Richland Community College Syllabus

Mathematics and Sciences Division

Biology 101 Section Y1

Concepts of Biology 1 (3-2-4)

Summer 2008

Course Information:

Meeting Days and Times: Sec. Y1 lab: TTH 7:00-8:50 pm in W219

Final Exam Day & Time: Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 7:00 pm in W219

Description: Biology 101 is an introduction to the basic concepts of modern biological science. Emphasis is on the chemistry of living things, the structure and function of the cell, cell reproduction, and Mendelian and molecular genetics. Evolution and ecology are also introduced. The course has a lecture/lab format in which students are encouraged to ask questions at any time and to contribute to class discussion on certain topics.

Prerequisite: Eligibility for English 101

Credit: 4 semester hours

Instructor Information:

Instructor: Jill E. Feinstein

Division: Mathematics and Sciences Division

Office: S128

Office Hours: online at various times and on campus by appointment

E-mail: jfeinste@richland.edu

Website: http://people.richland.edu/jfeinste

Office Phone: 217-875-7211 x 498

NOTE: I have the right to change any material on the syllabus, in the class or the grading system to fit the class’s needs.

Text:

Cecie Starr and Ralph Taggart, Biology- The unity and diversity of life-cell biology and genetics, 11^th edition

Objectives:

1. To help all students gain some understanding of the basic principles and processes underlying all of the biological sciences.

2. To give students an understanding of the nature of science and the scientific method.

3. To familiarize students with basic laboratory equipment and procedures.

4. To provide a basic foundation for students going on with Biology 102, Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2, and Microbiology.

Topics Covered in REcorded ONLINE Lectures:

Lecture Course Dates: subject to change

Week 1 (6/2/08-6/08/08) Chapters 1, 2 and 3

Week 2 (6/09/08-6/15/08) Chapters 6-8 and Chapter 4

Week 3 (6/16/08-6/22/08) Chapter 5 and 9

Week 4 (6/23/08-6/29/08) Chapter 10 and 11

Week 5 (6/30/08-7/06/08) Chapter 11 and 12

Week 6 (7/07/08-7/13/08) Chapter 12

Week 7 (7/14/08-7/20/08) Chapter 13 and Chapter 14

Week 8 (7/21/08-7/24/08) Chapter 1 (introduction to evolution & Taxonomy) &

Chapter 1 (introduction to ecology)

EXAM Schedule:

Week 2 (6/12/08) Exam 1 covers chapters 1-3

Week 4 (6/26/08) Exam 2 covers chapters 4-8

Week 6 (7/08/08) LAB PRACTICAL

Week 7 (7/15/08) Exam 3 covers chapter 9-12

Week 8 (7/24/08) Final Exam: new material covers chapters 13, 14

METHOD (S) OF EVALUATION:

Lecture:

There will be a total of 3 exams and one cumulative final exam. There are no make-up exams. If you miss an exam you will receive a zero. The final exam score will be used to replace your lowest exam score. Any subsequent missed exams will receive a zero. There will be online quizzes that will test you on the material covered in the online lectures. There are no make-up quizzes, the lowest quiz score will be dropped. There will be assignments and discussion questions over each chapter covered in lecture.

Material from the book that is not covered in lecture may show up on the tests.

Lab:

There will be a total of 1 lab practical that will cover the material and experiments examined in lecture & lab. There will be random lab assignments that correspond with the material being covered in lecture and lab. If you miss lab you forfeit any points for that lab and lab assignment.

Grading Scale:

Lab Dates: subject to change:

Week 1 (6/2/08-6/08/08) Introduction to lab, metric system, and lab equipment

Microscope and cells and microscopic measurements

Week 2 (6/09/08-6/15/08) Chemical tests for nutrients and building molecules

Week 3 (6/16/08-6/22/08) Yeast/Fermentation Lab

Photosynthesis and chromatography, cellular respiration and pH

Week 4 (6/23/08-6/29/08) Diffusion and osmosis

Mitosis

Week 5 (6/30/08-7/06/08) Meiosis and reebops and probability

Genetic Corn and chi square

Week 6 (7/07/08-7/13/08) LAB PRACTICAL

Human genetics/blood typing

Week 7 (7/14/08-7/20/08) DNA/RNA construction and DNA isolation

Week 8 (7/21/08-7/24/08) Gel electrophoresis demonstration and restriction enzymes

Attendance policy:

Attendance is expected in lab and will be taken at the time lab starts. Every student is required to participate in the discussions online as well as complete all quizzes and assignments online. Lab Attendance is essential; missed labs cannot be made up. For every lab missed, points will be deducted from the final point total. If the laboratory practical is missed, a zero will be recorded. A student may be dropped from class for the following reasons:

1. Missing more than 3 labs

2. Failure to complete the tasks online for a week without notifying the instructor

3. Missing the lab practical.

After midterm, 6/26/08, it is the student’s responsibility to drop the course following the appropriate guidelines. If a student does not drop prior to the drop date, they will receive a letter grade.

