BIOLOGY 103 - Basic Ideas of Biology

Fall 2010 Syllabus

Course Information:

Time: Section 002 Tuesday/Thursday 11:00 – 12:15

Section 003 Tuesday/Thursday 2:00 – 3:15

Room: 107 Biological Sciences

URL: http://web.as.uky.edu/biology/faculty/palmer/

Professor Information: Teaching Assistant Information:

Professor: Brent Palmer TA: Ye Li

Office: 204 Multidisciplinary Research Bldg 3 Office: 302 Morgan Building

Phone: 257-5824 Phone: 7-2289

E-mail: bpalmer@uky.edu Email: ye.li@uky.edu

Office hours: By appointment Office Hours: By appointment

Biology 103 is an introductory biological science course designed for non-science majors. It satisfies the general education requirement for intellectual inquiry in the natural, physical and mathematical sciences. Science is a major human activity and influence in the world. Whether you are a scientist or not, science affects you - the way you live, the nature of your society, the way you think, and the way that you perceive the universe. Consequently, it is important that the non-scientist understand the nature of this activity called "science" and something of the subject matter with which science is involved. The biological sciences have become particularly important and newsworthy at the beginning of the 21st century given the research in and implications of environmental and biotechnology research. A scientifically literate citizen will need basic biological information and an understanding of how science operates to interpret news stories and make intelligent personal, economic, and political decisions.

I hope you find this course challenging, exciting and interesting. I hope the topics pique your curiosity, enrich your understanding of science, intrigue you, and, most of all, make you think! Life is all around you as well as within you. You are a part of the whole global web of life. In some ways, you are unique. In many ways, you share common features with all living things. We will explore the nature of science and life in this course.

Course Goals

1) To provide knowledge about --

a) The nature of science to include: its assumptions, characteristics, goals, and limitations; how models are built and modified to explain and predict natural phenomena; the distinction between scientific research and pseudoscience; and the difference and similarities of scholarship in science versus other fields of inquiry

b) Biological concepts and terminology including facts, laws, and theories concerning characteristics of life, genetics, cell biology, physiology, evolution, behavior, ecology and conservation

c) The historical development of biological ideas

d) New biological theories and areas of research such as in molecular genetics and genetic engineering

e) Science/society interactions including the ethical, legal, and economic implications of areas such as biotechnology and environmental research

2) To enhance skills in communicating ideas and critically evaluating sources of information, arguments, and issues such as genetic manipulation and global warming

3) To promote the values of curiosity, openness to new ideas, skepticism, and science as a way of knowing

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. Describe methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge and distinguish scientific fact from pseudoscience.
2. Explain fundamental principles in a branch of science.
3. Apply fundamental principles to interpret and make predictions in a branch of science.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of at least one scientific discovery that changed the way scientists understand the world.
5. Give examples of how science interacts with society.
6. Recognize when information is needed and demonstrate the ability to find, evaluate and use effectively sources of scientific information.

Textbook

Readings listed in the course schedule come from Colleen Belk and Virginia Borden Maier. 2010. Biology Science for Life with Physiology (3rd Edition). Pearson/Benjamin Cummings. You are responsible for knowing all material covered in class (whether or not it is also in the text book). In addition to the material covered in class, the text may contain material not covered in class for which you will also be responsible. You will also be responsible for any specifically assigned readings beyond the general text book chapter readings. The textbook is not a substitute for class attendance.

Your textbook should come bundled with:

1. Web access to the MASTERING BIOLOGY WEBSITE. Access to this is required as homework assignments and quizzes will be administered over the web. If you did not receive an access code with your textbook, you may purchase one for a modest fee on the Mastering Biology Website at: www.masteringbiology.com

2. You should have also received with your textbook copies of Scientific American Current Issues in Biology, Vol. 2 and 4. These will be used later in the semester for special reading assignments.

Office Hours

It is my experience that Office Hours by appointment works best, as many students will not be able to come during schedule office hours. Due to the size of the classes, please email either myself or your Teaching Assistant for help with your questions or to schedule an appointment. Note that email is the preferred method of contact, and that you cannot text message me. Please allow up to two workdays for an e-mail response. All e-mails must have a relevant subject line and must identify who you are by having your name somewhere in the message.

Academic Accommodations

If you have a documented disability that requires academic accommodations, please see me as soon as possible. In order to receive accommodations in this course, you must provide me with a Letter of Accommodation from the Disability Resource Center (Room 2, Alumni Gym, 257-2754, jkarnes@uky.edu) for coordination of campus disability services available to students with disabilities. We can then collaborate on the best solution.

Attendance

Given the large class size, attendance is not taken. Attendance and participation, however, are key strategies for doing well in the course. Class sessions will involve lecture and an assortment of active learning activities that contribute to making the course content more meaningful. Online quizzes and assignments will also be part of your grade. Exam questions come from material covered during the class periods and any assigned readings. Some of the material discussed in class is unique to this course and not found in other sources. Missing class and depending on the notes of friends or a lecture note company is a risky venture and eliminates the opportunity to make personal meaning of the material through your own notes and participation in class activities.

