LIFE-102 ATTRIBUTES OF LIVING SYSTEMS - SECTION 3
COURSE SYLLABUS & TOPICS – Fall semester 2015
11:00 – 11:50 AM, MWF, Room A101 Clark Building
Instructors:
Office:
E-mail:
Dr. Jennifer Neuwald
Department of Biology
Natural Resources 237 via C
ANVAS
(preferred) jennifer.neuwald@colostate.edu
Dr. Tanya Dewey
Department of Biology
Yates 309 (Monday)
Yates 211 (Wednesday) via C
ANVAS
(preferred) tdewey@rams.colostate.edu
Office Hours:
Lab Coordinator:
12:00-1:30 MW , or by appt 12:00-1:30 M , 3:00-4:30 W , or by appt
Donna Weedman, dweedman@lamar.colostate.edu
1. INTRODUCTION.
This course is an introductory course in Biology, with a recommendation for high school chemistry, but without additional prerequisites.
2. COURSE OBJECTIVES. To study features common to most organisms, emphasizing the chemical, cytological, biochemical, genetic, molecular and evolutionary aspects of living systems. Topics to be covered are listed in the course outline. Most topics will be covered in this sequence, although some may be emphasized more than others.
3. TEXT BOOKS and WEB RESOURCES.
A) BIOLOGY (Tenth Edition, Volume 1) by Reece/Campbell, plus Modified Mastering Biology
(MB). The bookstore sells this as a bundle. MB is an online tutorial and homework companion that accompanies your text. You must register for Modified Mastering
Biology, in order to link your graded assignments to the C
ANVAS
site. You will need the
6-part access code that comes with purchase of a new textbook. (The code is good for 1 year and can be used for LIFE 103 next semester).
If you buy a used book, you can separately purchase a 2-semester access to the website. MB includes an online version of the current textbook (eTEXT). A few hard copies of the textbook will be on reserve in the library.
B) Laboratory Manual for LIFE 102- Attributes of Living Systems (Weedman – Cache House)
C) C
ANVAS website. This course has a website: http://canvas.colostate.edu
You will need your eID (electronic ID assigned by CSU, consisting of a username and a password) to access the C
ANVAS website. If you are registered for LIFE-102, this course will be in your listing. C
ANVAS is new to all of us, so please take the time to review the
C
ANVAS tutorials so you can get the most out of this resource!
D) iClicker (required), available at the Bookstore. You must register your clicker at clicker.colostate.edu
to get credit for answers.
4. CONTACT INFORMATION : Please contact us via C ANVAS . This will allow us, when appropriate, to answer questions with a reply to the whole class. All questions regarding lab enrollment and scheduling should be directed to Donna Weedman, Lab Coordinator. All questions regarding lab grades should be directed to your TA or to Donna.

5. EXAMS and GRADING.
The course grade will be based on the following percentages:
Points % of Final Grade
A) 3 Midterm Exams (100 pts each) 100x3
B) Final Exam (half over last section, half comprehensive) 200
C) Group Exams ( extra credit ; 4x10pts each)
D) Clicker Participation
-
20
E) Mastering Biology Exercises
F) Laboratory (scaled to 25%)
180
N/A
32%
22%
-
2%
19%
25%
700 100%
MIDTERM EXAMS : There will be three 50-minute exams worth 100 points apiece. If you miss an exam, you will receive zero (0) points for that exam! Exams will be based 90% on material presented in class and 10% on additional material covered in Mastering Biology. The format of exams will be multiple choice, matching, and identification of structures or events on diagrams. Midterm exams will consist of ~50 questions. Note that you may not take a LIFE102 exam from a different section.
Individual tests and the laboratory scores will not be curved.
FINAL EXAM : The final exam is two hours. Half of the final exam will cover material from the final quarter of the course. The other half will include comprehensive questions from the other three quarters of the course. The final exam will consist of ~100 questions. The date and time of the final exam is:
Tuesday, December 15 th from 4:10 PM - 6:10 PM in Clark A101.
Please verify NOW that you will be able to attend at this time.
GROUP EXAMS (extra credit): You have the option of taking Group Exams prior to each Midterm and Final exam. Group exams will be similar in format to the regular exams, but you will be permitted to discuss the answers with other members of your group during the exam. Group exams are scored as a percentage grade, and ten percent (10%) of the points from your group exam grade will be added to your regular exam grade for extra credit. For example, if you receive 80% on your group exam, then 8 points will be added to your regular exam when calculating your final grade. Note: Students who take all 4 group exams, on average, receive a final grade that is one letter grade higher than the class average!
