BIO 120
Biological Foundations
Fall 2005
Instructor: Dr. Kirsten Crossgrove
Office: Goodhue 224
Phone: 262-472-1678
E-mail: crossgrk@uww.edu
Office hours: M, 9:55-11:50AM; R, 8:50-11:50AM and by appointment
Lecture Times and Location:
TR, 2:15-3:30 PM; UH 140
Lab Times and Location:
Section 22, T 8:00-10:00 AM; UH 302
Section 23, T 10:00 AM-12:00 PM; UH 302
Section 24, W 10:00 AM-12:00 PM; UH 302
Web Site: Desire2Learn (http://www.uww.edu/desire2learn)
Texts:
1) Essential Biology with Physiology, Campbell et al., 2004. Benjamin Cummings, Inc. San
Francisco. ISBN 0-8053-7476-0 (Textbook Rental)
2) Biological Foundations Laboratory Manual. UW-W Biol.Science (to purchase)
Course Catalog Description: A terminal course designed to introduce basic principles of life,
such as structure and function, reproduction, evolution, diversity, and adaptation, leading to a
broader understanding of man and his biological environment. Not applicable to biology
emphases or minors. Three lectures and two hours of laboratory per week.
Corequisites: MATH 140 or MATH 141 or equivalent
Educational Objectives: During successful participation in and completion of this course, the
student should:
 Develop critical thinking and problem solving abilities at increasing levels of complexity.
 Expand personal and interpersonal work skills through active involvement in learning,
including group activities involving analysis, investigation and reporting of results.
 Identify various levels of biological complexity.
 Describe basic cell structures and their associated functions.
 Identify human body systems and their components; explain their roles in health and
reproduction.
 Explain and predict patterns of heredity.
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Appreciate the unity, diversity and complexity of other organisms.
Understand basic principles of ecology at population, community, and ecosystem levels.
Understand how basic principles of biology impact on your life.
Continue developing the skills and ideals forming the philosophy of General Education.
Expectations:
You are expected to do the assigned reading listed for each day prior to coming to class. You
should be spending at least 7-9 hours outside of class per week on this course. You are expected
to participate in class discussions and answer questions based on the reading. Some of the
reading is from sources other than your textbook. This reading may be accessed directly through
the web site. In addition to material discussed in class, all assigned reading (for lecture and lab)
may be used as the basis for exam questions.
Student Response Systems:
In this course we will often be using a student response or “clicker” system. A “clicker” is
an individual handheld device – like a channel changer – that allows each student to
respond to questions that the instructor asks during class. A receiver at the front of the
room collects everyone’s clicker responses, which the instructor can then instantly display
as graphs to guide the day’s lecture. Students’ clicker responses are also saved by the
receiver to ensure that students get credit for responses they make in class.
Clickers are a valuable way to teach and learn, because your instructor can find out right
away whether you understand the day’s lesson and pay special attention to things that the
class doesn’t understand. Clickers can also be used to start class discussions, and can
even be used for group work in class. Of course, clickers also ensure that you are
attending class and that you are paying attention, but that isn’t their main purpose! I hope
you will find, as others have, that the clickers increase your interest in the subject matter
as well as your enjoyment of the class.
This section of BIO 120 is one of six classes chosen to participate in a trial of clicker
systems on the UW-Whitewater campus. It is part of a larger UW System Curricular
Redesign Grant involving UW-Milwaukee, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Osh Kosh. Since
we are piloting the system, I am especially interested in any feedback you have on
whether clickers enhance your learning experience in this course. Any new technology is
also bound to have some technical problems. As problems arise, I will also count on you
to bear with me as we address any issues and to let me know of any individual problems
you have with your clicker.
You will get the clickers from Textbook Rental, but they may not be available during the
first week of the semester. I will inform you when they are available. Once you have the
clicker, you will need to register it at a website (details to come) so that the information
you enter is associated with your name. If your clicker does not work, please notify me
immediately. If you lose your clicker, you will have to pay to replace it yourself.
Your clicker responses will be recorded as a component of the class participation grade.
