Biology 471L (Evolutionary Mechanisms Lab)Syllabus
General Information
Instructor’s Name: xxx
Instructor’s Email Address: xxx
Instructor’sOffice: xxx
Instructor’sOffice Hours: xxx
Meeting Times: Section 1- Wed 1-2:50 Wilson 202
Section 2- Thu 1-2:50 Wilson 202
Contacting me:
Stopping by my office hours is the best way to have your questions addressed. However, if you can’t catch me, or you have questions that come up throughout the week, then contact me through email. I do my best to respond as promptly as possible to e-mails. I typically respond to emails no later than 24 hours after I’ve received them.
Attendance:
Attendance is required and will be taken each week. If you know you are going to miss a session, contact me AT LEASTone week ahead of time, and I will give you permission to attend the alternate section. If you cannot make the other section, I will give you a make-up assignment (a 2-3 page paper on a topic related to the missed recitation). You may request this alternate assignment only ONCE. In either case, you will be responsible for turning in any work due that week by the time of your usual recitation.
In addition, you may miss ONE session without penalty during the semester. If you exercise your free absence, you will still be responsible for turning in lab work due that day, and if you miss all or part of a lab, you will still need to turn it in. You will have to e-mail me to ask for any data you require that you were not there to collect. Use this freebie wisely – no other absences will be excused.
Expectations for graded components of the course:
The goal of recitation is to: a) facilitate an understanding of concepts brought up in the lecture portion of 471, and b) learn how to test ideas in evolutionary biology. Attaining both of these goals requires that students come to recitation prepared for the assignment that week.
Discussion sessions will compose about ½ of our meetings. On these weeks, we’ll discuss 2-3 papers we’ve read. Readings will be posted to the Sakai recitation site under “Course Documents” in the “Recitation Materials” folder 1 week ahead of time. You will need to write a summary paragraph concerning what you read (see GRADING). Your summary will be due by the start of class. In addition, you will need to post two questions you have concerning the material in each article to the “Messages” (there will be a folder for each specific article, to which you can add threads) by 10:00 PMthe night before the discussion. Discussions waste time if you don’t participate, so some of your grade will be determined by participation. Bring copies of the papers for discussion either printed out or on your laptops/iPads. Students will lead the discussions. Leaders will be responsible for summarizing the papers at the start of the class, and mediating the class’s discussion of the papers, guided by the questions posted on the discussion board (leaders also post questions to the discussion board).
Labs will comprise the remainder of the sessions. To prepare for lab weeks you should read the lab handouts (uploaded to Sakai) before coming. You will get the most out of lab sessions if you already understand the background and aims of the lab, and are able to concentrate on the mechanical aspects of the lab in the assigned time when I am there to supervise and assist you. One of the labs will be one-week computer lab using the program Simutext. This will introduced in the lecture beforethe recitation in week 12. Several otherlabs are two-week labs. Full lab reports or a paper (see GRADING) will be due for these labs one week after the second session of the lab. The hominin fossils lab (week 15) will occur at the Anthropology Museum collections in Alumni Hall, place and time tba.
Turning in Assignments:
All assignments (except the discussion questions) must be typed and turned in to me before the beginning of class on the day that it is due. Summaries are due the same day that we are discussing the readings and lab reports are due exactly one week after the second lab day. It is not my responsibility to remind you when assignments are due, if you have a question about when something is due ask me, but you forgetting or not knowing when something is due is not an excuse for late work!
Recitation Schedule
WeekTopic Date
1Overview of the classJan 8, 9
2Natural Selection LabJan 15, 16
3History of LifeJan 22, 23
4BiodiversityJan 29, 30
5Goldenrod Lab (part I)Feb 5, 6
6Goldenrod Lab (part II)Feb 12, 13
7SpeciationFeb 19, 20
8Coevolution and MutualismFeb 26, 27
9Evolution and DevelopmentMar 5, 6
10Spring BreakNO CLASSMar 12, 13
11Mutations and Genetic VariationMar 19, 20
12HIV Molecular ClockLAB (Simutext)Mar 26, 27
13BLAST Lab (part I)Apr 2, 3
14BLASTLab (part II)Apr 9, 10
15Hominin Fossils LabApr 16, 17
16Final Exam (covering material throughout the semester)Apr 23,24
Lab reports:
For labs, you will often be working in groups. Each individual will need to write and turn in his/her own lab report/paper. Lab reports are DUE ONE WEEK AFTER THE CLASS PERIOD IN WHICH THE LAB WAS CONDUCTED.
Policy on Late Lab Reports/Papers/Discussion Questions:
Late lab reports/papers will be penalized 10% per day late. SUMMARY PARAGRAPHS AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ON SAKAI WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED LATE.
Plagiarism:
All students need to be familiar with what constitutes plagiarism; here is UNC’s official policy on plagiarism ( I take plagiarism and cheating very seriously, and will refer ANY instances to the Honor court. If you have any questions as to whether or not you are plagiarizing material, or the appropriate way to cite material, then please contact me. It’s better to be safe than be sorry in this regard.
Keeping Your Work:
For all assignments, whether a discussion summary or major paper, always make sure you keep your assignment until the end of the semester. All assignments will be returned a week after it was handed in. It is your assurance that you have received credit for assignments that you’ve completed and turned in on time. It is not my responsibility to make you aware of assignments you have missed.
How Your Grade Will be Determined
Points breakdown:
6 Paper Discussions @ 7 points each (see below for breakdown)….…………42 pts total
Discussion Questions, Attendance, and Participation (3 pts each)
Summary paragraphs (4 pts each)
These summaries should be short paragraph descriptions of the papers that show me you’ve read the paper. For research articles, the summary should explain why the researchers did this study, what questions they wished to address, the methods used, what they found, and how their results support or refute their initial ideas. For reviewarticles, the summary should explain the key points and the “take home message”. Summaries will be graded on clarity and content.
5 Lab reports @ 10 pts each (see below for breakdown)….…………...... 50 pts total
- For the Natural Selection Lab you will turn in your lab worksheet with attached graphs and answer all the questions
- For subsequent labs, you will turn in a full lab write-up. Lab reports should be in the format of a scientific paper. Skim over the style & format of articles in a current issue of Evolution so that you get the feel for this (more information will be given out during class).
Comprehensive Final Exam (covering material from the entire semester; given on the last day of class)………………………………………………………………………8pts total
Your course grade will be determined as follows:
A final course average of 93 or above will earn you an A/H*
A final course average of 90 to 92 will earn you a grade no lower than A-/P
A final course average of 87 to 89 will earn you a grade no lower than B+/P
A final course average of 83 to 86 will earn you a grade no lower than B/P
A final course average of 80 to 82 will earn you a grade no lower than B-/P
A final course average of 77 to 79 will earn you a grade no lower than C+/L
A final course average of 73 to 76 will earn you a grade no lower than C/L
A final course average of 70 to 72 will earn you a grade no lower than C-/L
A final course average of 67 to 69 will earn you a grade no lower than D+/L
A final course average of 63 to 66 will earn you a grade no lower than D/L
A final course average of 60 to 62 will earn you a grade no lower than D-/L
Your final grade may be "curved" upward, depending on: 1) evidence of improvement in your exam performance, 2) the performance of your classmates, and 3) your participation in class.
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