SYLLABUS
Biological Sciences 101 I-07-08 1330MWF Henz Aud
Instructor: John Janovy, Jr.,
424 Manter Hall; jjanovy1@unl.edu; http://bsweb.unl.edu/labs/janovy
Text: Johnson and Losos, Essentials of The Living World, 2nd
Ed. (McGraw-Hill)
Welcome to the
What to expect in this class:
(1) I usually will have three lectures a week, mostly explaining material
in the book and expanding on that material when appropriate. Facts, vocabulary, and diagrams will all come
from the book, but the meaning, significance, and interpretations will come
mainly from material presented in class.
(2) You will have weekly writing exercises done in class and you will be
asked to pick up your papers and do some additional work on them. All papers will be in a plastic box outside
my office door.
(3) You may be asked to write short papers in addition to, and sometimes
instead of, coming to class one or two times during the semester. These paper assignments are likely to seem
strange and challenging.
(4) We will use the electronic classroom response system, also known as
“clicker technology,” every day in class beginning after Labor Day. Plan to bring your “clicker” (officially
known as a “response pad”) to class every day and do not lose it. This technology makes it easy for me to
include attendance and participation as part of the grading criteria.
(5) Some student(s) will earn extra points by asking excellent questions,
or demonstrating other kinds of intellectual leadership. I may also turn the microphone over to
students periodically.
(6) The material will be integrated from the beginning, in the sense that
both lecture and readings are likely to include information from sub-cellular
to ecosystem levels and from several places in your book. I suggest considering the index to be the
rough equivalent of Google, in the sense that you can search for terms in the
index and come up with information about those terms. I will try to tie these subjects together, and
you are expected to try to do the same.
(7) You will be treated as if you have come to a major university (which
you have) and will be expected to behave accordingly in this auditorium. If you are being disruptive, talking excessively,
reading the newspaper, talking on your cell phone, lost in a dream with your iPod
plugged into your ears, etc., you will probably be asked to leave, maybe even
asked to drop the class.
(8) You will have to take notes, lots of notes, paying particular
attention to interpretations of material from the text and to our attempts to
integrate the various aspects of biology into a single big picture.
(9) I will try to learn as many of your names as possible; I greatly
appreciate your help and cooperation in this effort.
(10) Expect a few unusual class periods when we do something different
yet still quite appropriate for a university biology course.
Learning Outcomes for this class:
As a result of taking this class, you should be able to clearly
explain the following to your friends and relatives who have not taken
biology:
(1) The fundamental nature of science and of biology.
(2) The biological roles and functions of the major ingredients indicated
on labels of processed food.
(3) The design of a typical experiment and analysis of the results.
(4) The structure of a cell and the functions of all the cell organelles
typically illustrated in an introductory biology text.
(5) Mendelian inheritance of dominant and recessive traits and the
calculations used to predict probabilities of genotype.
(6) Why evolution is the central unifying theme in biology.
(7) The evolutionary principles as outlined in an introductory college
biology text.
(8) The flow of energy, chemical elements, and molecules through an
ecosystem.
(9) The diversity of living organisms on Earth.
(10) The role(s) that humans play, and have played, in modification of
the Earth’s biota and life support systems.
COURSE ELECTRONICS, OR WELCOME TO THE INFORMATION AGE:
This class uses two forms of information technology. These technological features include a classroom
response system and Blackboard (a Course Management Software system). Please get up to speed on these systems as
quickly as you can; they’re not particularly difficult, but you will need
access to the Internet in order to use them.
Classroom Response System (CRS):
In addition to a textbook, you will need a classroom
response pad, or “clicker” for this section.
The pads are sold separately in the bookstores. Each pad
has a serial number, and you must get online and register it in order to
participate in this class.
Instructions for registering online are provided on Blackboard.
Course Management Software (CMS):
UNL has web-based CMS called Blackboard available for use
by students and faculty members. I will
use that software to post grades, announcements, and possibly outside readings
(or links to them), as well as to provide opportunities for you to earn extra
credit. You get into this software
through the web site http://my.unl.edu.
If you are registered for this class you can get into Blackboard for
this section.
Attendance:
Attendance is required and accounts for about 15% of your
final grade. The quickest way to get
into grade trouble in a large university class is to quit coming to
school. You are responsible for all of
the material presented in lecture and assigned from the text. Tape recorders are permitted, although I will
try to put all lectures up on Blackboard as *.wma files. Beginning with the second week, I will take
attendance daily through use of the CRS or written exercises.
Questions:
Questions are expected.