ASsignments & Discussion Questions

The assignments are to be submitted online in a format that is readable in Microsoft word. It is suggested that you save your files as rich text format which has the extension of .rtf. This format will open in all types of word processing programs. I will return your graded material as an attachment to the grade if I make corrections on the assignment itself. The major paper is also to be submitted online and there will be an assignment link available for you to submit your paper.

For discussion questions, you are required to respond to the question posted and to one classmate’s posted response to my question. The discussion questions are due on Sundays and will be reflective of the chapter(s) being covered that week. Your response to the classmate will be due the Wednesday following the due date of that discussion question. For example if we are covering chapters 1 and 2 in week 1 then the discussion questions will be due by the Sunday of week 1 and the response to a classmate will be due Wednesday of week 2. There will be a reduction in points for any late assignments or discussion questions.

CHAT:

Click on the who’s online link and send me a chat invitation. I do have a chat room marked ask Professor Feinstein that we can meet in to discuss things. Keep in mind that if other people are in the chat room they will be able to see your questions and responses. If you would like to chat with me privately, you can click on the who’s online link and send me a chat invitation. I am available anytime I am online, just send me a chat invitation or send me an email asking me to set up a time we can meet in the chat room to discuss things.

Exam and Quizzes Policy:

The exams and quizzes are closed book and notes. You are not allowed to copy and paste correct answers from previous quizzes to answer exam questions. If it is noticed that you are copying answers from quizzes or typing answers verbatim out of the textbook you will receive a zero on that quiz or exam. If it is noticed a second time you will be dropped from the course.

Final Exam Policy:

There are NO make-up final exams. You must take the final exam during the indicated time or you will receive a zero on the final exam. I do not post grades and will not e-mail or call you with grades due to privacy issues. You will be able to check your grades on WISE-1.

FACULTY ABSENCE:

Students are advised that if no official posted class cancellation notice of class cancellation with the RCC logo in the background of the notice, they should not leave the classroom for at least 15 minutes after the scheduled class starting time. If at this time the instructor does not show, call extension 344 from the phone in the classroom to see if the instructor has reported the absence or go to S119 (division office) for this information.

Divisional Electronic Devices Policy

The Mathematics and Sciences Division prohibits the usage of cell phones, pagers, and other non learning electronic equipment within the classroom. All equipment must be turned off to avoid disturbances to the learning environment. If a student uses these devices during an examination, quiz, or any grades activity, the instructor reserves the right to issue no credit for these assignments. The instructor needs to approve any exceptions to this policy.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY:

Response to student cheating on exams, quizzes, and papers shall be per school policy. “Each student is expected to be honest in his/her work or in the submission of information to the College. The College regards dishonesty in classroom and laboratories, on assignments, and examinations, and the submission of false and misleading information to the College as a serious offense” “A student who cheats, plagiarized, or false, misleading information to the College is subject to disciplinary action up to and including failure of a class or suspension/expulsion from the College” Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. You will be given one warning THIS ONE. The Dean’s office will be notified immediately of any cheating incidents. Copying and pasting information from websites including wikipedia into your assignments, etc is considered plagiarism. Any plagiarism will result in a zero on that assignment or discussion question for the first offense and removal from the course with an F for the second offense. The Webster dictionary’s definition of plagiarism is to present the ideas or words of another as one’s own.

HUMAN RELATIONS POLICY:

This course incorporates concepts regarding all races, creeds, sexes, and ethnic groupings, and the belief that they must learn to live together.

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY:

Richland Community College policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, marital or parental status, national origin or ancestry, age, mental or physical disability (except where it is a bonafide occupational qualification), sexual orientation, military status, status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran.

