Biology 2200 Syllabus

Spring 1999

Instructor: Dr. Ron Matson
Lecture Room: SC 214

Office: Science 318
Lect. Time: TTH 0800-0915
Office Hours: M 1000-1100

T 0930-1030

W 200-300

TH 0930-1030

Others by Appointment
Office Phone: 770.423.6508

e-mail: rmatson@kennesaw.edu

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

T. 12 Jan.
Introduction
1

TH. 14 Jan.
Nature of Science
1
 
T. 19 Jan.
Nature of Science
1

TH. 21 Jan
Historical Aspects
1

T. 26 Jan.
Historical Aspects
1, 19

TH. 28 Jan.
Population Genetics
20 (10*,11*)
 
T. 02 Feb.
Population Genetics
20, pp. 274-280

TH 04 Feb.
Population Genetics
20
 
T 09 Feb.
Speciation
21

TH. 11 Feb.
Speciation
21
 
T. 16 Feb.
Exam I
 
TH. 18 Feb.
Biodiversity
22 (Part 4**)
 
T. 23 Feb.
Biodiversity
22 (Part 4**)

TH. 25 Feb.
Tissues/Organization
37
 
T. 02 Mar
Homeostasis
37

TH. 04 Mar
Gas Exchange
45
 
T. 16 Mar
Gas Exchange
45

TH. 18 Mar
Transport
46
 
T. 23 Mar.
Transport
46
TH. 25 Mar.
Exam II
 
T. 30 Mar.
Populations
51

TH. 01 Apr.
Populations
51
 
T. 06 Apr.
Species Interactions
52, pp. 734-741

TH. 08 Apr.
No Class
 
T. 13 Apr.
Species Interactions
52

TH.15 Apr
Energy and Nutrients
53
 
T. 20 Apr.
Energy and Nutrients
53

TH. 22 Apr.
Biogeography; Biomes**
54
 
T. 27 Apr.
Biogeography; Biomes**
54

TH. 29 Apr.
Conservation Biology
55
 
TH. 06 May
FINAL EXAM
0800-1000

1Purves, W.K., G.H. Orians, H. C. Heller, and D. Sadava. 1998. LIFE: The Science of Biology, 5th Ed. Sinauer Associates, Inc.

Writing Guide: Pechenik, J. A. 1997. A Short Guide to Writing About Biology, 3rd Ed.. Harper Collins College Publishers, NY.

* These chapters are optional. I suggest you read them for background and/or extra information especially if you don't understand something in the lectures or assigned readings or if it’s been awhile since you’ve had high school biology.

** Read these chapters. Material in the will be on the exam but will not be covered by a lecture. The chapters dealing with biodiversity/specific taxa will also help you in lab.

COURSE PHILOSOPHY

This is the first of two introductory biology courses intended for Biology majors and others in science related disciplines. It is NOT to be used to satisfy core (general education) requirements. This course is intended to familiarize you with major concepts of biology and, simultaneously, to provide you with some insights as to what science is, how scientists work and how biology can and does have an impact on your life. It will also provide you with some basic information and various skills necessary to succeed in future biology classes. You will also learn the vocabulary of biology. In order to accomplish this, a variety of topics will be discussed. These include subjects concerned with: 1) Evolution; which is the unifying concept in all of biology and will be used to tie together the various topics discussed; 2) Biodiversity; a very brief survey of some of the organisms with whom we share the planet and a knowledge of which is important in order to understand evolution, adaptation, ecology and other issues; 3) Anatomy/Physiology; providing an overview of how organisms work especially from the viewpoint of being adaptations; and 4) Ecology; showing how organisms interact with their environment.

Biology 2200L is a corequisite for this course. You MUST be enrolled in both lecture and lab. If you drop one, you MUST drop the other.

Please be aware that this syllabus is tentative. There is so much to talk about in such a course and not everything can be covered. If we decided to spend more time on a topic of interest at the expense of another, so be it!. Furthermore, dates and total points are subject to change if there are circumstances, deemed by me, to be extenuating. You will be given verbal notification of any changes in class and/or it will be posted on the course bulletin board.

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance: Class attendance is highly encouraged. Much of the material for the lecture exams will be taken from the lecture and so it is in your own interest to attend each lecture. If you miss a lecture, it is your responsibility to obtain lecture notes from a classmate; my notes will not be made available to students. If, for any reason, you miss one week or more of lecture you should strongly consider withdrawing from the course. Please arrive before the beginning of lecture so as not to disturb your fellow students. You are encouraged to ask questions during lecture. Make certain to obtain any handouts and assignments as well. I will have extra copies in my office but generally do not bring them to subsequent lectures.

Please arrive before the beginning of lecture so as not to disturb your fellow students. DO NOT bring other people (friends, spouses, children etc.) to lectures. Only people enrolled in the class are allowed in the classroom.

Examinations and Grades: There are two examinations scheduled during the semester along with a final exam. Each exam will cover the material covered in the lectures, readings and laboratories since the last exam with emphasis being placed on the lectures.

The final exam will cover material since the last lecture exam and will also cover material covered since the beginning of the course (i.e., it will be comprehensive); however, emphasis on the final will be placed on the material covered since the last exam. Exams will be primarily of the short essay type with possibly some fill-ins and/or matching. For essay questions, you are expected to answer each question clearly, concisely and logically, using correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. See Chapter 11 of Pechenik for helpful suggestions on how to take essay exams.

