General Biology II
BIO 102 – 009A
Spring 2013
Tuesdays 12:30-3:10pm
Bisdorf 457
4 credits
Instructor: Dr. Christine Bozarth
Office: Bisdorf 352
E-mail: cbozarth@nvcc.edu
Website: http://blogs.nvcc.edu/cbozarth/
Office hours: M&W 12-4pm; T&R 11am-12pm; or by appointment
What You Will Learn
Welcome to General Biology II. In this second semester of General Biology,
we will cover topics on invertebrates, vertebrates, plants, animal anatomy and
physiology, and ecology. The material you learn will progress you in your studies,
allow you to converse with fellow biologists, and give you a greater appreciation of
the natural world.
What I Expect of You
Come to class ready to learn! This means that you must arrive on time, keep
off electronic devices, actively participate in class, and respectfully listen to me and
to your fellow students. If you are having difficulty with a concept or assignment,
you are encouraged to contact me. This is a challenging course with a lot of
material, but you are all serious students who can take the initiative to succeed.
What You Can Expect of Me
I will present the material to you in a clear and engaging manner. I will make
myself available to you electronically and in person to clarify concepts. I will do my
best to teach so that students with all learning styles who desire to succeed in this
course can succeed. I will always treat you with respect.
How to Succeed
 Come to class on time and stay for the duration.
 Take notes during lectures using an outline style so that you can fill in details
later using the textbook, consulting with fellow students, or communicating
with me.
 Set aside at least 8 hours outside of class to study the material. It helps some
students to have a regularly scheduled time to study outside of class.
 Prepare for exams early. Work on understanding the material by the end of
each week so that you will only be left with reviewing it just prior to the
exam.
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Prerequisites
Successful completion of BIO 101 or my permission is required for
enrollment in this course. You should be able to express yourself both orally and in
writing at a college freshman level as measured by a college English competency
exam (ENG 111 or by my permission).
Required Text
Textbook: Hoefnagels, M. Biology Concepts and Investigations (2nd ed.)
Rent from chegg.com for ~$32
Buy from coursesmart.com for ~$100
Also on 2-hour reserve at library
Lab Manual: General Biology Study Guide and Lab Manual (10th ed.)
Additional lab materials will be available online.
Required Technology
The use of Blackboard is required for this class. You can log in at
https://nvcc.my.vccs.edu/jsp/home.jsp or from the myNOVA homepage. I use
Blackboard to post announcements, study guides, weblinks, homework, and grades.
Attendance
Attendance in this course is mandatory and integral to your success. To
further encourage you to attend class, I will take roll at the end of class. Attendance
is worth 10 points of your grade.
Homework
You will be assigned 4 homework assignments throughout the semester
worth 10 points each (40 points total). All homework will be available on BB and
must be submitted on BB. No late homework is accepted. If you anticipate a
computer issue, please submit your homework early.
Murkiest Point
At the end of each lecture, I will ask you to submit a “mukiest point” on a note
card. This is your opportunity to tell me which concept covered in lecture was the
most difficult (aka murky) to understand. If there is a consensus on one or two
concepts, I will review them at the start of the following lecture. This is a great
opportunity for you to clarify material before the exams. Murkiest points are
anonymous.
Lecture Slides
Lecture slides will be available to view on BB after class. Since lecture slides
are only an outline of what is presented in class, you are also required to attend
class.
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Quizzes
At the beginning of specified lectures, I will administer a quiz on the previous
lecture’s material. If you are tardy, you must arrive before the all of your classmates
complete the quiz to take the quiz. Quizzes will not last longer than 10 minutes.
These quizzes are intended to measure your understanding of the material
and to keep you on task as we progress through the semester. You will have a
chance to correct the wrong answers on your quizzes to earn back up to half of the
points lost. Quizzes will be worth 10 points each and amount to a total of 90 points
of your lecture grade.
If you are absent or tardy on the day of a quiz, you may not take the quiz. If
you notify me in advance* of tardiness or absence, then you may take a make-up
quiz during my office hours within a week of the missed quiz. You may only make
up two quizzes in this manner.
