Student Syllabus Cover Sheet
Revised June, 2006
FALL 2011
BIOLOGY 1406
Lecture: CRN# 10164 BIOL 1406- 930
CRN# 10140 BIOL 1406-402
CRN# 10156 BIOL 1406-904
SUGAR LAND CAMPUS/FBTC
GENERAL BIOLOGY I LECTURE
Mondays and Wednesdays 5:45-7:00 PM
SL Room 274
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:25-11:40 AM FBTC Room 205
Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:40 to 2:55 PM SL Room 263
INSTRUCTOR: Alison Garner, B.S., M.S.
INSTRUCTOR’S E-MAIL ADDRESS: garnera@wcjc.edu
INSTRUCTOR’S PHONE NUMBER: 281-243-8506
WEBPAGE: http://facultyweb.wcjc.edu/agarner
OFFICE LOCATION: Sugar Land Campus Brazos Hall Room 214A
OFFICE HOURS: Mondays and Wednesdays -2:00 to 5:45 PM Fridays- 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM; please contact the
instructor to make an appointment. (During office hours, please check Room 247 (Biology I Lab) or Room 257
( A&P I Lab) as well.)
THE BEST WAY TO REACH THE INSTRUCTOR is to send an e-mail to garnera@wcjc.edu
INSTRUCTOR’S ATTENDANCE POLICY: You are expected to attend and be on time for every lecture. Attendance
is very important for achieving success in the course. Roll will be taken at each class session.
COURSE’S CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Pre-requisite: THEA reading and writing requirements met. Topics
emphasized will include the chemical basis of life; cell organization, function, and reproduction; energy
pathways; genetics and molecular biology
INSTRUCTOR’S GRADING SYSTEM:
Lecture Exams (4) Average = 50% of Course Grade
Laboratory Average. = 25% of Course Grade
Comprehensive Final Exam = 25% of Course Grade
90-100% = A
80- 89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
Final Grade =[(Lecture Exam I+II+III+IV/4) * 0.50] + [(Lab Practical I+II+III/3) * 0.25] + (Final * 0.25)
The last day to drop with a W: November 18, 2011
Final exam is scheduled for: Week of December 12-16, See WCJ schedules for times
Any student with a disability or other special circumstance requiring academic accommodations or other consideration in order to
successfully complete the requirements of this course should identify himself or herself individually to the instructor to discuss the
matter in a private and confidential manner.
(Rev. 7-2-98)
BIOL 1406: General Biology I
Fall 2011
Instructor
Mrs. Alison Garner, B.S., M.S.

