Syllabus
Principles of Genetics Spring Semester 2009
BIO 304 Sections 001, 002, and 003
Class web site: http://web.as.uky.edu/Biology/faculty/mirabito/BIO%20304%20SPRING%202009/bio_304_spring_2009.htm
or use
Instructor
Pete Mirabito, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Biology
Room 319 T.H. Morgan Bldg
Phone: 257-7642
Email: pmmira00@uky.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays 12:00 to 12:50 Room 319 T.H. Morgan Bldg
Prerequisites: BIO 150, BIO 315. I teach accordingly.
Class Meeting Times and Places (also see detailed schedule on page 5)
Lecutures: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:00AM to 10:50AM Room 116 T.H. Morgan Building.
Recitations: Section 001: Thusdays 9:00AM to 10:50AM Rm 108 T.H. Morgan Building
Section
002: Thusdays 11:00AM to 12:50PM Rm 108
Section
003: Thusdays 2:00PM to 3:50PM Rm 108
Tests: Fridays, 10:00AM to 10:50AM Room 116 T.H. Morgan Building.
Text, Study Guide, and other
Genetics: Analysis of gene and genomes, Hartl and Jones, 6th Edition, (ISBN 0763715115)
Student Solutions Manual and Supplementary Problems, by Elena R. Lozovsky (ISBN 0763729310)
Chapters 14 and 27, from Principles of Genetics, Snustad and Simmons, Fourth Edition.
Chapter 9 from Thompson and Thompson Medical Genetics, Seventh Edition
Other Genetic Research/Education Resources:
Jones and Bartlet web site http://biology.jbpub.com/book/genetics/links.cfm
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) http://www.genome.gov/Education/
The
Course Description (also see Class Schedule): This course should provide you with the basic knowledge and analytical skills needed to understand the principles of modern genetics and apply them to appropriate situations in your personal and professional lives. You should gain an understanding of the fundamental concepts of genetics as they pertain to the nature of genes, genomes, and chromosomes, the mechanisms of recombination and mutation, the patterns of Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance, and phenotypic variation within populations. I emphasize examples from human genetics to illustrate and reinforce genetic principles, however; examples from other classic genetic research organisms will also be covered.
To learn genetics, you must read genetics and work problems in genetics every week. I have facilitated the learning process by organizing the course such that you HAVE to read genetics and work genetic problems every week (see Weekly Schedule, below). In addition to doing the assigned work, I hope that you facilitate your learning of genetics by being curious and following up on your curiosity of genetic phenomena. What’s a gene? What is the basis of the phenotypic variation in the plants and animals around us? Why do mutations occur? How do mutations contribute to variation in individuals and populations? What information has been learned from the Human Genome Project? What don’t we know about our own genome? What’s a QTL? What’s a SNP? What is genetic drift? Ask questions, and then DONT REST UNTIL YOU GET THE ANSWERS! You have all the resources of the University at your disposal.
Weekly
Schedule for BIO 304
Monday Lectures: I will cover the principles of genetics most relevant to that week’s topic. I will not attempt to recite all the material from the assigned reading in lecture, however; you will be held responsible for all the material assigned. There will be a key word/concept list and assigned study questions for each topic to guide your voyage through each topic (see Study Guides and Key Terms & Concepts Lists below).
Wednesday Lectures: I will present examples of how the principles covered in Monday’s lecture are applied in the real world and in solving problems in genetics. I will work examples of the main types of problems associated with each topic during Wednesday’s lecture.
Thursday Recitations: I will field questions about the key terms, concepts, and problems. This is your last chance to ask me about each topic before taking the test on that topic the next day.
Friday is Test Day! You will take a test on the topic for that week. The test will consist of two parts. The first part will be 10 matching questions based on the Key Terms & Concepts List. You will be given a list of 20 terms/concepts from which to choose. The second part will be three problem solving/short essay questions. The problems will be similar (although not necessarily identical) to problems assigned in the Study Guide. Tests will be graded and returned to you on the following Monday. Matching questions are worth 2 points each and problems solving/essay questions will be worth 10 points each (50 points total on each test).
