Volpe, Winter 2009
Biology 101
Portland Community College, Cascade
P.O. Box 19000, Portland, OR 97280
Biology 101 Lab Syllabus
CRN# 12601
Instructor: John Volpe
Office:
Office hrs:
JH 208
Sa & Su 11-11:45, 4-5, or by appointment
Email: jvolpe@___.edu
Phone: 503-244-6111 Ext:3057
Website: spot.pcc.edu/~jvolpe/
Course Description:
Surveys biological principles from an ecologically-based perspective. Introductions to the properties of life, morphology
and physiology of cells, cell chemistries, energy transformations, and the basic principles of ecology. Students should
have a reading ASSET score of 45 or above.
Attendance Policy: Because of the hands on nature of the labs, most of the assingments cannot be made up if you miss a lab
unless you attend another session of the lab during the same week if the other Bi 101 lab instructor allows it. You will need
to make up the lab before you miss it as we have the last lab. If there is a quiz, you must take that quiz and write on it that you
are in the lab with John Volpe. It is your responsibility that all materials turned into that instructor are forwarded to me and it
is your responsibility to get handouts, learn the material covered, and know what assignments were given. Under departmental
policy, if you miss more than two lab sessions for any reason, you may be given a failing grade at my discretion.
If you require instructional accommodations, please notify me as soon as possible & get the appropriate forms from the
Office of Students with Disabilities.
Text: The text for laboratory is the Biology 101 Introduction to Biology Laboratory Manual by the Portland Community
College Biology Department and is available at the bookstore. Some additional handouts will be provided in the lab.
Grades: Biology 101 Laboratory is worth 30% of your total 101 grade and is worth 300 points. Assignment/Exam Calendars
may be changed in response to institutional, weather, and/or other problems. You need a passing lab & lecture grade to pass
the course. Grades will be determined from performances on:
Weekly Quizzes, In-Class Assignments, and Homework: For each week’s laboratory there is a pre lab assignment
and a lab write up. In addition we will have quizzes over the previous lab’s topics, in-class assignments, and outside
of class homework. In general make-up quizzes or in-class assignments will not be available.
Late work: Late work will be accepted with a penalty of 10% till week7, 50% after wk7. No late work will be
accepted during finals week.
Picking up your work: Please try to pick up your work as it is graded. I will hold on to assignments for at least 30
days into the next term. After that I may need to make room for other student work.
Grade Options: This class may be audited, if so, let me know by the 4th week of class. If withdrawing, it is your
responsibility to do so by the 8th week. Withdrawing by week 2 allows a full refund. You may also take the class as
pass/No pass by notifying me by week 8. An "I" grade may be assigned for students who have an emergency and
have completed the majority of the course requirements.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: If academic dishonesty occurs, I will act in accordance with guidelines contained in
the Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook at PCC. If you are caught cheating, helping someone else to cheat (this
includes allowing another to copy answers), or plagiarising someone (the copying of another person’s written work, ie, the use
of more than 3 words in a row, without properly quoting the author) you will receive 0 points for the assignment. If cheating
occurs a subsequent time, you will receive an F in the course and will be referred to the Dean of Student Development for
further disciplinary action.
If two people work together on a paper outside of class or a homework assignment, they must each turn in an independent
product. I encourage you to work together, but each of you must write your own answers in your own words.
Volpe, Winter 2009
Biology 101
Portland Community College, Cascade
P.O. Box 19000, Portland, OR 97280
Winter 2008 Lab Schedule
Date
1/11
Laboratory
Lab
Due
Lab 1
1/18
How do you know that? – An introduction to the scientific
method.
Biomes & Ecosystems
Lab 2
Library Tour
Lab 1
Prelab 2
1/25
Microscopes
Lab 3
Lab 2
Prelab 3
2/1
Cells
Lab 4
Lab 3
Prelab 4
2/8
Energy/Enzymes
Lab 5
Lab 4
Prelab 5
2/15
Photosynthesis/Respiration
Lab 6
Lab 5
Prelab 6
2/22
Populations
Lab 7
Lab 6
Prelab 7
3/1
Succession/Disturbance
Lab 8
Lab 7
3/8
Communities/Food Webs
Lab 9
Lab 8
Prelab 9
3/15
Global Issues/Sustainability
Lab 10
Lab 9
Prelab 10
Lab 10
Lib Tour
Prelab 8
Readings and lab assignments are from the Biology 101 Introduction to Biology Student Laboratory
Manual. Other readings may be assigned during the course of the term.
This laboratory calendar may be changed in response to institutional, weather, or other situations.
You are responsible for reading each lab and doing the “prelab” sheet prior to the laboratory
period. All work is due at the beginning of the lab period!!