Exams and Assignments

Grades will be based on the following exams and assignments:

Assessment	Number of points	Percentage of Course Grade
Quizzes and Assignments	Normalized to 100	20%
Exam 1	100	20%
Exam 2	100	20%
Exam 3	100	20%
Exam 4 (final)	100	20%
Total	500	100%

Quizzes and Assignments

There will be regular quizzes and special learning assignments on online on the course Mastering Biology website. These assignments will have specific due dates and cannot be submitted after the due date. Some of the online material will be on assigned textbook reading material and will be due BEFORE the material is covered in class. This is to encourage you to read the assignments before class. There will also be more challenging quizzes and assignments due following the lecture presentation to test your grasp of the material. It is possible to score extra credit by not using the ‘hints’. In addition, special assignments will be based upon readings in the “Scientific American” issues included with your text, as well as other reading assignments. The sum of all of these points for quizzes and assignments will be normalized to 100 points.

Exams

There will be four exams during the semester worth 100 points each. Each exam will cover only the material from that section of the course. Given the large class enrollment, the test questions are multiple choice questions. Each exam will have 40-50 multiple-choice questions. However, the questions are not simply the rote memorization kind, but rather test your comprehension of the information and your ability to apply the material in a problem-solving fashion.

Questions on exams will come from material covered in class as well as textbook and other reading assignments. The exam policy is – if we covered it in class, was in the assigned textbook reading, was in an online assignment, or if it was specifically assigned as an outside reading or assignment, it is fair game on the test.

Exam questions that received low scores will be discussed in class at the class period following the exam. You may also e-mail me regarding answers to exam questions either to get clarification or to argue for credit (see below). I don’t respond to queries, however, until we have had a chance to discuss the questions in class.

Regrading Exams

We are happy to fix any errors or irregularities in grades. If you feel that there was an error in grading your exam, you must submit your request in writing; detailing which questions you feel are in error and why your answer(s) should receive additional credit. For instance, if there is information in the text book that supports your answer, quote the information from the book and provide the page and paragraph number. All requests must be submitted within 2 weeks of posting of the answer key in order for the scores to be changed.

Makeup Exams

Only one make-up exam will be allowed and only for documented, excused absences as defined in Student Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code). You must contact your professor within 7 days of a missed exam in order to be able to take the makeup. All makeup exams will be given during the second hour of the scheduled final exam period.

No makeup will be given for the final exam. If you miss the final, you will not be able to receive an incomplete in the course without discussing with the professor the reasons for missing the exam, and then filling out and signing an incomplete form with the Biology Department. If I feel an incomplete is warranted, I will determine the conditions necessary to satisfy the incomplete.

University Policy on Excused and Unexcused Absences

The following are acceptable reasons for excused absences:

1. serious illness of student (doctor’s note required)

2. illness or death of family member (doctor’s note required)

3. University‑related trips (such as to a football game for a team member or band member, official note required)

4. Major religious holidays. Students MUST notify instructor IN WRITING of all semester holidays to assure being excused.

Grades

Course grades are assigned according to the following criteria. The grades are not curved. They are criterion-based using your performance on exams and papers.

Course Grade	Percentage	Points
A	90.0% or better	450 – 500
B	80.0 – 89.99%	400 – 449
C	70.0 – 79.99%	350 – 399
D	60.0 – 69.99%	300 – 349
E	Below 60.0%	299 and fewer points

Students are responsible for achieving the scores required for the grade you desire. You must meet the above cutoffs to receive the appropriate grade. Borderline cases will not be considered. There will be no extra credit beyond what is available to all students in regular assignments or tests during the semester.

Classroom Courtesy

Given the large enrollment in this class and the nature of the large lecture hall I'm requesting your cooperation in making the learning environment as effective and courteous as possible. Please be respectful to others in the class and engage in civil discourse when we discuss topics that have a diversity of perspectives. Please minimize distractions by not reading newspapers or carrying on conversations and be discreet if you must arrive late or leave early. Turn mobile phones off during class. Please help me maintain the best environment by using a little peer pressure if necessary. This is a challenging teaching and learning environment so let's be as courteous as possible. Thank you.

Plagiarism and Cheating

Cheating on exams or submitting written assignments that are not your own original work constitute grounds for failing this course and possibly further academic actions. If you are suspected of cheating during an exam, you will be assigned a failing grade for the course. Talking to another student during the exam, looking at another student's paper, using any electronic communication device (cell phone, text messaging, pager, etc), using supplementary material, or using a surrogate test-taker all constitute cheating. Consult the Student Rights and Responsibilities manual (Part II, Section 6) for further details. (Available on the Web at http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code)