Study Guides and Key Terms &
Concepts Lists
To help you learn the material and perform well on tests, I have provided two types of files on the course web site: the Study Guide and the Key Terms & Concepts Lists. The Study Guides provides information on the reading assignment and the questions and problems that you will have to be able to answer to learn the material and do well on tests. The Study Guides also groups questions together into sections with headings that match the sections in the reading. When you have trouble answering one of these questions, go back to that section of the text and use that information to help you with the problem: DON”T IMMEDIATELY LOOK UP THE ANSWER! Looking up the answer before working out the answer yourself will guarantee that you will not understand how to work that question on the test. If a question stumps you, ask about that question during recitation on Thursday.
What should you get out of BIO 304? Like all other learning experiences, you’ll get whatever you put in plus interest. Be a good consumer and make sure you get your money’s worth this semester. Even a perfect performance in this course will not make you a research geneticist, however; honest effort in my course will prepare you for advanced coursework in genetics, for continued education in professional school or graduate school, and for other careers in biology. Also note that BIO 304 fulfills a requirement in genetics for the Biology major and for certain other majors.
Attendance: Attending lectures and recitations, although not mandatory, is an essential component of the learning process for the majority of students. When you do attend, you are expected to be present at the time that class begins and you are expected to stay until class is over.
Grading: Your final numerical grade for this course will be based on the following:
20% from Weekly Detailed Chapter Notes (homework) 20 points total possible*
60% from Weekly Tests Score Average (lowest score dropped) 60 points total possible
20% from the Cumulative Final Exam 20 points total possible
Total: 100 points possible
* note that 22 out of 20 points are possible for your homework score – see the detials below
Detailed Chapter Notes: Each week you will be required to turn in the original copy of YOUR HAND-WRITTEN, DETAILED NOTES of the reading assignment. The notes MUST be hand-written and must include all sections of the text assigned. The notes should be of sufficient detail to be of use to you in your studies and to convince me that you have read the material carefully. Notes will be graded Pass/Fail. A Pass grade will be awarded for notes that demonstrate a good effort. The number of points awarded for a good effort will be based on when the notes are turned in (see below and in the Class Schedule). A Fail grade will be awarded for notes that demonstrate a poor effort. A Fail grade will receive zero points, regardless of when you turned the notes in. I will be the final judge of what does or does not constitute a good effort. Your final Chapter Notes Average will be converted to a percentage and used to determine your Chapter Outline Point Score. For example, if you average 80%, then you will earn (0.80 x 20) 16 points towards your final score. Note that it is possible to get a 110% score on outlines! This is a chance to help your grade by earning extra points AND by spending more time studying the material.
The notes will be returned to you ASAP. Typically, notes handed in on Monday or Tuesday will be ready for you to pick up after class on Wednesday. Notes turned in on Wednesday will be ready for you to pick up at the end of recitation on Thursday. Notes turned in after Wednesday will not be available until the following Monday. I cannot guarantee this schedule. I suggest that you make a photocopy of your notes before turning them in so you will have them to use for studying.
Scoring for Chapter Notes (also see Class Schedule): You can hand notes in anytime before the start of the final exam, but the number of points you will earn for each topic’s notes depends on when you turn them in.
11 Points: Pass grade on notes handed in by the START of lecture on Monday for that topic.
10 Points: Pass grade on notes handed in by 4 PM on Tuesday for that topic at the Biology office desk.
9 Points: Pass grade on notes handed in by the START of lecture on Wednesday for that topic.
8 Points: Pass grade on notes handed in by the START of your recitation section on Thursday for that topic.
7 Points: Pass grade on notes handed in before the START of the test on that topic on Friday
5 Points: Pass grade on notes handed in anytime AFTER the start of the test on that topic and before the start of the final exam. NOTE: you can still get 5/10 points for taking notes on the chapter up until the final exam!
0 Points: Fail grade on notes regardless of when they are turned in.
Feedback on Your Tests and Checking Your Test Score: PDF file copies of Answer Keys will be posted on the web site and will include the correct answers to the matching questions and information to help you understand the score you received on each problem solving/short essay question. Detailed comments WILL NOT BE INCLUDED on the test returned to you on Mondays. Compare your test to the Answser Key and, if you find mistakes or wish to argue for more points on each question, WRITE your argument out on a separate piece of paper, staple that paper to the test, and turn it in for a re-grade. I will review your test and get it back to you as soon as I can. You will be allowed one re-grade per test, and re-grade requests must be submitted by the start of the final exam.
