171 Lecture

BI 171 - Biochemistry, Form, & Function

Spring 2009 Syllabus

Instruction Team:

Lectures: Tues and Fri 9:30-10:45 a.m. - SON 203

Course Goals
BI 171 is the second semester of the three-semester introductory biology course. Two professors will team-teach the course, each from his or her own area of expertise. Dr. Sauer will be leading the Biochemistry and Plant Physiology portion of the course and Dr. Walker will be leading the Animal Physiology portion of the course. We will focus our attention on the unifying themes of biology using a variety of teaching tools including lectures, group discussions, interactive computer activities, and investigation-based laboratories.

As in General Biology I, our specific goals are as follows:

* To build a knowledge base and acquire the intellectual tools necessary to succeed as a biologist.
* To become comfortable with the scientific process that biologists use (formulating and testing hypotheses) as they attempt to answer questions about the natural world.
* To appreciate why evolution is the "core theme of biology."

Lectures - Tues and Fri 9:30-10:45 a.m., SON Auditorium (203/205)

Labs - Students are assigned to a required three-hour laboratory period that meets once per week. Attendance to your assigned lab section is REQUIRED, and will be recorded at each meeting. You must pass the laboratory section in order to pass the class.

Peer Learning Groups (PLGs) - Students have been assigned to one of 10 PLG sections. Each PLG section is limited to 10-12 students and is led by an upper division biology major. These sessions are designed to be small learning communities in which students can work together throughout the semester to become comfortable with the lecture material through problem-solving and other activities. Attendance to your assigned PLG section is REQUIRED, and will be recorded at each meeting.

Required Material (available at bookstore):

• BI 171 Set:
  • Biological Science Third Edition, Vol. 3 (2008), Scott Freeman, some chapters from Vol. 1
  • BI 171 Lab Manual
  
• iClicker (required for EVERY lecture)
• A marble grid-style notebook (required for the laboratory portion of the course)
• Lab coat at all times in the laboratory

Online Course Material

Mastering Biology
All online material for the course will be available through the Mastering Biology website http://www.masteringbio.com. Access to this site is restricted to members of the course, and requires a password that is provided in your textbook. This password and the course ID # will allow you to register. This site will include lecture slides, class assignments, announcements, and links to the required quizzes. It also has many other helpful study aids. It is the student's responsibility to check this site regularly between classes and take quizzes within the allowable window of time.

Grading

• In-class exams (38%): The first exam will carry slightly less weight (8%) than the other three (each worth 10%).
• Final Exam (25%): A cumulative final exam, prepared jointly by the two professors. The final exam is required to pass the course.
• Laboratory (25%): This portion of your grade includes laboratory notebook, lab report, lab quizzes and a final presentation (see Laboratory Syllabus).
• Online Quizzes & Assignments (5%) Online Mastering Biology quizzes will be assigned for each chapter, and will be due by the next class period.
• Peer Learning Group Participation (5%): Perfect attendance and active participation in the PLG sessions will earn students the FULL 5%. Points will be lost for absences and/or non-participation.
• In-Class iClicker Reponses (2%): These activities will be given at the discretion of the instructor and may be in or out of class assignments.

Course Policies

• Class Cancellation: In case of class cancellation, the lecture material or exam scheduled for the missed day automatically moves to the next class meeting.
• Attendance: Attendance at each exam is required. There will be NO MAKE-UP EXAMS - INCLUDING THE FINAL! Pay attention to the date and time of the final exam, since no exams will be administered early.
• Incompletes: The Biology department strictly follows the University regulations for giving a grade of incomplete (I). An incomplete will be given only if the final exam cannot be taken for good reason (e.g. illness or conflict with other exam) and only if arrangements are made beforehand with the professor. IN NO CASE WILL AN INCOMPLETE BE GIVEN TO AVOID AN UNSATISFACTORY GRADE.
• Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the appropriation of ideas, data, work, or language of others and submitting them as one's own to satisfy the requirements of a course. Plagiarism constitutes theft and deceit and will not be tolerated. When the ideas or writings of others are presented in assignments, these ideas or writings should be attributed to that source. Special care should be taken, when cutting and pasting materials or when paraphrasing, to cite sources correctly and to use quotation marks around exact words from source materials. When using materials from ANY source, appropriate documentation is always essential.
• Academic Honesty: Consistent with the policy of the university, any form of cheating is a violation of academic honesty and integrity, and will jeopardize your grade in this class and, possibly, your standing at the university. Please see the university student handbook.
• Cell Phones: The use of cell phones or stereo headphones/music devices in class is disruptive to others. Please turn them OFF while in class.

Resources

Resources such as the DiMenna-Nyselius Library (Ext. 2178) and the writing center (www.fairfield.edu/eng_writingcenter) are available to assist you in your academic endeavors. In addition, general biology tutors will be available one night per week in the library throughout the series. See class announcements for specific details.

Spring 2009 Lecture Syllabus

Glenn Sauer's Lectures - Visit WebCT

Brian Walker's Lectures - Visit Web CT

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