Course Description:
2 undergraduate credits. This non-science majors’ course illustrates the processes, concepts, and principles discussed in General Biology I through investigative activities that emphasize examples from everyday life, keeping a lab notebook, the scientific method, and becoming familiar with the use of computers. Lab exercises include sugar in one’s diet, emulsifying agents, enzymes, photosynthesis, fermentation, cell division, and field hikes to study local organisms. Coreq: Biology 104.

Course Objectives:
This course will illustrate the biological processes, concepts, and theories as discussed in General Biology I with examples from everyday life. The goals will be:

1. To explore and develop one’s understanding of these processes in everyday life
2. As these processes are studied, to learn to think analytically about them--to be able to:
   1. analyze a problem and focus on a hypothesis to be tested
   2. determine the best way of testing the hypothesis, including determination of appropriate procedure(s) to follow and meaningful data to be gathered
   3. interpret data and draw conclusions based on these data
3. To communicate in ways appropriate to the biological sciences about the processes studied and results obtained
4. To become familiar with the use of computers to gather and analyze data
5. To learn about the variety of living organisms in the world around us

Methods of Reaching These Objectives:

1. Each lab period, you will participate in the scheduled activity for that day: lab exercise, experiment, nature hike, and/or test. These lab exercises were designed to take two hours each. In order to benefit maximally from these lab activities, you need to plan to spend the whole period working on each lab, and not attempt to rush to finish early. Taking the time to observe closely, be thorough in your work, and take good notes will both yield better data and allow you to better absorb and learn the material, thereby improving your ability to perform well on tests.
2. You will prepare and maintain a laboratory notebook into which you will put all information and handouts as well as your own notes and analyses. This notebook will be organized according to a specified format and will serve as a permanent record of what you did in this class.
3. You will prepare for class by reading and thinking about the handout(s) provided. From this introduction, you should have a basic understanding of the topic being investigated and the procedures to be followed when you arrive for class.
4. After you have completed the laboratory exercise, you are expected to spend time analyzing what you did and the significance of your results. These written analyses will be included in your lab notebook in an acceptable format.
5. For a number of lab exercises, you will be expected to enter your data into a Web page for computer analysis and distribution to all class members.
6. Using proper scientific format and a word processor, you will write a formal lab report for one of the experiments done in lab.

More detailed explanations of these expectations and assignments will be given in a series of handouts and verbal instructions.

Grades:
Grades will be determined based on the total of the points from the two quizzes (50 pt. each), midterm (200 pt.), final (200 pt.), formal lab report (50 pt.), and notebook gradings, (2 at 200 pt. each), plus points from any unannounced “pop” quizzes, thus a total of approcimately 1000 points will be possible. A histogram (curve) of the 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. Ten percent (10%) of the total possible points will be deducted per class period for late assignments (notebooks, papers, etc.). 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.

Tests and Quizzes:
There will be two quizzes worth 50 pts. each and a midterm and final worth 200 pts. each. Make-up tests will be given only in the event of a valid excuse, and must be taken promptly. Fieldtests cannot be made up. There may also be pop quizzes to insure that you have read the lab we will be doing, and these cannot be made up if missed. Tests will cover material from each lab session that is included, and grades will not be adjusted for any labs that you miss – “I wasn’t there” is not a reason.

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 will be denied unless a student has a valid excuse (such as a doctor’s note). 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:
Note: Weather permitting, we will be spending time outdoors studying local flora and fauna. Thus, the following schedule is subject to change depending on the weather. Tests, quizzes, and other due dates will be at the stated times unless an announcement to the contrary is specifically made beforehand. Please wear/bring clothing suitable for hiking through brambles and/or mud and/or poison ivy. Due to various safety regulations, long pants and sturdy boots/shoes are mandatory for field hikes. Inappropriately-dressed students will not be permitted to participate in lab activities and will, thus, not have notes for any lab(s) missed. Since some of the hikes may be somewhat strenuous, people with hypoglycemia, diabetes, and/or asthma should plan ahead and come prepared to deal with any possible reactions they might have.

Required Equipment:

1. A bound 10 × 7.875 inch composition notebook with graph rulings (available in the bookstore). All notes taken during lab should be entered DIRECTLY into this notebook.
2. A pen, such as “Pilot Precise®” (Extra Fine tip), “Tombow Roll Pen, Jr.®” (available in the bookstore) or Rapidiograph, which writes with BLACK indelible (waterproof) ink. Water-soluble markers, ballpoint pen (which is soluble in alcohol, etc.), and felt-tips which “bleed” through the page are NOT acceptable.
3. Clear contact paper to mount handouts, specimens, etc. into lab notebook (see protocol).

Optional Resources and Equipment:

1. While your primary drawings should be done with your lab pen, you may wish to have on hand a set of colored pencils with which to indicate color(s) of specimens. Magic markers which bleed through the page are not suitable.
2. The following book may aid you in learning how to write like a biologist:
   • Pechenik, Jan A. 1993. A Short Guide to Writing about Biology. 2nd. Ed. HarperCollins College Publ., New York. (available in the bookstore)
3. A variety of field guides to trees, insects, wildflowers, fossils, birds, etc. is available in the bookstore, and similar books are available from other local bookstores and the Cincinnati Nature Center. Although not required, you should purchase those in which you have an interest. If there are field guides you do not wish to purchase, you may wish to make arrangements to share, borrow, or otherwise have access to them for field use.
4. Other materials may be needed for certain lab exercises. Such items are listed in the schedule and/or will be announced as needed.

Some important, related links:

• Suggestions on Study Habits
• Sample Test Questions
• Various Academic Policies
• Using the Web (Netscape or a recent version of IE works well with most pages, but from what students have reported, it sounds like the AOL browser still has major problems handling anything other than the very simplest Web pages. Students who are AOL users have reported that only using AOL to “dial in,” then using either IE or Netscape to surf the Web, works much better! Keep in mind that, as UC students, you can obtain FREE Internet access from home [plus long-distance charges if you live in the 937 area].)

carterjs@uc.edu

Copyright © 1997 by J. Stein Carter. All rights reserved.
This page has been accessed times since 14 Mar 2001.