LB145
Sec 001-004
Today’s Outline
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Biology Assessment
Introductions
Syllabus / Course Overview
Class Meetings
Introductory Activities
What’s coming up in the next
few weeks
About Me: Who am I?
• Dr. Pete White
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email: pwhite@msu.edu
Office: E186 [and] NKL 111
Office Hours: TTh 9-10am
http://tiny.cc/lb145
About You: Who are you?
Syllabus / Course Overview
• This is your education – you have input!
– Periodical anonymous feedback on teaching and
learning.
– Guided independent inquiry in labs.
– Flexible grade weightings.
Syllabus / Course Overview
• What are “flexible grade weightings?”
• There are 750 gradepoints in this course.
– 300 are earned in lab (non-flexible).
– 450 are earned in “lecture” (flexible).
Syllabus / Course Overview
Default
Option
StudyNotes
Option
Exams
Option
Midterm Exam 1
50
50
50
Midterm Exam 2
75
60
90
Midterm Exam 3
75
60
90
Final Exam
100
80
120
StudyNotes
50
100
0
In-Class Exercises
30
30
30
Homework
70
70
70
LECTURE TOTAL
450
450
450
Exams
67%
56%
78%
Study Notes
11%
22%
0%
Exercises + Homework
22%
22%
22%
Syllabus / Course Overview
• What are “flexible grade weightings?”
• There are 750 gradepoints in this course.
– 300 are earned in lab (non-flexible).
– 450 are earned in “lecture” (flexible).
• How and when do I choose?
– Choices are made after Exam 1 (by Jan 31st)
– You will be given a piece of paper, indicate your
choice and sign.
Syllabus / Course Overview
• What are StudyNotes?
– Go to http://tiny.cc/lb145
– Click on Syllabus and look under sub-heading
STUDYNOTES…
Syllabus / Course Overview
Syllabus / Course Overview
• Your FIRST StudyNotes Assignment is due on
THURSDAY, Jan 10th.
• You need to summarize Chapters 6.3 and 6.4
of the textbook.
• *See the example on the website for
guidance.
Syllabus / Course Overview
• Midterm Exam 1 is on Thursday January 24th
http://tiny.cc/lb145
– Mini-Exam
– Covers first ~ three weeks of class.
– 50 points
– Short Answers + Long Answers
– Consult your StudyNotes and Study Questions on
the website
Syllabus / Course Overview
• Other important dates:
http://tiny.cc/lb145
– Midterm Exam 1 is on Thursday January 24th
• Last day to drop course w/ refund February 1st
– Midterm Exam 2: Thursday February 28th
• Spring Break is March 4th - 8th
– Midterm Exam 3: Thursday April 11th
– Final Exam: Monday April 29th, 12:45-2:45 pm
Homework
• SIX homework assignments throughout the
year.
• Your grade is split between the quality of work
you hand in AND your ability to evaluate
someone else’s work.
• More details on this next week.
• I may use TurnItIn for homework assignments in this
course.
• When I do:
– I will openly disclose use of Turnitin in this course on the
syllabus and at the time assignments are announced.
– For a given assignment, I will use Turnitin for all papers.
– I will make the final determination of originality and
integrity.
– To ensure privacy, I will ask students to remove
identification (e.g. names & student numbers) from
submissions.
Syllabus / Course Overview
• Clickers!
– You need a
clicker.
– You must
register your
clicker.
– iClicker.com
Syllabus / Course Overview
• Honors Option!
Something cool?
t.b.a.
Class Meetings
Class Meeting Overview
• General course structure:
– Tuesdays: lecture and class activities
• Short lecturing blocks interspersed with clicker
questions, minute papers, discussions, etc.
– Thursdays: activities and problem solving
• Molecular Sculpting, Match’Em, Trivia Game,
DYKWYTYK, etc.
Class Meeting Overview
• WHY not just lecture?
– Whoever does the most work learns the most.
Attention Span Study
Johnstone & Percival
• Observed 12 lecturers over 90 lectures.
• Within 10-18 minutes students lost interest.
• Attention span decreased over the course of
the lecture.
– By the end, attention span was about 3-4 minutes.
Classroom Environment
Your Task: Create a classroom code of conduct.
WRITE DOWN:
List 3 behaviors that we should include in a classroom
code of conduct. Think about what others can do to
disrupt your learning and/or what other can do to
enhance your learning.
I will compile the results. We will review them on
Thursday and vote on them as classroom code of
conduct policy guidelines.