Therefore, since you are expected to participate in every class, you should bring your
clicker every time the class meets. If you forget your clicker on a given day, you will not
be able to get points if clickers are used that day, just as if you forgot to finish answering
all the questions on a test. There are no make-ups for clicker use. However, you will be
allowed to drop a certain number of your clicker responses during the course, so if you
miss a couple of days it won’t count against you.
Finally, since your clicker is registered to you individually, you may not loan it to
someone else or let someone else use it to pretend they are you: the instructor will treat
that the same as if you were caught cheating on an assignment or test!
Once the clickers are available at Textbook Rental, we will begin using them in class. We will
spend a few class periods getting used to them, and then start using them in earnest. I hope that
you will find that they are a positive addition to this course.
Study suggestions:
While different people may find that different study techniques work best for them, the following
series of steps, if followed completely, should allow you to perform to your best ability in this
class.
1. Prior to a given lecture:
a. Download and print out the powerpoint file to be used (found in ‘Content’ on D2L
site for this course-NOT on the Elab site). TIP: To save paper but still leave
room for notes, print out in ‘3 slides per page’ format.
b. Read the assigned reading. The powerpoint can serve as a guideline to the topics
that will be the focus of the lecture. Jot down any questions you have so that you
can ask them if they are not answered during the course of the lecture.
2. During a given lecture:
a. Take notes, but do not try to write down everything the instructor says. Since you
have already looked at the powerpoint files and done the reading, you should be
focusing on making sure you understand the concepts. Write down information
that is not already on the powerpoint files, that you feel is an important point
and/or that explains something in a way that is clearer than the textbook or
powerpoint slides or draws a connection that you hadn’t made before.
b. Ask questions if you do not understand something.
c. Make a note if the instructor specifically mentions material that will not be
covered in lecture but that is in the reading.
3. After a given lecture:
a. Within a day of the lecture, sit down and reread the assigned reading while
rewriting/organizing your notes. Your ‘final’ notes should integrate the reading
and the lecture material, emphasizing the most important points.
b. Get together with other students in the class and take turns explaining concepts to
each other. There is no better way to find out if you really know something
than to try to explain it to someone else (this works best if the person you are
explaining the concept to understands it enough to catch you if you are not
4.
5.
6.
7.
explaining it properly). Keep study groups to three people or less (more than that
tends not to be as effective).
Supplemental instruction:
a. Bradley Blumer will be running Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions to offer
further assistance in learning the material for this course. Details will be provided
in class.
b. For SI to work, you should attend throughout the semester, not just before an
exam.
Before an exam:
a. If you have been keeping up with class using the techniques described above, you
should be able to re-read your ‘final’ notes and see what material feels ‘solid’ in
your mind, and whether there is some material for which you may need to go back
and revisit the reading. This only works if you have been keeping up AND
understanding the material all along. DO NOT wait for the night before the exam
and try to cram, there is too much material.
b. Get together with other students in the class and take turns explaining concepts to
each other. Focus on the ‘big picture’ first and try to draw connections between
different topics. Focus on specific details after you understand the big picture.
Lab participation:
a. Go to the traditional labs and do the E-labs! The labs are graded on an ‘all-ornothing’ basis. You can get 110 points GUARANTEED by doing the labs!
b. For the traditional labs, read the lab manual beforehand, complete the prelab
activity, attend the lab and complete all the activities, and you will get credit for
the lab. More details on participation and attendance will be provided during the
first lab meeting. Make sure you follow the guidelines!
c. Do the E-labs and TAKE THE QUIZZES. You will have three chances to take
each quiz and you need to score at least 70%. If you do this, YOU WILL GET
CREDIT FOR THE LAB. REALLY. THAT’S ALL THERE IS TO IT.
d. There is NO REASON that you should not get all 110 lab points.
More assistance:
a. The back of each chapter contains a chapter summary and questions to help you
review the material.
b. The textbook has a web site which you can access through D2L which contains a
variety of tutorials, animations and quizzes to help you both in understanding the
material and assessing your understanding of the material.
Attendance Policy and Defined Excuses:
Attendance is expected for the lecture. Provision can be made for occasional conflicts
(e.g., participation in university sponsored events), but students are requested to bring
such activities to the attention of the instructor IN ADVANCE and as soon as possible.
