syllabus gribble, biosc 0150, f14.pdf

BIOL 101 Foundations of Biology I Fall 2014

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Title BIOSC 0150, Foundations of Biology I Description This introductory course in biology covers the cellular basis of life including a

discussion of simple chemistry; cells as units of structure and function; and energy transformations. For students planning to major in biology, psychology, health-related professions or natural sciences, the topics in this course provide background for further study in biochemistry, botany, microbiology, animal physiology, vertebrate morphology and other areas.

Faculty Dr. Suzanna Lesko Gribble, A230A Langley Hall

[email protected] 412-624-4261 Office hours: Thursday 11-12 and Friday 1-2 Meetings outside of regularly scheduled office hours are by appointment only.

Course Meetings Lecture:

Recitation:

Class # Day Time Location 10208 MW 6:00-7:15 PM Clapp L9

Class # Day Time Location 10791 W 7:30-8:20 PM Clapp L9 19524 T 1:00-1:50 PM Langley A224 10793 F 11:00-11:50 AM Langley A224 10792 F 12:00-12:50 PM Langley A224

Required Text Biological Science, 5th edition (2014). Freeman, Quillin and Allison

Hardcover ISBN: 1269936018 Loose leaf ISBN: 0321862155

Biological Science Study Guide, 5th edition (2014). Freeman, Quillin and Allison is recommended

Websites www.masteringbiology.com courseweb.pitt.edu Software I-Clicker Classroom Response System

Smart phone apps are permissible Mastering Biology

Access code is part of textbook bundle or can be purchased from website

Assignments

Assessment Points Available Preliminary Exams (I-III) 180 Mastering Biology (MB) 10 Recitation Participation 10 Reading Quizzes (via MB) 10 Final Exam 60 Total 270


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Exams Please note the dates of the preliminary exams and final exam to avoid any future scheduling conflicts. Preliminary exams are given during regular class meetings.

The final exam will be held on Wednesday 10 December, 2014 from 6:00-7:15 pm in Clapp Hall L9. The three preliminary exams will consist of 60 multiple-choice questions, valued at 1 point each. Exam questions will be weighted toward material covered in lecture and that which is supported by the required text; therefore, it is important to stay current on the assigned readings and to ask questions during lecture and recitation

Missed exams There are no make-up preliminary exams or extra credit opportunities in

this course. If you miss more than one preliminary exam you should discuss the options available to you with your advisor or the SAS Dean’s Office. All students are required to take the final exam, regardless of course standing. Students who miss the final exam due to an emergency should pursue the G grade option as outlined below. If you arrive late to any exam, you will have the remaining time to complete as much of the exam as possible. Transportation problems and weather issues are not considered an adequate excuse. If you have to travel to reach campus, please allow sufficient time to ensure that you arrive by the time the exam begins.

Challenging an Exam Question

If you believe that the answer to an exam question you gave is more correct than the answer listed on the answer key, you may challenge the question. Your challenge must be in writing, using the form provided on CourseWeb. You must include a detailed justification for the correctness of your answer, including references to either the lecture notes (by date) or to the text used in the course (page, paragraph). You should refer to the color of your exam, the question number, and then present your case. All challenges must be received no later than one week after the exam is given. Challenges will be kept on file and considered when calculating the final course grades.

Grading

Final Point Total % Grade Final Point Total % Grade 270-264 >98 A+ 216-210 80-78 C+ 264-248 98-92 A 210-194 78-72 C 248-243 92-90 A- 194-189 72-70 C- 243-237 90-88 B+ 189-183 70-68 D+ 237-221 88-82 B 183-167 68-62 D 221-216 82-80 B- 167-162 62-60 D-

160-0 <60 F

All work will be graded according to the scale above. Further, scores may be re-weighted to reflect the degree of difficulty of the work at the discretion of the instructor. In such circumstances, the process will be explained upon return of the exam. Upon completion of the semester, a final grade is determined for each student using the above scale. Factors such as attendance, sustained improvement, and class participation may be considered when making a decision in borderline cases.


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G Grades G grades are assigned to students who have been attending a course and have been making regular progress are prevented, by circumstances beyond their control, from completing the course after it is too late to withdraw (25 October, 2014). If you wish to petition for a G grade, you must submit a request for this grade in writing to Dr. Gribble, and you must document your reason(s). If you miss the final exam, you may receive a G grade if the above conditions are met.

