COURSE SYLLABUS
GENERAL BIOLOGY II BSC1011
1135-BSC1011VCC1135-54408
GENERAL INFORMATION
PROFESSOR INFORMATION
Instructor: Prof. Elizabeth Lacey PhD
Office Hours: By Appointment
E-mail Please use Blackboard
course messages
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will introduce you to the themes that unify the main fields in biology. We will complete a survey of
organismal biology with emphasis on botany and zoology with details on the nervous, digestive, circulatory,
respiratory and endocrine systems. Science background or Biology major recommended.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
After the completion of this course, students will be able to:
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•
•
•
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Classify organisms from viruses to vertebrates into the major biological kingdoms using their key
features and phylogenetics relationships
Describe plant structures and functions including reproductive biology, growth and developmental
patterns and processes, defenses and photosynthesis reactions
Evaluate the functioning of human systems, including: nervous, sensory, endocrine,
musculoskeletal, digestive, respiratory, circulatory, reproduction and development, immune and
osmoregulatory
Explore those factors which influence behavioral ecology
Analyze the role of the environment, resources, disturbances and individuals on population and
community ecology
NOTE: This syllabus is subject to change. Please check the online syllabus often for possible
modifications and changes to course material and due dates.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
POLICIES
Please review the policies page as it contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to all courses
at FIU and additional information on the standards for acceptable netiquette important for online courses.
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Cheating Policy: We will follow the "Student Handbook" regarding cheating. Formal and informal procedures
can be found under the section "Academic Misconduct" in the "Conduct & Policies" chapter. Anyone caught
cheating will be given an "F" for the course and a petition will be sent to Academic Affairs. We will go by the
University's policy.
Conduct: We expect all students to follow the university’s policies
(http://online.fiu.edu/html/blackboardlearn/policies/) for online classes. It is important to have respect
towards the instructors and fellow classmates. Inconsiderate, disrespectful, dishonest, or disruptive behavior,
as the instructor or your fellow classmates perceive it, or as is described in the Student Handbook, is
unacceptable for adults in this course.
Plagiarism Policy: Plagiarism is a serious offence to the University Code of Conduct and it will not be
tolerated in this course. If plagiarism is detected in any submission, the group will not receive any credit for that
week and it may be subject to an Academic Misconduct investigation. Plagiarism includes not providing
appropriate citations and not paraphrasing content from other sources.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS/SKILLS
One of the greatest barriers to taking an online course is a lack of basic computer literacy. By computer literacy
we mean being able to manage and organize computer files efficiently, and learning to use your computer's
operating system and software quickly and easily. Keep in mind that this is not a computer literacy course; but
students enrolled in online courses are expected to have moderate proficiency using a computer. Please go to
the "What's Required" page to find out more information on this subject.
This course utilizes the following tools:
1. Students are required to have access to a personal computer with internet connection. You should have
basic computer skills to navigate through Blackboard and other online resources linked in the course.
2. Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash Player plug-ins to view content.
3. Respondus LockDown Browser
For detailed information about the technical requirements, please click here.
ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMODATION
For detailed information about the specific limitations with the technologies used in this course, please click
here.
For more information about Blackboard's Accessibility Commitment, click here.
For additional assistance please contact our Disability Resource Center.
COURSE PREREQUISITES
There are no prerequisites for this course; however, this course is intended for Biology majors. Non-science
majors may therefore find the course to be more intensive than necessary for their degree. Successful
students report working 15 – 20 hours each week on this course. Concurrent registration in both lecture and
laboratory is required.
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PROCTORED EXAM POLICY
Please note that the information contained in this section applies only if your course requires a
proctored exam.
It is the student’s responsibility to determine whether this online course requires a proctored midterm and /or
final exam by carefully reviewing this syllabus. For detailed instructions please visit our Proctored Exam
Resources page on the FIU Online website.
TEXTBOOK
Biology (required)
Raven P.H., Johnson G.B., Mason, K.A., Losos J.B., Singer, S.R.
McGraw-Hill, 9th Edition, 2011
Other editions may be used but the student is responsible for ensuring they are
studying the correct content.
ISBN: 13: 9780077350024
Click here to buy your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore.
Optional: McGraw Hill Connect Plus. This will give you access to additional
study materials (for two years from date of purchase).
EXPECTATIONS OF THIS COURSE
This is an online course, meaning that most of the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for
performance in an online course are the same as for a traditional course; in fact, online courses require a
degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills that can make them more demanding for some
students.
Students are expected to:
 Become familiar with the Blackboard environment using the Blackboard Learn Orientation
http://online.fiu.edu/futurestudents/practicecourse
 Participate in discussions and interact with instructor and peers
 Keep up with the course schedule, assignments, quizzes, etc.
 Read and study weekly assigned material.
 Log into the course at least 3 times per week
 As for any 3-credit course, students are expected to spend at least 10 hours per week in courserelated work.