In case of such conflicts, or illness or other unavoidable reason for missing lecture, it is
the responsibility of the student to find out what announcements were made and to obtain
handouts, etc. TIP: Offer to make photocopies for a student who wants to borrow your
notes. Or accompany them to the photocopier. This assures that you will get them back
promptly and in good shape.
Due to the hands-on nature of the laboratory exercises, lab attendance is required. If
you do miss any lab see your lab instructor as soon as possible. If you have a legitimate
excuse, you may download the lab makeup form from D2L and makeup the lab with
another section if there is one available. Make sure to follow all instructions on the
form. You will not be admitted to another lab section without this form. Do not use this
form without obtaining prior approval from your instructor. Since we are in the second
group for the traditional labs, you may only have one more day in which to makeup a
missed lab. There will be absolutely no makeups once all sections have completed the
lab.
Please note, however, that you will be able to DROP ONE LAB.
Grading criteria:
(1) The final grade for the course will be computed as follows:
Points
Exam 1
100
Exam 2
100
Exam 3
100
Final Exam
150
Participation
40
Lab
110
Total Points
600
(2) The minimum total percentage points (actual points) required for the course grade are as
follows:
A = 90 % + (540 +); B = 80% + (480-539); C = 70% + (420-479); D = 60% + (360-419); F =
below 60% (below 360)
Exams:
 All exams, except make-up exams, may include multiple choice, true-false and
matching questions. Exams will be based on the lecture material, lab material and
the assigned readings up to the exam date. The final exam will cover lecture and lab
material and readings from the entire course.
 Makeup exams will only be given in cases of emergency and will only be given if the
professor is notified of the student’s absence within 24 hours of the end of the exam and if
sufficient documentation of the emergency is provided. Makeup exams may be composed
solely of essay questions.
Participation:
The participation grade will be determined by a combination of pre-class warm-ups on D2L and
in class participation using the student response ‘clicker’ systems. Since the clickers are being
tried here for the first time, the actual points allocated to clicker participation compared to D2L
warm-ups will be determined during the semester based on how well the system works.
Regardless of the final calculation, your grade will be calculated based on your completion of
warm-ups and clicker exercises, not on your percentage of correct answers. However, it is
expected that you will use these exercises as a way to monitor your understanding of the material
and to make any necessary adjustments in the time, energy and/or strategy that you are using in
understanding the course material. The warm-ups and clicker exercises will include provisions
for dropping a certain number of grades so that no makeups will be necessary.
Lab Grade:
Sections alternate between E-Lab and traditional wet labs. Each lab is worth 10 points. The Elab grading is ‘all or nothing’ (you get either ‘0’ or ‘10’ points). E-Labs are completed from
campus computer labs or students’ personal computers. E-Labs will be available the week that
they are scheduled for your section from Mon. 9:00 am until Fri. 5:00 pm. If you do not
complete the E-Lab during the week you are scheduled for, you cannot make it up even though it
may be available to another section. To obtain credit for the E-Labs you must receive a 70% or
better on the quiz associated with the lab. You may take the quiz up to three times to obtain a
70%. There is no more credit for a grade higher than a 70%. Traditional labs (UH 302) are to be
completed during the lab time you are scheduled for. You will earn 5 points for completing the
prelab activity (usually introduced as the last section of the previous week’s E-lab). There will
be a check-in at the beginning of each lab and you will only receive 5 points if you have fully
completed the prelab prior to the lab period (otherwise you receive a 0, there is no partial credit).
You will also receive 5 points for completing the lab. Make sure that you sign out with the lab
instructor or you will not get credit. You will get credit for the lab only if it is fully and
satisfactorily completed (otherwise, you will receive a 0).
Administrative Statements:
Special Needs Statement: Students with special needs should contact the instructor to make appropriate
arrangements.
Religious Beliefs Accommodation: Board of Regents policy states that students’ sincerely held religious beliefs shall
be reasonably accommodated with respect to scheduling of all examinations and other academic requirements.
