Biology 102-02: Biology and the Environment
Spring 2013
Schedule:
Instructor:
Office Hours:
Text:
Lecture: T TH, 8:30-9:45 AM, Plyler 222
Lab: Weds., 2:30-5:20 PM., Plyler 141 (unless otherwise announced)
Mrs. Joanna Hawley Howard (Office Plyler 122B, e-mail:
Joanna.howard@furman.edu)
By appointment
Biology and the Environment: Biology 102, 2011, McGraw-Hill
(ISBN-13: 9781121182349)
Additional readings will be assigned to supplement material in the textbook.
Course Description from University Catalog:
The basic principles common to living organisms, with emphasis on environmental biology. Designed for
non-science majors. Topics include: ecology, evolution, biodiversity, and environmental issues, plus a
synopsis of cellular biology, genetics, and physiology. Students may not receive credit for both BIO-101
and BIO-102. BIO-102 may not be enrolled after successful completion of BIO-111.
Course Learning Objectives:
1. To achieve a basic understanding of the underlying evolutionary unity of all life
2. To appreciate the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services to sustain human welfare
3. To understand how natural variations in climate across the planet influence the distribution of
organisms, as well as how human-accelerated climate change influences organisms, communities,
and ecosystems
4. To examine and consider the influences of human activity on other organisms and on ecosystems
from local to global scales
5. To gain an understanding of the biological basis for agriculture and the sustainability of
agricultural systems
6. To understand how populations of organisms change over time, including the factors underlying
human population growth and the concept of carrying capacity
Tentative Lecture, Readings, and Laboratory Schedule:
* Check the course Moodle site frequently for updates to the schedule or assigned readings
* Be sure to do the assigned readings BEFORE coming to class so you are prepared for discussion
Date
WEEK 1
Jan 8 (T)
Jan 10 (Th)
Lecture Topic & Due Dates
Readings
Intro/Major topics in Biology
The Scientific Method
pp.1-16, 18
WEEK 2
Jan 15 (T)
Chemistry of Life, Properties of Water
pp.22-33
Jan 17 (Th)
Biological Molecules
pp.35-44
WEEK 3
Jan 22 (T)
Jan 24 (Th)
Earth’s Climate Systems
Terrestrial Biomes
pp.48-54, 86
pp.57-67
Laboratory
Hypothesis Testing
1
Furman Lake Bacteria
(Pt.1)
TBA
WEEK 4
Jan 29 (T)
Jan 31 (Th)
Terrestrial Biomes
Aquatic Ecosystems
pp.67-77
pp. 83-103
Chlorophyll Lab
WEEK 5
Feb 5 (T)
Feb 7 (Th)
Human Effects on the Biosphere
Ecosystem Services
TBA
TBA
Eutrophication Lab
WEEK 6
Feb 12 (T)
Cell Biology
Exam #1 in lab
Feb 14 (Th)
Cellular Respiration/Fermentation
pp. 143-146, 148-153,
166-175
pp. 209-214, 216-219,
220-222
WEEK 7
Feb 19 (T)
Energy and Enzymes
TBA
Yeast Lab/Sugar
Substitute
Feb 21 (Th)
Energy and Ecosystems
pp. 215, 248-250, 253256, 435-438
WEEK 8
Feb 26 (T)
Feb 28 (Th)
Energy and Life
Photosynthesis
pp. 179-187
pp. 191-198, 202-206
WEEK 9
Mar 5 (T)
Mar 7 (Th)
No Class – Spring Break
No Class – Spring Break
WEEK 10
Mar 12 (T)
Mar 14 (Th)
DNA and Cell Division
Meiosis and Genetic Diversity
pp. 268-277
pp. 296-304, 308309
Mitosis Lab
WEEK 11
Mar 19 (T)
Patterns of Inheritance
Exam #2 in lab
Mar 21 (Th)
Evolution & Natural Selection
pp. 314-316, 327328, 335-338
pp. 345-358
Evolution & Natural Selection
Population Ecology & Community
Ecology
pp. 359-380
pp. 258-262, 409419, 429-435
Corn Genetics
WEEK 13
Apr 2 (T)
Climate Change and Biology
TBA
What Darwin Didn’t
Know
Apr 4 (Th)
Biodiversity and Biophilia
TBA
WEEK 12
Mar 26 (T)
Mar 28 (Th)
Photosynthesis
No Lab – Spring Break
2
WEEK 14
Apr 9 (T)
Apr 11 (Th)
Soils: The foundation of Agriculture
Agriculture: Environmental Impacts
pp. 132-140
TBA
Visit Organic Garden
WEEK 14
Apr 16 (T)
Carbon Cycling in Ecosystems
Carbon Sequestration
Apr 18 (Th)
Nutrient Cycling in Ecosystems
pp. 230, 234-235, 440,
442
p. 233-234, 238-239,
443-445
WEEK 15
Apr 23 (T)
Population Growth and the Environment
p. 420-423, TBA
No Lab
Grade Determination:
Exams:
Exam 1: 23%
Exam 2: 23%
Other:
5 lab assignments (5% each): 25%
Class participation: 5%
Final exam: 24% (partly cumulative)
% total grade: 70%
% total grade: 30%
Course grades will be based on the following criteria:
