organisms?
Chapter 1
2-3
4
Sept 28-30
Oct. 2-7
Oct. 8
OCT. 9
Oct. 12-16
Oct. 19-23
Oct. 26-30
How are molecules and their forces harness to allow life to exist? How do
cells control what enters and leaves? What molecules control the
metabolism and behavior of cells?
Continued discussion of Chapter 5 - PLUS - How do cells generate
electricity; What signals muscles to contract....practical aspects of
diffusion.
7-9pm Review/Study Session for First Lecture Exam in Halsey 106
FIRST LECTURE EXAM
How do cells get energy (Part 1) –How is energy obtained from other
molecules, i.e. “food”, including food we eat? What makes oxygen such
an important molecule....from a molecular perspective? What is meant by
RESPIRATION?
How do cells get energy (part 2) - How is energy from the sun harnessed? .
What is PHOTOSYNTHESIS Without this we would not exist !!!!!
The difference between replication (mitosis) and sex (meiosis)!!!
5
5
Chaps 1-5
6
7
8
Nov.2-9
How are traits inherited? How can we calculate and predict patterns of
9
inheritance
NOV. 5
7-9pm Review/Study Session for Second Lecture Exam in Halsey 106
NOV. 6
SECOND LECTURE EXAM
Chaps 6-8
Nov. 11-18 What do genes actually encode? How is the DNA code of a gene converted
10-11
to something useful by the cell?
NOV. 13
FIRST LAB EXAM
Labs 1-7
Nov. 20-23 How do genes control cell behavior? How do they control development?
11-12
How scientists manipulate the process to genetically engineer animals and
plants?
NOV. 25-29 THANKSGIVING !!!!!
13-14 and
Nov.30-end "Natural Selection; survival of the fittest; how populations change. Why are
animals like cheetahs almost identical...even at the genetic level? What
parts of
makes us think that evolution took place? Why are toads and frogs
15-16
different?
Dec. 10
7-9pm Review/Study Session for Third Lecture Exam, in Halsey 106
DEC. 11
THIRD LECTURE EXAM. Review/Study Session, Dec. 8th, 6-8pm,
Chaps.9-16
Halsey 106
DEC. 14
MAKE-UP EXAM (This exam is entirely comprehensive, covering both
lecture and laboratory topics. Try to avoid it.) NO REVIEW STUDY
SESSION
Dec. 14
7-9pm, Review/Study Session for Second Lab Exam
DEC. 16
SECOND LAB EXAM
Labs 8-11
DEC. 18
COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM (Covers both lecture and lab)
EXAMS: There will be three lecture exams, two laboratory exams and one comprehensive final exam
(covering both lecture and laboratory concepts).
All lecture exams will cover material from lecture and the text readings. Because material
introduced later in the course builds upon the topics presented before, up to 10% of the later
exams may refer to earlier material.
All laboratory exams will cover material presented in the laboratory. Since the laboratory
exercises illustrate the principles and concepts presented in lecture, these exam may include
material from the portions of the text, as indicated on the Laboratory Schedule.
All exams will be given in the lecture hall on the day indicated in the schedule above
All exams will be multiple choice.
MISSING AN EXAM - If you miss an exam, you will receive a score of zero unless you have followed the
procedures below.
MISSING AN EXAM FOR A MEDICAL OR PERSONAL REASON.
In order to take the MAKE-UP EXAM, any student who knows he/she will miss or does miss an exam for
any personal reason MUST register via e-mail to me before the Monday of the last week of classes, i.e. no
later than Dec.7, 2009.
SPECIAL NOTE TO ATHLETES OR OTHERS WHO WILL MISS AN EXAM FOR ACADEMIC
REASONS. Students who must miss an exam due to a conflicting out of town athletic university
sponsored event must supply me with an official statement of the event or a letter from the coach or
advisor. You MUST notify me at least one week before the exam in order to make special arrangements.
