BSC 2010L - Biology I Laboratory
Summer 2015
Instructor:
Phone:
Email:
Office Hours:
Mrs. Tamara Dizdarevic, M.S.
727-631-6058
dizdarevic.tamara@spcollege.edu
By appointment only
Academic Department
Dean:
Dr. John Chapin
Office:
UP 337B (Seminole campus)
Phone:
727-394-6995
Academic Chair:
Office:
Phone:
Dr. Meg Delgato
LY 206
727-712-5459
Course Information
Course Description: Fundamentals of Biology Lab (BSC 2010L) is designed for students who are planning a
science-related career. It is designed to provide the general concepts pertinent to all biological science courses.
This course is designed as an in depth sequence to give students an aggressive look at the field of biology.
Course Prerequisite/Corequisite: Prerequisites include ENC 0010 or satisfactory on the SPC placement test
and CHM 1025 or one year of high school chemistry. The corequisite for this course is Fundamentals of Biology
Lecture (BSC 2010). Please note that students who withdraw from lecture or lab will be withdrawn from
the appropriate corequisite course.
Recommended Class Prerequisites: Although it is not formally listed as a prerequisite, it is strongly
recommended that a student take Composition I and II prior to this course. The lab section requires a research
paper. MAC 1105 (College Algebra) is also strongly recommended.
Major Learning Outcomes:
1. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method in the design, application and
analysis of laboratory investigations.
2. The student will demonstrate an understanding of basic manipulatory skills using instruments and
equipment in biological laboratory studies.
3. The student will demonstrate an understanding of cellular structure and cellular processes such as
mitosis, meiosis, diffusion, osmosis.
4. The student will demonstrate an understanding of testing and investigative methods used to study the
processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
5. The student will demonstrate an understanding of current research techniques in biochemical,
molecular, genetic and embryological research that address newly arising questions in these and other
rapidly changing fields.
Course Objectives Stated in Performance Terms:
1. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method in the design, application and
analysis of laboratory investigations by:
a. correlating steps of investigation logically between observations and testing for significant data.
b. identifying biological questions and designing appropriate experiments to produce data for
scientific analysis.
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c. determining appropriate controls, sample sizes and reasonable goals.
2. The student will demonstrate an understanding of basic manipulatory skills using instruments and
equipment in biological laboratory studies by:
a. using various types of microscopes with proficiency.
b. exhibiting correct and efficient use of data-gathering and measuring devices.
3. The student will demonstrate an understanding of cellular structure and cellular processes such as
mitosis, meiosis, diffusion, osmosis by:
a. describing cell structures and their biological function.
b. comparing mitosis and meiosis and their respective purposes and locations.
c. describing the similarities and differences between diffusion and osmosis.
4. The student will demonstrate an understanding of testing and investigative methods used to study the
processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration by:
a. describing the cellular structures and biochemical requirements necessary for accomplishing these
processes.
b. devising and executing appropriate and controlled experiments to demonstrate the occurrence of
these processes; their rate of production and how individual variables influence these rates.
c. assessing, analyzing and graphing data from experiments relating to these processes.
5. The student will demonstrate and understanding of current research techniques in biochemical,
molecular, genetic and embryological research that address newly arising questions in these and other
rapidly changing fields by:
a. becoming proficient in current research techniques and their usage.
b. evaluating current studies and their applications in advancing future research.
c. reporting procedures, experimental data and analyzed results in appropriate form suitable for
scientific publication.
Criteria Performance Standard:
Upon successful completion of the course the student will, with a minimum of 70% accuracy, demonstrate
mastery of each of the above sated objectives through classroom measures developed by individual course
instructors.
Recommended Textbook and Materials: None. All handouts provided.