Although I have a lecture schedule, it is not so rigid that we can’t
spend an entire period on class discussion or in answering questions. Someone please raise his or her hand and tell
me to slow down, spell words, or repeat if I am going too rapidly.
Grading:
Your grades are calculated on the following basis:
(1)
Hour exams – three @ 100 points each =
300 points
(2) Final
exam – one @ 160 points = 160 points
(3)
Written assignments 14 @ 10 points = 140 points
(4)
Attendance = 100 points
TOTAL = 700 points
PORTFOLIO
BONUS POINTS = 50 points
Hour exams: The tests may include multiple choice and matching
questions, diagrams to label or interpret, and short essays. You should also expect a “critical and higher
order thinking” section on each exam, consisting of 5 questions that explore a
subject in depth. There is a test question bank on Blackboard.
Exam questions: I will
take as many of the exam questions as I can from the question banks posted on
the Blackboard web site for this course.
I am likely to ask you to write some of your own exam questions and
provide not only the answers but also the rationale for the answers (on
Blackboard).
Pop quizzes: If given, pop quizzes will range from 4-10
points, and those points will be subtracted from the ones available on regular
tests.
Writing exercises: Every Friday during the semester I will give
small, extemporaneous, writing assignments.
You will get 1-3 points (awarded subjectively on the basis of grammar,
information content, etc.) for actually doing these assignments in class, and
another 4-7 points (awarded subjectively on the basis of grammar, spelling,
originality and insight) if you pick them up on time, do the follow-up writing,
and return them on time. Follow-up
writing will consist of correcting your own hand-written paper in red ink,
typing the paper exactly as you wrote it in class and also correcting the typed
version in red ink, and then evaluating your own performance with a single page
of double-spaced typing. These writing
exercises are due the day the next one is given.
Portfolio Bonus Points: If, some time during the
last week of the semester, you show me your complete set of work for this
class, assembled according to instructions on Blackboard, and you have received
at least 100 of the 140 points available through writing assignments during the
semester, I will add 50 points to your total for the semester. Detailed instructions for preparing your
course portfolio will be provided on Blackboard.
Grading scale: The
class average is middle C. I reserve the
right to scale grades up if the class average falls below 75%. If the class average is 75% or higher, then
an approximate standard scale applies (90% = A, 80% = B, etc.). If you end up with 630 points I will give you
an “A;” with 560 points you are guaranteed at least a “B;” etc.
Makeup exams: I give
no makeup exams. If you miss a test
because of illness or personal emergency, I will not count that test if you
have either a physician’s note indicating you were ill, or have some other
documentation of a real emergency. If
you miss class because of athletic competition, I need to have the letter from
your coach and I need to be reminded of that letter frequently and as the
semester nears its end. If possible, I
will arrange for you to take an exam with you on any university-sponsored trip
and have it administered by a university official.
Extra credit: I will
provide a number of opportunities for extra credit, which will appear as points
simply added to your total. These
opportunities will include writing some of your own test questions,
contributing to exam preparation via Blackboard, exhibiting intellectual
leadership in class, sustaining class discussion (see below), etc. There will be bonus points for assembling a
portfolio of all your work in this class (contents and instructions will be on
Blackboard). In December, when I do
the final grade calculations, if I am able to recognize you on the street,
outside of class, by name and face, then I will add 10 extra credit points to
your total.
Please decide this morning that you are going to
come to class every day, take notes seriously, ask questions, participate in
class discussions, take all the exams, take advantage of extra credit
opportunities, make sure I can recognize you outside of class, and get help
early if you need it.
Class discussion:
If a group of three or more students initiates a serious
class discussion of current events, conducted within the context of material we
are covering, and if ten or more additional students actually participate in
this discussion, I will add 5 bonus points to the grade of everyone who is in
class that day. In order to get these
points it will be necessary for you all to be quiet and attentive and to treat
your fellow students with respect (but I don’t care how lively the discussion
gets).
Lab:
I have
no responsibility for, or control over, your lab grade. BioSci 101L is a separate course from BioSci
101. However, I will try to cover
certain topics, e.g. cell biology and genetics, before they are covered in
lab. Dr. Jon Sandridge is the General
Biology Laboratory Coordinator. His
office and the Bios 101 lab office are located in room 101A Manter Hall; his
telephone number is (402) 472-0620; and, his e-mail is
jsandridge2@unlnotes.unl.edu.
