Spring 2015 Biology 101Hdr. Jean Desaix

Spring 2015 Biology 101HDr. Jean DeSaix

12:30 TuThModified as needed919-962-1068 (302 Coker Hall)

215 Coker 919-929-1580 (Home)

DATESUBJECTREADING (optional in parenthesis)

The required book is Biology in Focus (ebook) by Urry, et. al. Pearson Publishers.You must have the ebook with the Mastering Biology web material. You are welcome to buy a print book as well if you want, but only the e-book is required. In this course, you will be working with a Graduate Research Consultant, sponsored by the Office of UndergraduateResearch (

In case of bad weather, our class is canceled if city buses are canceled.

Office Hoursfor Dr. DeSaix :302 Coker962-1068 Tuesday and Wednesday 2:30-3:30 and other times by appointment.

Course Materials: eText and Homework materials.

Mastering Biology: You must register for MasteringBiology and join our course, Course ID: MBDESAIX44611by the first day of class because the homework will begin on the first day. Instructions for doing this are on Sakai.unc.edu. Your homework will make up 10% of your grade or 20 of 200 points.Reading you do before class followed by Mastering Biology homework are necessary preparation for in-class activities.

Sakai: Course materials including registration directions for the MasteringBiology homework site, are in the “resources” folder on our Sakai site.

Learning Catalytics: In class you will use Learning Catalytics which is a "bring your own device" web-based student questioning system. This system comes with MasteringBiology and your ebook. You are registered for Learning Catalytics when you register for MasteringBiology. I will give you a particular “session ID” for each class period as we begin to use it in class. You need a web-based (wi-fi enabled) device each day to use this system. In-class activities will often be targeted at parts of the material that, in my experience, students have most difficulty with. Learning research tells us that our minds are set up to learn best when we have a question. We learn better when we are asked rather than when we are told.One researcher refers to this as “desirable difficulties” (See “Getting it Wrong” under Helpful Resources on Sakai).

Notecards: At various times you will do classwork with work to turn in on notecards. Each day for class, bring at least a half dozen (6) 3X5 index cards. Torn sheets of paper are not acceptable.

Laptops: You will often need your laptop to reference material in the ebook, to look up needed information and to complete Learning Catalytics.

Honor Code:

The honor code is upheld strictly in this class. Pay particular attention to collaboration only when collaboration is allowed and to careful annotation for any references that you use. Do not copy words from any other source and claim them as your own. You will be asked to complete the plagiarism tutorial at the library website as part of your research project.

Course Grading:

See the separate material “Grading protocol” at the bottom of this document for descriptions of course assignments and points. There will be 2 test and a final.

Homework: Course ID: MBDESAIX44611

There will be homework on Mastering Biology (see the Sakai site under the course materials folder for how to sign into the site) related to the reading in the book each evening in preparation for class. The program is keyed to your book and you will benefit greatly from using it. Each class period’s homework will be due at 11:55 the night before to help you be sure you have learned the material needed to complete class activities. Homework assignments do not show up until about a week before we cover any specific topic. The homework has a time and day that it is due with no credit for late work, so since your time and the program’s time may not sync exactly, plan to get it finished and submitted well before the time it is due. I recommend that you not begin any homework later than 10pm on the evening it is due. Aim to have it done 12 hours in advance. This homework is generally not hard and is meant more to offer additional learning than to “test” you. If you just scoot through the homework rather than using it to review your reading, you are missing the value of an important learning tool. The introductory assignment is designed to familiarize you with how MB works and the kinds of questions you might see.

If you have computer difficulties with MB, try a different browser or a different computer. If all else fails, contact tech support for the program (a link on each page) or UNC ITS help desk. I am not able to help with computer issues. If you email me before 10:15 pm on an evening that a homework is due to tell me you are having technology problems, I will extend your deadline. Otherwise, there is a 100% penalty for late work. A mishap in your life the evening a homework is due will not be a reason to extend your deadline since your time management should involve getting the homework done well in advance. Some students actually set alarms on their phones to remind themselves each Monday and Wednesday afternoon that they must complete a homework assignment.

Everything about the homework program and the Mastering Biology website is copyright. I remind you of the agreement you sign when you register for the MB program which indicates:

Login credentials (login name/username and password) may not be shared with others or otherwise disclosed to unauthorized third parties for any purpose whatsoever.

Except as you may be expressly permitted by this Agreement, you may not use, modify, adapt, reformat, download, upload, post, reproduce, broadcast, publish, display, perform, transfer or redistribute any Materials in any form, format or media or by means of any technology without obtaining the prior written authorization of Pearson and any other owner of the Intellectual Property Rights in such Materials.

