Syllabus

General Biology I

1181-FIU01-BSC-2010-SECUHA-12562

    General Information

    Professor Information

    Professor Photo
    Sat Gavassa, PhD
    (305) 348-2482
    OE 202 (MMC)
    Tuesdays 2:00 pm- 4:30 pm,
    Thursdays 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
    via Canvas messages

    Course Description and Purpose

    Have you ever wondered what makes something alive? Why is something alive and then it isn’t alive anymore? Some non-living things are made of the same chemical elements as living things, yet some are alive and some aren’t, what determines that?

    In this course, you will learn the themes that unify the main fields in biology. We will study what living organisms are made of, how they function, obtain energy, pass on and express their genetic material, and ultimately study the process of evolution.

    The most important thing to do well in this course is your very own motivation to study and do the hard work. If you feel like you are working hard on this course and you are still not seeing good results, please come and talk to us. Sometimes, a simple change of studying strategy makes all the difference. I want you to do well, but if you suffer in silence, what can we do? I’m here to help you, so keep in touch.

    NOTE: This syllabus is subject to change. Please check the on-line syllabus often for possible modifications and changes to exam dates.

    Course Objectives

    Knowledge objectives: After the completion of this course, students will be able to:

    • Relate the structure and composition of living things to how they function
    • Explain how living things use and obtain energy
    • Apply the principles of genetics to make predictions about inheritance
    • Identify the principles of molecular biology that determine physiology
    • Apply biological concepts to make predictions about biological processes
    • Explain the diversity of living forms in terms of evolutionary theory

    Human dimension objectives: After the completion of this course, students will be able to:

    • Use evidence to propose and evaluate arguments
    • Be able to manage time appropriately
    • Be a better team member and team leader
    • Develop a strong work and personal ethic
    • Recognize that you can learn anything that you set yourself to
    • Become a lifetime learner

    Teaching Methodology

    This is a hybrid course in which most of the instructional materials and activities are delivered through Canvas, and/or other internet-based media. Our class meets on campus once a week for 75-minute sessions. You should expect to spend between 6-10 hours outside of class working on this course. Before class, you are expected to watch the lectures and other videos, read the assigned chapters and answer the questions provided each week. Every week to class, you must bring the answers to all those questions handwritten in your notebook, one answer per page (so you have space to add more notes during class). These online resources will help you familiarize with the concepts and terms, and overall prepare you to apply those concepts in class. In class, you will work with a team reviewing the answers to the questions and solving application problems using the concepts you learned online. After practicing the application of the concepts with the group, you will take an individual quiz online.

    The resources in this course are designed to help you learn, understand and apply the concepts in a more realistic way. When you go into your adult life outside of college and get a job in your field, which of the following do you think you will be more likely to do as your everyday job: A) sit passively in a large room, nod for an hour-long session at a time and then take a multiple choice test, or B) work with a team to find solutions to a problem, apply the knowledge you’ve learned elsewhere, consider other points of view, achieve consensus within a group. I hope you’ve chosen B, if you know of a job that will pay you to do A, please let me know!

    In this course, you will practice the skills you need to succeed in college while under close supervision from the instructor, Learning Assistants, and your peers. Moreover, this hybrid course will help you develop the interpersonal skills that employers seek. In today’s competitive world, employers are looking for more than academic credentials. When working with others, not only you learn how to work with others but you also learn the content better!

    Important Information

    Policies

    Please review the FIU's Policies webpage. The policies webpage contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to all courses at FIU, as well as additional information about acceptable netiquette for online and hybrid courses.

    As a member of the FIU community you are expected to be knowledgeable about the behavioral expectations set forth in the FIU Student Code of Conduct.

    Class Attendance
    Attendance in this course is mandatory. A large percentage of your grade comes from in class activities (see grading policies below). If you come to class but do not bring the homework questions, it will count as an absence. However, we understand that things happen, and for this reason at the end of the semester we will drop the lowest module. That means that one (1) absence (or one day of not bringing the homework) will be forgiven. If you never missed class, then your lowest grade will be dropped, which will bring your average higher. If you know that you will miss a class, please contact the instructor at least one week in advance to see if a make-up can be accommodated. Any medical emergencies must be properly documented in order to get a grade exempt.
    Missing 3 classes or not bringing the homework will result in an automatic F for the course.

    Academic Integrity
    As practicing professionals in the sciences and medical fields you have a civic responsibility to maintain the highest standards of ethics and integrity. In your professional future you may be trusted with somebody else’s life or you will be asked to make decisions that can affect millions of people.

