SYLLABUS
PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY BSC 2011
Contact Information:
Instructor : Victoria Zusman
Office: 1271-3
Phone: (305) 237-1104
Email: vzusman@mdc.edu
Office hours: posted on my office door (1271-3) or by appointment.
Website to see power points: faculty.mdc.edu/vzusman
Course Description and Goals :
This course is intended for Biology majors.
Principles of Biology II is the second part of an introduction to the study of the live sciences. It is a serious in depth treatment of modern biology. This course will provide the student with a better understanding an appreciation of the characteristics of life helping the student become more aware of our interconnections with all other living things. The principles of Biology part two, includes and will explore the following topics: evidences for organic evolution, biological diversity, overview survey of plants and animals form and function, relationship of organisms populations and communities to their environment and the nature of behavior in animals.
Pre/co requisite :
Pre-requisite: BSC 2010, BSC 2010L
Successful completion of a college level chemistry class CHM 1045. (3 hr. lecture) is a prerequisite, Co requisite : CHM1046
Text :
Biology by Campbell, N. Benjamin-Cummins 7th ed.
4 or 5 long scantron sheets, a pencil and a good eraser.
Recommended but not required: Student Study Guide for Campbell’s Biology by M.R. Taylor
Objectives :
After completion of this course, the student should:
1.
Be familiar with the basic concepts of evolution and the role it plays in modern Biology
2.
Understand the great diversity of life on earth, their differences and underlying unity.
3.
Understand the fundamental form and function, the levels of organization, as well as similarities and differences among plants and animals
4.
Be able to comprehend the relationships among living things and between living things and their environment.
5.
Understand the genetic and environmental contributions to behavior of animals
6.
Have developed a respect for, and an appreciation of life
Course Organization :
The format of this course will be primarily lecture and discussions. Everyone is expected to read the assignment and come prepared to class to enter into the discussion.
There will be readings (not always from the textbook) that will be discussed in class.
The CD-ROM a accompanying the textbook is a helpful, interactive study partner.
There will be assignments that must be completed by all students.
Grading:

Your grade will be determined based on several things.
Tests: There will be 3 lecture tests and a final exam. The professor might change the number of tests depending on circumstances. All tests will be based on the objectives, discussion and lecture topics listed in the syllabus and from the text. The lowest score (only from the first two tests) will be dropped. The final test will NOT be dropped and will be averaged in. A missed test counts as the test to be dropped (except the last one).
The tentative date of these tests and the material covered on each are listed on the schedule attached. Notice it is a tentative schedule. The actual test dates will be announced in class and the student is responsible for keeping up with the announcements. Each test counts 100 points.
The letter you receive is based solely on your average.
I do not give you the grade: you earn it.
“ There is no substitute for hard work
” by Thomas Edison
Test must be taken at their scheduled times. Tests will generally be multiple choice questions similar in nature to those found in the self-quiz at the end of each chapter in Campbell.
Please be aware the MDC does not allow unregistered students to attend class.
You must bring a scantron answer sheet (these are available in the bookstore) and a #2 pencil with a good eraser for tests.
Please be on time for scheduled tests.
All tests are timed from the beginning of the period and you will not get additional time if you are late. If someone has completed the test and left the room prior to your arrival you will not be allowed to take the test. In this case the test counts as a missed test and you must follow class policy for missed tests.
I do not correct for poor scantron erasures. If your eraser is not working properly please use another scantron or another eraser. Some assignments and quizzes may be part of your grade.
Any assignment or take home test are due at the beginning of class of the assigned due date. After class begins and for the rest of the day there will be an automatic 10% reduction for each calendar day (not class meeting). This policy also applies to outside class assignments. Be aware that a paper that is 5 days late is already worth only 50% of the grade. All assignments must be typed .
Assignment grades, and final exam grades will not be dropped.
The final exam will be cumulative with emphasis on the last few chapters that were not included in the previous tests.
The lowest test grade of the first three tests will be dropped from final computation of the semester grade. The last test always count and will not be dropped.
The final grade will be determined as a percentage of total possible points earned.
Formula: Total number of points you earned . 100 = your % grade
Total number of possible points
Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
Grading Scale:
90 - 100 = A
80 - 89.9 = B
70 - 79.9 = C
60 - 69.9 = D
Below 60 = F
The grade of Incomplete (I) will only be given in rare cases when unusual circumstances occur after the drop date. Documentation must show that it is impossible for the student to complete the course due to factors beyond their control.
Make up Policy:
There are no make-ups without a documented valid excuse as established by college policy.