MAKE-UP EXAM: This will be a comprehensive exam!!! Only ONE exam will be given covering both
lecture material and laboratory topics. Because it will be an exam meant to test material from lab and
lecture and from all parts of the semester, the make-up exam covers a great deal of information. Be
prepared for this. The make-up exam can not be used to substitute for a low score on another exam.
EXAM REGRADE POLICY: Grading errors on exams do occur. These may be a simple as an addition error;
or more encompassing, such as my misinterpretation of your understanding of the question or your use of a
source different from the text or other assigned reading with information different from the expected answer to a
question. In either case I will ONLY accept requests for re-grades when submitted in writing and within
48 hours of your having received the test back. In your written request you MUST JUSTIFY WHY you
believe that your answer is correct – i.e. provide the outside source, explain your logic, etc. Note: if the request
is for a simply addition error, this needs no justification. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REGRADE THE
ENTIRE EXAM, NOT ONLY THE QUESTION(S) AT ISSUE.
QUIZZES: Quizzes based on lecture material will be given periodically in lecture and/or on D2L. The scores
of the quizzes (1-4pts, each) will be averaged and then added to your final class average score (e.g. if you
score 4pts on every quiz and if you take every quiz then a class average of 89…an AB…will increase to
93…an A)! So come to lecture and take quizzes for they can increase your grade.
HINTS for STUDYING FOR EXAMS –
Discuss the bold face words and the topic headings of your text by asking yourself questions such as –
What does the word or topic mean in biology; When is the word or topic important or how is it used or does it
function.
Use the chapter reviews at the end of each chapter in your text – discuss and answer all parts.
Study and be able to discuss the study/thought questions interspersed through each chapter
Use the CD and the web site (former students say that these are especially helpful)
Study with a study partner or a study group. Talk about the topics and about what is presented in lecture.
If you can teach a concept, teach the meaning of a phrase or word to someone else then you understand the
topic. .
Study the key word list and study question concept guide posted on D2L prior to all exams.
Look at the sample exam questions that are posted on D2L to acquaint you with the style of questions
asked on exams. Yes, you can use the questions on this exam as additional study questions. However, there is
no assurance that these questions will appear verbatim on any exam.
GRADES: Exam Scores will be posted on D2L sometime within a week after the exam date. Your quiz and
laboratory grades will not be posted.
FINAL GRADES: 65% of your grade will be based on performance in lecture, 35% will be based on
performance in the laboratory.
Lecture grade: Your lecture grade will be based on scores from the three unit lecture exams (45% of
overall course grade) and the comprehensive final exam (20% of the overall course grade). Quiz scores
will be treated as extra credit and added to your overall course grade. .
Laboratory grade: Your laboratory grade will be based on scores from the two in-class laboratory exams.
(25% of your overall course grade) and on the grade assigned by your laboratory instructor (10you’re your
overall course grade)based on assignments (work sheets, lab reports, lab quizzes) given by your laboratory
instructor.
COURSE GRADING SCALE: 93-100% = A; 90-92% = A-; 87-89% = B+; 83-86% = B; 80-82% = B-; 77-79% = C+;
73-76% = C; 70-72% = C-; 67-69% = D+; 63-66% = D; 60-62% = D-; below 60% = F. I reserve the right to lower
the scale slightly if class performance warrants such a change.
CHEATING POLICY: Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. It will result in an F grade in the class and
possible expulsion from the University.
UNIVERSITY STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
Any evidence of any form of academic dishonesty makes you subject to the Student Academic Disciplinary
Procedures, as outlined in the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Student Discipline Code, as detailed in specific
provisions of Chapter 14 of the State of Wisconsin Administrative Code. (http://www/uwosh.edu/dean). Any
student found in violation of any aspect of the above Code will receive a sanction as detailed in UWS 14.005 &
14.06, ranging from a grade of zero on the assignment to expulsion from the university. . Academic dishonesty
is interpreted to include (but is not limited to) the following: looking at another student’s exam and/or copying
answers, talking to other students in exams; using notes or other resources e.g. electronic devices during exams,
when not permitted, using another’s work (obtained from on campus or off campus sources) as a student’s own;
not giving attribution to work either quoted or paraphrased, failure to give sources for work referenced, etc.
