Biology 28 - Human Nutrition
Fall 2015: Monday, Wednesday 9:30 – 10:45 AM, E255
Instructor: Paul Nagami
email: pnagami@peralta.edu
Office Hours: Monday 11:00 AM – noon, B200, and by appointment
Website: http://www.bi10etc.com. Go to the Bi 28 section.
Required Materials:
Nutrition: Real People, Real Choices (Hewlings + Medeiros)
A pack of plain 3" x 5" index cards
Description:
How can we tell whether the nutritional claims of the latest fad diet are grounded in
reality? What do people mean when they refer to "good fats" and "bad fats?" How do social
and economic factors affect obesity and malnutrition? To address these questions, we need
to understand some biology. In this class intended for non-Biology majors, we'll apply the
biological fundamentals of nutrition to real-world problems, taking into account societal
and individual circumstances. Along the way, we'll learn how to better track and analyze
what we're eating.
Structure:
I use group discussions, challenge questions, and activities to challenge you, engage
you, and draw you into participating. As we only meet twice a week, I won't have time to
repeat everything the text covers. We'll instead focus on key ideas to help you understand
the reading. It's up to you to read the text before coming to class.
If you want to drop the course, please do so by the drop date. The last day to
drop without a W is Sunday, September 6th.
What Should You Be Getting from this Class?
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
 Explain clearly what carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and various vitamins and
minerals are, and name foods that contain these nutrients. Explain the roles these
nutrients play in maintaining health.
 State basic nutrition guidelines to prevent and manage common chronic diseases
(high blood pressure, etc.)
 Evaluate food labels, nutritional claims, and the effects of alternative diet therapies
using biological ideas, scientific principles, and critical reading.
 Locate accurate sources of nutrition information.
 Analyze your diet and formulate a diet plan.
 Use graphs, essays, tables, and other methods to communicate what you've learned
about nutrition, both on exams and in oral presentations.
ASSESMENT OF THESE GOALS
Mandatory Reading Quizzes:
To help ensure that you keep up to date with the reading, I will post mandatory
open-book, take-home reading quizzes on the course website. These are not meant to be
too hard to complete if you've done the reading. You may collaborate, but you may not copy
answers. Reading quiz due dates are listed on the attached schedule.
Dietary Analysis: (Thanks to Amy Bohorquez for teaching materials!)
To apply nutrition principles to your daily life, you'll be analyzing your diet and
exercise, comparing your habits at the beginning and end of the course. This is graded on
completeness and care, not on the perceived healthiness of your choices - your dietary
choices are not mine to judge, and you do not need to change your diet if you don't want to.
This is purely for the sake of learning to explore your diet scientifically. Here are the steps:
1) Keep a food and activity journal for three consecutive days near the beginning of
the term (first four weeks of the term). This is your baseline data for later comparison.
There is a Nutrition Chart file on the course website to help you with this - the page you
want is the second tab in the file. (Thanks to Amy Bohorquez for composing this chart!).
This journal will be due on Monday, September 14th.
2) I will show you how to use http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ to do a dietary
analysis of your data. If you prefer, you may use a different nutrition program, provided
that I approve it in advance. Do this analysis and turn in your results and a paragraph of
discussion. This will be due on Monday, September 21st.
3) Near the end of the term (about three months in), keep a food and activity activity
journal for four consecutive days. Analyze the data on MyPlate; you may need to add
columns to the sheet. Turn in your results and a paragraph of discussion. This second
round of analysis is due on Monday, November 30th.
Lecture Exams:
Lecture exams exist to help you discover what you really know and don't know.
Questions about topics covered in class and in the assigned readings/reading quizzes are
fair game - as are questions that ask you to apply what you know to new situations. Expect
a mixture of question types ranging from multiple-choice to diagram drawing to short
answer. The three lecture exams are worth 100 points each. Barring extreme circumstances,
I do not give late make-up exams. If an emergency occurs, contact me. If you foresee any
problems, it may be possible to take an exam early if you contact me well in advance.
You may re-earn up to half of the points you missed on any test except the final
by completing test corrections for the exam. For each incorrect question, explain the
correct answer biologically, then explain why you chose the answer you did and why your
choice was incorrect. If you believe your answer is correct and you can defend it using
biology, do so! Corrections are due 1 week from the date you took the exam.
Essay:
Whether you're a caregiver, a parent, or simply an informed citizen, being able to
speak clearly about nutrition is a practical skill. To this end, you'll be writing an essay on a
nutrition-related article using reliable, cited outside sources to support your argument.
