BSC2011-2193-1623 Lecture
Principles of Biology 2
Spring 2019
PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY 2 COURSE SYLLABUS
Reference #: 2193-1623
Instructor: Michelle Johnson
Time: 11:15AM-12:30PM
Days: Tuesday & Thursday
Credit Hours: 3
Room #: 2305
Campus/Bldg.: Wolfson/2
Office Hours: by appointment
Dept. Front Desk: 305-237-3658
Email: mjohnso6@mdc.edu
Course Description:
This course is designed for biological science majors. This is the second in a sequence of two courses that deals with the principles of
modern biology. It covers organic evolution, phylogeny, biological diversity, overviews of plant and animal form and function,
behavior, as well as population, community, and ecosystem ecology.
Prerequisites: BSC 2010, 2010L
Co-requisites: BSC 2011L
Credit Hours: 3
Textbook:
Author: Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky & Reece
Text: Campbell BIOLOGY, 11th Edition
ISBN: 978-0-13-409341-3
Class Rules / Guidelines:
1. ABSENCES: Attendance is taken at every class meeting. It is your responsibility to attend class meetings and to arrive on
time to be counted on the roll. Students that leave class early without prior notice will be counted as absent.
NOTICE: IF YOU MISS MORE THAN THREE SEQUENTIAL CLASSES, YOU MAY BE DROPPED FROM THE CLASS BY THE
INSTRUCTOR.
2.
CELL PHONES/PAGERS/TEXT MESSAGING: All cell phones, pagers or text messaging devices should be muted or turned off
during class. Please do not answer your phone in class or repeatedly leave class to answer your phone/send a text
message. You may be asked to leave by the instructor if you interrupt class.
3.
IF YOU ARE DROPPED FROM THE CLASS: If you are dropped from the class for any reason, you will no longer be allowed to
attend the class. You will also not receive a grade for the class and the instructor will not accept your assignments, papers,
or tests.
 If you are dropped from the class and wish to re-enroll, you must do so BEFORE YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO
RETURN TO CLASS. You must provide proof of registration and payment of fees from the Registration Office
before the instructor will let you attend the class.
TO RECEIVE A GRADE IN THE CLASS, YOU MUST BE PROPERLY ENROLLED BY NO LATER THAN THE END OF THE TERM.
4.
PLAGIARISM/CHEATING: Cheating is the deliberate act of receiving unfair assistance or help on a test or assignment or the
submission of someone else’s work as your own. Should an instructor determine that a student has plagiarized or cheated
on an assignment, you will receive a grade of zero for the work and not be allowed to make-up the grade. The student may
also be referred to the Dean of Student’s Office for disciplinary action.
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BSC2011-2193-1623 Lecture
Principles of Biology 2
Spring 2019
5. INCOMPLETE GRADE FOR THE COURSE: Instructors and the department will only consider issuing a grade of “I” or
incomplete if the student has a passing average at the time of request. An Incomplete Agreement Form must be completed
by the student and signed by the instructor if the incomplete is deemed valid. Students who are past due on
assignments/tests/papers or who have exceeded the allowable number of absences are not granted the opportunity to do
an incomplete. NOTICE: A STUDENT HAS ONE SEMESTER TO SETTLE THE INCOMPLETE OR THE FINAL GRADE ASSIGNED
WILL BE AN “F.” The instructor is not responsible for reminding the student about the incomplete.
6.
REQUEST FOR CHANGING A FINAL GRADE: Final course grades are only changed for two reasons:
 Changing from an incomplete or “I” to a final grade, or
 Due to a grade calculation error by the instructor.
Remember, the instructor cannot curve or adjust a student’s grade for any personal reasons. Nor can the instructor accept
work submitted after a term has ended unless the student has received permission to do an incomplete and the proper
paperwork has been filed in advance with the department.
7.
DISRUPTING CLASS: Any student who intentionally disrupts the teaching/learning process or who acts in a disrespectful,
threatening, or intimidating way toward the instructor will be asked to leave the class. Campus Security will be called if the
student refuses to leave.
8.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all qualified students enrolled
in this course are entitled to reasonable accommodations. Please notify the instructor during the first week of class of any
accommodations needed for the course.
Evaluation:
Exams (60.6% of total grade)
 Four (4) exams will be administered; the lowest grade will be dropped. These exams are non-cumulative and will be
administered in class. The final exam is MANDATORY regardless of what grade you have in the class.
 Once an exam is handed in you may not come back and ask to complete unfinished portions.
 No restroom breaks during an Exam. Please use the restroom before the exam.
 The exams will consist of 50-60 questions - multiple choice, matching, flow charts, T/F etc.
 You are expected to bring a #2 pencil for every exam and Scantron sheet (uncrushed).
 After the first student has left the class during the exam NO LATE STUDENTS will be admitted into the classroom.
Make-Up Exams
 It is at the discretion of the instructor to offer a make-up exam. There is NO MAKE-UP OFFERED FOR THIS COURSE.
o Should a makeup be granted (students can earn a maximum of 80% on the makeup exam).
 NO MAKE-UP OFFERED FOR A second missed exam, the student will receive a zero for this exam.
 Do not plan family events or vacation time during the duration of the class. These plans may conflict with the course
schedule and prevent you from being present for class every day.
 If an emergency occurs and you cannot be present the day of the exam the student must report the incident within 24
hours to the professor and/or the Biology Department. Any unexcused absence from an exam will result in zero. Refer to
MDC student handbook to review the allowed excused absences.