Attendance Students are responsible for obtaining material from missed lectures and

recitations from other classmates. Email Each student is issued a University e–mail address ([email protected]) upon

admittance. This e–mail address may be used by the University for official communication with students. Students are expected to read e–mail sent to this account on a regular basis. Failure to read and react to University communications in a timely manner does not absolve the student from knowing and complying with the content of the communications. The University provides an e–mail forwarding service that allows students to read their e–mail via other service providers (e.g. gmail, AOL, Yahoo). Students that choose to forward their e–mail from their @pitt.edu address to another address do so at their own risk. If e–mail is lost as a result of forwarding, it does not absolve the student from responding to official communications sent to their University e–mail address. (from the Pitt E-mail Communications Policy)

Cheating Students in this course will be expected to comply with the University of

Pittsburgh's Policy on Academic Integrity. Any student suspected of violating this obligation for any reason during the semester will be required to participate in the procedural process, initiated at the instructor level, as outlined in the University Guidelines on Academic Integrity. This may include, but is not limited to, the confiscation of the examination of any individual suspected of violating University Policy. Furthermore, no student may bring any unauthorized materials to an exam, including dictionaries and programmable calculators. All work submitted (i.e. exams and quizzes) must be your own and completed without consultation or discussion with classmates. The instructor will indicate whether an in-class assignment is to be completed individually or as a group.

Personal Conduct Students are expected to arrive to class on-time and fully prepared. Mobile phones and other electronic devices must be in silent mode during lecture. Use of any audio or video recording device is strictly prohibited without the consent of the professor. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in immediate dismissal from the lecture. Emailing your professor is considered an official communication. Please treat your inquiries with professionalism. An acceptable email salutation is “Dear Dr. Gribble.” Unacceptable salutations are “Hey,” “Hi,” or lack thereof.


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Computer Use While your laptop is useful in this course, appropriate and proper use of the technology is paramount. Computer use in the lecture setting is an opportunity to display professional and courteous behavior. As such, the following are guidelines for appropriate in-class computer use:

1. Computer use should be for note taking or other directly related lecture activities.

2. Computer use must not distract the instructor nor fellow classmates. Inappropriate use will be viewed as disrespectful and unprofessional to the instructor and classmates. If your behavior disrupts lecture, you will be asked to leave the lecture hall.

Mastering Biology There will be short online assignments to accompany the lectures and reading

quizzes, as part of the Mastering Biology online study site, www.masteringbiology.com. The course code for this section is GRIBBLEBIOSC0150. The course is open for registration. Students may earn up to 10 points for successful completion of these assignments and 10 points for successful completion of reading quizzes.

CourseWeb All current students have access to courseweb.pitt.edu. Some course materials

will be posted on this site. Documents including, but not limited to, syllabus, schedule, lecture figures, course announcements or schedule changes, and answer keys will be available. If you have problems accessing your CourseWeb account, please contact the computer help desk at 412-624-HELP.

Disability Resources and Services

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and Disability Resources and Services (DRS), 140 William Pitt Union, 412-648-7890, [email protected], 412-228-5347 for P3 ASL users, as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.


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V. Lecture Schedule‡

Week Date Topic Reading

1 25 August Course Introduction & Lecture Boot Camp -- 27 August Water & Carbon: the chemical basis of life 2

2 1 September No Classes—Labor Day -- 3 September Protein Structure & Function 3

3 8 September Nucleic Acids & the RNA world 4 10 September An Introduction to Carbohydrates 5

4 15 September Lipids, Membranes, & the First Cells 6 17 September Lipids, Membranes, & the First Cells 6

5 22 September Preliminary Exam #1 (Chapters 2-6) -- 24 September Inside the Cell 7

6 29 September Inside the Cell 7 1 October Energy & Enzymes 8

7 6 October Energy & Enzymes 8 8 October Cellular Respiration & Fermentation 9

8 13 October No Classes—Fall Recess -- 14 October Cellular Respiration & Fermentation 9 15 October Photosynthesis 10

9 20 October Cell-Cell Interactions 11 22 October Cell-Cell Interactions 11

10 27 October Preliminary Exam #2 (Chapters 7-11) -- 29 October The Cell Cycle 12

11 3 November The Cell Cycle 12 5 November Meiosis 13

12 10 November Meiosis 13 12 November Mendel & the Gene 14

13 17 November Mendel & the Gene 14 19 November How Genes Work 16

14 24 November How Genes Work 16 26 November No Classes—Thanksgiving Recess --

15 1 December Wild-card -- 3 December Preliminary Exam #3 (Chapters 12-14, 16) --

16 8 December Review for Final Exam -- 10 December FINAL EXAM, Clapp Hall L9, 6:00-7:15 PM --

‡ The lecture schedule may be changed by the instructors to better suit the needs of this course.