This essay is worth 30 points and is to be completed individually. To make sure you're on
the right track, a 10-point outline will be due one week before the essay itself. The grading
rubric for the essay and the outline sheet are both attached.
Poster Presentations
We will have three poster days during the term. At each day, one-third of the class
will individually present posters on material relevant to the your information to the class.
Time will be given in class to work on this, and an assignment will be provided to help make
sure you stay on track. The in-class group assignments are worth 30 points total, while the
presentation is worth 20 points, and is graded based on the attached rubric. The essay is
due one week before the final exam.
Participation:
You're expected to attend class regularly and punctually, completing any in-lecture
assignments, such as index card activities. Participation is worth 25 points.
Late Work:
Assignments are due at the start of class on their due date. In the event of technical
problems, I will accept e-mail submissions to show that you have finished the work on time,
but you must also turn in a hard copy, and late e-mailed work is still late. For every class
session that an assignment is late, you will lose 10% of the grade.
Extra Credit:
I will offer small extra credit opportunities as the term goes on. There will be three
extra credit study guides, as well as extra credit flash cards.
How grades are earned:
Participation/Index Cards
Article Analysis:
Essay Outline
Essay
Poster Presentation
Open-Book Reading Quizzes
17 Quizzes, 5 points each
In-Class Food Analysis
Farm-To-Table Activity
Lecture Exams (3, 100 pts each)
First Dietary Analysis
Second Dietary Analysis
TOTAL:
Extra Credit: Up to 30 pts
Letter grades, by percentage:
25 pts
10 pts
30 pts
30 pts
85 pts
10 pts
10 pts
300 pts
30 pts
40 pts
570 pts.
A
B
C
D
F
90 – 100% (513-570 pts)
80 – 89% (456-512 pts)
70 – 79% (399-455 pts)
60 – 69% (342-398 pts)
below 59.9% (<342 pts)
Academic Integrity:
Don't copy quizzes, exams, homework, essays, anything. If you get information from
an external source in a circumstance where that makes sense, cite your sources and
rephrase in your own words. Don't talk during tests unless you're calling me over to ask a
question. Briefly: do not do anything that disrespects the work of others or the dignity of
your fellow students. Penalties range from lost points to an F in the course and a referral to
the Dean. For more details, see the College Student Code of Honor.
Asking Questions/Asking for Extra Help:
I'm here to help! If you've a question during lecture, please raise your hand. If you're
having trouble in any way, contact me and we'll meet! Even if you can't make office hours,
I'll be happy to try to work out a better time.
Accessibility/Special Needs:
I want to make this course as accessible as possible for everyone! If you need to make
special arrangements for any reason, such as visual or hearing impairment or other
conditions, please contact me. I may need documentation from Disability Services and
Programs for Students for some accommodations; if so, you can contact them at 464-3428.
SCHEDULE AND IMPORTANT DATES
Week
of
Monday Lecture
Due Monday
8/23
Nutrition as Biology
(Chapter 1)
N/A
8/30
Carbohydrates, pt. 1
(Chapter 3)
9/6
9/13
9/20
LABOR DAY; no lesson
Lipids, pt. 2 (Chapter 4)
Wednesday
Due Wednesday
Lecture
A Healthy Diet
(Chapter 2); Poster In-class food analysis
Assignments 1
Week 1
Carbohydrates, pt 2.
Checklist; Ch. 1 +
(Chapter 3)
2 Reading Quiz
Ch. 3 Reading Quiz
N/A
Lipids, pt. 1
(Chapter 4)
Ch. 4 reading quiz
Food Journal
Due
Proteins, pt. 1
(Chapter 5)
Ch. 5 Reading Quiz
Poster Day 1
Proteins, pt. 2
posters; Analysis
(Chapter 5); Poster Day 1 of Food Journal
Due
Lecture Exam 1
Extra credit study
guide 1; extra credit
flash cards 1
Digestion, (Ch. 6), pt
Ch. 6 Reading
2, Energy Balance
Nothing
Quiz
and Obesity, pt 1 (Ch.
7)
Water + Electrolytes,
Ch. 7 Reading
pt. 1
Ch. 8 Reading Quiz
Quiz
(Ch. 8)
9/27
Digestion, (Ch. 6), pt. 1
10/4
Energy Balance and
Obesity, pt. 2 (Ch. 7)
10/11
Water + Electrolytes, pt.
2 (Ch. 8), Vitamins, pt. 1
(Ch. 9)
Ch. 9 Reading
Quiz
Vitamins, pt. 2 (Ch.
9)
Nothing
10/18
Minerals, pt. 1
(Ch. 10)
Ch. 10 Reading
Quiz
Minerals, pt. 2 (Ch.