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BSC2011-2193-1623 Lecture
Principles of Biology 2
Spring 2019
Course Schedule – BSC2011 Spring 2019
This is a tentative schedule and is subject to change
Week
Date
Jan 08
Jan 10
Jan 15
Jan 17
Topic
Course Introduction and Orientation
Descent with Modification: Darwinian View of Life
Descent with Modification: Darwinian View of Life
The Evolution of Populations
Jan 22
Jan 24
Jan 29
Jan 31
Feb 05
Feb 07
Feb 12
The Evolution of Populations
The Origin of Species
The Origin of Species
The History of Life on Earth
The History of Life on Earth
Exam # 1 Chapters 22, 23, 24 & 25 – Come early leave after the exam
Phylogeny and the Tree of Life
23
24
24
25
25
26
Feb 14
Phylogeny and the Tree of Life
26
Feb 19
Bacteria and Archaea
27
15
Feb 21
Feb 26
Feb 28
Mar 05
Mar 07
Mar 12
Mar 14
Mar 19
Mar 21
Mar 26
Mar 28
Apr 02
Apr 04
Apr 09
Apr 11
Apr 16
Apr 18
Apr 23
Apr 25
Bacteria and Archaea
Protists
Protists
Exam # 2 - Chapter 26, 27 & 28 – Come early leave after the exam
No classes - College is Open
Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land
Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land
Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants
Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants
Fungi
Fungi
An Overview of Animal Diversity
Exam # 3 Chapters 29, 30, 31 & 32 – Come early leave after the exam
An Introduction to Invertebrates
An Introduction to Invertebrates
The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates
Animal Behavior
An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere
An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere
27
28
28
29
29
30
30
31
31
32
33
33
34
50
52
52
Finals
April 30, 2019
Exam # 4 Chapters 33, 34, 50, & 52 - Come early leave after the exam
(During your class time and class hour)
In Class
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
How your grade will be determined
Assessment
15 Homework (2 dropped)
15 Quizzes (2 dropped)
Chapter
22
22
23
Graded Points
130
130
Percent of Final Grade
19.7%
19.7%
4 Exams
400
60.6%
Total
660
100%
Grading Scale
Percentage
90 – 100
80 – 89
70 – 79
60 – 69
Grade
A
B
C
D
0 - 59
F
All students are responsible for coming to class and completing required assignments. All worksheets, videos, syllabi, and
calendars will be given during class time or posted on blackboard.
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BSC2011-2193-1623 Lecture
Principles of Biology 2
Spring 2019
Important dates for Spring 2019
January 8, 2019 (Tuesday) - 16 week classes, class begins
January 14, 2019 (Monday) - Last day to withdraw a course and receive a refund & change courses without financial penalty
March 20, 2019 (Wednesday) - 16 week classes: Last day withdraw from courses with a “W” grade
April 26, 2019 (Friday) - Last day of classes
April 27, 2019 – May 3, 2019 (Saturday-Friday) - Final exams: regular weekday and evening classes
Holidays
Jan. 19-21, 2019 - Holiday - Martin Luther King Day
Feb. 16-18, 2019 - Holiday - President’s Day
March 7, 2019 (Thursday) - no classes although the college is open
April 19 – 21, 2019 (Friday – Sunday) - Holiday – Spring Recess
MDC Learning Outcomes:
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 Competencies
Competency 1: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will demonstrate knowledge of the mechanisms of microand macroevolution by:
a. Explaining the central role of evolution in modern biology.
b. Describing the development of the Darwinian view of evolution.
c. Identifying the steps of natural selection and discussing its role as the major agent of evolution.
d. Analyzing the evidence that has accumulated since Darwin’s time in support of the theory of evolution.
e. Identifying the population as the theater of evolution, and explaining the role of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium as a baseline for
understanding microevolution, and the nature of the agents of microevolution that operate within populations.
f. Distinguishing the modes of natural selection.
g. Discussing the various species concepts and the process of speciation.
h. Analyzing the major evolutionary events and trends that have shaped life on Earth throughout its history.
Competency 2: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will demonstrate knowledge of the nature of biological
diversity by:
a. Describing the current theory of the origin of life on Earth.
b. Explaining the fashion in which organisms are classified.
c. Describing the diversity of viruses, prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals.
d. Analyzing the similarities and differences among the domains and kingdoms of life.
Competency 3: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will demonstrate knowledge of the form and function of
plants and animals by:
a. Describing the levels of organization found among plants and animals.
b. Identifying the structural and functional features of plant and animal tissue types.
c. Discussing the structural and functional features of animal organ systems.
d. Comparing and contrasting the ways in which plants and animals are structured and function.
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BSC2011-2193-1623 Lecture
Principles of Biology 2
Spring 2019
Competency 4: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will demonstrate knowledge of the relationships of
organisms with their environment by:
a. Diagramming the levels of organization of interest in ecology.
b. Discussing the factors involved in producing fluctuations in and regulating the size of populations.
c. Analyzing the nature of the interactions existing in communities.
d. Describing the factors that affect ecosystem dynamics.
e. Identifying the factors that shape the features of terrestrial and aquatic environments.
f. Analyzing the threats offered by humankind to the world’s environments.
g. Assessing the steps necessary to allow sustainability of Earth’s life-support systems.
Competency 5: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will demonstrate knowledge of the nature and evolution
of behavior in animals by:
a. Listing the genetic and environmental contributions to behavior.
b. Distinguishing between innate and learned behavior.
c. Identifying the types of learning behavior.
d. Discussing the nature of animal cognition.
e. Evaluating the nature and significance of social behavior and sociobiology.
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