GROUP EXAM RULES :
A) To be eligible for the group exams, you must participate in an official study group. This group must consist of 3-7 students who are registered for THIS section of LIFE 102 (Section 3). The entire group must meet on at least two separate occasions after the last exam and before the upcoming group exam. Groups must meet for at least one hour. Students choose and organize their own groups.
B) The group must submit at least two fully completed “Group Meeting Rosters” at the time of the group exam. A copy of this form is attached to the syllabus, and is available on the course C ANVAS site. Your study group sets its own agenda. You can study material from lectures, study guides,
Mastering Biology, etc. The more your group knows, the better the group will do on the group exam.
C) If the group meets these requirements, the group will receive one copy of the group exam and individual answer sheets for each group member. Each group member must participate in taking the group exam for the entire group to receive credit. During the exam, students are free to collaborate within their group, but each person will answer as he/she pleases on the individual

answer sheets. Both the exam and individual answer sheets will be turned in at the end of the exam period.
D) You are not committed to having the same group for each group exam. Groups can be formed, reconstituted or dissolved following each exam. If your group is not effective, form a new group!
CLICKER POINTS : iClicker questions are used in this class to help gauge the students’ understanding of the material. At the end of each quarter of the course, we will pick 5 lectures at random. For each lecture, if our clicker log indicates you participated that day, you get one point. A semester total of 20 points is possible.
MASTERING BIOLOGY POINTS : You can access the Modified Mastering Biology page by logging in to C ANVAS and navigating to the Modified Mastering Biology page under “Modules”. Assignments will be posted before each lecture and will be due no later than 1 week after that lecture. There are two types of assignments:
A) Dynamic Study Modules (DSM)
B) Homework Assignments in Mastering Biology (HMB)
They should take approximately one hour to complete and are worth up to 5 points apiece. You can earn up to 180 points total by completing all of the assignments (nearly 20% of your grade!). The catch is you have a limited time (~1 week after the material is discussed in class) to complete these assignments. All of these assignments can be accessed from any internet-based computer. In addition to the assignments we will post for credit, there will be several DSMs that we recommend for practice.
REGISTERING FOR MASTERING BIOLOGY
1.
Log onto the LIFE102, Section 003 C ANVAS course website.
2.
Navigate to the “Modules” section on the left menu
3.
Select the “Modified Mastering Biology (Pearson MyLab)” link and then the “MasteringBiology
Course Home” link
4.
Follow the instructions for registering for a Pearson account (or signing in if you already have one).
5.
Enter your Student Access Code (received when you purchased your new textbook, or you may purchase separate access)
6.
After you are registered and connected to MB, complete the “Introduction to Mastering Biology” assignment as soon as possible.
NOTE: Please refer to the handout on C
ANVAS under “Announcements” for more details on registering.
COURSE GRADES will be assigned on approximately the following grading scale:
Score Grade
> 98.0% A+
92.0- 97.9% A
90.0 - 91.9% A-
Score Grade
88.0 - 89.9% B+
82.0 - 87.9% B
80.0 - 81.9% B-
Score Grade
77.0 - 79.9% C+
70.0 - 76.9% C
59.5 - 69.9% D
< 59.5% F
There will be no make-up exams.
If you miss a midterm exam it will be recorded as a zero (0) and count in the final average. Students involved in sanctioned University Athletics will be permitted to take a make-up exam in the instructor’s office within one week of the scheduled exam.
Students arriving late during exams will not be permitted to take the exam if another student has completed the exam and left the room. Once the exam has begun, students will not be allowed to leave and re-enter the exam room without explicit permission.

Regrades : Questions or errors regarding the grading of an exam must be presented within 1 week after the exam scores are posted, otherwise no corrections or changes will be made.
6.
EXAM DATES
1 st Midterm Group Exam: Wednesday, September 16
1 st Midterm Exam: Friday, September 18
2 nd Midterm Group Exam: Monday, October 12
2 nd Midterm Exam: Wednesday, October 14
3 rd Midterm Group Exam:
3 rd Midterm Exam:
Monday, November 9
Wednesday, November 11
Final Group Exam:
F
INAL
E
XAM
:
Friday, December 11
T
UESDAY
, D
EC
.