Class Information
Course Location: SI 103
Course Days: Mondays and Wednesdays Time: 1 – 3:15pm
Important Dates
May 18
May 22
May 25
June 26
July 3
July 23
First Day of Classes
Last Day to Drop and Receive Refund
Memorial Day
Withdrawal deadline
Independence Day (observed)
Last Day
Financial Aid: http://www.spcollege.edu/central/SSFA/HomePage/calendar.htm
Attendance and Active Participation Policy: Regular class attendance is expected of all students. Successful
completion of this course requires regular class attendance. If you miss a class, you are responsible for making up
the material; however, there are no make-up labs. Students who miss the first two weeks of class will be
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automatically withdrawn from the class. If you decide to no longer attend class or must withdraw for any reason,
you are responsible for ALL paperwork to be completed and turned in by June 26, 2015.
Attendance is mandatory and will be used to determine active participation in the course. Laboratory exercises
and exams may not be made up. Tardiness will not be tolerated, and if you are more than 10 minutes late it will
be counted as an absence.
A total of 3 or more absences prior to the voluntary withdrawal deadline of June 26 will result in the
recording of a non-participating status being entered into PeopleSoft. Students who violate the attendance
policy after the voluntary withdrawal date will be assigned a grade of “F” at the end of the semester. If this
is your third attempt (or greater) in this course and you violate the attendance policy at any time you will be
assigned an “F.” Attendance is required to complete the laboratory assignments, so it is very important to attend
class! To qualify as an excused absence, you must have a valid, written document that I can verify. Attendance
will be recorded in MyCourses, so you may keep track of your attendance.
ALL LABS ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET FOR 2 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES. This time schedule will be
strictly adhered to for the entire semester. Leaving early will result in an absence and a lower participation grade.
Lab Safety: Please refer to the “Laboratory Safety Rules and Procedures Agreement” for information about
safety precautions specific to a laboratory class.
Class Web site: I maintain a website for this class in MyCourses. It contains weekly lab handouts and weekly
checklists. It also has an email area where you may communicate with me and an announcement page where I
will post important announcements. You can also check your grades and your current class average. Please
check the MyCourses website on a daily basis.
Assigned Readings: Student's should read the assignments before lab by reviewing the class schedule and
printing the necessary materials from the website. I expect you to come to lab prepared to perform the
experiments, with the reading already completed. You must print out the handouts from the website PRIOR
to coming to lab. Lab printers are NOT to be used for this purpose.
Academic Integrity: The college has an official policy on academic honesty and proper classroom behavior. If
there are any questions, please refer to the Academic Honesty Policy available online at
http://www.spcollege.edu/academichonesty/. I take this subject very seriously and will not tolerate academic
dishonesty or inappropriate/disruptive behavior in the classroom. College policy states that a first offense
(cheating, plagiarism, etc) is given a “zero” for the assignment with no possibility of replacing the score, a
reduced grade on the assignment with no possibility of replacing the score, or a failing grade in the course. In
addition, on the first offense, a form is filed in the Assistant Provost’s office. This does not go onto the student’s
transcript, but should a second offense occur, it will. If either the first or second offense is of severe
consequences, expulsion is possible. You need to be very clear about this procedure and about what constitutes
cheating and/or plagiarism. Since you will be writing papers, you must be VERY CAREFUL not to plagiarize.
You must correctly document all resources used. It is important to remember that everyone’s goal should be to
learn. Behavior that impedes the learning process of others will not be tolerated.
Disruptive classroom behavior is any behavior that impedes the teaching/learning process, which includes talking
or text-messaging during class, leaving before class ends, etc. Students are expected to be actively engaged in the
learning process, and should ask the instructor questions as needed.
Tips for Success: Attend class regularly. Read the assignments before class. Be prepared to perform the
experiments/lab activities when you arrive. Take notes during lab. Perform the experiments carefully and ask
questions when necessary. Make sure you understand what you did and why before you leave lab each week.