    • Expectations: We expect you to comply with "Student Handbook" and pledge that you will not represent other’s work as your own neither will you provide your aid in other’s work for them to represent it as their own. Formal and informal procedures can be found under the section "Academic Misconduct" in the "Conduct & Policies" chapter. Breaking this honor code will result in an “F” for this course and a petition will be sent to Academic Affairs.
    • Conduct: We expect all students to follow the university’s policies for online and in person classes. It is important to have respect towards the instructors and fellow classmates. Inconsiderate, disrespectful, dishonest, or disruptive behavior, as the instructor or your fellow classmates perceive it, or as is described in the Student Handbook, is unacceptable for adults in this course.
    • Plagiarism Policy: Plagiarism occurs when you represent somebody else’s work and opinion as your own. Plagiarism includes not providing appropriate citations and not paraphrasing content from other sources. To avoid plagiarism, we ask you to always use your own words and phrasing when completing assignments and even when taking notes. We are very strict about plagiarism, not only because it is unethical but also because you can only learn a concept when you can explain it using your own words. Plagiarism is a serious offence to the University Code of Conduct and it will not be tolerated in this course. If plagiarism is detected in any assignment, the group or individual student will not receive any credit for that assignment, the student responsible may be subject to an Academic Misconduct investigation.
    • Early Alert: In an effort to help you succeed in your academic courses, FIU utilizes an Early Alert system. Instructors are now able to notify students’ academic advisors if there are concerns about class performance. If an alert is submitted, your academic advisor will send you a message via your Student Dashboard (accessed via your MyFIU page) to discuss ways to improve your performance. Please respond to any communication you receive from your academic advisor about an early alert. Our goal with this program is to help you to be successful by identifying any issues as early on as possible and working to address them.
    • Contest a grade: If you have a correction or question about your grade you MUST submit it within a week of the grade being posted on Canvas.
    • Microphone use: When using the microphones in the classroom, please start by identifying yourself: state your name and your team number and raise your hand.

    Technical Requirements and Skills

    One of the greatest barriers to taking online and hybrid courses is a lack of basic computer literacy. By computer literacy we mean being able to manage and organize computer files efficiently, and learning to use your computer's operating system and software quickly and easily. Keep in mind that this is not a computer literacy course; but students enrolled in online and hybrid courses are expected to have moderate proficiency using a computer. Please go to the "What's Required" webpage to find out more information on this subject.

    Please visit our Technical Requirements webpage for additional information.

    Accessibility and Accommodation

    The Disability Resource Center collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and community members to create diverse learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and sustainable. The DRC provides FIU students with disabilities the necessary support to successfully complete their education and participate in activities available to all students. If you have a diagnosed disability and plan to utilize academic accommodations, please contact the Center at 305-348-3532 or visit them at the Graham Center GC 190.

    Please visit our ADA Compliance webpage for information about accessibility involving the tools used in this course.

    Please visit Accessibility within Canvas webpage for more information. 

    For additional assistance please contact FIU's Disability Resource Center.

    Academic Misconduct Statement

    Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas and community service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly to demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook.

    Academic Misconduct includes: Cheating – The unauthorized use of books, notes, aids, electronic sources; or assistance from another person with respect to examinations, course assignments, field service reports, class recitations; or the unauthorized possession of examination papers or course materials, whether originally authorized or not. Plagiarism – The use and appropriation of another’s work without any indication of the source and the representation of such work as the student’s own. Any student who fails to give credit for ideas, expressions or materials taken from another source, including internet sources, is responsible for plagiarism.

    Learn more about the academic integrity policies and procedures as well as student resources that can help you prepare for a successful semester.

    Course Prerequisites

    This course has at least one prerequisite. Review the Course Catalog webpage for prerequisites information.

    Textbook

    Textbook Image
    Campbell Biology In Focus, Books a la Carte Plus Modified MasteringBiology with eText -- Access Card Package- REQUIRED
    Urry
    Pearson; 2nd edition; 2016
    ISBN-13: 9780134433769
    You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore.

    Online access code to MasteringBiology is required

    Textbook Image
    Mastering Biology - REQUIRED
    Urry
    ISBN-13: 9780134433769
    Online access code to MasteringBiology is required
    Textbook Image
    100-Sheet Ruled Notebook - REQUIRED
    You will use this to answer the weekly questions and bring your answers to class.

    Write each answer on one page. Use the remaining space in the page to add more notes during class. Each week will have about 6 questions, using 6 pages per week. Additionally, for each exam you will answer the learning objectives for every module on your notebook, requiring additional pages.