Medical emergencies (bring a physician’s note), death in the family and religious holidays are all valid excuses. It is your responsibility to notify the instructor as soon as you know you will miss a test.
If you miss a test, that is your “drop”. If you have missed one already a make up tests must be taken within one week of the missed test and will be given only if there is a valid, documented excuse.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend classes regularly and arrive on time. While no specific grading penalty is attached to absence from lecture class, it is to your benefit to attend all lectures. If a student is absent, the student is solely responsible for the information missed or the work done and for being knowledgeable about test dates and class assignments Excessive absence from class may be sufficient cause for failure.
The proper paperwork must be submitted through the registrar’s office--simply not attending class if you have taken at least one exam will result in regular calculation of a course grade, which most often turns out to be an F. If you are not attending class and have missed the first exam I may purge you from the roll. The last day to withdraw without penalty from this course is
Wed. June 25, 2008. Last date to withdraw with a W and no refund is Fri. July 18, 2008. I will
. not withdraw you because of grade standing after that date.
Student demeanor and academic honesty
Students are expected to conduct themselves in an adult manner conducive to learning.
1-Cell phones and pagers must be turned off or placed on vibrating mode for the duration of the class. All cell phones and pagers must be silent during class.
2. - Respect others right to learn.
3. - Tardiness and exiting class early are disruptive and inappropriate behavior. If you find yourself unavoidably in either of the above situations, please sit in a seat as near the door as possible and move into or out of the classroom as quietly as possible. Any other behavior would be very rude to both your classmates and me. Disruptive behavior is not acceptable in college students. If you behave in a disruptive manner, you will be asked to leave the class.
4. - Cheating is a serious offense that will not be tolerated. Anyone caught cheating will get an F for the course.
“ A mind that is stretched to a new idea never return to its original dimension”
Oliver Wendell Holmes
These are skills and knowledge that I hope to emphasize in my classes to enable you to become a lifelong learner.
1. Communication Use reading, listening, writing and speaking skills effectively
2 . Numbers/Data analysis - Be able to evaluate and process numerical data
3. Critical Thinking - Be able to solve problems using critical thinking and scientific reasoning
4. Information Literacy - Be able to locate, evaluate and apply information
5. Cultural/Global Perspective - Develop appreciation and understanding of different cultures

6. Social Responsibility - Find ways to fulfill personal, civic and social responsibilities
7. Ethical Thinking - Develop a strategy to apply ethical thing to controversial issues
8. Technology Usage - Learn to use emerging technologies affectively
9. Aesthetic Appreciation - Demonstrate appreciation for the arts and creativity
10. Environmental Responsibility - Understanding natural systems and the importance of caring for environment.
BSC2011 “ TENTATIVE” SCHEDULE
Tues/Thurs
Week 1 Evolution. Darwinian View of Life
Evolution of Populations
Origin of species
Readings
Ch. 22 p.428
Ch. 23 p.445
Ch. 24 p. 464
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Phylogeny
Origin of Life
Test #1
Prokaryotes and Diversity
Eukaryotes and Diversity
Plant Diversity
Plant Structure and Function
Ch. 25 p.484
Ch. 26 p. 510
Ch. 27 p. 526
Ch.28 p. 545
Parts of chapters 29 and 30
Week 5
Week 6
Test #2
Animal Evolution
Parts of Invertebrates
Vertebrates Evolution and Diversity
Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere
Final test #3
Ch. 32 633
Ch. 33 sections
Ch. 34 .p. 678
Ch. 50 p.1092