Email: agarner@wcjc.edu

Office number: 281-243-8506

Office location & hours: Brazos Hall #214A at Sugar Land campus; Mondays and Wednesdays –
2:00 to 5:45 PM Fridays- 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Required Materials
 Text: Campbell Biology, 9th ed., Benjamin Cummings Publication, 2011. (same text for BIOL 1407).
 Lab Manual: A Look at Life, Exploring the Unity of Organisms, Crowder, Durant & Penrod, 2007.
 Scantrons (5) – Form # 882
Goals of the Course
1) Introduce students to
a) basic facts of biology and how biology relates to daily living in the modern world
b) the relationship between biology and various other disciplines such as chemistry, physics,
mathematics, psychology, sociology, government, and anthropology
2) Upon completion the student should understand
a) basic chemistry and how it applies to living systems
b) cell structure and how it relates to cell function and reproduction
c) the flow of energy through living systems via cellular respiration and photosynthesis
d) the chromosomal basis of inheritance
e) the current advances in molecular biology
3) Students planning further work in this and related fields will have the necessary background for additional
study.
Attendance
Students are expected to promptly attend all lectures and labs. Attendance will be taken daily with students
signing a roll sheet. It is each student’s responsibility to sign the roll sheet - failure to do so will be interpreted as
an absence for that day. Students are held responsible for all material missed. After the sixth absence, the student
may be reported to the registrar with the recommendation of being dropped from the course. If you stop
attending class, it is your responsibility to officially drop the course, otherwise you will receive an “F” for
the course. The last day to drop with a W for Fall 2011 is Friday, November 18.
**Bonus: Any student with three (3) or fewer lecture absences will receive 2 points added to overall grade.
Grading Procedures
Grading policy:
Lecture average (average of four exams) =
Lab average (average of three grades) =
Comprehensive Final Exam =
50%
25%
25%
Total = 100%
Grade Assignments:
A
100-90
B
89 - 80
C
79 - 70
D
69 - 60
F
Below 60
Note: In order to protect student privacy, grades will not be given via phone or regular email.
Evaluations
Lecture Exams
There will be four lecture exams during the semester, with each having approximately 70 questions
(multiple choice, true/false and matching). Students will not be allowed to use lecture notes, books, or any
other materials during the exam. Students WILL NOT be admitted to an exam after the first person has
finished and left the room. If an exam is missed for any reason, a grade of “0” will be recorded for that exam.
To change this grade, the student may make-up the exam in one of the following manners: 1) If the student
notified the instructor on or prior to the date of the absence and/or can provide evidence of serious illness,
emergency, etc, the student will be allowed to complete the exam immediately, or 2) Students with other
excuses will be expected to use their final exam grade to replace the missed exam.
Additionally, students that complete all four, regular lecture exams will have the option at the end of
the semester to have their lowest lecture exam grade replaced by the final exam grade if it will benefit their
lecture exam average. This option is NOT available to students who must use the final exam grade to replace a
zero. There are no “extra credit” assignments.
Make-up Policy for Lecture Exams
If a student knows prior to the time of the exam that they are not going to be able to take the
exam due to a legitimate emergency (serious illness, accident, death of immediate family member),
notify the instructor by e-mail or phone prior to the exam. If a student misses an exam due to one of
these reasons, notify the instructor as soon as possible ON THE DAY of the exam. If a student
notifies the instructor and provides satisfactory written evidence of the above-mentioned situations,
the student will be allowed to take a make-up exam at a later date. This make-up exam may differ in
content and format from the original exam. Other excuses (forgot about the test, forgot to study,
overslept, etc.) will result in substitution of the zero from the missed exam with the final exam grade.
This grade can only be used to replace one zero. Any further missed exams will be given a
permanent grade of zero.
Final Exam
The final exam will follow a format similar to that of the lecture exams. The comprehensive exam will consist
of 100 questions. A student who misses a final exam may be given an "I" at the instructor's discretion. It is
the student's responsibility to contact the instructor to make up the exam. An "I" automatically converts to an
"F" by mid-semester of the following term.
Laboratory
Nine weekly quizzes and two lab tests will be given during the semester. The quiz average will be calculated
using the best six quizzes. The overall lab grade will be determined by the quiz average (50%) and the two lab
tests (25% each).
Notifications
E-mail and Blackboard will be used for announcements, suggested readings and websites, important
dates, providing lecture handouts and notes, and any other general class information or announcements.
Each student now has a WCJC e-mail address that will be used for all correspondence. E-mails will be sent
to this address only. If you have not done so, go online and activate this account. Check it regularly!!
Should a class be canceled for any reason, I will attempt to notify you ahead of time by e-mail if possible.
Student Conduct and Responsibilities
1. Please arrive on time and prepared for class.
2. Bring your textbook with you to all classes. (Yes, I know it is heavy)
3. Again, check your e-mail regularly. Absolutely no use of electronic devices during lectures. Cell
phones or pagers need to be silenced and stored. Any student “texting” during class may be asked to
leave.
4. It is my job to present and explain the topics and concepts in the course. Don’t ever hesitate to ask a
question and feel free to ask as many questions as you need. I am also available to help you on an
appointment basis or by e-mail. However, it is your responsibility to read the chapters, take
notes during lecture, review and study the information and take time to commit material to
memory as needed.
5. Read the assigned textbook chapter prior to class; highlighting the topic headings; main concepts and
vocabulary is strongly suggested. This helps you stay focused and organized.
6. Be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time studying the material outside of class in order
to be successful.
7. It is your responsibility to take notes during class. PowerPoints and/or lecture outlines may be
provided prior to tests as a study guide.
8. Be courteous of both the instructor and other students by not talking during the lectures or while
others are asking questions. It is very distracting! If you have questions, please raise your hand.
9. Obviously, it is important for your success that you do your own work. Cheating will not be tolerated
and WCJC policies as stated in the student handbook and college catalog regarding academic
integrity will be followed. Expulsion is possible. If you are caught cheating on a test, it will be taken
and you will receive a zero for that exam.
10. If you have to miss a class, it is useful to share information at the beginning of the semester with a
few people in the class that you can contact to obtain missed notes, assignments and other course
information. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain all information presented in class (lecture
notes, date changes, handouts).
11. Reference the Student Handbook for additional information regarding student code of conduct,
consequences and appeals (http://www.wcjc.edu/about_n/WCJCStudentHandbook.pdf)
12. If a student misses class, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain all information presented in class
(lecture notes, date changes, handouts). It is advised that students have a way to contact at least two
classmates.
Study Tips
Study strategies are crucial for success

