Clayton State UniversityBIOL 1107L - Principles of Biology I Laboratory
 

Course Syllabus - Spring 2011

Individuals with disabilities who need to request accommodations should contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Student Center 214, 678-466-5445, disabilityservices@mail.clayton.edu.

Course Description

Number and Title:

BIOL 1107L;  Principles of Biology I Laboratory

Credit Hours:

1.0 semester credit hours

Catalog Description:

Laboratory accompanying BIOL1107, Principles of Biology I.

Co-requisites:

BIOL1107, Principles of Biology I. Withdrawal from BIOL1107L requires withdrawal from BIOL1107 and withdrawal from BIOL1107 requires withdrawal from BIOL1107L.

Notebook 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:

In-class Use of Student Notebook Computers:

Student notebook computers will be used in this class. Outside of class, computers will be used to complete science assignments, to access the internet and class materials, to do activities on the text CD ROM, and to communicate with the instructor.

Laboratory objectives: For specific laboratory objectives, see the first page of each Lab Topic in the Laboratory Manual.

Student Learning Outcomes:

    

General education outcomes:

The following links provide tabular descriptions of the communications outcome and the critical thinking outcome components  (see BIOL1107L in the tables):

Biology outcomes:

BIOL1107L supports outcomes 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the biology major:

  • Outcome 1.  Knowledge of the basic principles of major fields of biology.
  • Outcome 2.  Mastery of a broad range of basic lab skills applicable to biology.
  • Outcome 4.  Ability to communicate orally and in writing in a clear concise manner.
  • Outcome 5.  Ability to collect, evaluate, and interpret scientific data, and employ critical thinking skills to solve problems in biological science and supporting fields.

Instructor Information:

 

Dr. Jacqueline Jordan

Office: Faculty Hall,  A28B

Phone: (478) 466-4781

E-mail:  JacquelineJordan@clayton.edu

Internet address:  http://a-s.clayton.edu/jordan/default.htm

Office hours:  Tuesday 11:05 – 12:00pm (LAB 210),  3:30 – 5:30pm (C29) and 7:45 - 8:30pm (A28B), Thursday 4:00 - 6:00pm (A28B) and 7:45 - 8:30pm (A28B)

Dr. Paul Guy Melvin
Office: Faculty Hall,  A21
Phone: (678) 466-4789
E-mail: PaulMelvin@clayton.edu
Internet address: http://a-s.clayton.edu/pmelvin/pmelvin.htm
Office hours:  TBA

Ms. Renee McFarlane

Office:  Faculty Hall,  A31E

Phone: (678) 466-4790

E-mail: ReneeMcFarlane@clayton.edu

Internet Address: http://a-s.clayton.edu/mcfarlane/default.htm

Office Hours:  Monday 3:30 - 4:30pm, Tuesday 10:00 - 12noon, Wednesday 10:00 - 1:00pm

 

Dr. Diane Day

Office:  Faculty Hall,  A 31 F

Phone: (678) 466-4794

E-mail: DianeDay@clayton.edu

Internet address:  http://a-s.clayton.edu/dday2/default.html

Office hours:  Monday 3:30 - 4:30pm (C29), Wednesday 12noon - 1:00pm (A 31F) and 3:50 - 4:50pm (C29)
                          Thursday 2:25 - 3:25pm (C29), Friday 9:50- 10:50am (C29) and 12 noon - 1:00pm (A31F)

 

CAMPUS MAP
 

Course Number Section Days Times Building* Room Instructor
24398 02 Mon 10:00am- 12:50 pm Business and Health C29 McFarlane
24399 03 Mon 2:00 - 4:50 pm Business and Health C29 Day
24382 01 Tues 8:15 - 11:05am Business and Health C29 Melvin
24405 04 Tues 12:35 - 3:25pm Business and Health C29 Jordan

*See campus map above

Textbook Information and Lab Supplies:

Required text: Investigating Biology, Sixth Edition, Morgan/Carter, 2008

Lab Supplies:  Safety Goggles and Laboratory Notebook

Evaluation:

Item Percentage
2 Lab Practical Exams @ 50 points 50%
Lab reports, Lab Quizzes, Attendance/Class Participation & other graded work 50%
Total 100%

*Guidelines for Lab Reports

Sample Lab Report

 