Teaching Expectations
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Class begins at 12:40 and ends at 2:00.
Be respectful of students and student learning.
I will be organized and prepared.
I will follow the syllabus.
I will maintain and foster a respectful and
inclusive learning environment.
• I will respect the classroom code of conduct
policy guidelines voted on by the class.
How to Prepare for Class
• Complete StudyNotes.
– I will not cover 100% of the course material in
Tuesday lectures.
• Do study questions and homework.
• I will not always post PowerPoint slides before
class.
Learning
What are your learning goals?
• Develop a list of 3 goals you hope to achieve
in this course. List the goals as statements
about knowledge skills, behaviors or interests.
What are MY goals for your learning?
• I want you to learn everything you can about
proteins.
• I want you to learn everything you can about
proteins.
• I want you to be able to describe complex
micro-biological systems.
• The course is divided into three units:
Unit 1: Cells and Organelles;
Membranes and Lipids
Unit 2: Cellular Bioenergetics
Unit 3: DNA, Gene Expression and
Everything in Between
Think about Learning….
• What is learning?
Learning Survey
1.) What is learning? Write a 1-2 sentence
definition of learning.
Learning Survey
2.) Suppose you have a younger cousin who will
be a freshman at MSU next year. She solicits
advice from you on how to learn in college.
Drawing on your understanding of learning,
list 4 recommendations for your friend that
would lead to better learning. Explain your
reasoning for each of these items.
Introductory Activity
• The case of PARALYIC SHELLFISH POISONING
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is primarily associated
with bivalve mollusks (such as mussels, clams, oysters and
scallops). These shellfish are filter feeders and, therefore,
accumulate neurotoxins, called Saxitoxin, produced by
microscopic algae, such as dinoflagellates, diatoms, and
cyanobacteria…. Human toxicity and mortality can occur
after ingestion of affected shellfish.
The principal toxin responsible for PSP is saxitoxin. Some
shellfish can store this toxin for several weeks after a
harmful algal bloom passes, but others, are known to
store the toxin for up to two years. PSP acts primarily on
the nervous system.
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
PSP can be fatal in some cases, particularly in
immunocompromised individuals and children.
Symptoms can appear ten to 30 minutes after
ingestion, and include nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, abdominal pain, tingling or burning
lips, gums, tongue, face, neck, arms, legs, and
toes. Shortness of breath, dry mouth, a choking
feeling, confused or slurred speech, and loss of
coordination are also possible.
Saxitoxin Sensitivity vs. Saxitoxin Resistance
Not all clams are resistant to
saxitoxin:
(dead clams )
Resistant clams accumulate
saxitoxin and are harmful to
humans.
Minute paper:
• From a cell and molecular biology perspective,
why are some clams resistant to saxitoxin while
others are sensitive?
HINTS:
• Resistant clams have the genotype DE or DD.
• Sensitive clams have the genotype EE.
(What does D do?)
Answer the following questions:
1. What is a protein?
2. Draw a protein.
3. What does a protein do?
Question:
What is a Protein?
Answer:
A chain of amino acids.
Question:
What does a protein look like?
Answer:
There are many ways to visualize a protein:
Question:
What do the D and E alleles do?
Answer:
They code for different variants of a protein. One
version of the protein results in resistance to
saxitoxin.
Proteins
• Everything we will learn in LB145 relates to
proteins.
• Unit 1: Proteins and membranes/organelles
• Unit 2: Proteins and energy
• Unit 3: Proteins and DNA
Proteins are everywhere and do
almost everything.
Unit 1: Cells and Organelles;
Membranes and Lipids
• Lipids and Lipid
biolayers
• Fluid Mosaic Models
• How does stuff get into
and out of cells?
• How does stuff move
around within cells?
Campbell 8e, Fig. 6.12
Building Mental Models
• Think about a cell
membrane – how
would you draw one?
Membrane?
Membrane?
Cell membrane
Building Mental Models
Looking Ahead..
Looking Ahead..
Due on Thursday:
• Get the Lab Book! Lab starts on Jan. 9th/10th
• Bring your folder (with name, artifact & descriptor).
• Study Notes are due on Jan 10th.
– READ  Freeman Biology, Sec 6.1-6.4
– Make notes on
Carbonless paper
for sections 6.3-6.4.
– You can find carbonless
notebooks on Amazon.com
and at most bookstores.
• Register your clicker.
• CATME (by midnight tonight)