    We recommend you buy the lined kind so it is easier to write clearly.

    Expectations of this Course

    This is a hybrid course, meaning that a large portion of the course work will be conducted online. You are expected to engage actively in your learning.

    What I expect from you:

    • Watch online lectures and videos before coming to class. Ideally also read the assigned chapters
    • Answers to all the weekly questions handwritten on your notebook on your own (one answer per page)
    • Have an open attitude and have trust in the process
    • Be respectful of others and respect yourselves (i.e. be honest about your work, don’t rob yourself from a learning opportunity).

    What I promise you in return:

    • Everything will be fine, no matter how intimidating it may seem, you will make it!
    • You will have opportunities to learn and recover from your mistakes.
    • My main focus is your success, not just in this course but also in your future courses and career.
    • I’m here to help you, if things aren’t working the way you expected, come talk to me, there is always a better way.

    Course Detail

    Course Communication

    Please use the discussion boards to ask questions about deadlines, assignments, grading policies, etc. Please limit the use of email to urgent private issues. Using discussion forums to ask and answer questions benefits you and your fellow students: students will often answer questions for you faster than we will, and many students may be having the same question and benefit from the public answers. The instructor will list common questions into a FAQ section. Keep in mind that your discussion forum postings will likely be seen by other members of the course. Care should be taken when determining what to post.

    Before Class Preparation

    Every week, before you come to class you should acquire the background knowledge you will need to effectively contribute to your team. The online lectures and videos will help you get an overview of the topics and start to visualize the concepts. Once you’ve watched the videos, the textbook will be less intimidating. Feel free to go back and forth between videos and text, every person learns different and you should explore which way works best for you. Although we provide a substantial list of resources, you may also find other useful videos that fit your learning style better. If you find a good video, please share it on the course’s discussion board.

    Weekly Homework Question

    These questions are designed to help you understand the concepts in a deeper way. This is the best preparation for the exams. You should answer these questions on your own in order to get the learning gains from this exercise. You won’t learn if you have someone else answer these questions for you. Who does the work, does the learning. The video lectures and the chapter readings will help you answer those questions. However, the answers to the questions are not straight from the book, rather they require you to apply the concepts you learned and use them to analyze and answer the question.

    Every week you will see a list of about six (~6) questions. You must answer all six (6 or as many as posted that week) questions before coming to class. Bring the answers written on your notebook, one question per page, so you can add more notes during class. At the beginning of every class, we will check that you brought the answers to the questions. If you are absent or do not show the answers on your notebook within 5 minutes of the start of class, you will receive a zero (0) in ALL the activities/quizzes/assessments of that day.

    Mastering-Biology Assignments

    These assignments will help you practice the basic concepts and assess your understanding before the class. Thus, you know which concepts you need to review in class and you will also be more familiar with the concepts in the module by the time you come to class. Reading the textbook and watching the videos are a great preparation for the quizzes.   

    There will be a MasteringBiology® assignment BEFORE each module. We'll drop the lowest grade. You MUST complete the assignment the day BEFORE class no later than 11:59pm. Full points will be given to students who master the entire module—that is, master all questions—by the deadline. If students complete some of the questions, they receive a proportional score. Make sure you are doing the assigned modules and not the optional practice modules set by default.

    In-Class Electronic Devices

    Electronic devices (including phones, tablets and computers) can only be used for class work during class time. The use of electronics for non-class related work will result in a zero for all activities due that day.

    PLTL Workshop

    PLTL (Peer-led team learning) is an active learning paradigm, where small groups of students meet once a week outside of class with a peer-leader who has successfully completed the course. Attendance to PLTL is required for this course. There are some online synchronous sessions available, but you must enroll soon. PLTL is a semester long workshops meeting once a week for 75min. The grade in PLTL will be based on attendance, participation, score on the readiness survey. Please read the PLTL syllabus for more information. The worksheets will help you review the material and understand it better. You are responsible for bringing your textbook/notes from class to the session or else you will NOT receive full credit for being there.

    Team Assignments

    Team assignments give you a unique opportunity to apply and connect the concepts you just learned online, get feedback from your peers, learning assistants and instructor, prepare for the tests, and keep you up to speed with the objectives of this course. This course will test your ability to use the concepts in new scenarios and connect them to other concepts in this course and even outside this course. This is a completely different approach from what you have done in high school. We designed these team activities to encourage you to think critically, and give you considerable practice on the type of reasoning used in science. We enthusiastically want to encourage you to make the most out of these exercises by fully engaging in the activities. Come well prepared so you can make the most out of them.