Exams
I will administer 4 hourly exams worth 70 points each. Exams will be a mix
of multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, labeling, short answer, and essay
questions derived from material covered in lecture. You will need a scantron for all
hourly exams. I will provide you with a study guide before each exam and we will
hopefully have time for an in-class exam review. Make-up exams will not be given
unless arranged in advance*. You may only take one make-up exam. You may not
drop any exam.
Final Exam
The final exam will be cumulative and worth 100 points. You will be given a
separate study guide for the final exam. You may only make up the final exam under
extreme circumstances and at my discretion.
Class Cancellations
If class is cancelled, we continue with lecture as if the cancellation did not
occur. For example, if an exam is scheduled for February 12th and class is cancelled,
we will have the exam on February 19th, at our next scheduled meeting. If you are
unsure what will happen if class is cancelled, check Blackboard for announcements.
Honor Code
Northern Virginia Community College expects the highest standards of
academic honesty. Academic dishonesty is prohibited in accordance with
subsection II of the Student Conduct Rights and Responsibilities, the details of which
can be found in your student handbook
(http://www.nvcc.edu/resources/stuhandbook). You are prohibited from cheating
on exams and assignments, unauthorized access to exams and course materials, and
other activities detailed in your student handbook. Students that violate the honor
code will receive a failing grade and will be expelled from this course at my
discretion.
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Academic dishonesty shows a lack of respect for your professor, your fellow
students, your school, and yourself.
Drop/Withdraw/Audit/Incomplete
It is your responsibility to drop or withdraw from this course if you choose. I
will not withdraw you merely because you stop coming to class. If you wish to audit
the course, you must be given my permission and you must begin the course as an
audit. You may not take the course for a grade and then switch to audit. I will only
grant incompletes if you are in dire circumstances. The division dean and the
provost must approve incompletes. You must have documentation for any health
claims from a medical professional.
For details, please see: http://www.nvcc.edu/academics/academiccalendar/#s13.html.
Last day to drop with tuition refund: 2/1
Last day to withdraw without grade penalty: 3/25
Students with Special Needs
If you are a student with special needs, please contact disability services at
http://www.nvcc.edu/depts/disability. Please then contact me to provide me with
documentation from disability services and to discuss special accommodations you
need. This should all be done at the beginning of the semester.
Grading
The lecture portion of this course is worth 520 points (and will be adjusted
to make up 70% of your grade) based on exams, homework, quizzes, and
attendance. Your lab grade is worth 30% of your grade. You must pass (>60%) both
lecture and lab to pass the course.
I may curve exams to account for questions that all of the class missed or that
were unintentionally poorly worded. I do not curve exams so that the top grade in
the class becomes a 100%. I do not curve homework, quiz, or attendance grades at
all.
Graded Material
Points
Lecture Exams (4 @ 70 pts each)
Final Exam
Attendance
Homework (4 @ 10 points each)
Quizzes (9 @ 10 pts each)
280
100
10
40
90
Total
520
Classmate contact info:________________________________________________________________
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*IN ADVANCE MEANS MORE THAN AN HOUR BEFORE CLASS BEGINS!
Lecture Schedule:
Date
1/15
1/22
1/29
2/5
2/12
2/19
2/26
3/5
3/12
3/19
3/26
4/2
4/9
4/16
4/23
4/30
5/9
Topic
Animal Diversity
Quiz 1
Animal Diversity
Animal Form and Function
Quiz 2
Nervous System
Quiz 3
The Senses
EXAM 1
Endocrine System
Quiz 4
Skeletal and Muscular System
Quiz 5
Circulatory System
Respiratory System
Quiz 6
Nutrition and Digestion
Spring Break – No Class
EXAM 2
Homeostasis and Regulation
Quiz 7
Immune System
Quiz 8
Animal Reproduction and Development
EXAM 3
Plant Diversity
Plant Form and Function
Quiz 9
Plant Nutrition and Transport
Plant Reproduction and Development
Quiz 10
Population Ecology
Community Ecology
Biodiversity
EXAM 4
Final Exam – Thurs., 5/9 @ 11am
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Textbook
Ch. 20
Ch. 20
Ch. 24
Ch. 25
Ch. 26
Ch. 27
Ch. 28
Ch. 29
Ch. 30
Ch. 31
Ch. 32
Ch. 33
Ch. 34
Ch. 18
Ch. 21
Ch. 22
Ch. 23
Ch. 36
Ch. 37
Ch. 39