You may not reproduce, use, sell, transmit, publish, broadcast, or otherwise disseminate or distribute Materials from the Website to anyone, including but not limited to others in the same company, school, college or other organization, whether or not for a charge or other consideration, including but not limited to use in with "course packets" or with courses which do include the Website part of the curriculum.

You may not post Materials from the Website [including your answers to any homework or test questions provided by the Website] to newsgroups, mail lists, electronic bulletin boards, [homework sites, content aggregators, file storage services] or any other on-line destination.

You may not reproduce any illustrations, charts, photographs, outlines, extensive text excerpts, chapters, or e-books included in the Materials for any use outside of the class with which the Website is being used.

Any breach of this agreement is punishable in a court of law as well as in Honor Court. To be clear, sharing answers with others or receiving answers from others is a breach of the honor code.

The reading and the homework are designed to be sure that you are familiar with the material before you come to class. You should know the general concepts and the terminology. This will allow us to use class time to expand on difficult points and to give you practice working with concepts from the lesson.

Course Copyright Information:

All course materials including your notes and assignments are covered by University Copyright Policywhich indicates

"STUDENT WORKS THAT CONSTITUTE NOTES OF CLASSROOM AND LABORATORY LECTURES AND EXERCISES SHALL NOT BE USED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES BY THE STUDENT GENERATING SUCH NOTES." What this means is that you are in violation of the law (and the honor code) if you post any course materials for use by others or download any material for your own use or share your notes or any other course materials with anyone not directly affiliated with this class. Sharing your notes directly with other individuals in the class is fine.

How to be successful in this course

• Read the assigned reading for each class before coming to class.
• Read your chapter carefully before completing the MasteringBiology homework.
• Check Sakai for announcements every day. There are also study tips and helpful websites there.
• Check MasteringBiology the day before each class to see if new assignments have been posted. New assignments will appear throughout the semester, generally the week before they are due.
• Come to every class and take notes to.
• Be sure your in-class behavior enhances your learning and that of those around you. Talk to classmates before class. Exchange names and phone numbers. Ask questions in class if there is material that confuses you.
• Study class notes and any notations you have from the book (keep book notes brief) daily. Use the PowerPoint figures on Sakai to augment your notes. Pay close attention to my annotations in the ebook.
• At least twice a week, study all the notes you have taken since the last test. Remember 2 hours of study for each hour of class. Grades correlate more with hours spent on the course than almost anything else.
• Be sure that each new bit of information is integrated, attached, and connected to other information you have learned in the course. For any single bit of information in your notes, you should be able to think of three other places in the course where it relates.
• Study with others. If you just talk about the material, you will learn more. Form/find a study group and meet often (not just before the test) to compare notes. Be sure you know how to contact at least two classmates.
• Understand that there are many levels of “knowing.” You may completely “know” the material in the sense that you could recite it back, and yet not be able to use the material to evaluate or predict or analyze. It is this more complex type of knowing that will be important on the tests. Note Bloom’s levels image above.
• Check old tests on Sakai to practice test-taking. (Do not use old tests as a study guide.) Take advantage of any other out-of-class resources recommended.
• Uphold the honor code that not only requires that you act honorably, but requires you to be responsible for seeing that others do so..
• Check the posted key after each test and complete the Test Analysis for each test to assess what you should do differently to improve your grade on the next test.
• Stop by to chat 302 Coker on Tuesdays or Wednesdays 2:30-3:30 or other times by appointment:. You may phone me in my biology office at 919-962-1068 or at home (919-929-1580 but not after 9 PM).
• Work hard, learn a lot of biology but also, have fun!

Grading Protocol for Biology 101 Honors DeSaix Spring 2015

40 % 2 Tests80 points

Tests will be a combination of objective (multiple choice) and subjective questions. Each test will be 40 points. In general, make-up tests will not be given. If one test is missed with official excuse, the other two will make up the total. If 2 are missed and excused, one will be made up by special arrangement. Tests will not be cumulative. An estimated letter grade scale will be given for each test. Potential grading mistakes must be discussed before the next test.

5% Daily grades 10 points

This will include questions on the reading asked during class as well as weekly news articles on current topics in biology.

10 % Mastering Biology Assignments 20 points.

5% Group presentation10 points

Organismal taxa will presented by groups. A recipe, one page summary with references, brief study sheet for the class and peer evaluations will be turned in.

15% Research Topic30 points

Each member of the class will have a topic for research which will involve literature research resulting in a bibliography, a paper and a 5 minute creative class presentation. These will not all be considered “turned in” until they are loaded to the web.

20 %Final40 points
The final will be worth 40 points, and will be cumulative

5%Class participation10 points

This will include participation in class discussion and results of peer evaluations.

Total:200 points

At several points in the semester I will give you an estimate of letter grade for point values. Those will depend on the performance of the class and will not follow a strict number scale.

12/25/2018