Foundations of Biology (Biology 10200)
Bio 102 Syllabus Spring 2012 Foundations of Biology II 6 hrs, 4 cr Dr. RF Rockwell
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Important Notices 3/27/12 - I figured out how to get around their security and changed settings on the quizzes. you should be able to see questions after you have taken the quiz 3/30/12 - I have posted your grades on the first, second and third exams using a CODED ID - the last 4 digits of your ID number +102. Thus if the last 4 digits of your ID number is 1234 then your coded ID number is 1234+102=1336 and if the last 4 digits of your ID number is 0011 then your coded ID number is 0011+102=0113. A sheet with all the scores can be downloaded here. If your coded ID is highlighted with a color, please see me. |
The distribution of scores for those taking the first, second and third exams are depicted in the following graph: |
Hours: Lectures are Tuesday and Thursday 9:30-10:45 in NA-1214 Labs at various scheduled times during the week. You must take the lecture and lab together.
Office
hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9:00-9:30. Other
hours by email appointment are available on Tuesday and Thursday from
10:45-12:00. My sole email for this course is [email protected] .
MAKE SURE THE SUBJECT LINE READS: BIO 102.
I will not reply to email sent to my other addresses nor will I
respond to any email message that is not written out fully and correctly
in standard American prose. My phone number is 212
769-5793.
Text and
web connections: The text is selected chapters of a larger
book, Biology 9th Ed by Raven, Johnson, Losos, Mason and
Singer. You can�t pass this course without studying the
book! You also will need to acquire access to
Mcgraw-Hill�s web product Connect that is your conduit to required quizzes
(see below) and on-line learning
aids. You have 3 options for acquiring the text and
web-based product.
The first option
is to purchase a new text from the CCNY book store. The
new paper books come with an access code that gives you access to Connect
and the quizzes and online study
tools. The second option
is to purchase a used text book at the CCNY bookstore.
If you choose this option you must also purchase online access to
Connect to take the quizzes and use the study tools.
You will be given the option to purchase that access for
approximately $37.50 the first time you go to my Connect website
(below). The third option is to purchase the online version of the book (no paper book) with Connect and study tools. Purchase requires a credit or debit card and is approximately for $70.40. The ISBN # of the e-book is 9781121433397 and you obtain it directly from
https://create.mcgraw-hill.com/shop/#/catalog/details/?isbn=9781121433397
Regardless of the option you choose you must register at my Connect website for access to quizzes and learning aids. http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/class/r_rockwell_spring_2012_1 If this procedure is not followed you will not have
access to required quizzes and study aids and your grade will
suffer. Communication: This is NOT a blackboard
course. Course schedule and other pertinent information will be
posted on my website http://research.amnh.org/users/rfr/bio1022012 . Additional
announcements and quiz assignments (see below) will be posted on the text
book website http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/class/r_rockwell_spring_2012_1 .
Both sites must be checked regularly for updates.
They will not necessarily contain the same
information!
Attendance
: Attendance in lab and lecture is mandatory. If
you miss more than two laboratories, you will be dropped from the course
with a grade of WU. Fieldtrips count as
labs. Don�t bet that you can skip the lecture and make
up the material by reading the book, watching video lectures and other
folks� notes. If you miss all or part of a lecture, get
the notes from another student. I will not repeat
myself to cover your absences.
Quiz
assignments : There will be an online quiz for each lecture at
http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/class/r_rockwell_spring_2012_1
. These quizzes are really
study exercises but they also comprise 8% of your course
grade. The questions on these quizzes are drawn from
the same question bank as I draw the lecture exam questions (~20%
overlap). Quizzes are available from the start of the
course but each has a due date listed on the website.
They must be completed by that date for credit.
You get 1 attempt at each and the system sends me
your score for each quiz. If you fail to complete
a quiz by the deadline, the system sends me a 0 as your score for that
assignment. The average of all the quiz scores
(including any 0�s) counts as 8% of your final grade.
