BIOLOGY 7
INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF BIOLOGY
Spring 2007
Course Information:
Lab Instructor:
Jana E. Shober
Office & Laboratory: Sequoia 112 and 110B
Office Hours: By Appointment in Sequoia 112
E-mail: shober@csus.edu
My website : http://www.csus.edu/org/critters/
Lab: Section 6: MW – 12-1:15, Sequoia 110
File: Bio 7 SYLLABUS 07
Lecture: Melanie Loo, MWF – 9:00-9:50 HMB 202
Required text: Discover Biology, second edition, by Cain, Damman, Lue, and Yoon,
WW Norton, 2002
Required Lab Manual: BIO 7 Laboratory Manual, by Melanie Loo, Elaine Kent, and
Jennifer Lundmark
Course Description/Objectives:
BIO 7 is a required course for students obtaining a Multiple Subject Teaching
Credential. BIO 7 is for students who are planning on becoming elementary
school (K-8) teachers in California.
Specific Lab Objectives: By the end of the semester you should:
 Understand the process of scientific inquiry
 Be able to use appropriate observational and measuring methods
 Be able to write a testable hypothesis and design an experiment with
independent, dependent, and controlled variables
 Be able to determine appropriate methods of analyzing data (tables,
graphs, statistical tests)
 Understand how experimental and random errors can affect the results of
an experiment and know how to minimize these errors
 Be able to classify an organism to its kingdom and sometimes to it phylum
 Understand how molecules’ structures and functions are related and can
be studied
 Be able to identify prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells under the microscope
 Be able to identify the stages of cell division (mitosis), describe the events
occurring at each stage, and relate those events to the properties of the
daughter cell produced
 Know and understand experiments which demonstrate factors involved
in photosynthesis
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Specific Lab Objectives (continued):
 Be able to point out the major structures of vascular plants and describe
their functions
 Understand how animals can be used to test a variety of simple
hypotheses
 Know the major tissues of animals
 Be able to describe how an organism is formed from tissues
 Know some methods to examine the relationships of organisms to each
other and to factors in their environment
 Understand the principles of heredity and know methods to demonstrate
the inheritance of forms of a trait through several generations
 Name some of the traits showing simple patterns of inheritance
 Be able to determine your phenotype and genotype for some human traits
 Be able to interpret a pedigree
 Be able to describe the process of evolution by natural selection and
examples of microevolution
 Be able to identify classroom activities which can be used to study
populations and communities
 Have a store of biological knowledge, observational skills, and
experimental experience that can be applied to elementary teaching
Lab Fee and Course Policies:
Course (lab)Fee: There is a $10 lab fee for the course.
1. Obtain a lab fee form from your instructor, from the lab, or from the
Biology Department Office in SQU 202 .
2. Be sure the fee form has the February 23, 2006 pay due date listed at the
top.
Completely fill out the lab fee form.
Your name, SSN, Instructor (Staff/Jana E. Shober), Course number
(20362), Section number (6), and don’t forget to mark, (under CHECK),
the class for which you are paying.
3. Go to Lassen Hall 1001 (the Cashier's Office) and submit the form along
with the lab fee (check or cash). Note that a check (not cash) may be
dropped into the drop-box (along with the lab fee form) in Lassen Hall.
To pay with cash, you will have to wait in line.
4. It is important that you save your receipt (although Cashier’s Office will
be able to provide duplicates if needed).
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Lab fee payment DUE DATE is February 23, 2006. Please be aware that if you
fail to pay by the due date, a hold may be placed on your records and transcripts.
To clear the hold , you will have to take your receipt to the Biology Department
Office (see Ms. Zamora) who will assist you with the rest.
Adding or Dropping the course: Students will be added to the lab- if space
permits. Students wishing to add the course should see the instructor on the first
day of class. There are no automatic drops. Students who no longer wish to
remain in the course must drop using CASPER during the first two weeks of
class.
The University’s policies are summarized at this website:
http://webapps1.csus.edu/admr/content/form/add_drop_late.pdf.
You can withdraw yourself the first 2 weeks of class via Casper; you will need the
instructor’s and department chair’s approval during weeks 3-4; and you must have
the instructor’s, Chair’s, and Dean’s approval after that. You are also required to
provide documentation of serious and compelling reasons for dropping after week 2.
