INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY III	Ms. Janet Stein Carter, Instructor of Biology
Course #34BIOL103 (047-103)-001	Office: room S-272K; phone 732-5313
Spring 1999, MWF 1:00 - 1:50 pm	office hours MWF 12:00 to 1:00. TTh 12:15-1:00
(If I’m not in my office, then check the Lab, S-278)	e-mail: carterjs@uc.edu

Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Introductory Biology II (34BIOL102) is a prerequisite for this course. This science majors’ course was designed to build on, not replace that foundation. If you never had that course or did not successfully complete it, then you should do so before attempting this course. If you did poorly in that course, did not really learn the material in that course, or if it was so long ago that your memory is fuzzy, you may have trouble being successful in this course. If any of those cases apply to you, then in order to improve your chances of mastering the material presented in this course, as reflected by your grade, it is strongly recommended that you seek the tutoring services offered through the Learning Center.

If you are underprepared, obtaining the necessary prerequisites could add to the time needed to get your degree. You cannot expect to simultaneously get your degree quickly and do well in a course for which you are underprepared, and will need to choose which of the two is more important to you, and which will better prepare you for the courses you will face at the next level of your college career. Typically, students who try to rush through their coursework without the proper prerequisites do poorly in those courses, thus being underprepared for the next level of courses. Students who do take time to gain the proper prerequisites for a course thereby get much more out of that course, which in turn, better prepares them for subsequent courses.

Also, your textbook was written at a college level, and includes a fair amount of scientific terminology. If you are not able to read at a college level, you will not be able to comprehend the text, and thus will have great difficulty with this course. If that is the case, you should take courses to improve your reading and writing skills before attempting to take this course.

Course Description:
3 undergraduate credits. This science majors’ course focuses on the major processes, concepts, and theories of biology. Topics include the study of the principles of plant and animal phylogeny; the structure of animal tissues; and the anatomy and functioning of organ systems as exemplified in the human. Prerequisite: 34BIOL102

Aims of the 101-102-103 Sequence:
Biology 103 is the third quarter in a three-quarter sequence of classes. At the completion of this sequence of science majors’ courses, you should have mastered the knowledge and skills that will serve as a broad foundation for the more specialized biology courses you will be taking later on. You should also understand and appreciate the relationship between biological knowledge and your everyday life, including a better understanding and appreciation of your body’s functions and a greater enjoyment of leisure time activities.

It is important to note that the “purpose” of these courses is not to give you an “A” so you can get into Pharmacy or Medical School, etc., but rather to provide you with the foundation knowledge and skills you will need to survive and do well if you make it that far.

Course Objectives for Introductory Biology 103:
This course will explore the basic processes, concepts, and theories of plant and animal phylogeny; structure of animal tissues; and anatomy and functioning of organ systems as exemplified in the human, utilizing examples from everyday life. The objectives will be:

1. To learn basic taxonomic and phylogenetic principles and the evolutionary foundation upon which these are based;
2. To survey characteristics of the various taxa of plants, animals, and other organisms;
3. To explore and further your understanding of the elements of the structure and function of the human organism;
4. To apply these concepts, thereby better understanding daily experiences;
5. As these processes are studied, to learn to think critically about them--to be able to use the scientific method to analyze a problem, formulate a hypothesis, and develop a means of finding a solution;
6. To relate biological terms to their Latin and Greek derivation, thereby facilitating the prediction/understanding of definitions for unfamiliar words;
7. To explore and discuss the ethical and/or social responsibility issues related to topics under consideration; and
8. To communicate in ways appropriate to the biological sciences about the processes and concepts studied.

Methods of Reaching These Objectives:

1. Participation in discussion and class problem-solving will be an important component of this course. You will prepare for class by reading, researching, and thinking about the scheduled topics prior to class time. When you arrive for class, you should have a basic understanding of the topics to be discussed and have formulated any questions that might have arisen as you read about these topics. This will enable you to participate in a meaningful way in discussing the scheduled topic for that day.
2. To gain a better working knowledge of how all the organisms in our environment interact and are related, you will be asked to research an environmental problem of concern to you and suggest possible solutions to solve that problem. To communicate your findings to others, you will prepare an EcoPoster (directions follow) which will be displayed in the hallways for Earth Day. Here’s one “poster” that was done electronically.
3. Several times during the quarter, you will be asked to summarize an article in the popular press in the form of a newsnote and turn this in to be duplicated/posted for class discussion.
4. You will be expected to accurately define key terms, translate pertinent wordstems, reproduce explanatory diagrams, and explain important concepts in your own words. Test structure will require written essays and short answers. Wordstems provide a fundamental tool to understanding language, thus etymology of major terms will be derived and tested.
5. You should be able to logically predict the meaning of any new words encountered that contain known wordstems.
6. You should develop a sense of the influence of historical context and discoveries on the evolution of our modern understanding of biology.
7. You should gain a basic knowledge and understanding of chemical structures and processes important to human physiology and demonstrate an understanding of the importance of these in everyday life and your personal health.
8. You should gain a basic knowledge and understanding of the evolutionary relationships among the various taxa of organisms.
9. You should be able to defend your viewpoints on ethical issues based on supportive biological data.

