LS1 Section 1: Introduction to Evolution and Biodiversity
Professor:
email:
Office:
Office Hrs:
Patricia Halpin
halpin@ucla.edu
Botany 413
Tu 11-12, Th 2-3
Lectures:
Text:
Course Website:
Tu-Th 12:30 PM- 1:45, LaKretz 110
Biological Science, Freeman, 3rd edition
http://www.lsic.ucla.edu/classes/spring09
Enrollment: All questions related to enrollment should be taken to the LS Core office in the
Life Sciences 2305 (phone: 310-825-6614). Enrollment changes must be done through URSA.
Lectures: Lectures will cover materials in the book as well as ideas not covered by the book.
You do not need to bring your book to class. Slides will be posted on the blackboard website.
Students are encouraged to take notes in class and later check them against the posted notes.
Lectures will be podcast through bruincast (www.bruincast.ucla.edu).
Labs/Demonstrations: There are ten demonstration sections, one each week. Lab materials
will be posted to the class website and must be read before each lab. These are not optional.
Each demonstration is two hours long. They will (1) help reinforce many of the topics you learn
in class, (2) give you the opportunity to see many of the organisms discussed in lecture, and (3)
give you the opportunity to ask questions and think about topics in small groups. Check your
course listing to make sure that you are going to the correct demonstration room, either YH 2343
or SH 2870. You must attend the section in which you are enrolled. If there is an extenuating
circumstance and you must attend another section once, then you must arrange this with your TA
and the TA of the section you would like to attend. At the end of the term, your lowest section
grade will be dropped and replaced with your “lab participation grade. If you have missed a
section for any reason, including illness, that is the section that will be dropped. There are no
make-up sections. Your TA will give you his/her contact information in class. The TA’s are:
James Holmquist
Sara Painter
Daniel Stahler
Jeff Wolf
jamesholmquist@ucla.edu
sealily@ucla.edu
dstahler@ucla.edu
wolfjeff@ucla.edu
Course Grading:
Midterm 1
Midterm 2
Demonstrations
PRS Clicker
Final Exam
Total
200 points
200 points
200 points
60 points
340 points
1000 points
If the class mean is 75% or higher, letter grades will be based on a straight percentage of the
1000 point maximum according to the breakdown shown below. Within each letter grade, a
minus (–) will be assigned to the bottom three percentage points and a plus (+) will be assigned
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
A±
B±
C±
60-69%
<60%
D±
F
to the top three percentage points (e.g., 80-82.9% is a B–, 87-89.9% is a B+). If the class mean
is lower than 75%, we will adjust the cutoffs to compensate (e.g., 89% may become an A–).
At the end of the term, your lowest section grade will be dropped and replaced with your “lab
participation grade. If you have missed a section for any reason, including illness, that is the
section that will be dropped.
The midterms are non-cumalative. The final will have approximately 200 points covering the last
third of the course not covered on the previous two midterms, and approximately140 pts
covering the entire course.
Exams: Both midterms are held in the evenings, so please plan accordingly. You MUST take
the exams at the scheduled date as there are no make-up exams. Failure to appear, hand in, or
take an exam will result in a zero for that exam. There are no exceptions to this policy. If you
miss a midterm for a medical emergency, medical documentation must be supplied to the LS
Core office. Material for the exams will be taken from primarily from the lectures, but also from
the text and demonstration. The exams consist of multiple choice and short answer questions
and will cover the lectures as announced in class.
PRS Clickers: Students are required to bring PRS clickers to class beginning 4/2. Students use
clickers to respond electronically to questions posed during lecture. Clickers are purchased at the
bookstore. Students enter their UID on the clicker for identification. PRS clicker questions are
worth 4 points/lecture for a maximum of 60 points. This means you may miss 4 lectures and still
receive full credit. Students must only answer the questions to receive points; the answer does
not need to be correct. You may share a clicker with a student in a different class (as long as you
enter your UID before using during LS1 lecture). You may NOT use the same clicker as
another student in LS1. The responses for one student will not record properly and you will not
receive credit. Answering questions for another student on a clicker so that they receive credit for
a lecture they did not participate in is cheating. Cases will be referred to the Dean of Students.
Regrading policy: Any request for a regrade must be made within one week of the exam being
returned to you. If you think there was an error in grading or if you want an explanation for a
particular answer please write a brief note explaining your point of view and submit it with your
exam to your TA. You will not have your midterm returned to you. Regrade requests will only
be considered at the end of the term, and only used if it changes your final letter grade.
Academic Dishonesty: If you are caught cheating (e.g., giving answers to or receiving answers
from someone else) you will be reported immediately to the Dean of Students – NO
EXCEPTIONS – for further action.
Read the attached pages from the Dean of Students office on Academic Conduct. The last page
has a list of resources for students.
Lecture Etiquette: Students coming and going during lecture is a significant disruption. Further,
it's quite inconsiderate to the students listening to the lecturer. It's only a small fraction of
students who typically do so, but in a class this size, it makes an impact.
You should try to arrive at lecture on time, although arriving late is better than not attending at
all. More importantly, you should not leave lecture early. When you do, you disrupt the class. If
you must leave early (e.g. for a doctor's appointment), you should inform me beforehand that
you will do so and why. Also, you should sit near one of the exits at the top of the class to
minimize disturbance when you leave. If you don't follow this policy, don't be surprised if I ask
you what is so important that you have to leave class before it is over.
Course Website: If you are having enrollment problems but need access to the site before you
can be enrolled, go to the computer lab in 2127 LS and ask how you can access a course site
temporarily. Temporary access is available during the first 4 weeks of a regular quarter (Fall,
Winter, Spring) or 2 weeks of a Summer Session. If you have not resolved your enrollment
issues by the time the temporary access has expired, your access will be cut off until you do.
Week Date
1
3/31 – Tu
4/2 – Th
4/7 - Tu
2
4/9 – Th
4/14 - Tu
3
4/16 - Th
4/21 - Tu
4
4/21 - Tu
4/23 – Th
4/28 - Tu
5
4/30 - Th
5/5 - Tu
6
5/7 - Th
5/12 – Tu
7
5/12 – Tu
5/14 – Th
5/19 - Tu
8
5/21 - Th
5/26 - Tu
9
5/28 - Th
6/2 - Tu
10
6/4 - Th
6/10 – Wed
TOPIC
Intro and Natural Selection
Evolutionary Processes I
Evolutionary Processes II
Speciation & Phylogenies
Examining the History of Life
Case Studies in Evolution
Size & Scaling
MIDTERM 1 5-6:50
Energetic Pathways, Bacteria & Archea
Bacteria, Archea, Protists I
Protists II & Green Plants I
Green Plants II
Green Plants III & Fungi
Air and Water
MIDTERM II 5-6:50
Protostomes I
Protostomes II
Deuterostomes I
Global Cycles
Population Ecology
Community Ecology
Behavior
FINAL 11:30-2:30
CHAPTER
1 & 24
25
25
26
27
Handout
28
29
29
30
30 & 31
32
32 & 33
33
34
50 & 54
52
53
51