DO NOT JUST MEMORIZE DEFINITIONS – UNDERSTAND CONCEPTS. Ask questions during class and/or
office hours for clarity. I strongly encourage you to visit the Writing Lab in the Information Commons when
writing lab papers. Much of your grade on papers will be based on correct organization of a scientific paper,
BSC 2010L SYLLABUS
Dizdarevic Summer 2015
writing mechanics, effective data presentation and thorough data analysis. We will discuss these aspects in class.
You may submit (in person) a paper early for me to offer suggestions before handing in your final draft at least a
week in advance.
Library: http://www.spcollege.edu/central/libonline/ Paula Knipp, Information Resource Librarian 712-5240
knipp.paula@spcollege.edu
Learning Support Commons: http://www.spcollege.edu/tsc/learningSupport.html Karen Walker, Senior
Instructional Support Specialist 712-5753 walker.karen@spcollege.edu
Grading and Assignments
Assignments
Grading
Total Points
Midterm and Final Practicals
7 Pre-lab Quizzes
8 Lab Handouts
2 Enzyme Lab Handouts
2 DNA Lab Handouts
Enzyme Research Paper
200 points each
10 points each
10 points each
25 points total
25 points total
100 points
400 points
70 points
80 points
25 points
25 points
100 points
700 points
Final Grade
630 – 700 points
560 – 629 points
490 – 559 points
420 – 489 points
≤ 419 points
=
=
=
=
=
A
B
C
D
F
Exams. Note that exams make up a large portion of your grade. You should always know what we did in class,
why we did it, what the results were and how to interpret those results. You should know all major concepts from
handouts. There are NO makeup exams and no exams are dropped. The exams will be given at the beginning of
lab. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, you will not be permitted to take it.
Prelab Quizzes are found in MyCourses and must be completed before the start of class time. These quizzes will
include questions about the lab we will be doing and are meant to help you prepare for class. Because you have an
entire week to complete the prelab quizzes online, no prelab quiz grades will be dropped (you will be assigned a
zero if you do not complete a prelab quiz). The prelab quizzes are on Cells, Osmosis, Enzymes, Cellular
Respiration, Mitosis, Heredity and DNA Fingerprinting.
Research Papers must be done using Microsoft Word and computer-generated graphs that can be imported into
your word document (I will teach you how to graph on Excel). Your paper must be submitted both in hard
(printed) copy and electronically via MyCourses in the Dropbox. Please make sure that your electronic copy can
be opened using MS Word in the Windows platform. ALL REFERENCES must be properly cited using the CSE
format. The proper format for lab papers is covered in links provided on the lab website and in the Pechenik
textbook. The writing tutors in the Learning Support Commons can also supply you with proper CSE format and
can assist you in writing your papers. An entire biological research paper consists of an Abstract, Introduction,
Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Literature Cited and Appendix sections. You will be writing one
mini paper this term on the Enzyme labs. This mini paper will only consist of the results and discussion sections.
Lab Assignments should include supplement materials, answers to questions in the supplement, answers to
objectives, completed assignments, and notes taken and data collected during class. These will be handed in after
class unless notified otherwise. Assignments will be graded for thoroughness, accuracy, neatness, etc.
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Dizdarevic Summer 2015
No late papers or assignments will be accepted. All papers are due at the start of class time. All papers turned
in to me must have your name on it and must be stapled if more than one page. Failure to follow proper
instructions WILL result in deduction of points from the assignment. If there is a discrepancy in MyCourses
regarding your grade, you must notify me within one week or the grade stands as is.
MY EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:
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Your participation in this class is critical for the learning process.
You should read lab assignments before lab and come to class prepared to conduct the experiments and
discuss the concepts.
You should treat the opinions of others with respect and tolerance.
You should complete all assignments on time and with thoughtfulness.
You should practice academic honesty in all your work. This includes working independently on ALL
assignments unless you are told otherwise. All work you submit should be YOUR OWN. Unauthorized
collaboration will result in a zero for the assignment, which cannot be dropped as your lowest grade.