You must take all exams on the date offered unless you provide an excuse deemed by me to be satisfactory (e.g., make arrangements in advance, provide a note from a physician, have a police report, etc.). If an acceptable excuse is provided for either midterm exam, then you will receive the appropriate number of points for the missed exam on a pro-rated basis. The number of pro-rated points received will be based on the mean percent of the points earned from the remaining midterm and final. Pro-rating of exams will not be done retroactively (i.e., you cannot substitute a pro-rated score for an exam in which you received a lower score). If you miss an exam without an acceptable excuse, you will receive the grade of 0 (zero) for that exam. You must take the final exam to receive credit for this course; the final exam grade cannot be pro-rated. The unexcused missing of an exam is NOT a reason to obtain an "I" (incomplete) in the class. Tentative exam dates are given on the course schedule -- please mark your calendars. If an exam has to be canceled because of inclement weather (i.e., if the entire university is closed) it will be given during the next scheduled class period. If there are multiple days of inclement weather, I reserve the right to cancel an exam and adjust the total points for the course accordingly. If you receive 50% or less of the points on the first exam, please talk to me. Such a score indicates that you are having trouble in this class and you should strongly consider withdrawing.

 There will  be three (3) REQUIRED  enrichment activities dealing with Biology. Points for this are earned by engaging in a pre-arranged activity that is acceptable to me and by completing and returning the enrichment activity form. Examples of acceptable enrichment activities would include (but are not limited to): a) attending seminars sponsored by the Department of Biology; b) visiting Zoo Atlanta; c) visiting the Chattanooga Aquarium; or d) visiting the Fernbank Museum. Please turn in completed activity forms as soon as possible but NO LATER THAN THE LAST CLASS. I will not accept any forms after the last class. The enrichment activity forms are attached to this syllabus.

The grading procedure for this course is as follows:

Exam I
100 pts.
Exam II
125 pts.
Final Exam
125 pts.
Library Assignment
20 pts.
Enrichment Activities
30 pts.
Total
400 pts.

There will be no "extra-credit" assignments given. Your final course grade will be based on the following points: A = 400-360 points; B = 359-320 points; C = 319-280 points; D = 279-240 points; F < 239 points. The final grading scale may be adjusted at the discretion of the instructor. If you have any questions about the grading of an exam or assignment, please discuss the situation with me immediately after receiving the graded exam or assignment. If I decide to regrade an exam, the entire exam will be regraded, not just a specific part. Grades can go up, down or remain the same upon being regraded. Exams/assignments will not be regraded at the end of the semester. Any material not picked-up by the end of the semester will be discarded within 60 days of the end of the semester. If there are multiple days of inclement weather and/or other extenuating circumstances, I reserve the right to adjust the point totals for this course. You will be notified of such changes in lecture.

GRADES WILL NOT BE POSTED at the end of the semester. If you want your grades early, bring a stamped, self-addressed envelope or postcard to the final. Or, provide me with your e-mail address.

Academic Honesty: You are expected to follow the regulations  as stated  on  page 274-283 of the 1998-99 Kennesaw  State  University Undergraduate Catalog. Plagiarism and cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Any violations of  the Student Conduct Regulations will  be handled through  the University Court. Two copies are  attached.  Read this document.  Sign one copy and return it to me in the first lab.

Withdrawal Policy: The withdrawal policy as stated on page 40 of the 1998-99  Kennesaw State University Undergraduate Catalog will be followed. A copy of this statement is  attached; see also current schedule of classes. For this semester, the last day to withdraw without academic penalty is 18 March 1999. Make certain to follow all procedures if you decide to withdraw; failure to do so  will  result in your being assigned a grade of  "F"  for  the course.

Recycling Policy: REDUCE WASTE AND RECYCLE. If possible, please use (purchase) recycled goods. On campus, paper can be  recycled in  the small blue bins found in the front of each classroom  and aluminum  cans  can  be  recycled  in  the  big,  blue,  circular containers  in  the  hall.  Please do not  mix  waste  with  the materials  to be recycled. It's your planet, your  campus,  your health and well being and your economy --  help  them  all  by recycling.  See page 282 of the current  catalog  for  the  KSU Position Statement on Environmental Awareness.

Bulletin  Board: I have established a bulletin board  (bbs)  for this  class  on  the WWW. The URL for the bulletin  board  is: http://bbs.kennesaw.edu.  Once there, click on the  link to Biol 2200/02. If you want to write something on this  bulletin board, you'll need to enter a Password. For  this class, the password is "" (type exactly as shown but WITHOUT quotes. These are case sensitive). This bbs is here to facilitate communication between all of us -- especially between students. If someone writes something on the bbs,  feel free to respond. But, be polite (no flaming).  This  bbs  is meant for civil discourse. Remember, anyone in the entire  world who has access to the Web can read what you are writing. I  may be  posting class assignments here too as well as lists of  URLs that may be of interest. Check it out.

Office  Hours: My office hours are listed on the first  page  of this  syllabus. I encourage you to avail yourself of  them.  If you  cannot make it to any of these scheduled hours, please  make an  appointment.  I'm  certain  that  we  can  find  a  mutually acceptable time  to  meet. Furthermore,  note  that  my  e-mail address is on the top of the first page. Feel free to e-mail me. I  will respond as soon as possible. Or, you can post questions on the bulletin board. However, if you do, remember that anyone can read your questions and my responses to them.

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