Attend all lectures, labs, and study sessions

Read your lecture and laboratory assignments before going to class or lab. Highlight important
concepts!! Make notes to ask about things you did not understand in the reading.
 Take notes during class. Participate in class activities.

Devote a block of time each day to your Biology Icourse even on days you don’t have class.

Set up a study schedule and stick to it!!!!!

Do not procrastinate! There is no way to learn it all the night before the exam!!!

Develop the skill of memorization. While it is important to understand overall concepts, there will
be many unfamiliar terms and sequential processes that must be memorized.

As soon as you experience difficulty with the course, seek assistance from the instructor or other
classmates.

Form Study Groups.

Make flash cards of the vocabulary terms in the chapters.

Draw flowcharts or diagrams of sequential processes.

Also, there are many good websites devoted to these Biology ttopics.
Biology 1406: General Biology I
Lecture/Lab Outline for Fall 2011
Week of
Aug 29
Lecture Topic & Textbook Chapters
Introduction to Biology (Ch. 1)
Lab Assignment
Orientation, Safety & Microscope
Sept. 5
Atoms & Molecules (Ch 2, 3 & 4)
Demos: Water, Electrolytes, Acids/Bases
Sept. 12
Structure & Function of Macromolecules (Ch 5)
Biological Molecules
Sept. 19
EXAM #1; The Cell (Ch. 6)
Cell Structure & Function
Sept. 26
Membrane Structure & Function (Ch. 7)
Movement of Molecules
Oct. 3
Introduction to Metabolism (Ch. 8)
Enzymes
Oct. 10
EXAM #2; Cellular Respiration (Ch. 9)
LAB TEST #1
Oct. 17
Photosynthesis (Ch. 10)
Fermentation
Oct. 24
The Cell Cycle (Ch. 12)
Photosynthesis
Oct. 31
EXAM #3; Meiosis & Sexual Life Cycles (Ch. 13)
The Cell Cycle
Nov. 7
Mendel & the Gene Idea (Ch. 14)
DNA Structure & Extraction
Nov. 14
Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance (Ch. 15)
DNA Fingerprinting I
Nov. 21
EXAM #4; Molecular Basis of Inheritance (Ch. 16)
REVIEW LABS
Nov. 28
From Gene to Protein (Ch. 17)
DNA Fingerprinting II
Dec. 5
Biotechnology (Ch. 20)
LAB TEST #2
***Please note: This is a tentative schedule and is subject to change.
Important Dates:
Monday, September 5
Friday, October 21
Friday, November 18
Wednesday, November 23
Labor Day Holiday
Mid-Semester
Last day for dropping courses with grade of “W”
Thanksgiving Holidays begin at 4:00pm, Wednesdays classes will meet
December 9-15
Final Examinations
Any student with a disability or other special circumstance requiring academic accommodations or other consideration in order to
successfully complete the requirements of this course should identify himself or herself individually to the instructor to discuss the
matter in a private and confidential manner.