You should come to class on time and remain for the entire class.
For all classes cell phones should be turned off and put away.
Texting, web-browsing, working on projects for other classes, chatting with friends, entering and leaving
during lecture and other disruptive behaviors will NOT BE TOLERATED. You will be dismissed from
the class. Two such dismissals will result in an automatic withdrawal prior to March 26th or an “F” after
March 26th.
You should contact me promptly if there is a problem requiring my attention.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM ME:
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Meaningful assignments designed to broaden your knowledge of, and help improve your ability to
communicate your understanding of biology.
Total availability to address any concerns or issues that may interfere with the learning process.
That the class will be kept moving at a reasonable pace in order to satisfy the learning objectives.
Thoughtful and critical responses to your written assignments to further enhance your complete
understanding of the subject.
Presentation of key elements within the assigned activities to help structure and organize your ability to
learn the material.
Timely grading and posting of all class assignments.
The "Addendum to Syllabi" is an important part of your syllabus and can be accessed by using the following link.
Please take the time to read this addendum -- http://www.spcollege.edu/central/asa/addendum.htm
The instructor reserves the right to make changes where necessary to the schedule and assignments.
Changes will be announced in class and/or MyCourses. (Students need to check MyCourses regularly for
course information and are responsible to note any changes.)
BSC 2010L SYLLABUS
Dizdarevic Summer 2015
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
Date Topic
5/18
5/20
5/25
5/27
6/1
6/3
6/8
6/10
6/15
6/17
6/22
6/24
6/29
7/1
7/6
Syllabus, Introduction to Course, The Microscope Lab
Bring to class: Microscope lab handout
Homework: take Cell pre-lab Quiz
Enzyme Paper Introduction and The Cell Lab
Bring to class: The Cell lab handout
Homework: begin Enzyme Background, Research and Hypothesis handout
Memorial Day
Vernier Probes and Logger Pro Software
Bring to class: Use of Vernier’s Probes handout
Homework: take Osmosis pre-lab Quiz
Diffusion and Osmosis Lab
Bring to class: Diffusion and Osmosis lab handout
Homework: complete Enzyme Background, Research and Hypothesis handout, take Enzyme prelab Quiz
Enzyme Wetlab Part 1 (Enzyme and substrate concentration)
Bring to class: Enzyme Wetlab lab handout
Homework: begin enzyme paper, complete graphs and discussion for enzyme and substrate
concentration
Enzyme Wetlab Part 2 (pH and temperature)
Bring to class: Enzyme Wetlab lab handout
Homework: continue enzyme paper, complete graphs and discussion for pH and temperature,
begin studying for midterm practical
Enzyme Simulation Lab
Bring to class: Enzyme Simulation lab handout
Homework: finalize paper, complete graphs and discussion for enzyme simulations (due 6/15),
continue studying for midterm practical
Midterm Lab Practical
Bring to class: Final Enzyme Paper, pen/pencil and calculator
Homework: photosynthesis handout, take cellular respiration pre-lab quiz
Cellular Respiration Lab
Bring to class: Cellular respiration lab handout
Homework: take mitosis pre-lab quiz
Mitosis and Meiosis Lab
Bring to class: Mitosis & Meiosis lab handout
Homework: take heredity pre-lab quiz
Heredity Simulation CATLAB
Bring to class: Heredity Lab handout
Homework: take DNA pre-lab quiz, begin studying for final practical
Forensics VI: DNA Fingerprinting (Part 1)
Bring to class: nothing (handout will be provided)
Homework: work on DNA fingerprinting handout, continue studying for final practical
Forensics VI: DNA Fingerprinting (Part 2)
Bring to class: DNA fingerprinting handout
Homework: complete DNA fingerprinting handout, continue studying for final practical
Final Lab Practical
BSC 2010L SYLLABUS
Dizdarevic Summer 2015
BSC 2010L SYLLABUS
Dizdarevic Summer 2015