Grading:

Your final grade will be determined as follows:

Grade Percentage Range
A 90 - 100%
B 80 - 89%
C 70 - 79%
D 60 - 69%
F below 60%

 

Tentative Course Schedule*:

Investigating Biology, Sixth Edition, Morgan/Carter, 2008

WEEK OF LAB TITLE TOPIC
January 10 NO LAB THIS WEEK,
January 17 NO LAB THIS WEEK, Martin Luther King Holiday,  January 17th

DOWNLOAD LABORATORY MATERIALS FOR THE UPCOMING LABS
January 24 Introduction & Lab Safety

LAB 1: Scientific Investigation

 Lab Manual: Topic 1
Lab 1 Pre-lab objectives
Lab 1 Lab objectives
Lab 1 Data/graph sheets
January 31 LAB 2: Modeling the Chemistry of Water Modeling the chemistry of water
Lab 2 Pre-lab objectives
Lab 2A Water worksheet 
Lab 2B Chemical Bonding- by instructor request
February 7 LAB 3: Molecular Biology

Lab Manual: Topic 10
Lab 3 Pre-lab objectives
Lab 3 report sheet

Size marker and picture of gel

Plasmid Vectors, Viral DNAs and Bacteriophage
pUC19 plasmid map
pUC19 location of sites
February 14

 

 LAB 4: Microscopes and Cells Lab Manual:  Topic 2
Lab 4 Pre-lab objectives
Lab 4 Lab objectives
February 21 LAB 5: Diffusion & Osmosis Lab Manual:  Topic 3
Lab 5 Pre-lab objectives
Lab 5 Lab objectives
Lab 5 data sheets


Lab report rubric--Print and turn in with lab report.

 Use the lab report guide to write a lab report.
February 28 Lab Practical I LAB PRACTICAL 1:  All labs prior to the midterm
  FRIDAY March 4 LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW AND RECEIVE A W grade
SPRING BREAK March 5 - March 12 (No classes)
March 14 LAB 6: Enzymes & Protein Folding Lab Manual: Topic 4
Lab 6 Pre-lab objectives
Lab 6 Lab objectives
Lab 6 data sheets
 Protein folding worksheet
March 21 LAB 7: Cellular Respiration & Fermentation Lab Manual: Topic 5
Lab 7 Pre-lab objectives
Lab 7 Lab objectives
Lab 7 data sheets
Lab 7 lab hints
Fermentation diagram 1
Fermentation diagram 2
March 28 LAB 8: Photosynthesis Lab Manual: Topic 6
Lab 8 Pre-lab objectives
Lab 8 Lab objectives
Lab 8 data sheets
Lab 8 lab hints 

Lab report rubric--Print and turn in with lab report.

Use the lab report guide to write a lab report.
April 4 LAB 9: Mitosis and Meiosis

Topic 7
Mitosis review

Tutorial
Look at the onion root tip (mitosis) and lily (meiosis)
The other components are also good practice
There is an exercise to test simulate mitosis and meiosis (CDCK) that is good practice.

Lab 9 Pre-lab objectives
Lab 9 Lab objectives
 Corn genetics-Pre-lab/Lab objectives
                         report sheet
April 11 LAB 10:  Gene Expression

Modeling DNA and transcription/translation
Bring your textbook to lab; you do not need your lab manual this week
 Lab 10 Pre-lab objectives
Lab 10 DNA worksheet

Lab 10 Transcription/Translation worksheet
April 18 Lab Practical II LAB PRACTICAL 2 (All labs since the midterm)

 

*This schedule is tentative and may change.

Instructor Prep -students do not have access 

Lab Technician Prep -students do not have access

CLASSROOM REGULATIONS AND POLICIES:

 

Students must abide by policies in the Clayton State University Student Handbook, and the Basic Undergraduate Student Responsibilities.

  1. Attendance is required.  Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each lab period and will count as part of your course grade.  For every lab section you attend, you will earn 2 points, for a total of 20.  Students who are more than 5 minutes late will be considered tardy and only earn 1 point for that day.  Students who are more than 10 minutes late will be considered absent and earn 0 points for that day.  If you are absent from a lab, you are still responsible for the missed material for exams, quizzes, notebook, lab report, etc.  You cannot get any points for any work pertaining to the lab that was missed (quizzes, assignments, etc.).  You are expected to come prepared for all labs.  Each week you must download and bring all laboratory materials to class (pre- and post- lab objectives, lab hints, data tables, worksheets, etc.).   Students who do not attend regularly and are unprepared generally do not do well in the course.