Grades
Grades will be determined based on the total points from your three test scores (100 pt. each), three newsnotes (5 pt. each), study group participation (5 pt. each), EcoPoster (50 pt.), and final exam (200 pt.) plus any points from newsnote comments and/or other smaller assignments. Ten percent per class period will be deducted for any work, INCLUDING TESTS, which is turned in late, and no late newsnotes will be accepted for a grade. A histogram (curve) of total scores will be constructed and analyzed using statistical methods. In general, the class mean will serve as the dividing line between “B” and “C” scores, and only those students whose scores are above the mean plus one standard deviation unit, thereby demonstrating superior mastery of the material covered, will receive an “A”. An “F” will be given when an individual repeatedly scores at the bottom of the class and shows blatant disregard for good study habits and class attendance. Any student who stops attending class and does not go through the official withdrawal process will be given the grade of “UW”--unofficial withdrawal--the equivalent of an “F”. Grades will be awarded based on a straight A-B-C-D-F grading scale.

I realize that there are some medical conditions which, legitimately, can preclude a student from having an equal chance to learn in this course. A very obvious example would be a student who had trouble hearing me speak, thus was at a great disadvantage because (s)he would miss what I was saying in lecture. However, other, more subtle, conditions such as ADD and dyslexia can also adversely affect an equally-intelligent student’s opportunity to obtain information and/or communicate to me that (s)he has learned the needed material. It is not “unfair” to anyone to make arrangements to compensate for such medical conditions, but rather, this can help insure that such people have an equal chance at doing well in this course. Obviously, however, such students would still have to demonstrate that, given reasonable accommodations, they are capable of mastering the required material. Thus, students who need some type of accommodations in order to “level the playing field” and put them on a par with the rest of the class should speak with me now, not after grades have suffered.

Required Text:
Campbell, Neil A. 1996. Biology, 4th ed. Benjamin/Cummings Publ. Co., Inc. Menlo Park, CA.

Optional Resources:

• The publisher of your textbook, has created a Web site to accompany the text. The address of this Web site is http://heg-school.aw.com/bc/bio/index.html
• Copies of my lecture notes for General Biology are available on-line. Many of these topics are similar to those covered in this majors’ sequence, but in less detail. These may be found by following links from the main Clermont Biology Page at: http://biology.clc.uc.edu/
• Borror, Donald J. 1960. Dictionary of Root Words and Combining Forms. Mayfield Publ. Co. (available in the bookstore)
• Marchuk, William N. 1992. A Life Science Lexicon. Wm. C. Brown Publishers, Dubuque, IA. (available in the bookstore)
• Berkow, Robert, ed. 1992 The Merck Manual. 16th ed. Merck, Sharp & Dohme, Rahway, NJ. (just went out of print --Merck Manual, Home Ed. may also be used, and should be available in the bookstore)
• Pechenik, Jan A. 1993. A Short Guide to Writing about Biology. 2nd ed. HarperCollins College Publ., New York. (available in the bookstore)

Assigned Readings:
In order to increase your comprehension, allow in-class discussions to move from a rehashing of background material to more-interesting examples and applications of those topics, and allow you to enjoy and benefit maximally from this rigorous science majors’ course, assigned readings from your text should be done prior to the class time for which they are listed. As additional background material to aid your understanding, you are also encouraged to read the online “lecture notes” I have available for my General Biology students. Extra readings (“literature research”) on your own is encouraged. If you find a good reference on a topic to be covered, please share it with the rest of the class. Page numbers are listed in the schedule.

Tests:
There will be three (3) tests worth 100 points each. These will include short-answer questions, several short essay-type questions such as definitions or diagrams, and meanings of Latin and Greek words used in forming biological terminology. The final exam will be 200 points and will be comprehensive with emphasis on the material covered after the third test. (Note: A number of students have found it useful to make “flash cards” from which to study word stems and definitions.)

Students who miss a test should make arrangements with the instructor to make it up BEFORE the next class period. Requests to make up tests after the tests have been returned and discussed may either be denied or, optionally, a more difficult make-up test may be written (but graded on the same curve as everyone else). Only one test may be made up late, and then only with a valid excuse. If more than one test is missed, subsequent tests will receive a “zero.” This means that if you skip one test because you “don’t feel like it,” then miss a second test due to illness, you have used up your one chance and will receive a “zero” on the second test. It has been my experience that students who don’t take a test on time because they think they need more time to study end up doing no better (if not worse) when they do finally take the test. There will be a 10% per class period penalty for a late test.

Schedule:
Although test and newsnote due dates will be as listed unless an announcement is made to the contrary, the actual lecture topics covered may take slightly more or less time than listed, and thus may vary slightly from the schedule. Genetics problems are due when listed, but if we get behind schedule on lecture topics, those due dates may be adjusted accordingly via verbal announcement. Pages marked “MM” are in the Merck Manual, and are included for those who wish to read further on a topic.

Suggestions on Study Habits

Submitting Newsnotes

Study Groups

Using Netscape

Various Academic Policies