15, 4:10
PM
-6:10
PM
, A101 C
LARK
We take academic integrity seriously. At a minimum, academic integrity means that no one will use another's work as their own. Because academic integrity is so central to our mission as students, teachers, scholars, and citizens, we will ask you to “sign” the CSU Honor Pledge as part of completing all of your exams. All exams will ask you to adhere to CSU’s Honor Pledge: "I have not given, received, or, used any unauthorized assistance."
Anyone caught cheating on any exam, quiz, homework assignment, clicker question, or attendance sheet (either in the laboratory or in lecture) will receive a grade of "F" for the entire course and will be reported to the Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct Services for further review.
Additional sanctions may include suspension or expulsion from the University. We shall adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy of the Colorado State University General Catalog and the Student
Conduct Code http://www.catalog.colostate.edu/14/section.aspx
.
7. INCOMPLETE GRADES.
If more than one midterm exam or the final exam is missed, a grade of "I" or "F" will be assigned, depending on the circumstances. An incomplete grade is a temporary grade and is assigned at the discretion of the instructor. An "I" is assigned only if the student cannot complete the course due to circumstances beyond the student's control (as noted in the Scholastic Standards section of the catalogue - p. 81). Ordinarily the student must also be passing the course at the time the incomplete is requested. A contract, indicating the amount of work to be completed, must be signed by the student and instructor before the “I” is assigned.
Incompletes will be made up in another semester following the course and must be made up within a year or the grade is converted automatically to an “F” by the Registrar.
8. CANVAS. The syllabus, announcements, exam scores, handouts, and MasteringBiology assignments will be posted on C ANVAS , which is a University web site for courses and this section.
To access C ANVAS , log on to the C ANVAS home page, enter your eID and password and you will have access to any material that is posted. Lecture Handouts will be posted in advance of the lecture presentations, so that you may download the presentations and add material during lectures.
These notes WILL NOT include the complete information presented in lectures.
9. LABORATORY. Laboratory sections will meet in Yates Building. Check the Fall Schedule on the CSU web site for room assignments for your particular section. The basis for your laboratory grade will be explained by the respective laboratory instructors during the first week of classes.
Attendance in the laboratory is mandatory. If you miss more than two laboratories, you will

receive a grade of 0% in the laboratory. Your laboratory instructor will discuss laboratory grading policies with you. Anyone who receives a "0" as the laboratory grade will receive an "F" for the course regardless of his/her lecture average.
10. OFFICE HOURS.
If you have a question about the class, or want to discuss any aspects of the material, please come down and talk to us right after lecture! You are also welcome to drop in unannounced during office hours. If you can’t come then, you may make an appointment with us via email. Any questions regarding the course may be sent to us via e-mail, but we very much prefer to meet with you personally and you will likely get a more thorough response in person.
11.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students who need special accommodation(s) for taking exams and/or for completing laboratory exercises must contact us AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Students seeking such accommodation must provide supporting documentation from the Office of Resources for Disabled Students.
12. HELP: If you find yourself struggling, be proactive! Seek help from your GTA (in lab or during his/her office hours), or visit the instructors (during office hours or set up a meeting). The College of Natural Sciences offers a free tutorial service. See the website at http://tilt.colostate.edu/learning/tutorialPrograms/artSciences.cfm
for details of their location, schedule, etc. The earlier you take action, the better off you will be!
TIPS ON HOW TO DO WELL IN LIFE 102: This course has a high pace and covers a large amount of material. In addition to attending lectures, you should plan to spend 2-3 hours of home study for every hour in class.
•
The exams will be challenging. To do well in the course, you should attend every lecture and take lots of notes. The exams cover lecture material, so good notes will be critical.
• Reading the chapters beforehand can be immensely beneficial if you find the pace is too high to listen and take notes at the same time.
• The textbook has an outstanding web-based study resource: Mastering Biology – use it! There will be homework assignments from Mastering Biology that you will be required to complete.
Do not ignore these assignments! They are worth nearly 20% of your grade!
• Group learning has been shown to dramatically increase student’s learning, retention, and performance on exams. Participate in group study sessions and take the group exams. You can increase your regular exam grade by up to a whole letter grade!
