Instructor:Dr. Ellis e-mail:bellis@nvcc.edu
Office: Room 314,
across hall from Provost’s Conference Rm., Colgan Hall, Manassas Campus
of NVCC
Office phone: voice mail(703) 257-6648
Leave a message telling me the topic, so I can manage my time efficiently; do you have a message machine?
Office
hours: Walk-ins:M & W 2:30-5:00;
Appointments:Tues. and Thurs.
afternoons.Please feel free to
talk to me about any problems or questions you may have concerning the
course.In fact, come by even if
you don't have any problems or questions, but just want to talk about biology,
biotechnology for non-majors, clubs on campus, careers,
ice-skating, travel, or whatever. Your classroom location is another excellent
place to "catch" me, immediately before or after your regular class.
successful completion of this course. Also, I don't want to have to repeat this information all semester.
COURSEGOALS
There are two categories of goals for this course. The obvious ones are the content goals for this course. The other goals answer the question, "What else should be accomplished (learned) besides the biology?"
Content Goals: You will be learning how to explain many of the natural phenomena (plural) that you see around you every day. You will be able to address the following questions:
1. What is life?How is energy generated to sustain life?
2. How
do cells (prokarytoic and eukarytoic) live and divide?(Remember,
all things that go right and wrong in us and our surroundings, are based
on how cells are behaving.)
3. Genetics Topics:
(a)How do we know that the earth evolved?Does this influence the biological record?
(b)How can we interpret biological and geological records?
(c)How do species maintain their integrity?
(d)What is the influence of a recessive gene in a population?
(e)How diverse are the taxonomic groups of living organisms? How are organisms placed into taxonomic groups?
General Education Goals: These goals are more general, but incorporate biology into the general scheme of learning for knowledge and/or skills.
1.Development of college-level communication skills: reading, writing, and oral.Organized, clear, grammatically correct; understand and interpret reading or oral presentations (text, newspaper, TV news). Understand, interpret and manipulate numerical data: charts, figures, and diagrams.
2.Demonstration of critical thinking skills: knowledge of facts, comprehension of same, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
3.A display of general knowledge and historical awareness; relationships among various disciplines; cultural variety. Understand the impact of science and technology, and develop skills needed to use more technology.
4.Have
Fun! We will do this by experiencing and questioning
biologythrough discussions, making
your own analysis charts in class, doing activities in the lab., and sharing
your current event journals.
CourseMaterials
Text:Campbell & Reece, Edition 6
Laboratory: Mader, S., “Inquiry into Life”, edition 9; a lab notebook for observations (to be explained in lab class), pencils for sketching, lab apron and lab goggles; gloves for chemicals (early in semester) andpreserved materials in Diversity Labs the last half of the semester.
Attendance
Your classmates and I all request your attendance at all class meetings! You are an integral part of my style of teaching: student involvement and active learning (on the spot!)No one in the whole wide world is going to write down exactly how and what YOU need written in your notes. Exam questions rest heavily on class discussions. Excessive absencewill affect your grade by your lack of familiarity with the material. Participation on your part is a major in-put of your learning process. Through class discussions I can by-pass and eliminate many, if not all, points of confusion andconcerns.YOU are responsible for missed classes; get 2-3 sets of notes and instructionsfrom your student network which is set-up in class.Class Policy: Irregular attendance in the first 3 weeks the student is dropped, and at 30% absence the student is dropped with a grade of WF.
Tests
Lecture: There will be three in-semester tests in addition to the final exam. Each one of these regular tests is over new material only. Since there is a department policy of no make-ups, a comprehensive final is given for those who miss one of the first two tests. The format will be approx. 35 questions (multiple-choice, short answer, and fill-ins). Questions will be on all 6 (Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives) levels of learning: memorized facts, comprehension and recognition of information, applications, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. You will do very well in this class by operating on the first three levels, but there will be opportunities for you to gain extra points by trying at the top three levels. All levels will be practiced in class through discussion.
Laboratory: There will be weekly lab quizzes covering the previous week’s work and a final evaluation of some kind: practical or written. To prepare for each, do each and every lab with your class.There is a Division policy of no make-ups. More given info. in lab.
