Page 1 of 5 BIO 112 Human Aspects of Biology, Section 001 MWF 9:00-9:50, Science 214 YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWING ALL COURSE POLICIES DESCRIBED IN THIS HANDOUT. Please see either instructor if you have any questions concerning this syllabus. Instructors: First half: Dr. Joy O Keefe Office: Science 273 Phone: 237-4520 E-mail: Joy.OKeefe@indstate.edu Office hours: By appointment. Second half: Dr. George Bakken Office: Science 265 Phone: 237-2396 E-mail: George.Bakken@indstate.edu Office hours: By appointment. Supplemental Instructor: Ms. Erin Brown Email: ebrown64@sycamores.indstate.edu Readings: Discover Biology, Full Version, Fifth Edition (2011), by Anu Singh-Cundy and Michael Cain. Other readings will be provided via Blackboard and announced in class. You should read the assigned material before class, attend class to find out what material we consider important, and then re-read the assigned readings, concentrating on the material we have covered. Drop Deadlines: January 19 January 26 February 2 March 23 Last day for 75 percent refund; last day to drop a class with no grade Last day for 50 percent refund Last day for 25 percent refund Last day to drop classes no petition for exception; last day to withdraw with no grade(s) Course Philosophy: Science is a way of obtaining knowledge, not a collection of facts. This course is intended to develop your ability to use critical thinking and logical analysis to evaluate scientific hypotheses based on observed facts and to distinguish true science from pseudo-science. This course is intended to help you develop the skills needed to understand new scientific information, apply it to your life in a rapidly changing world, and participate as an informed citizen in societal decisions related to science. You will receive up-to-date information covering a wide variety of topics in biology, which we may use to generate hypotheses and formulate testable predictions. Most importantly, we will consider the relevance of the information to individuals and society, and discuss controversies surrounding the information. Foundational Studies Outcomes and Objectives Addressed by this Course: BIO 112 provides 3 credit hours as a Foundational Studies Laboratory Science course. Foundational Studies Learning Outcomes addressed in this course: Locate, critically read, and evaluate information to solve problems. Critically evaluate the ideas of others. Apply knowledge and skills within and across the fundamental ways of knowing (natural sciences). Laboratory Science Learning Objectives addressed in this course: Articulate how data are acquired, and how hypotheses and theories are constructed. Use the scientific method to formulate and test hypotheses. Apply scientific theories to predict the nature and behavior of new systems, environments, or scenarios. Articulate how current issues in science and technology intersect with populations, institutions, and societies.
Page 2 of 5 How to Do Well in this Course: Doing well in a course involves more than spending enough hours studying; it requires effective learning. Fortunately, we can learn new ways to learn, and acquiring new learning skills is one of the most important ways to be successful in college. Dr. Stephen Chew and Samford University have developed a set of videos about effective study skills, which you should review. Your first quiz of the semester will be over this material. Also, see the instructors for help with your study skills. Please see us as early in the semester as you can; if you wait until the end of the semester, you will not have time to improve your study skills. If you have any apprehension about the course, see us right away; there are many things you can do to ensure that you learn effectively. Blackboard: The course information, syllabus, and lecture notes will be available on Blackboard (http://blackboard.indstate.edu). Scores on exams, quizzes, and other assignments will be posted on Blackboard. Do not trust Blackboard to calculate your overall percentage. Check your raw scores regularly and quickly inform us about any score that has been entered incorrectly. You can calculate your overall percentage at any time during the semester so you should be able to adjust your effort accordingly. Laptop Usage: Laptop use during lectures is prohibited unless you have obtained prior permission from the instructor. Those interested in using a laptop for note-taking must register with the instructor and sit in the front few rows of class. Laptops may not be used for any purpose other than note-taking and class-related tasks; students may not use laptops for activities that may distract either the laptop user or others (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, shopping, browsing the Internet) or that violate the Code of Student Conduct. Attendance: We will not always record attendance, but attendance at all classes is highly recommended. Attendance in class is important for being successful in this course. If you miss a class period due to a religious holiday, illness, official school function, or serious personal difficulty (e.g., a death in the family), you may be allowed to turn in a late assignment or take an early exam or a makeup exam, provided that your absence is excusable. If you are uncertain as to whether an absence is excusable, please see the instructor. All excuses must be documented. If you know beforehand that you will be unable to take an exam (e.g. any scheduled event, including court appearances, medical appointments, funeral, as well as University activities), you must make arrangements with the instructor before the regular exam is given; otherwise, you will receive a zero for that exam.
