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Course
description:
Number and
title:
BIOL 1108L,
Principles of Biology II (CRN 87024, 87025)
Credit
hours: 1.0
semester credit hours
Catalog
description: Laboratory accompanying BIOL 1108
Course
pre-requisite:
BIOL1107
and BIOL1107L
Course
co-requisite:
BIOL1108,
Principles of Biology II. Withdrawal from BIOL1108L requires
withdrawal from BIOL1108 and withdrawal from BIOL1108 requires withdrawal
from BIOL1108L.
Course as a
pre-requisite: Note: A grade of "C" or better is required
for higher level courses in the biology major.
Computer
requirement: Each CSU student is required to
have ready access throughout the semester to a notebook computer that meets
faculty-approved hardware and software requirements for the student's academic
program. Students will sign a statement attesting to such access. For
further information on CSU's Official Notebook Computer Policy, please go to http://itpchoice.clayton.edu/policy.htm
.
Computer
skill prerequisites:
You
must be able to use Windows, Microsoft Word, Outlook Express (including
attaching and retrieving files via e-mail), a Web browser, and Microsoft Excel
Laboratory objectives:
For specific laboratory
objectives, see the handouts linked on the course schedule
General education outcomes:
Communication Outcomes:
Students will gain a
knowledge base of basic principles of biology, including evolution, population
genetics, characteristics of major groups of organisms, anatomy and growth of
vascular plants, diversity of invertebrate phyla, vertebrate anatomy and
physiology for selected systems, and basic ecological principles . Students
will communicate their ideas orally and in written form using digital arts in
lab reports and assignments, and on lab practicals.
Critical thinking: Students will apply
their knowledge to solve problems presented in lab, on practical exams and in
their lab reports and assignments.
Biology outcomes:
- Knowledge of the basic principles of major fields of
biology (Biology outcome #1)
- Mastery of a broad range of basic lab skills
applicable to biology (Biology outcome #2)
- Ability to communicate orally and in writing in a
clear, concise manner (Biology outcome #4)
- Ability to collect, evaluate and interpret scientific
data, and employ critical thinking to solve problems in biological
science. (Biology outcome #5)
- Ability to function effectively on
team-oriented projects. (Biology outcome #6)
Textbook information:
Required texts:
A Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory,
Sixth Edition, Van De Graaff and Crawley, 2008
Simbiotic Software EcoBeaker and EvoBeaker, Lab
CDs and Workbooks for Darwinian Snails, Flowers and Trees, Sickle-cell
Alleles, and Keystone Predator 101
A lab notebook to record
observations, develop experimental hypotheses, and record
protocols and results.
Course schedule:
The course schedule is listed on a
separate page. Be sure to check it often to keep track of any
changes in the due dates of assignments and exams during the
semester. Due dates for assignments may be changed at the
instructor's discretion. You are responsible for keeping track of
due dates and turning in your work when it is required.
Course policies:
University Attendance Policy:
Students are expected to attend and participate in every
class meeting. Instructors establish specific policies relating to
absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the students
through the course syllabi. Individual instructors, based upon the
nature of the course, determine what effect excused and unexcused
absences have in determining grades and upon students’ ability to remain
enrolled in their courses. The university reserves the right to
determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are
sufficient cause for institutional withdrawals or failing grades.
Class Attendance Policy: Each student must attend the
assigned laboratory weekly for 2 hrs & 50 min.
- You are expected to remain in lab for 2 hr & 50 min weekly,
so do not schedule other appointments during this time. Attendance will be
checked at each lab period.
- Due to limited space and resources, labs CANNOT be
made up. However, you may attend lab in the other lab section if you have
a valid excuse and with the permission of the instructor.
If you miss lab, you must have a written excuse (that I can keep)
from an authority (doctor, judge, funeral director etc.). With the written
excuse, the missed points for the laboratory will not count against you.
You
cannot turn in a lab report or lab assignment for a lab that you did not
attend.
- If you miss lab, you are responsible for the lab
material on the lab practical.
- If you miss the lab practical altogether and have an
excused absence, notify the instructor immediately by e-mail, and see the
instructor upon your return to school.
- Except under extenuating circumstances, you will be
counted absent if you are more than 20 minutes late and will not be able
to turn in the lab assignment or complete a lab report for that lab.
- No eating, or drinking
is permitted at any time in the laboratory.
Cheating and plagiarism: All work that you turn in
must be in
your own words and must be your own work. If
your brainpower did not generate what you turn in, it is considered
cheating. The following are examples of cheating: copying the
work of another person, allowing another person to do your assignment,
working in a group on a graded item, copying or closely paraphrasing
referenced sources, using anything but your brainpower on an exam, etc.
Cheating in any form will result in a zero on the assignment and
academic misconduct forms will be filed with the Office of Student
Conduct for any violation.
Disciplinary procedures are described at
http://adminservices.clayton.edu/studentconduct/.