Office hours:
My
office hours are MW afternoons after class and Th afternoon 1:30-3:30. You can call me at 472-2754 (office), or
leave a message at 472-2720 (BioSci office) or 489-4369 (home). If you leave a message on my home or office phone,
please speak slowly and clearly, and leave your name and phone number. I also have a mailbox in 348 Manter Hall (BioSci
office, campus mail zip is 0118). My
e-mail is jjanovy1@unl.edu. I am
available by appointment about any day, including late in the afternoons
(except on Friday). If you see me out on
campus and I don’t seem to be doing anything important, feel free to introduce
yourself and ask any questions you may have about biology.
Study hints:
(1)
Make a vocabulary list. Someone ask me
about how to make and use such a list.
(2)
Find a study partner, or several, and use the vocabulary in your daily
conversation.
(3)
Seek individual help early if you feel completely lost.
(4)
DON’T feel embarrassed if you are not doing as well as you think you should be;
seek help.
(5)
Use all the resources available, including those that may be on Blackboard.
(6)
Attend the Supplemental Instruction sessions.
About your instructor:
John
Janovy, Jr.
Paula
and D. B. Varner Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences
BS in
Math (1959), MS in Zoology (1962), and PhD in Zoology (1965);
Research
interests: parasitology, especially ecology of parasitism and
evolution of parasite life cycles, with focus on the protistan parasites of
insects and the helminth parasites of small fish. There are usually 2-3 graduate students and
1-3 undergraduates doing research in my lab.
Other
courses taught: Parasitology (BIOS 385, spring semesters),
Invertebrate Zoology (BioSci 381, fall semesters), Field Parasitology (BioSci
487/887, Cedar Point Biological Station,
Web
site: http://bsweb.unl.edu/labs/janovy
General advice on how to maximize the value of the education you receive
at the
(1) Make sure every instructor you have knows your name, and make sure
that instructor knows you and your work well enough so that he/she can write a
letter of recommendation for you if necessary.
(2) Simply decide today that you are not afraid of, or intimidated by,
faculty members, no matter how obnoxious or wacko they seem, and regardless of
whether their “values” are consistent with yours.
(3) Pay attention to world events, especially those with a cultural
component. Try to understand why these
events take place, even though your courses may not deal with anything other
than specific subject matter having nothing to do with global politics or
economics.
(4) Visit the museums on campus about once a week (free with student
ID). Talk to your friends about what you
see in those buildings. Visit the Sheldon
Gallery regularly and be able to talk intelligently about the works there, as
well as the sculptures on campus.
(5) Pay attention to the campus landscaping; read the labels on the trees
and plants. Talk about campus
landscaping and vegetation with your friends.
(6) Read some high quality magazine fairly regularly. I suggest The
New Yorker, Harpers, or Atlantic
Monthly. Ask your instructors for a
reading list of non-fiction books and read some of the items on such lists.
(7) Talk to your parents or guardians about the ideas you are
encountering at UNL.
(8) Do something original and
creative (poetry, music, sketches, etc.) on a fairly regular basis.
(9) Go to free lectures and recitals when you have the opportunity. Once you get there, stay through the whole
thing and be a quiet and attentive audience member.
(10) Talk to your fellow students.
Find out who are the most challenging faculty members in the arts,
humanities and social sciences, and enroll in those teachers’ courses.
_____________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL BIOLOGY LABORATORY ANNOUNCEMENT (Bios 101L)
The
laboratory is an integral part of the General Biology course. It is designed to provide you with a series
of experiments and observations which illustrated many of the basic biological
principles discussed in lecture. Efforts
have been made to coordinate the sequence in which lecture and lab materials
are presented. In general, the basic
background information necessary to carry out each week’s lab exercise will be
covered in lecture prior to the lab exercise.
The General Biology Laboratory is a 1 credit hour course (Bios 101L)
which must be taken concurrently with lecture (Bios 101). Your lab grade will NOT be averaged into your
lecture grade.
Please note the following
policies:
1. If you drop or withdraw from Bios 101 lecture
you must also drop or withdraw from Bios 101L lab. Conversely, if you drop or withdraw from the
Bios 101L lab you must also drop or withdraw from Bios 101 lecture.
2. Attendance will be taken at each lab
meeting. If you miss more than 2 lab
sections, you will automatically receive a grade of F for the laboratory (Bios
101L).
The
General Biology Laboratory Coordinator is Jon Sandridge. His office and the Bios 101 lab office are
located in room 101A Manter Hall; his telephone number is (402) 472-0620; and,
his e-mail is jsandridge2@unlnotes.unl.edu.
All questions concerning the laboratory should be addressed to Dr.
Sandridge.