Page 3 of 5 Participation: Your presence and involvement in class will be assessed periodically through participation points for work that takes place in class. However, if you miss class, in-class activities cannot be made up. Quizzes: Quizzes will be given either during class or outside of class and will consist of 5 to 10 multiplechoice questions. Depending on the number of quizzes, we may drop low quiz scores, so you can either skip or bomb a few quizzes with no penalty. Quizzes may be given at any and every time during the class period. There are no makeups for missed quizzes. Assignments: There will be several assignments in this course, which you will give you practice with important skills we cover in class. Instructions for assignments will be made in class. Exams: Exams may contain both written-answer and objective-format questions and will require you to understand the material; memorizing the class notes will not be sufficient. See the Chew videos for study tips. Any questions that you may have about your exam that might involve a change of score (i.e., re-grades, addition errors) must be made within 7 days of the day that the instructor returns your graded exam. Grade Appeals: If you believe we have erred in totaling points or you wish to appeal a grade, this must be done within 7 days of us returning the assignment to the class. If you are not in class when we return assignments, you may make an appointment to pick up your assignment. Point Opportunities: Grade Percentage Point Type Sum of Points 63% Exams + Final 500 13% Quizzes 100 25% Assignments & Participation 200 TOTAL 800 Grading Scale: Letter Percentage Letter Percentage A 92.00% C+ 78.00% A 90.00% C 72.00% B+ 88.00% C 70.00% B 82.00% D+ 68.00% B 80.00% D 60.00% F < 60.00% Your grade in this course will be based solely on your performance on the above components. Scores will not be rounded up; to achieve a particular grade, you must earn at least the minimum score for that grade.
Page 4 of 5 Other Stuff You Need to Know: Email format: We will not respond to emails that do not have BIO 112 in the subject line and your name and contact info (email and phone number, if needed) in the body of the message. Courteous emails with a salutation (e.g., Dr. O Keefe or Dr. Bakken ) and a closure (e.g., Thank you, John ) will be appreciated. We will respond to your emails within 2 business days from receipt. Changes to the syllabus: This syllabus is a plan for the course, but it may be necessary for us to deviate from this plan. If needed, we will announce changes to the schedule in lecture. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out about changes to the schedule. Statement on Academic Freedom: "Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject." The preceding comes from the American Association of University Professors statement on academic freedom. Though the entire statement speaks to many issues, it is this portion on the conduct of the course that is most relevant. For the purpose of Foundational Studies courses this means that course instructors have the right to conduct their class in a fashion they deem appropriate as long as the material presented meets the learning objectives laid out by the entire faculty. See: http://www.aaup.org/aaup/pubsres/policydocs/contents/1940statement.htm American with Disabilities Act Statement: Indiana State University seeks to provide effective services and accommodation for qualified individuals with documented disabilities. If you need an accommodation because of a documented disability, you are required to register with Disability Support Services at the beginning of the semester. Contact the Center for Student Success. The telephone number is 237-2700 and the office is located on the 2 nd floor in Gillum Hall. The Center will ensure that you receive all the additional help that Indiana State offers. If you will require assistance during an emergency evacuation, notify your instructor immediately. Look for evacuation procedures posted in your classrooms. Academic Integrity: In this class, you must adhere to Indiana State University s Code of Student Conduct, which can be found at http://www.indstate.edu/sci/. In the Code, plagiarism is defined as intentionally or carelessly presenting the work of another as one s own. Consult the Code of Student Conduct and the Plagiarism Tutorial: http://library.indstate.edu/tools/tutorials/plagiarism/ to learn more about what constitutes plagiarism. We will also be happy to answer your questions about plagiarism as you work on assignments for this class. Any violation of the Code, such as cheating, is automatically forwarded to the chair of the Department of Biology and to the appropriate College Dean. Avoid any action (e.g., wandering eyes or unprotected answers) that could remotely be construed as cheating. Neither talking nor the use of electronic devices of any kind will be permitted during examinations. The penalty for cheating is an F in course.