  2. Students with a valid excuse may attend another lab section with permission of both instructors.  This is only available to those students who have a valid, written excuse.  The only absences that are excusable are for illness (requiring a doctors note), accident (requiring note from the police), and legal reasons (requiring a note from the judge), and work obligations outside of the ordinary (requiring a note from your boss).  The following are examples of absences that are NOT excusable:  travel (including leaving for break early or coming back late) or any type of appointment (doctor, dental, eye, etc.).  Labs meet for 3 hours.  Appointments should not be scheduled during lab time. 

  3. Quizzes will be given at the beginning of class.  Students who are late must remain outside of the classroom until the quiz is finished and will receive a grade of zero.  There are no make-up quizzes.  A quiz may be based on your attendance on a particular day.  Quizzes, including attendance quizzes, may be unannounced.

  4. Lab Practical exams start at the beginning of class.  The instructor may permit a student to begin late if the excuse is reasonable.  Students who are more than 10 minutes late will not be allowed to begin the exam. There are no make-up exams.  With a valid excuse (see #2 above) you may attend another section with the permission of both instructors.  Students are expected to take both lab practical exams.

  5. Assignments are due at the beginning of class.  No exceptions.  Assignments may be turned in up to 24 hours late for half credit.

  6. Keeping a lab notebook is required.  For each lab you are responsible for completion of the pre-lab and post-lab objectives in your notebook.  Pre-lab objectives or pre-lab quizzes should be completed for that week's lab prior to coming to lab.  Post -lab objectives should be begun during the current lab.  With permission of the lab instructor, they can be completed at home and should be present in the lab notebook by the following lab period.  Lab notebooks will be checked for completion.  The notebooks will be excellent study guides for the practical exams.  

  7. No cellular telephones, pagers, instant messaging devices, etc.  One point will be deducted from your total earned points each time your device makes an audible sound.  One point will be added to each student’s total earned points if the instructor’s phone makes an audible sound.  If a student’s cell phone makes and audible noise during an exam or quiz, that student will lose ten points from his or her total earned points. 

  8. No talking while the instructor or another student is talking.  Students repeatedly violating this policy will be asked to leave the classroom for being disruptive.

  9. Computers are for note-taking, research, or other class related activities only.  Students using them for surfing the internet, checking email, playing games, etc will be asked to turn them off.  On subsequent offenses, the student may be asked to leave the classroom for being disruptive.

  10. Visitors are not permitted without the instructor’s permission.  Children are not allowed in the classroom at anytime.

  11. No form of academic dishonesty will be tolerated in this course.  The most common forms are cheating and plagiarism, but any type of activity that is considered dishonest by reasonable standards will constitute academic dishonesty.  You will be working in groups this semester and share similar data.  When preparing laboratory reports and assignments all text and explanations should be in your own works.   The minimum penalty is a grade of zero on the work involved.  The maximum penalty is expulsion from the university.  Be aware that students found in violation of the university’s academic dishonesty code have lost scholarships, athletic eligibility, and/or their U.S. student visa (if an international student).  All forms of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs for investigation.  Judicial procedures are described at http://adminservices.clayton.edu/judicial/.

  12. No form of disruptive behavior will be tolerated in this class.  While a variety of behaviors can be disruptive in a classroom setting, more serious examples include belligerent, abusive, profane, and/or threatening behavior.  A student who fails to respond to reasonable faculty direction regarding classroom behavior and/or is found to be repeatedly disruptive while participating in classroom activities may be dismissed from class.  A student who is dismissed is entitled to due process and will be afforded such rights as soon as possible following dismissal.  If found in violation, a student may be administratively withdrawn and may receive a grade of WF.  For more information, please refer to: http://as.clayton.edu/DisruptiveClassroomBehavior.htm

 

Common examples of disruptive behavior include, but are not limited to:

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:

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.

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.

 

Changes or additions to this syllabus, including reading, exam schedule, grading, and course policies can be made at the discretion of the instructor at any time.

Last update: January 25, 2011