Students may appeal sanctions per UWS 14.06-14.08.
HINTS FOR STUDYING IN BIO 105 – OR - THE ROAD TO AN “A”.
1. BE AN ACTIVE LEARNER.
ATTEND LECTURE and BRING YOUR TEXT WITH YOU. Use all of your senses(ears, eyes, tactile)
to input information into your brain - i.e. listen and distill information into notes (shorthand or text-message
style); make margin notes in your text and one the figures in your text as they are discussed via overheads and
power-point.
ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS DURING LECTURE.
2. READ THE TEXT ASSIGNMENT BEFORE COMING TO CLASS TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF
WITH THE TOPIC OF THE DAY. You will not learn the material with this first reading; you will however,
recognize words and ideas that I present in lecture.
3. FORM A STUDY GROUP – If you can explain a topic to someone else you truly know it.
4. DO NOT CRAM FOR AN EXAM THE NIGHT BEFORE THE EXAM.
LEARNING HAPPENS IN SMALL BITES. It is expected that for each hour in class (lecture) you will
spend 2 to 3 hours outside of class each week. So for Bio 105 that is 6 to 9 hours each week, rewriting your
notes, making flash cards, re-reading the text, studying the CD, quizzing members of a study group about the
bold face words and chapter topic headings.
(Note: In my experience as a teacher I find that most frequently students after an exam come and say – “but I
know the material”. And I am sure that this is true. However, the process of learning has two phases – the first
being putting the material into long term memory which requires repetition and rehearsal using all of our senses
(hands, eyes, ears), i.e. studying; and the second being getting the material back out – i.e. practicing answering
questions, talking about the material, making flow charts, flash cards from memory. So – form study groups, get
into good study habits at the start!!).
5. COME TO OFFICE HOURS WITH QUESTIONS. As you re-write notes etc, flag topics that you do not
understand and ask me about them well in advance of an exam.
6. ATTEND THE SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION (SI) SESSIONS.
(NOTE: DATA SHOW THAT STUDENTS WHO REGULARLY ATTEND SI RAISE THEIR
SCORES BY ½ GRADE)
What is SI?
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a series of weekly review sessions for students taking
historically difficult courses. SI is provided for all students who want to improve their understanding of
course material and improve their grades.
Attendance at SI sessions is voluntary. For you the student, it’s a chance to get together with
people in your class to compare notes, to discuss important concepts, to develop strategies for studying
the subject, and to test yourselves before your professor does. At each session you will be guided
through this material by your SI leader, a competent student who has previously taken the course.
What is an SI leader?
Have you ever wished you could do something over, knowing what you know now? SI leaders
are students themselves and are prepared to share with you what they have learned over the years about
how to study. They know the course content and are anxious to help guide you through it. They’ll be in
class with you every day, hearing what you hear and reading what you read. What they won’t do is
lecture; their job is to help you think about the lectures you hear and the books you read, and then put it
altogether during the SI review sessions. SI can help you learn course material more efficiently.
When do SI review sessions start?
On the first day of class you will fill out a short survey to let the SI leader know your class
schedule. Each SI leader will set up two or three review sessions each week at times that are best for the
majority of students taking the class. You can attend one, two, or all three (the choice is yours) and each
one will be different because you’ll have new material to discuss. SI review sessions are informal.
Bring your notes; bring your textbook; bring your questions.
What’s in it for me?
If you attend SI sessions regularly, chances are you’ll earn a better grade. You’ll have developed a better
understanding of course content as well as more effective ways of studying. This will help you in other
classes also.
SI Leader for the C Section will be :
SI Leader for the D Section will be