Bakken O'Keefe Schedule for BIO 112, Section 1 & 2, Spring 2014 Page 5 of 5 Month Day Specific Topic Readings Instructor Food Matters Jan 6 Introduction/Does food matter? Chapter 1.1 Jan 8 What is science and how does it work? Chapter 1 Jan 10 The omnivore's dilemma (Pollan, 2006) Farmer in Chief (Pollan) Jan 13 The stuff we're made of Chap 5 + 6 Jan 15 The stuff we eat Chap 5 + 6 Jan 17 Impacts of the western diet/food, Inc. Chap 27.1 Jan 20 No class - Martin Luther King Day of Service Jan 22 What's a vegan?/food, Inc. Chap 27, pp. 606-607 Jan 24 Back to how science works/food, Inc. Chap 2,pp 40-41 Jan 27 Healthy Foods at ISU/Food, Inc. Powerpoint Jan 29 What's for dinner/can you cook it? Chap 16, p 374 Jan 31 Exam 1 Cancer is Personal Feb 3 What is cancer? Chap 10.1 + Chap 11 Feb 5 Cell lives: division and apoptosis Chap 10 Feb 7 How do cancerous mutations develop? Chap 11 + Sec 15.6 Feb 10 Your three lines of defense Chap 32 Feb 12 To be announced Feb 14 No class - Dr. O'Keefe is away at a batty meeting Feb 17 Vaccines and human papilloma virus Chap 2 + 32 Feb 19 Epidemiology - spotlight on polio Chap 11 Feb 21 Which is worse - a virus, bacteria, or cancer? Chap 11 Feb 24 Focus on leukemia Powerpoint Feb 26 Finding and staging cancer Chap 13, p 317 Feb 28 Cancer treatment and prevention Powerpoint Mar 3 Exam 2 Why Are Antibiotics Losing their Effectiveness? Mar 5 How did we learn bacteria cause infections - and to use antibiotics? Pasteur and Flemming Powerpoint Mar 7 Why not just use antibiotics? Why don't antibiotics work as well now as in 1946? Powerpoint Mar 10 Spring Break Mar 12 Spring Break Mar 14 Spring Break Mar 17 What is information & why is it the principal feature of Biology? What makes each brain unique? Powerpoint Information and Information Change: the Distinguishing Aspect of Biology Mar 19 Inheritance and Mendel Chap 12 Mar 21 Mendel - gene interactions in the phenotype Chap 13 Mar 24 Genes are on Chromosomes that are made of DNA Chap 14 Mar 26 Gene expression and regulation/embryology Chap 15 Mar 28 Exam 3 Mar 31 Are bacteria always bad and antibiotics always good? Community ecology Chap 23 You Are an Ecosystem - and You Are Part of an Ecosystem Apr 2 Physiological and Population ecology Chap 22 Apr 4 Ecosystems & climate Chap 21 + 24 Apr 7 Climate Change - Real? What can/should be done? Chap 25 Apr 9 Antibiotics, Bacterial evolution & Process of natural selection Chap 17 + 18 Apr 11 Darwin: Genetics plus Ecology Chap 17 + 18 Apr 14 Exam 4 Apr 16 Evolution - scientific testing & natural selection Chap 17 + 18 How Does Biological Information Change, and Where Does It Come From? Apr 18 Species formation Chap 19 Apr 21 Macroevolution Chap 19-20.6 Apr 23 History of life on Earth Chap 20.1-20.6 Apr 25 Human evolution Chap 20.7 Apr 28-May 2 Final Exam 2 hours per official schedule 1/2 material before last test, 1/2 material since last test