Lab exercises: You are expected to
prepare for the current week's lab topic prior to lab so that you will already
be familiar with the subject matter. This will enable to you to work through
the lab on your own, asking the instructor when you have questions. You
may be responsible for bringing in a representative organism from the group of
organisms that we are studying. You will be notified of this one week in
advance of the due date. You are responsible for printing handouts and
bringing them to lab.
Late assignments: Lab reports will be
accepted late using the following chart for subtracting points. Lab reports
will not be accepted more than one week after they are due. Turn in all of
your lab materials together. No supplemental materials may be added once you
have turned in you lab report or assignment.
E-mail: Important messages and
announcements will be sent to you via your CSU account. You must activate
your account and check your e-mail regularly. If you cannot use your CSU
account, it is your responsibility to send me an alternate e-mail address.
You are responsible for all e-mails sent to the class
list.
Website: Check my web page (http://a-s.clayton.edu/bmusolf/)
regularly for new postings. Handouts and other important items will be posted
on the syllabus for this class. It your responsibility to print these
handouts before coming to lab.
Making up missed work:
-
Exams can only be made up if
they are accompanied by an excuse from a competent authority, i.e.,
a judge, physician or coroner. The excuse must be an original
and not a copy.
Make-up examinations will
be given only if they are taken before graded examinations are
returned to students (usually the next class period).
In the event
that a make-up examination cannot be taken before exams are returned to
students, the missed examination will not count in calculating the course
grade. This means that other graded work will be responsible for a
greater weight in determining the course final grade. The
format of make-up exams will be up to the discretion of the instructor.
- Provided you have a valid excuse,
you may only exempt one exam. If you fail to make up more than
one exam, you will need to withdraw from the course.
- In the event of a serious accident, birth of a baby,
death of a family member, or jury duty, written documentation is required for
the length of time absent.
- Routine doctor visits (i.e., annual eye exam, cleaning
of teeth, etc.) should not be scheduled during class time.
- If you know you have a conflict prior to a scheduled
test, see the instructor to arrange to take the exam prior to that
day.
- Please contact instructor ASAP if
you miss an exam.
Quizzes and exams:
- Quizzes and exams will be given at
the beginning of the class period. If you come in late and the exam is still in
progress, you may take the exam, but you will not be given any additional time
to work. You must turn in your work when time is called.
- All electronic
devices including cell phones, palm pilots, pagers, calculators, etc. are not
allowed during exams or quizzes unless indicated by the instructor. Possession and/or use of these items
during an exam or quiz will result in a zero on the graded activity.
Cell phones:
- Cell phones should be turned off
during exams and quizzes and should not be used to keep track of
time. Failure to turn off your cell phone or use of your cell phone
will result in a zero on the exam or quiz.
- During class time, if there is an
emergency that you ay be monitoring, you may keep you phone on
vibrate. If your cell phone rings during class, the entire class
will lose a point towards their final grade.
Disruptive Classroom Behavior1:
Disruptive behavior in the classroom can negatively effect the classroom
environment as well as the educational experience for students enrolled in the
course. Disruptive behavior is defined as any behaviors that hamper the ability
of instructors to teach or students to learn. Common examples of disruptive
behaviors include, but are not limited to:
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Eating in class |
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Monopolizing classroom discussions |
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Failing to respect the rights of other students to express their
viewpoints |
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Talking when the instructor or others are speaking |
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Constant questions or interruptions which interfere with the
instructor’s presentation |
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Overt inattentiveness (e.g., sleeping or reading the paper in class) |
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Creating excessive noise |
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Entering the class late or leaving early |
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Use of pagers or cell phones in the classroom |
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Inordinate or inappropriate demands for time or attention |
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Poor personal hygiene (e.g., noticeably offensive body odor) |
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Refusal to comply with faculty direction |
Students exhibiting these types of behaviors can expect a
warning from the instructor or dismissal for the lesson in which the behavior
occurs. Failure to correct such behaviors can result in dismissal from the
course.
More extreme examples of disruptive behavior include, but
are not limited to:
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Use of profanity or pejorative language |
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Intoxication |
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Verbal abuse of instructor or other students (e.g., taunting, badgering,
intimidation) |
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Harassment of instructor or other students |
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Threats to harm oneself or others |
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Physical violence
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Students exhibiting these more extreme examples of
disruptive behavior may be dismissed from the lesson or the entire course.
Students dismissed from a lesson will leave the classroom
immediately or may be subject to additional penalties. Dismissed students are
responsible for any course material or assignments missed.
Students dismissed from a course have the right to appeal
the dismissal to the department head responsible for the course. Appeals beyond
the department head may also be pursued. If no appeal is made or the appeal is
unsuccessful, the student will receive a grade o WF (withdrawal – failing)
regardless of the current grade in the course.
Conditions attributed to physical or psychological disabilities are not
considered as a legitimate excuse for disruptive behavior.
1 The description of disruptive behavior and
listings of examples of disruptive behavior are taken from the Web sites of
James Madison University, the University of Delaware and Virginia Tech. |