Date
M 8-24
W 8-26
F 8-28
M 8-31
W 9-2
F 9-4
M 9-7
W 9-9
F 9-11
Instructor Topic
Dewey
Dewey
Introduction LIFE 102
Atoms and Molecules
Properties of Water
Chapter Assignments
1 HMB
2 HMB
3 HMB
Dewey
Dewey
Properties of Carbon
Macromolecules
4
5
Dewey Macromolecules
NO CLASS (Labor Day)
Dewey Tour of the Cell I
Dewey Tour of the Cell II
5
6
6
HMB
HMB
DSM
HMB
HMB

M 9-14
W 9-16
F 9-18
M 9-21
W 9-23
F 9-25
M 9-28
W 9-30
F 10-2
M 10-5
W 10-7
Dewey
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald
Tour of the Cell III
Group Exam 1
EXAM 1
Membrane Structure I
Membrane Structure II
Metabolism I
Metabolism II
Cellular Respiration I
Cellular Respiration II
Cellular Respiration III
Photosynthesis I
6
8
9
9
9
10
7
7
8
DSM
HMB
DSM
HMB
DSM
HMB
HMB
DSM
HMB
F 10-9
M 10-12
W 10-14
F 10-16
M 10-19
W 10-21
F 10-23
M 10-26
W 10-28
F 10-30
M 11-2
W 11-4
F 11-6
M 11-9
W 11-11
Neuwald
Dewey
Dewey
Dewey
Dewey
Dewey
Dewey
Dewey
Dewey
Dewey
Dewey
Photosynthesis II
Group Exam 2
EXAM 2
Cell division: Mitosis
Cell division: Meiosis
Mendelian Genetics I
Mendelian Genetics II
Chromosomal Inheritance
DNA Structure
DNA Replication
Gene to protein: Transcription
Gene to protein: Translation
Biotechnology & Synthesis
Group Exam 3
EXAM 3
10
13
14
14
15
16
16
17
17
20
12
DSM
HMB
HMB
HMB
DSM
DSM
HMB
DSM
HMB
HMB
HMB
F 11-13
M 11-16
W 11-18
F 11-20
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald
Gene Expression I
Gene Expression II
Viruses
Genome Evolution
18
18
19
21
HMB
DSM
HMB
HMB
M 11-23
W 11-25
NO CLASS (Thanksgiving break)
NO CLASS
Due dates for homework will be extended to the
F 11-27
M 11-30
W 12-1
F 12-4
M 12-7
W 12-9
F 12-11
Tues. Dec. 15
NO CLASS
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald
Neuwald th
Descent with Modification
Evolution of Populations I
Evolution of Populations II following week.
22
23
23
Species Formation I
Species Formation II
24
24
Group Final Exam
Sec. 3 FINAL 4:10-6:10pm, A101 Clark
HMB
HMB
DSM
HMB
DSM

LIFE 102, Section 003 GROUP STUDY SESSION ROSTER: FALL 2015
Directions*: As a group, completely fill out ONE copy of this roster each time your study group meets. Be sure that all group members who are present sign the form . You will turn this form into Drs. Dewey & Neuwald at the group exam before receiving the exam and answer sheets for your group.
LOCATION OF STUDY GROUP MEETING: _____________________________________________
DATE OF STUDY GROUP MEETING: __________________________________________________
TIME STARTED: _________________________ TIME ENDED: _________________________
BRIEF SUMMARY OF GROUP ACTIVITIES: (A concept summary can be submitted here)
GROUP MEMBERS PRESENT (Printed name and signature):
(1) __________________________________________________________________________________
(2) __________________________________________________________________________________
(3) minimum __________________________________________________________________________
(4) __________________________________________________________________________________
(5) __________________________________________________________________________________
(6) __________________________________________________________________________________
(7) maximum _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________ Date:
*To be recognized as an official study group and qualify to take an exam as a group, the study group must:
1. consist of at least 3 and not more than 7 members
2. all group members are registered for the LIFE 102, section 003.
3. meet as an entire group for at least 1 hour on two separate occasions prior to an exam.
4. turn in at least 2 fully completed “Group Study Session Rosters” at the start of the group exam.
Additional copies of this roster can be downloaded and printed from the course C ANVAS page.
Please remember that a group member must participate in the group exam to receive points for this exam.