It is your responsibility to check the university calendar and follow university
guidelines for adding or dropping this course. You may also call the Biology
Department for updated information at 916-278-6535.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory and will be taken every lab period.
Students must sign in and are expected to participate in each lab. Students will
receive a zero on worksheets for which labs were missed. Only absences with
official documents (i.e. hand written notes are not acceptable) may be excused.
Class Participation: Class participation is expected from all students. A peer
evaluation will be administered at the end of the semester and group
participation will be taken into account when the final grade is given. Students
are required to read the lab exercises before attending lab and expected to
participate in class discussions.
Student Conduct: Please turn off all cell phones and pagers before coming to
class. Please do not hold conversations in class while the instructor is lecturing.
These are distracting to both your classmates and your instructor. Make every
effort to come to class on time and be prepared to work. Please do not leave class
early. If you must leave early, notify the instructor first.
Academic dishonesty: Any act of cheating or plagiarism on worksheets, quizzes,
presentations, writing assignments, etc. will result in dismissal from the class
and an “F” for the course. Cheating and plagiarism include but are not limited to
copying other students, looking at other students’ quizzes or worksheets, using
another persons words or ideas without proper citation, etc. Cheating or
suspected cheating will be reported to the Dean of Students.
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Lab Worksheets:
Students will work in groups to complete a laboratory worksheet each week. The
student assigned as recorder for the group that week will be responsible for recording
the group's answers and turning in the worksheet. The role of recorder should rotate
weekly, and all group members must sign the submitted worksheet in order to receive
credit ; all group members will share the same score. It is essential that all group
members read/edit/correct each work sheet. Your signature means that you agree
to/with what is being submitted. Review the Guidelines for Receiving Full Credit on
Bio. 7 Work sheets carefully. Your laboratory instructor will discuss in more detail
how to be successful in lab.
Group Investigation:
Your investigation will be used as the basis of a written report. You will also
present your findings to the class as an oral report. Reports will be due on the
same day as presentations. There will be a peer evaluation at the end of the
semester for you to evaluate your lab partners’ contributions to the lab
worksheets and reports. See Lab Manual for details on investigations, written
report, and presentation. More specific information related to the group
investigation and requirements will be provided in class.
Late Assignments/Missed Assignments:
Late assignments will be accepted with a 10% penalty for each day the
assignment is late. However, if you missed a lab, you will still earn a zero for that
portion of the work sheet. All assignments will be due at the beginning of the
lab period.
There will be NO MAKE-UPS on lab worksheets for labs that are missed.
Grades:
Grades for BIO 7 Lab will be based on:
Laboratory Worksheets
One group investigation report (written and oral)
Other (class participation, extra credit, etc.) points
Total
115 Points
55 Points
10
180 Points
Your instructor will post grades, attendance, and points earned regularly in
class. It is your responsibility to check these grade sheets and notify the
instructor of any problems. DO NOT wait until the week before school ends to
report old problems.
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*Extra credit may be given in the form of pop quizzes related to assigned lab
manual readings, class participation, and additional extra credit opportunities
will be announced in class periodically. *Remember that points will be deducted
from group worksheets if the lab tables are not cleaned with ethanol or if
equipment or supplies are left dirty and out of place.
Lab Safety and Clean-Up:
The following rules should be followed at all times in the laboratory:
1. Read the lab exercises before class, pay special attention to any safety
precautions.
2. Always wash your hands with soap and water before leaving class.
3. No eating or drinking is permitted in lab.
4. Clean the lab benches with a wet sponge and ethanol after every lab
session. The lab benches are numbered. Points will be deducted for
messy lab benches!
5. Trays with equipment and supplies should be left neat and clean.
Points will be deducted for dirty equipment and messy trays.
6. Place trash in the trash cans, not in the glass containers or biohazard
containers.
7. Please, use common sense! If in doubt, ask for help or clarification.
8. If you get injured in class, no matter how small the injury (mouse bite,
glass cut, etc.) notify the instructor.
9. Additional safety issues will be covered on the first day of lab (s.a. First
Aid, fire extinguisher location and use, etc.).
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