A+ = 97+
B+ = 87 - 89 C+ = 77 - 79 D+ = 67 - 69
A = 93 - 96
B = 83 - 86
C = 73 - 76
D = 63 - 66
A- = 90 - 92
B- = 80 - 82 C- = 70 - 72 D- = 60 - 62
F = < 60
At the discretion of the instructor, grade criteria may be relaxed slightly, based on natural gaps in
the class grade distribution. However, you should not expect large deviations from the cutoffs above. Do
not wait until the third exam to decide you are not doing as well as you expected. There is no extra
credit in this course.
Course documents will be posted on the web using the university’s Moodle course management system.
To access this information go to http://courses.furman.edu/. Click “login,” then enter your username and
password. Provide the same username and password that you have for all other Furman network activities.
Next, click “login” once again. Finally, click on BIO-102-02 to enter the course site.
You are also expected to maintain an e-mail address. It is a good idea to check your e-mail daily
for course announcements. You are responsible for all material, assignments, and announcements sent to
you by e-mail. Ignorance of an announcement sent to you by e-mail is not an acceptable excuse for failure
to meet a course requirement.
Lecture Periods: Active Learning Approach
Ideally, listening to lectures is interesting and informative, but it’s a passive way to learn. In this
course, we will use a combination of lecture and collaborative group learning to encourage you to be
proactive in taking responsibility for learning course material. Here’s how our time will be spent during a
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typical lecture period. We’ll start with about 15 minutes of lecture to provide an overview of the day’s
topic. Occasionally, I will pose a short question to the class, such as a multiple choice or short freeresponse question. Then, students will work in groups of 3-4 to discuss their answers and come to a
group consensus. I’ll then call on groups to explain their group’s answer. We’ll discuss the answer to the
question as a whole class and then cover some additional material. Groups will be asked to turn in
written answers to the daily question from time to time.
Attendance
Experience has shown that attendance in class correlates positively with grades earned in the
course. Also, the group-learning aspect of this course requires that all members of each group be present
each day and that they participate fully in the exchange of ideas. If written materials are collected from
discussion groups during lecture and you are absent for an unexcused reason that day, you will not
receive credit for participation in your group’s work. Failure to attend class and to participate in class
discussion will reduce one’s class participation grade.
Social engagements will not count as excused absences! It is your responsibility to present
evidence of illness or any other extenuating circumstances for missing class. If you have a special
situation that will require you to miss several classes, let me know beforehand. Also, if you miss class, it
is your responsibility to find out what you missed. Ignorance of an announcement made in class is not an
acceptable excuse for failure to meet a course requirement.
Class Preparation
Effective participation in group learning and class discussion requires that you are prepared each
day for class. Preparation for learning will require reading of the text and/or supplemental materials. If
you don’t understand the material, you need to come prepared with specific questions.
Both lectures and reading assignments are fundamental parts of this course. While the lectures
and reading assignments will overlap, they will not be identical. Some of the information covered in
lecture will not be in the readings. Likewise, very important information may be presented only in the
assigned readings.
The group learning strategy of this class is intended to have students help each other learn and
understand the course material. Nonetheless, you will still have to study and prepare outside of class. It
is recommended that you spend about two hours studying and reviewing material for every one hour
attending lecture. Don’t put off studying to the last minute!!