You must
register for Connect at http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/class/r_rockwell_spring_2012_1
to take the quizzes. Failure
to register costs you 8% of your final grade. If you
have problems, contact McGraw-Hill technical support at http://www.mhhe.com/support or
1(800)331-5094 for help.
Lecture
exams : The 3 lecture exams are not cumulative and each
emphasizes materials that are covered in both lecture and your
readings. However, I do ask some questions that are
only covered in lecture and other ones only covered in the
book. You can�t do well in this course by memorization
alone. You have to grasp the underlying
principles. There is no final exam as such.
The three
lecture exams are each comprised of 50 multiple choice questions that are
answered on computer-readable answer sheets. To reduce
any temptation for cheating, we distribute 4 fully-randomized versions of
the same questions. You must make sure to indicate the
version of the exam (A, B, C, D) you are taking on your answer
sheet. Since they are graded by computer, failure to do
that will guarantee you a grade of ~20% on that exam.
You must print your
name on the exam question booklet and return it at the end of the
exam. Any answer sheet not matched by name by an exam
booklet will result in a 0 for that exam. I do not
return the exams but will post a copy of version A in the glass case
across from the Biology office for your edification.
Lab exams are made
up by the lab instructors. They are short answer,
fill-ins, problems and short essays, as well as lab practical.
Grades :
The grade in the course is based on 42% of the average score of the 3
lecture exams, 8% on the average scores of your online quizzes and 50% on
the lab grades (20%
from the results on two lab exams (there are no make-up lab exams: if
missed due to a documented, legitimate excuse, then the other lab exam
grade will be adjusted accordingly), 12.5% for the fish lab report
including the peer reviews, 7.5% for the two short lab reports, 7.5% for
the other written lab assignments, and 2.5% on lab
participation). There are no
make-up exams in either the lab or the lecture unless you have a note from
a doctor, a judge, a desk sergeant, a mortician or a member of the
clergy! Other than such �excused exam absences� any missed
lecture exam will be assigned a 0 that will be averaged as part of your
grade.
Your
lab reports count for 27.5% of the course grade. Pieces
of the reports are graded and handed back for you to revise and assemble
into a final coherent report This only applied to the big lab report for
the fish lab. We do not accept emailed lab
reports. A lab report (or piece of one) that is one day
late is counted down by 10%. We do not accept lab
reports that are later than one day. You will get a
zero
for the exercise.
You cannot raise your
grade by doing extra work. No favorites or
favors. I do not give ABS or INC grades.
percentage score
letter grade
97.5
- 100 A+ 92.5
- 97.4 A 90.0
- 92.4 A- 87.5
- 89.9 B+ 82.5
- 87.4 B 80.0
- 82.4 B- 77.5
- 79.9 C+ 72.5
- 77.4 C 70.0
- 72.4 C- 60.0
- 69.9 D <60.0 F
Study
Suggestions
Course Objectives : This course is meant to follow Bio 101 and will cover organisms, physiology and ecosystems. Evolution is the framework of Biology and will be discussed throughout the course. In order to link concepts, the course also emphasizes control and feedback systems that regulate all Biology processes. In detail: 1. Understanding the importance of Evolution as an organizing principle in Biology. 2. Understanding the importance of control and feedback systems that regulate Biology processes. 3. Compare and contrast inherent differences between plants and animals. 4. Being able to analyze data and extrapolate the results to the organismic and ecosystem levels. .