10); Malnutrition
and Food Availability
Nothing
10/25
Nutritional Supplements
(Ch. 11)
Poster Day 2
Poster Day 2 posters
11/1
Lecture Exam 2
Ch. 11 Reading
Quiz
Extra credit
study guide 2;
extra credit flash
cards 2
Ch. 13 Reading
Quiz
Alcohol
(Ch. 12)
Ch. 12 Reading Quiz
VETERAN’S DAY;
No lesson
Nothing
Farm-To-Table
Activity
Exercise Nutrition,
pt. 1 (Ch. 14)
Ch. 14 Reading Quiz
11/8
11/15
11/22
Food Safety + Farm to
Table (Ch. 13), pt. 1
Food Safety + Farm to
Table (Ch. 13) + GMO
Controversy, pt 2.
Exercise Nutrition, pt 2
(Ch. 14), Eating
Disorders, pt. 1 (Ch. 15)
Essay Outline
Eating Disorders, pt.
Ch. 15 Reading Quiz
2 (Ch. 15)
11/29
Nutrition for Pregnancy
and Infancy (Ch. 16)
Second Dietary
Nutrition for
Analysis, Ch. 16
Childhood and
Reading Quiz Adolescence (Ch. 17)
12/6
Nutrition for Adulthood
and Old Age (Ch. 17)
Ch. 17 Reading
Quiz
Poster Day 3
Essay, Poster Day 3
Posters
Nothing
FINAL EXAM AT
8:00 AM
Extra credit study
guide 3; extra credit
flash cards 3
12/13
NO CLASS - FINALS
Nothing
Name:
Outline Sheet for Bio 28 Essay
Intro Paragraph:
What will your thesis statement be? This is the "big picture" statement that says what your
essay is about, ideally in a way that expresses an opinion, and either begins or ends the first
paragraph (intro paragraph). For example: "The Fakename's Group claim that Vitamin C
megadoses are healthy for the immune system is unconvincing."
Rough draft of your thesis statement:
What else might you put in the intro paragraph to catch the reader's attention?
Body Paragraphs Outline:
In the remaining paragraphs of your essay, you'll provide information to back up your
thesis. Be sure to cover the following points, at the very least:
* What claims did the article make, and based on what evidence?
* Who did the research involved? Does the article accurately describe the underlying research?
* How can we use what we learned in class to evaluate these claims?
* What information from outside sources can be used to better understand the article? Be sure to
clarify details of the article using these sources, and cite the source without directly quoting from
it extensively. Explain in your own words.
* What evidence, if any, favors the claims made in the article, and why? What evidence, if any,
contradicts the claims, and why?
* How is this information more broadly relevant to everyday life?
Don't address these points in a haphazard way. Instead, devote each paragraph to one
main idea, expressed in a topic sentence, and try to make your essay flow smoothly. In each
paragraph, support that main idea with two or three pieces of evidence. Don't quote word-forword; instead, explain the evidence in your own words.
On the back of this page, or on an attached page, list the main idea for each
body paragraph. This is just an outline, so you don't need to give fine details. Since
the essay is expected to be 4-5 pages long, you should have at least 5 body
paragraphs (along with the intro and conclusion paragraph), and probably more.
Conclusion Paragraph:
Finally, you'll need a conclusion paragraph. In this paragraph, you should wrap up your
discussion without bringing in any new information. You could restate your position, summarize,
link it to everyday life, or ask a possible follow-up question, but try to end on a conclusive note.
Good luck!
Week 1 Checklist
Due Monday, August 31st.
Please get the following tasks done by Monday, August 31st. If there's a problem,
don't hesitate to contact me! Initial each line to show you've done what's asked for, and sign
the bottom of the page when you're done. Bring this completed checklist to lecture.
NOTE: Wait-listed students should not complete this checklist until they are
enrolled in the course!
______
Download and print the syllabus and calendar from the course site,
http://www.bi10etc.com. (Click on the Bi 28 link.)
______
Read the syllabus and calendar carefully.
______
Based on what you've read/seen, write down one question you have about
this class in the space below:
______
Find a copy of Nutrition: Real People, Real Choices by Hewlings and
Medeiros you can use. Share if you must, but be sure you can do all the
assigned readings in time.
______
Buy a pack of 3x5 index cards.
______
Read Chapters 1 and 2 of the text and complete the reading quiz.
______
Send an e-mail to pnagami@peralta.edu from your preferred e-mail address.
I've finished the above tasks and have read the syllabus carefully.
___________________________
Name (Print legibly)
__________________________
Signature
__________________________
Date