    After class, reflect on what you’ve learned. If there is anything you don’t fully understand after the group activity, you can ask during class, or post your question on the discussion board, or ask your team. Do not leave class with unanswered questions, you will regret it during the exam.

    Since teamwork cannot be replicated, there are no make-ups. However, we will drop one lowest grade. Team activities also represent the bulk of your grade, so don’t miss any!

    In-Class Individual Assessments

    Multiple choice individual assessment: Before working on each team assignment, you will answer the worksheet on your own. You must score at least one (1) point in this individual assessment in order to get credit for the team’s grade. If you get a zero in the individual assessment you will also receive a zero for the team grade, regardless of what your team scored. Any additional points on the individual assessment will count as extra credit. Students will receive up to a total of 25 points extra credit towards an exam for answering the questions correctly, which will then be added to one of their exam grades.

    Exams

    The purpose of the exams is to prompt you to study, review and ultimately showcase how much you have learned in this course. The best resources to review for the exams are the learning objectives for each chapter and the in-class activities. 

    There will be a total of 5 exams in this course (four unit exams and one comprehensive final). Each exam will have between 30-60 multiple-choice questions. See the dates in the calendar below.

    On the day of the exam:

    • Bring TWO sharpened pencils with erasers and your STUDENT ID
    • All other materials will have to be placed at the front or back of the class, so it is best not to carry anything to the room on exam day. You will be asked to remove your hats. Please turn off all cell phones.
    • We will check your student ID before you are allowed to turn-in your exam and leave. You must sign your exam.
    • When you are finished, you must return ALL materials given to you during the test whether filled-out or not. No one can leave unless they have returned the exam.
    • You will be provided with a scantron. Please be careful when filling it out, as errors will affect grade.
    • Students will not be allowed to use the restroom during the exam. No talking. Cheating will be dealt with seriously and severely.
    • If you do not bubble in your last name first, then your first name along with your panther ID and form number on your scantron on the day of your exam, you will lose 10 points on the exam!!

    You can bring a note-sheet to each of the exams. Here are the requirements for that note-sheet:

    • Only one page (1) letter size (8.5’ x 11’)
    • Notes on only one side, leave the back blank.
    • Name and panther ID written on the top right corner of the page
    • Handwritten, no photocopies, no printouts.
    • You MUST turn in this page along with the exam.

    Arriving Late: If you arrive to an exam more than 5 minutes late, or after the first person finishes the test (whichever comes first) you will NOT be allowed to take the exam.

    Exam Viewing: After the exam, you can email your instructor to set up an appointment to view your exam. We do not allow students to keep their exams. Students who would like to raise any questions concerning the nature of any particular question on an exam can do so in the written form explaining why you feel the question is ambiguous or incorrect.

    Make-Ups: If you miss an exam you will need to provide the instructor with a VALID document no later than one week from the missed exam. Once the document is approved, you will be able to count the final exam grade as both: the final exam and your missed exam.

    Examples of acceptable excuses: documented medical emergencies, death of members of immediate family, and jury duty. All of these must be accompanied by a valid and verifiable written letter signed by a professional or some other type of irrefutable and documental proof. Examples of unacceptable excuses: common cold, family problems, transportation problems, etc.
    Students who simply do not show up for the exam will NOT be allowed to take a makeup exam.

    WE DO NOT DROP ANY EXAM SCORES!  

    FINAL EXAM IS MANDATORY, INCLUDING THOSE WHO DO PLTL.

    Grading

    All grades are on a 10-point scale (NO pluses/minuses or incompletes).

    NOTE: 30% of the grade is determined by in-class activities. If you do not attend class, the highest grade you could earn in this course is a D.

    Course Requirements Number of Items Percent for Each Weight
    Weekly Homework on Notebook 10 1% 10%
    Required MasteringBiology Assignments 9 1.1% 10%
    Individual Assessments* 9 0.6% 5%
    Group Assignments 9 2.2% 20%
    Exams 5 8% 40%
    PLTL N/A N/A 15%
    Total N/A N/A 100%

    *PLTL is a required workshop for this course. If you cannot participate in the PLTL program, you must notify the instructor during the Add/drop period. You can replace your PLTL grade by timely completing the assigned extra-credit Dynamic Modules for every chapter in MasteringBiology every week by the due date. Make sure you are doing all the assigned chapters. There will be a Dynamic Study Module for each chapter covered, grade will be based on successful completion.

