General Biology 101 Syllabus
January 2013
Welcome to General Biology! This session I invite you to explore with me the nature of
science and its application to everyday life. We will address questions such as
 How has the sequencing of the human genome revolutionized science and
medicine?
 How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, and what can we do about it?
 What is the evidence for global warming, and how will this issue affect science
and society?
Professor:
Dr. Kristen Short, Science Center Room 216
KHshort@manchester.edu
260-982-5183
Office Hours:
MTWRF 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, or by appointment
Class Meetings:
MTWRF 8:30 am – 11:20 am in ACEN 101
Course Description: This course is designed to give students basic knowledge of biology, with
an emphasis on helping students to make connections between science and
everyday life. In addition, this course is a Manchester Core course (C4NB), which means that it satisfies general liberal arts education goals. It
also emphasizes writing, which means that we will spend significant time
on writing assignments that will help you to simultaneously deepen your
understanding of biological principles while also developing your written
communication skills.
Required books:
Smith, Gina. The Genomics Age. New York: Amacom, 2005.
Salyers, Abigail and Whitt, Dixie. Revenge of the Microbes.
Washington, D.C.: ASM Press, 2005.
National Geographic Learning. Climate Change. Belmont: Brooks/Cole,
2013.
Grading:
Daily learning outcomes, 25 at 3 pts each
Quizzes, 3 at 25 pts each
Tests, 3 at 50 pts each
Bacteria experiment summary
Bacteria news report
Genomics debate
Genomics paper
Climate change presentation
Climate change paper
Discussion participation, 15 days at 3 pts each
Total
75 pts
75 pts
150 pts
25 pts
50 pts
50 pts
50 pts
50 pts
50 pts
45 pts
620 pts
Grading Scale:
92.5 - 100% = A
90 - 92.5% = A87.5 – 90% = B+
82.5 – 87.5% = B
80 – 82.5% = B77.5 – 80% = C+
72.5 – 77.5% = C
70 – 72.5% = C67.5 – 70% = D+
62.5 – 67.5% = D
60 – 62.5% = DBelow 60% = F
Attendance:
Prompt attendance and active participation are expected in this course,
especially because most of our learning will take place in a collaborative
environment that is difficult to duplicate outside class. I will take
attendance every day, and any student who misses more than 2 days of
class will be deducted a letter grade from his/her final course grade
for each additional day missed.
Late Work:
Any assignment turned in after the class period during which it was
due will be deducted 20% of its value for each day that it is late, with
no exceptions unless documentation is provided within 24 hours.
Academic Honesty: Honesty and academic integrity are expected from every Manchester
College student. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be
handled as outlined in the Student Handbook.
Special Needs:
Manchester College, in compliance with federal guidelines, is committed
to assuring students with disabilities equal access to programs and
activities that are provided to students without disabilities. Any student
who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a
disability should contact Bonnie O’Connell, the director of services for
students with disabilities, to establish eligibility and to coordinate
reasonable accommodations. It is the student’s responsibility to selfdisclose their disability. Students whose accommodation requests are
approved will be provided with confidential letters to deliver to their
professors which verify the nature of the student’s disability and
documents the need for auxiliary aids and services and/or academic
adjustments/accommodations. Students are encouraged to meet with each
professor early in the semester to discuss the academic implications of the
disability as they relate to the specific course and to request appropriate
accommodation. The Disabilities Office is located in the Success Center
(second floor of the Union; telephone 982-5076) to schedule an
appointment.
What you can expect from your professor:
1. I will be prepared for class, and start and end the class on time.
2. I will stick to the syllabus schedule, topics, and exam schedule as closely as possible.
3. I will do my part to make sure class time is valuable to the students who attend.
4. I will abide by the grading scale and course policies listed in the syllabus.
5. I will answer email questions from students within 24 hours during the work week.
6. I will listen to in-class questions from students and will answer them thoroughly, if relevant
to the topic being discussed. If I do not know the answer, I will find it out and report back.
7. I will grade student exams and return these to the students promptly.
8. I will be respectful, civil, and professional in my dealings with students.
What I expect from students:
1. Students will be prepared for class and participate fully in group activities.
2. Students will arrive for class, be in their seats, and ready to begin on time. Late students will
find a seat quickly and quietly. Students will stay until the end of class and will not pack up
before that time.
3. Students will turn off all music, communication, and game devices during class. Laptops will
be used only for taking notes (no Facebook, instant messaging, internet surfing, etc.).
Inappropriate use of these devices during class will result in the student being asked to leave
class. If you need to be reached on an emergency basis, let me know ahead of time.
4. Students will not disturb the learning of other students in class by talking when other students
or I am talking, except during group activities.
5. Students will keep track of their progress in the course and let me know how I can help them
improve their progress.
6. Students will keep in mind that the course policies, exam dates, and grading scale apply to all
students equally, and will not ask for special treatment, except as detailed in special needs
policy above.
7. Students will be respectful and civil with other students and the professor, and conduct
themselves with personal integrity and honesty.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Date
Activities
Thurs. Jan. 3
Intro, syllabus
Small small world discussion
Hypothesis testing/experimental design
Fri. Jan. 4
Revenge of the Microbes Ch. 1
Set up bacteria experiments
Revenge of the Microbes Ch. 2,3
Mon. Jan. 7
Review bacteria experiments
Infection Case
Revenge of the Microbes Ch. 4
Quiz 1
Tues. Jan. 8
How antibiotics work (Ch. 5-7)
MRSA Case
Experiment Summary
Wed. Jan. 9
Revenge of the Microbes Ch. 8, 10
Super Bug Case
News Report
Thurs. Jan. 10
Test 1
DNA extraction activity
Genomics Age Ch. 1
Test 1
Fri. Jan. 11
Genomics Age Ch. 2
Genomics Age Ch. 3
Genomics Age Ch. 4
Mon. Jan. 14
Druid Dracula Case
Genomics Age Ch. 5
Genomics Age Ch. 6
Tues. Jan. 15
Genomics Age Ch. 7
Breast Cancer Case, Genetic Testing Case
Genomics Age Ch. 8
Wed. Jan. 16
Stem Cell Case
Genomics Age Ch. 9
Genomics Age Ch. 10
Thurs. Jan. 17
Test 2, Debates
Under the Sun
Rising Temps Case
Due
Quiz 2
Test 2
Debate Paper
Fri. Jan. 18
GCC Evidence Case
IPCC Report
Paleoclimatology Case
Mon. Jan. 21
GCC Impact Case
Saving Energy
Viking Weather
Tues. Jan. 22
The Coming Storm
Can China Go Green?
Presentation Prep
Wed. Jan. 23
Presentations
Final Exam
Quiz 3
Test 3, Presentations
Paper Due
***All items subject to change. Students will be responsible for all changes announced in
class.***