 Follow the directions and deadlines outlined in this syllabus and distributed via email, Blackboard
announcements or messages, plus others. We are not responsible for issues resulting from lack of
awareness of these resources or lack of access to resources (e.g., email or internet not working).
The instructor will:
 Log in to the course at least 3 times per week
 Respond to messages within 24-72 hours, excluding weekends
 Be available during online office hours
 Grade quizzes, assignments, participation and exams within 10 business days of the assignment
deadline
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COURSE DETAILS
COURSE COMMUNICATION
Private communication in this course will take place via Blackboard messages. Messages are a private and
secure text-based communication that occurs within a Course and among Course members. Users must log
on to Blackboard to send/receive/read messages. The Messages tool is located on the left side Course Menu
(Blackboard user interface). It is recommended that students check their messages routinely to ensure up-todate communication.
For more information on professional writing and technical communication click here.
GRADING
Grade Determination: Your grade will consist of scores from two on-campus exams, two online exams, quiz
average and group assignment average (in proportion to your contributions to group work).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Quizzes (Note: The lowest score will be dropped.)
Online Exams
On-campus Midterm (Units A & B) & Final Exam (Units C & D)
Group Assignments & Participation
Total
WEIGHT
10%
20%
40%
30%
100%
All scores are on a 10-point scale (NO pluses/minuses or incompletes):
Letter Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Range
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
< 60
EXTRA CREDIT: PASS and TLC opportunities available. For each successfully completed opportunity, 5%
will be added to one online exam grade.
EXAMS
Online Exams: There will be two online exams. Once you start the exam you will have 75 minutes to
complete it. Each exam will be 50-60 multiple-choice questions.
On-Campus Exams: There will be a total of 2 on-campus exams in this course (one midterm and one
final). Each exam will have 60-80 multiple-choice questions. Please check the schedule to make sure you
can be on campus for the exams. If you cannot attend one or both on-campus exams, notify the
instructor prior to the end of the add/drop period.
On the day of the exam, please bring TWO sharpened pencils with erasers and your STUDENT ID. All other
materials will have to be placed at the front or back of the class, so it is best not to carry anything to the room
on exam day. NOTE: this includes hats, cell phones, purses, backpacks, tissues, sweaters and jackets,
calculators, lunch boxes--everything except pencils. Please turn off all cell phones. You will be asked to
remove your hats. We will check your student ID before you are allowed to turn-in your exam so please make
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sure you bring your ID. You will be provided with a scantron. Please be careful when filling it out, as errors may
affect grade. If you do not bubble in your last name first, then your first name along with your panther ID and
form number on your scantron on the day of your exam, you will lose 10 points on the exam! When you are
finished, you must return ALL materials given to you during the test whether filled-out or not. Students will not
be allowed to use the restroom during the exam. Cheating will be dealt with seriously and severely.
ARRIVING LATE: If you arrive to an exam more than 20 minutes late, or after the first person finishes
the test (whichever comes first) you will NOT be allowed to take the exam.
Exam Viewing: After the exam, you can email your instructor to set up an appointment to view your exam. We
do not allow students to keep their exams. Students who would like to raise any questions concerning the
nature of any particular question on an exam can do so ONLY up until the next exam date. Your explanation
must be in the written form explaining why you feel the question is ambiguous or incorrect. You can give the
professor the written paper and she will look at it. After that period, all previous exam questions are NOT
subject to change for credit.
Make-ups: If you miss an online exam you will need to provide the instructor with a VALID document no later
than one week from the missed online exam. Once the document is approved, the grade for the missed online
exam will be substituted for the online exam the student completes (e.g., if a student has a valid, documented
absence from the first online exam, the student will take the second online exam and that grade will count for
both online exams). If you miss an on-campus exam you will need to provide the instructor with a VALID
document no later than one week from the missed on-campus exam. Once the document is approved, the
grade for the missed on-campus exam will be substituted for the on-campus exam the student completes (e.g.,
if a student has a valid, documented absence from the midterm, the student will take the final and that grade
will count for both on-campus exams).
Students who simply do not show up for the on-campus exam will NOT be allowed to take a makeup exam.
Examples of unacceptable excuses: common cold, family problems, transportation problems, etc. Examples of
acceptable excuses: documented medical emergencies, death of members of immediate family, and jury duty.
All of these must be accompanied by a valid and verifiable written letter signed by a professional or some other
type of irrefutable and documental proof.
NO EXAM SCORES ARE DROPPED!
QUIZZES
There will be a 10 question quiz each week with the lowest grade dropped. Once the quiz is made available,
you may take it at any time during the week but no later than Sunday midnight (11:59 PM ET). For each quiz,
you will have 20 minutes to finish and once you start the quiz, you must finish it in the same sitting. During the
time the quiz is available, you may take it twice. Grades are available immediately upon completion (total
score only) and if you take the quiz twice, the average of the attempts will be your quiz grade for that week.
In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you take
the "Practice Quiz" from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes and exams. It is your
responsibility to make sure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements.
Please note assessments in this course are not compatible with mobile devices and should not be taken
through a mobile phone or a tablet. If you need further assistance please contact FIU Online Support Services.