    Individual assessments will be graded based on this scale:
    5pts or more (50%)=100%,   4pts (40%)=90%,   3pts (30%)=80%,   2 pts (20%) = 70%,   1pt (10%)=60%

    Extra Credit:

    • TLC: 5% added to one exam grade for each extra credit completed (total of 10% possible).
    • In-class individual assessments. You can add up to 25 pts to one exam. You will receive 0.25 pts extra credit for every correct answer.

    Any request for grade changes or revisions needs to be submitted within a week of that grade being posted. No request will be accepted a week after the grade was posted.

    Letter Range (%) Letter Range (%)
    A 90 or above D 60 - 69
    B 80 - 89 F 59 and below
    C 70 - 79    

    Course Calendar

    Weekly Schedule

    Date Topics Tasks
    Unit A: The Basic Units of Life
    Week 1: Introduction
    Jan. 8 - Jan. 14
    Introduction
    • Syllabus quiz
    • Pre-course assessment
    Week 2: Module 1
    Jan. 15 - Jan. 21
    Ch. 1 - Foundations of Biology
    Ch. 2 - Secs: 2.3 & 2.5 
    Ch. 3 - Molecular diversity
    • Homework 1
    • Quiz 1 (Ch. 1 & 3)
    Week 3: Module 2
    Jan. 22 - Jan. 28
    Ch. 4 - Tour of the cell
    Ch. 5 - Membrane transport
    • Homework 2
    • Quiz 2 (Ch. 4 & 5)
    Week 4: Exam I
    Jan. 29 - Feb. 4
    Exam I (Modules 1 & 2)
    • Homework: Exam I Review
      (L. O. Modules 1 & 2)
    Unit B: Cellular Metabolism and Heredity
    Week 5: Module 3
    Feb. 5 - Feb. 11
    Ch. 6 - Energy and Metabolism
    Ch. 7 - How Cells Harvest Energy
    • Homework 3
    • Quiz 3 (Ch. 6 & 7)
    Week 6: Module 4
    Feb. 12 - Feb. 18
    Ch. 9 - Cell Cycle & mitosis
    Sec. 16.3 Tumor suppressor genes
    Ch. 13 - The molecular basis of inheritance
    • Homework 4
    • Quiz 4 (Ch. 9 & 13)
    Week 7: Exam II
    Feb. 19 - Feb. 25
    Exam II (Modules 3 & 4)
    • Homework: Exam II Review
      (L. O. Modules 3 & 4)
    Unit C: Inheritance and Molecular Cell Biology
    Week 8: Module 5
    Feb. 26 - Mar. 4
    Ch. 14 - Gene Expression
    Ch. 15 - Control of Gene Expression
    Ch. 5 Sec. 5.6 - Cell Communication
    • Homework 5
    • Quiz 5 (Ch. 14, 15 & 5.6)
    Week 9: Module 6
    Mar. 5 - Mar. 11
    Ch. 10 - Meiosis
    Ch. 11 - Mendel and the gene idea
    • Homework 6
    • Quiz 6 (Ch. 10 & 11)
    Week 10: Spring Break
    Mar. 12 - Mar. 18
    Spring Break - No New Material No homework this week
    Week 11: Module 7
    Mar. 19 - Mar. 25
    Ch. 11 - Mendel and the gene idea
    Ch. 12 - Chromosomes & inheritance
    • Homework 7
    • Quiz 7 (Ch. 11 & 12)
    Week 12: Exam III
    Mar. 26 - Apr. 1
    Exam III (Modules 5, 6 & 7)
    • Homework: Exam III Review
      (L. O. Modules 5, 6 & 7)
    Unit D: Population Genetics and Evolution
    Week 13: Module 8
    Apr. 2 - Apr. 8
    Ch. 19 - Descent with modification
    Ch. 21 - Evolution of populations
    • Homework 8
    • Quiz 8 (Ch. 19 & 21)
    Week 14: Module 9
    Apr. 9 - Apr. 15
    Ch. 22 - Origin of Species
    Broad patterns in evolution:
    Sections: 16.1, 18.3, Fig. 18.5, 18.5, 18.6, 20.1, 20.3, 23.3 & 23.4
    • Homework 9
    • Quiz 9 (Ch. 22 & Secs.)
    Week 15: Exam IV
    Apr. 16 - Apr. 22
    Exam IV (Modules 8, 9 & 10)
    • Exam VI Review
      (L. O. Modules 8 & 9)
    Week 16: Final Exam
    Apr. 23 - Apr. 28
    Final Exam
    Cumulative (see study guide)
    Mandatory for everyone, even those taking PLTL
    See my.fiu.edu for time and location
    Homework: Final Exam Study Guide
    Mandatory Final Exam