Students must notify the instructor, within the first three weeks of the beginning of classes (within the first week of
summer session and short courses) of the specific days or dates on which they will request accommodation from an
examination or academic requirement. For additional information, please refer to the section of the University Bulletin
and the Timetable titled “Accommodation of Religious Beliefs”.
Academic Misconduct Statement: The University believes that academic honesty and integrity are fundamental to the
mission of higher education and of the University of Wisconsin System. The University has a responsibility to promote
academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty.
Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of
sources, and for the respect of others’ academic endeavors. Students who violate these standards are subject to
disciplinary action. UWS Chapter 14 identifies the procedure s to be followed when a student is accused of academic
misconduct. For additional information, refer to the Student Handbook section “Student Academic Disciplinary
Procedures”.
Absence For University Sponsored Events: University policy adopted by Faculty Senate and the Whitewater Student
Government states that students will not be academically penalized for missing class in order to participate in
university-sanctioned events. They will be provided an opportunity to make up any work that is missed; and if class
attendance is a requirement, missing a class in order to participate in a university-sanctioned event will not be counted
as an absence. A university-sanctioned event is defined to be any intercollegiate athletic contest or other such event as
determined by the Provost. Activity sponsors are responsible for obtaining the Provost’s prior approval of an event as
being university sanctioned and for providing an official list of participants. Students are responsible for notifying
their instructors in advance of their participation in such events.
Date
BIO 120 Tentative Lecture Schedule
Topic
Reading
6-Sept
Course introduction
CH 1
8-Sept
Chemistry of life
CH 2
13-Sept
Macromolecules of life
CH 3
15-Sept
Cell diversity and structure
CH 4
20-Sept
Energy, enzymes and membrane transport
CH 5
22-Sept
Cellular respiration
CH 6
27-Sept
Photosynthesis
CH 7
29-Sept
EXAM 1 (CH 1-7)
4-Oct
Cell cycle, mitosis and cancer
CH 8
6-Oct
Gametes and meiosis
CH 8
11-Oct
Mendelian genetics
CH 9
13-Oct
Extensions of Mendelian genetics
CH 9
18-Oct
DNA as genetic material
Central Dogma
Gene expression
CH 10
20-Oct
25-Oct Genome projects and the future of biotechnology
CH 11
CH 12
27-Oct
EXAM 2 (CH 8-12)
1-Nov
Microevolution
CH 13
3-Nov
Speciation and extinction
CH 14
8-Nov
Survey of macroevolution
CH 15-17
10-Nov
Tissues and Organs
Review of digestion, respiration and circulation
15-Nov
Viruses, disease and the immune system
17-Nov Endocrinology, Reproduction and Development
CH 21-23
CH 10, pp. 188-193
CH 24
CH 25, 26
22-Nov
Nervous, Sensory and Motor systems
CH 27
24-Nov
THANKSGIVING
29-Nov
EXAM 3 (CH 13-17; 21-27)
1-Dec
Population Ecology
CH 18
6-Dec
Community Ecology
CH 19
8-Dec
Wisconsin ecosystems
TBA
13-Dec
Human Impact on the environment
CH 20
20-Dec
10AM
FINAL EXAM (Cumulative)
BIO 120 Lab Schedule
DATE
LAB TOPIC
9/6-9/16
Orientation ELAB: The Scientific Method
9/20-9/21
Investigations in Cell Biology (T)
9/26-9/30
Ecology/Population Biology (E)
10/4-10/5
Ecology (T) (OUTSIDE)
10/10-10/14
Genetics (E)
10/18-10/19
Molecular Genetics (T)
10/24-10/28
Microevolution (E)
11/1-11/2
Macroevolution (T)
11/7-11/11
Nutrition (E)
11/15-11/16
Vertebrate Circulatory and Respiratory Systems (T)
11/22-11/23
NO LAB-THANKSGIVING BREAK
11/28-12/2
Vertebrate Structure and Function: Muscles, Bones and
the Brain (E)
12/6-12/7
The Sensory System (T)
“T” = Traditonal Lab (UH 302) “E” = E-Lab (McGraw or Andersons
computer labs)