GROUP DISCUSSION BOARDS & ASSIGNMENTS
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Each week will have one group assignment, submitted from one designated group member via turnitin.com by
Sunday at midnight (11:59PM ET). Individual submissions will not be accepted. Each group will have its own
private discussion board to discuss the answers to the group assignment. Ideally, everyone should answer all
of the questions. However, if your group prefers, questions can be split among the group members and then
each person can post an answer to his/her assigned question(s). These individual student responses to their
group’s discussion board must be posted no later than Thursday by midnight (11:59 PM ET). A group
member not posting his/her answer(s) in time for the group submission is not an excuse for the group’s
submission lacking that answer. Everyone in the group is expected to answer at least one question each week
and provide constructive feedback on all questions. Late submissions will result in a 10% per day deduction.
Students' groups will be reshuffled 4 times throughout the semester.
Your participation in the group assignments will be graded by your peers using a rubric provided by the
instructor. Use the discussion boards to post your contributions as they will serve as evidence of how much
you contributed to the group. Your score in the peer evaluation (on a scale of 0 -5) will determine what
percentage of your group’s grade in each assignment you will receive. Please note: regardless of the grade
your group gives you, if you do not contribute to your group's discussion, you won't get any credit for your
group's submission.
The peer evaluation score from all group members (including yours) will be averaged, and the percentage of
your group’s grade that you receive will be based on the following breakdown:
Average Peer Evaluation Score
0
0.1 – 1.0
1.1 – 2.0
2.1 – 3.0
3.1 – 4.0
4.1 – 5.0
Percentage of group’s grade
0%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Peer evaluations are due every week on Sunday by midnight (11:59 PM ET). Not submitting the weekly peer
evaluations on time will automatically result in a zero for that week.
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COURSE CALENDAR
Note:
Individual responses to discussion board are due each week by Thursday at 11:59PM (ET)
Individual quizzes and peer evaluations are due each week by Sunday at 11:59PM (ET)
Group assignments (from one designated team member) are due each week by Sunday at 11:59 PM
(ET)
Unit A
Week 1
May 13-19
Ch. 23 – Systematics and the Phylogenetic Revolution
Ch. 26 – The Tree of Life
Week 2
May 20-26
Ch. 27 – Viruses
Ch. 28 – Prokaryotes
Ch. 29 – Protists
Week 3
May 27- June 2
Ch. 31 – Fungi
Ch. 30 – Green Plants
Ch. 08 – Photosynthesis
Online Exam I (Chapters: 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 8)
Available Friday 31 May 1:00AM (ET) until Saturday 1 June 11:59PM (ET)
Unit B
Week 4
June 3-9
Ch. 36 – Plant Form
Ch. 38 – Transport in Plants
Ch. 39 – Plant Nutrition and Soils
Week 5
June 10-16
Ch. 40 – Plant Defense Responses
Ch. 42 – Plant Reproduction
Ch. 37 – Vegetative Plant Development
Week 6
June 17-23
Ch. 32 – Overview of Animal Diversity
Ch. 33 – Noncoelomate Invertebrates
Ch. 34 – Coelomate Invertebrates
Midterm (Units A & B - Chapters: 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 8, 36, 38, 39, 40,
42, 37, 32, 33, 34)
On-Campus: Saturday 22 June 12PM
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Unit C
Week 7
June 24-30
Ch. 35 – Vertebrates
Ch. 53 – The Reproductive System
Ch. 54 – Animal Development
Week 8
July 1-7
Ch. 48 – The Digestive System
Ch. 49 – The Respiratory System
Ch. 50 – The Circulatory System
Week 9
July 8-14
Ch. 45 – Sensory Systems
Ch. 44 – The Nervous System
Online Exam II (Chapters: 35, 53, 54, 48, 49, 50, 45, 44)
Available Friday 12 July 1:00AM (ET) until Saturday 13 July 11:59PM (ET)
Unit D
Week 10
July 15-21
Ch. 47 – The Musculoskeletal System
Ch. 52 – The Immune System
Week 11
July 22-28
Ch. 43 – The Animal Body and Principles of Regulation
Ch. 46 – The Endocrine System
Ch. 51 – Osmotic Regulation and the Urinary System
Week 12
July 29- August 2
Ch. 55 – Behavioral Biology
Ch. 56 – Ecology of Individuals and Populations
Ch. 57 – Community Ecology
Final (Units C & D – Chapters: 35, 53, 54, 48, 49, 50, 45, 44, 47, 52, 43, 46, 51,
55, 56, 57)
On-Campus: Friday 2 August 12PM
ONLINE EXAMS:
Exam I: Available Friday 31 May 1:00AM (ET) until Saturday 1 June 11:59PM (ET)
Exam II: Available Friday 12 July 1:00AM (ET) until Saturday 13 July 11:59PM (ET)
ON-CAMPUS EXAMS:
Midterm Exam: Saturday 22 June 12PM
Final Exam: Friday 2 August 12PM
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