Help
Do not hesitate to talk to me ahead of a due date/deadline; I can help you make arrangements. This holds true for class schedule conflicts, and tests.Anyone with documented needs/considerations for class must notify me before the first test OR SOONER; my office hours are good for this.More info. about this in class.
Grade
for Lecture
Tests
(3).......................................25
% each
Writing Assignments................25 % total
Grade
for Course is based on the combination of lecture and lab grade.
The
grade in lecture is 75%
of the course grade; the grade for lab is 25%
of the course grade.
Tips
for success:The
book, you paid for it… READ IT. Reading Assignments are
resources for confirming lecture ideas and definitions.Use
the Glossary and Index of your Textbook CONSTANTLY!Read
Chapter Summaries and look over captions of pictures, graphs
and diagrams before reading in the chapter for details.
Lecture Topics |
Lab
Topics |
Part I: Life and Cells |
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Themes:Characteristics
of life; structure and function of cells and their organelles, including
chloroplasts and mitochondria
|
For exact dates of laboratory exercises, check
with lab instructor
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Introduction: structure and function of cell
organelles, membranes, mitosis, biological molecules, energy,enzymes.
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Wk 1 (Aug. 26):Course
introduction, themes, terms from college catalogues, general characteristics
of lifeRead Ch 1
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No lab meeting
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Wk 2 (Sept. 2) No class Sept.2nd:Cell
organelles; Membranes &Mitosis
(only)
ReadChapters
7, 8 &11, 12(mitosis) |
Safety (required to continue labs) Data Measures
& Analysis
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Wk 3 (Sept 9):
What is an isotope? Structure and function of biological molecules
Read Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Biochemistryofcells
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Wk 4 (Sept. 16)Finish bio-molecules; Energy
(general) and enzymes (special proteins) Readpgs
31, 43, 88-90; 96-101
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Microscope
(required to continue labs) Cells & Mitosis
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Wk 5 (Sep23): M-catch-up; W-First TEST
(not including energy)
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Membranes & Emzymes
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Comparison and Contrast of Photosynthesis and
Respiration; Structure and Function of Chloroplasts and Mitochondria
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Wk 6 (Sept 30): Photosynthesis; Read Chapter
10
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Cellular Respiration & Photosynthesis
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Wk 7 (Oct 7): Respiration and review (comparison
and contrast)
Read Chapter 9; handout for in-class |
Monera, Protista, Fungi
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Wk 8 (Oct 14)No classes 14&15:W-Meiosis
(group work in class)
Read Chapter 13(meiosis part) |
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Part II: Genetics |
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Themes: Universalness of DNA, Function (purpose)
of meiosis, Protein Synthesis (directed by DNA), population genetics, and
speciation
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Wk 9 (Oct 21):Meiosis;
Mendelian Genetics Read Chapter 13(meiosis part); 14, 15
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Plant Kingdom: Part I
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Wk 10 (Oct. 28):Genetics
Problems Dog Coat color from Web and others
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Plant Kingdom: Part II
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Wk 11 (Nov.4):Human
Genetics, ; W-Second Test Read Chapters 15, 16 & 21
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Meiosis & Genetics
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Wk 12 (Nov. 11):DNA,
DNA Replication,Protein Synthesis
(as directed by DNA) Read pages 80-84, 287-97, 306-307(Chpt 17)
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Animals: Part I & II
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Wk 13 (Nov. 18):Population
genetics & Natural Selection Read pgs. 447-49
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Animals: Part II & III
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Wk 14 (Nov. 25) : Speciation Read pages 465-68,
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-------------Thanksgiving
W-Sat.-----------No classes-----------------------
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Wk 15 ( Dec 2 ):Mechanisms
of Evolution; ONLY POPULATIONS EVOLVE !
Read Chpt 22 & 23 |
Practical Exercise: graded comprehensive
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Wk 16 (Dec. 9 ):Paleontology;
Ancient Primates
Read pgs 430,486-88, 709-10; 707-15 |
Week 16: NO LAB; Study for lecture
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Lecture Final (2-hr);Optional
Comprehensive (additional 45 min.)
11:00-class: 1100-1250M, Dec 16 12:30-class: 1230-1420W, Dec 18 F-11:00-class:1100-1250F, Dec 13 |
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