LEARNING ACCOMMODATIONS:

Richland Community College offers support and accommodations to students with documented disabilities by providing advertisement, counseling, adaptive equipment and materials, instructional aids, tutors, note takers, interpreters, and testing accommodations, as well as many individualized services. For more information, students should contact the Learning Accommodations Services Office, Room C137.

student learning center:

The Student Learning Center (SLC), Room S117, offers free tutoring to students who may need help with classes or programs. Both peer and faculty tutors are available on an appointment or drop-in basis for many areas including math, biology, chemistry, reading comprehension, study skills, vocabulary building, research, and specific written assignments. Biology and Chemistry tutoring is also available with hours of faculty tutors varying each semester, but with model availability whenever the SLC is open. In cooperation with other academic programs, the SLC may offer study groups each semester. Schedules with location and time are posted in the Center. Computers with tutorial software and word processing programs are available for student use any time the SLC is open.

Early alert system:

If at any time the instructor believes that a student is at risk of being unsuccessful in the course, the instructor may notify the Student Success Office. This office will in turn contact the student suggesting assistance options.

Class cancellations:

Class cancellation due to instructor absences will be posted on classroom doors.

college withdrawal policy:

It is the responsibility of the student to officially withdraw from class according to the procedures described in the college catalog. Any student who does not officially withdraw by the withdrawal deadline will receive a letter grade.

SEMESTER CALENDAR DATES:

CORE VALUES MISSION:

Commitment- we support and carry out the College missions.

Respect- we demonstrate courtesy, caring, dignity, and compassion.

Excellence- we promote feelings of worth and accomplishment.

Accountability- we demonstrate responsibility for our actions.

Diversity/Inclusiveness- we appreciate similarities and differences in people and give a voice to everyone.

NETIQUETTE

By registering for this class, you have become part of an on-line community, and there’s a code of conduct that all members of this community (including myself, of course) must follow. This code of conduct is often called "Netiquette," and it defines the types of on-line speech and behavior that are acceptable and unacceptable in our class. What you do on your own time with your own web pages or e-mail is entirely your business. But…your behavior in this class is a concern to all of us, and I want to make sure that all of you have a positive, safe, constructive experience in our on-line environment. Violation of the following rules is grounds for failing the class!!

Basic Rules:

§ Be Respectful - We are a class made up of individuals, whose only common bond may well be that we're sharing this class for the semester. Before you post responses to ideas and beliefs that differ from your own, make sure that you've phrased your response in a way that is respectful even if you don't agree with what you've read. Tone is as important in a message posting as it is when you are speaking in person. Reread your message before posting to see if your tone is civil and respectful. Use emoticons if you wish to make the emotional tone of your message explicit.

No “Flaming” - Flaming is the practice of insulting, disrespecting, or mocking another person's ideas. Flaming is different than disagreeing with what someone says. It is fine to disagree with someone's ideas, but it is important to do it politely. Here's an example of the difference.
Flaming: "Your idea is so stupid it makes me sick. However, I'm not surprised. You seemed like an idiot on the first day of class, and I guess first impressions don't lie!"
Polite Disagreement: "I guess I disagree with part of what you've said. My experience has been different. Here's my point of view . . . What do you think?"
No Harassment - It is unacceptable to use this class to harass another student with unwanted attention of any sort. Any derogatory, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate comments are unacceptable and may result in the deletion of your posting or the denial of access to our class.
No Inappropriate Language - No swearing (however you can indicate swearing by @#!&* if you want); no sexually graphic terms; no racial, ethnic, or religious slurs; no making fun of others based on their gender or sexual orientation will be accepted.
No Shouting - Writing in all capital letters is equivalent to yelling. State your views calmly and clearly.
Make Class Communications Relevant- I expect that in your postings and other writing assignments you will stick to the topic at hand, commenting on what we're talking about, rather than using these forums as an opportunity to discuss irrelevant (though very interesting) topics. If you want to discuss another topic, feel free to do so in our Cyber Café’s or in your own group area.

Discussion Board Tips:

After you write your comments, use the “preview” feature to see how it reads and looks. This is the only chance you will have to edit your message. Once a posting is submitted, you cannot change what you have written!!
Check in frequently, things may develop rapidly on a discussion board. It is very easy to fall behind and feel overwhelmed by the number of posts you have to catch-up on.
Check your spelling and grammar.
If responding to a specific comment, quote the relevant part of the comment in your response.
Never “say” anything that you would not want discussed in a ‘regular’ class.
Your responses to other postings must have a description in the subject line of what you are responding too…if you begin a new topic (or thread), your name should appear in the subject line.

[This netiquette information was adapted from: http://www.albany.edu/faculty/gms/webct]