Helpful hint: Since the final exam is cumulative, you may wish to wait to review the details of your tests until dead week. You can use that review to help you study for the final, and then you can turn in all your tests at the same time right before you take the final.
Final Exam: You will have a cumulative final exam on Monday, May 4th from 1 PM to 3 PM in 116 of the T.H. Morgan (Biology) Bldg. The final exam will have 30 matching questions (worth 60 points) and 10 problem solving/short essay questions (worth 90 points). The matching questions will be based on 30 randomly selected key terms accumulated throughout the semester. The problem solving/short essay questions will include questions from ten of the 13 different topics covered in this course. The final exam format and grading will be the same as with the weekly tests. The final exam score will determine your final exam point score. For example, if you score 80% on the final exam, you will earn (.80 x 20) = 16 points.
Final Letter Grade: Your letter grade will be no lower than 90=A, 80=B, 70=C, 60=D, E=below 60, but I reserve the right to adjust the scale to achieve a distribution of approximately 20%A, 25%B, 40%C, 10%D. I will not adjust the scale upwards: if everyone in the course scores 90 or above then everyone will get an A. If an adjustment ("curve") is necessary, I will not apply the adjustment until the end of the semester, however; I will project a likely cut off point for each letter grade before or on Friday, March 20th. This will provide you with enough information to assess your situation in this course before the midterm withdrawal date, April 3rd. Grades will be posted on the class web site. Your scores/grades will be posted using the last 4 digits of your student number. Provide me with an alternative four digit number if you do not wish part of your student number be used.
Other Course Policies
Meet with me during office hours: I have
reserved an hour per week (noon to 1 PM on Tuesdays) outside of class to meet
with BIO 304 students this semester. If
you have a class during that time, provide me with a copy of your class
schedule and I will arrange to schedule our meetings at another time. I will be available in my office, room 319 of
the Biology building during office hours, however; we may move to room 305 if
there are too many students to accommodate in my office. So, if you come to my office hours and I’m
not there, check in room 305.
Making up weekly tests: If you miss a weekly test because of an excused absence, contact me immediately and present me with written validation for your excused absence. Valid excuses are as described in the University Bulletin. Make-up tests will be given during Dead Week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during the schedule lecture period. Contact me by email sometime during the week of April 20th – April 24th to schedule your make up test.
About Missing Tests: This is a demanding, fast paced course and I suggest that you do not miss tests unless absolutely necessary. Keep up with the course (chapter notes too!) and you will learn well and perform well. Note that the makeup dates are dates that you would otherwise be off from class. Use that time to catch up on other coursework or on reading or problem solving in this course. Don’t unnecessarily force yourself to be taking a make up test. Also, remember that I will automatically drop the lowest of your test scores, therefore, you can drop a test that you miss if you do not wish to take the make-up for that test.
Making up the final exam or a make up test: If you miss the final exam or a scheduled make-up test because of an excused absence, you will be given an “I” letter grade for the course. See me immediately with validation for your excused absence and we will make arrangements for you to make up the final exam or test and I will change your grade from “I” to the appropriate letter grade immediately on your completion of the tests. Other aspects of the policy for make-up work in this course are as described in the University Bulletin.
Reporting of D and
E grades Prior to Midterm: Your
test and outline scores will be available online at the course web site
throughout the semester. Projected
letter grades (based on scores from test 1 through 8 and chapter outlines on
topics 1 through 8) will be added to those scores prior to the midterm
withdrawal date, which is April 3rd.
I will use the grading scale and curving strategy described above to
determine your projected letter grade. I
am required to report all projected D and E grades to the
Cheating: All tests and the final exam are “closed-book”, meaning that you are not permitted to use written information in the form of notes, books, or “crib-notes” during these examinations. NOTE: You may use a calculator only while working on the short answer/problem solving section of the test. No calculator use in answering the matching questions is allowed. Behavior considered cheating in this course includes the following: 1) using notes of any kind during a test or exam; 2) copying from other students during tests or exams; 3) talking to other students during tests or exams; 4) using a calculator to help you answer the matching questions; 5) handing in a Chapter Outline that is not your own work. The minimum penalty for these offences is an “E” grade for the assignment.