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Schedule of Lecture and Laboratory Topics Lectures are on Tuesday and Thursday while labs are on various days |
date | day | lecture topic | reading | lab topic |
01/27/12 | f | Genetics I | ||
01/31/12 | tu | introduction | Genetics I | |
02/01/12 | w | Genetics I | ||
02/02/12 | th | genes in populations | 20 | Genetics I |
02/03/12 | f | Genetics II | ||
02/07/12 | tu | evidence for evolution | 21 | Genetics II |
02/08/12 | w | Genetics II | ||
02/09/12 | th | origin of species | 22 | Genetics II |
02/10/12 | f | Genetics III | ||
02/14/12 | tu | systematics and the phylogenetic revolution | 23 | Genetics III |
02/15/12 | w | Genetics III | ||
02/16/12 | th | the tree of life | 26 | Genetics III |
02/17/12 | f | Population Genetics | ||
02/21/12 | tu | Monday schedule no class | ||
02/22/12 | w | Population Genetics | ||
02/23/12 | th | overview of green plants | 30 | Population Genetics |
02/24/12 | f | Effects of drugs on Pulsation Rates I | ||
02/28/12 | tu | overview of animals | 32 | Population Genetics |
02/29/12 | w | Effects of drugs on Pulsation Rates I | ||
03/01/12 | th | lecture exam 1 | Effects of drugs on Pulsation Rates I | |
03/02/12 | f | Effects of drugs on Pulsation Rates II | ||
03/06/12 | tu | animal body and regulation | 43.1 to 43.7 | Effects of drugs on Pulsation Rates I |
03/07/12 | w | Effects of drugs on Pulsation Rates II | ||
03/08/12 | th | nervous and sensory systems | 44, 45 | Effects of drugs on Pulsation Rates II |
03/09/12 | f | lab exam 1 | ||
03/13/12 | tu | musculoskeletal system | 47 | Effects of drugs on Pulsation Rates II |
03/14/12 | w | lab exam 1 | ||
03/15/12 | th | digestive system | 48 | lab exam 1 |
03/16/12 | f | Effects of Temperature on O2 Consumption | ||
03/20/12 | tu | circulatory and respiratory systems | 49, 50 | lab exam 1 |
03/21/12 | w | Effects of Temperature on O2 Consumption | ||
03/22/12 | th | temperature, osmoregulation and urinary system | 43.8, 51 | Effects of Temperature on O2 Consumption |
03/23/12 | f | Fetal Pig Dissection | ||
03/27/12 | tu | reproductive system | 53 | Effects of Temperature on O2 Consumption |
03/28/12 | w | Fetal Pig Dissection | ||
03/29/12 | th | lecture exam 2 | Fetal Pig Dissection | |
03/30/12 | f | Field Trip to AMNH | ||
04/03/12 | tu | plant form | 36 | Fetal Pig Dissection |
04/04/12 | w | Field Trip to AMNH | ||
04/05/12 | th | transport in plants | 38 | Field Trip to AMNH |
04/06/12 | f | spring break | ||
04/10/12 | tu | spring break | ||
04/11/12 | w | spring break | ||
04/12/12 | th | spring break | ||
04/13/12 | f | spring break | ||
04/17/12 | tu | plant nutrition and soil | 39 | Field Trip to AMNH |
04/18/12 | w | Flower Evolution and Transpiration | ||
04/19/12 | th | plant reproduction | 42 | Flower Evolution and Transpiration |
04/20/12 | f | Flower Evolution and Transpiration | ||
04/24/12 | tu | behavioral biology | 55 | Flower Evolution and Transpiration |
04/25/12 | w | Field Trip to Inwood Hill Park | ||
04/26/12 | th | population ecology | 56 | Field Trip to Inwood Hill Park |
04/27/12 | f | Field Trip to Inwood Hill Park | ||
05/01/12 | tu | community ecology | 57 | Field Trip to Inwood Hill Park |
05/02/12 | w | Population Ecology | ||
05/03/12 | th | dynamics of ecosystems | 58 | Population Ecology |
05/04/12 | f | Population Ecology | ||
05/08/12 | tu | the biosphere | 59 | Population Ecology |
05/09/12 | w | lab exam 2 | ||
05/10/12 | th | conservation biology | 60 | lab exam 2 |
05/11/12 | f | lab exam 2 | ||
05/15/12 | tu | lecture exam 3 | lab exam 2 |