Exams
The exams will cover material from both the lectures and labs. The exams will consist of
short answer (free-response) questions and multiple choice and true-false questions.
Success in this course is not based solely on memorizing the material. Many questions will require you to
make novel use of the material that you have learned. Thus, exam questions may ask you to relate one
concept to another, to explain why something happens in a given situation, or to predict what would
happen in a given situation.
At the end of the semester, if your final exam score is higher than your lowest semester exam
score (from exams 1 and 2), I will replace that lowest semester exam score with your final exam score.
The final exam will include a cumulative component in which you will draw on concepts you have learned
throughout the course.
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You are expected to take the exams when scheduled. The availability and scheduling of make-up
exams is solely at the instructor’s discretion. Note that make-up exams may consist primarily of short
essay questions which are more difficult than questions on the original exam. NOTE: Any changes in the
scheduling of the final exam must have the prior approval of the Associate Academic Dean.
Laboratories
The lab sessions in this course both complement and supplement the lecture material.
Attendance is required at all labs. Do NOT schedule events, meetings, or any other activities during the
scheduled lab period. The ONLY acceptable excuse (at the discretion of the instructor) for missing a lab
or field trip is serious illness or family emergency that must be documented in detail by a doctor or by the
Associate Academic Dean. Unless otherwise noted, students will work in pairs on lab assignments. Due
dates for lab assignments will be indicated on handouts or in class. Typically, you will have one week to
turn in a lab assignment once you have received the data collected in the lab. There is a 30% penalty for
each day a lab assignment is late.
Use of Electronic Devices
Cell phone use during class is prohibited. This includes texting! Using a cell phone in class or
allowing it to ring in class is distracting to both the instructor and your classmates. If your phone rings
during lecture or lab, I reserve the right to ask you to leave class for the remainder of the day. Also, repeat
offenses can result in a lowering of your class participation grade. In case of emergency, your friends or
family can reach you by contacting Sherry Craze in the biology office (294-2084).
Use of laptop computers during class is also prohibited. Although some students prefer to take
notes using a laptop, my experience has shown that many students abuse this privilege by checking their
e-mail or surfing the web during class. Such activity is a major distraction to nearby students. If you have
a medical issue or physical disability which requires your use of a laptop in class, please provide
documentation from your physician or from the Office of Disability Services attesting to that need.
Disability Accommodations
Students with disabilities who need academic accommodations should contact the Office of
Disability Services (Gina Parris, Coordinator, Admin Bldg 207, phone: 294-2322). After meeting with
the Disability Services, contact me right away. Don't procrastinate - do this early in the term.
Academic Integrity
Integrity gives the educational enterprise its legitimacy. Honesty, respect, and personal
responsibility are principles that guide academic life at Furman, in and out of the classroom. Academic
misconduct in any form (plagiarism, cheating, inappropriate collaboration, and other efforts to gain an
unfair academic advantage) threatens the values of the campus community and will have severe
consequences. In this course, I will assume that when you put your name on an exam that this is your
bond to say that you have done your own work. At a minimum, a grade of 0 will be given to an
assignment containing plagiarized material or to an exam involving cheating. Furthermore, plagiarism
could lead to failing the entire course.
If you have any question about what constitutes plagiarism or any other form of academic
misconduct, it is your responsibility to consult with me so that you will fully understand what I expect of
you. If you have any doubts, ask! Furman’s policy on academic integrity and academic misconduct can be
found at the website “Academic Integrity Information” (http://www.furman.edu/integrity/index.htm).
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BIO 102-02
Fall 2012
After reading the syllabus thoroughly, print this page, sign in the space provided below, and return the
signed page to Professor Howard by the end of the first week of class (Thursday, January 10th).
By signing below, I acknowledge that I have read and understand the syllabus for BIO 102-02 and the
regulations for this course. I will be responsible and will comply with all of the conditions mentioned in the
above document. I will not engage in academic dishonesty, including cheating or plagiarism, and I will not
assist or tolerate those who do.
Name (printed) __________________________________
Signature
__________________________________
Date
__________________________________
Other information:
Major:
Academic advisor:
Year at Furman (fr/so/ju/se):
Career goals/interests:
Favorite Band:
Favorite Place You’ve Visited:
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