LECTURE SCHEDULE. In the
following schedule, biology is presented in a sequence that is intended to
build upon itself, the earlier lectures providing background information, ideas,
and concepts necessary to understand the topics presented later in the
semester. Biology is a highly integrated
field of study; for this reason I may select readings from several places in
the book so that you will have both facts and context relevant to the topic. In the
Week of Topics;
refs in text
|
Week |
Topic |
|
Question, Topic, or Issue |
|
1 |
What is science? |
1.5 - 1.7 |
Science literary in the
general public. |
|
1 |
What is biology? |
1.1 – 1.4 |
How scientists approach
the study of living organisms. |
|
1 |
What is evolution? |
1.9, 2.3, 2.5 |
Why is "it's only a
theory" the wrong phrase to use when |
|
|
|
|
Trying to deny that the process of
evolution shapes life on Earth? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
Cell chemistry |
4.1 – 4.5 |
What’s in junk food? Why can I get vaccinated against some
viruses? |
|
2 |
HIV |
17.2 - 17.4 |
Why are flu viruses
different from HIV and what is meant by “mutant”? |
|
2 |
Bacteria |
17.2 – 17.4 |
Astrobiology, disease
diagnosis, and sex on a very small scale. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
Eukaryotic Cells |
Chapter 5 |
What is meant by the term
"cell"? |
|
3 |
Eukaryotic Cells |
Chapter 5 |
What is meant by the term
"cell"? (cont'd) |
|
3 |
Eukaryotic Cells |
Chapter 5 |
Why are cells of potential
use in medicine? In agriculture? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
Cell Activities |
Ch. 5, 6, & 7 |
How you and every other
living organism process the environment. |
|
4 |
Cell Activities |
(parts of those |
Food, feces, parasites,
decay, recycling, worms, etc. |
|
4 |
Cell Activities |
Chapters) |
A biologist reading labels
(more junk food) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
Genetics |
Ch. 9 - 14 |
What did your parents tell
you about sex? |
|
5 |
Genetics |
We’ll select |
What should an educated
citizen know about sex? |
|
5 |
Genetics |
parts of these |
Diversity, designer kids,
and human evolution - The basics |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
Genetics |
Ch. 9 - 14 |
Why is phenotype so
important? |
|
6 |
Genetics |
We’ll select |
Why is phenotype so
important? (cont'd) |
|
6 |
Genetics |
parts of these |
What is genetic
information and how might it be used for profit? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
Genetics |
Ch. 9 – 14 |
Some information on human
genetics. |
|
7 |
Genetics |
We’ll select |
Molecular genetics and
evolutionary biology. |
|
7 |
Genetics |
parts of these |
What is the so-called
"nature-nurture controversy"? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
Evolution |
|
What is evolution? |
|
8 |
Evolution |
|
Why is evolution the
central unifying theme of biological science? |
|
8 |
Evolution |
|
Why do biologists consider
evolution to be a fact? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
Evolution |
15.4 -15.5 |
Population genetics and
mutation. |
|
9 |
Evolution |
21.7 – 21.10 |
Co-evolution and co-speciation. |
|
9 |
Evolution |
16.1 – 16.5 |
The cladistic methodology. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
Evolution |
21.2 - 21.4, 23.9 |
Are humans evolving? |
|
10 |
Evolution |
16.7, 17.4 |
Why is the evolution of
disease-causing organisms of importance to people? |
|
10 |
Evolution |
Blackboard |
Who is actually hurt by
the teaching of evolution? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
Ecology |
20.9 – 20.10 |
What is meant by the term
"environment"? |
|
11 |
Ecology |
20.1 – 20.5 |
The flow of materials. |
|
11 |
Ecology |
23.1 - 23.5 |
Are humans destroying the
Earth? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
12 |
Ecology |
Blackboard |
What is the relationship
between the Earth's history and current political events? |
|
12 |
Ecology |
Blackboard |
To what extent do natural
phenomena override government actions? |
|
12 |
Ecology |
Blackboard |
What power do individuals
have to direct their own future and that of their children? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
13 |
Organismic Biology |
Ch. 17-19 |
Who shares this planet
with us? |
|
13 |
Organismic Biology |
Ch. 17-19 |
Who shares this planet
with us? |
|
13 |
Organismic Biology |
Ch. 17-19 |
Who shares this planet
with us? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14 |
Organismic Biology |
Ch. 17 – 19 |
Who shares this planet
with us? |
|
14 |
Organismic Biology |
Ch. 17 – 19 |
Who shares this planet
with us? |
|
14 |
Organismic Biology |
Ch. 17 – 19 |
Who shares this planet
with us? |
EXAM DATES:
Wednesday, September 12, 2007. Bring two sharpened No. 2 pencils.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007. Bring
two sharpened No. 2 pencils.