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BS 218 - BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE: A
PROCESS APPROACH -- Summer 2009 http://cstl-csm.semo.edu/waterman/bs218summer2009
Professor:
Dr. I.
Catalog Description and Credit Hours This
course applies scientific thought to structure, function, energetics
and ecology of living systems. Two 1-hour lectures and one 2-hour lab per
week (= per day in summer). (University Studies Course) (3 credit hours) This
is a required course for the professional preparation of teachers of early
childhood, elementary and special education and is an option for other
education majors in secondary and middle level education. II.
Prerequisites:
BS 118; PH 218 or permission of instructor. Rent:
Johnson, George, B. and J. Losos. (2008). The Living World 5th
EDITION NY: McGraw Hill. IV.
Purposes and Objectives of the Course: (1) Students will gain factual
knowledge of biology, including terminology, generalizations, trends, and
major theories. (2) Students will learn
to apply course materials, both in the classroom setting and in their
own lives as adults evaluating and developing value judgments concerning
selected bio-social issue. (3) Students will learn
how to find and use resources for answering questions or solving
problems, particularly related to teaching biology and to applying biology to
real problems. (4) In lab, student
will have experience with hands-on, process-centered activities that will
supplement their experiences in the area of science and be useful in the
elementary classroom. (5)
Students will engage in assignments designed to assist them in achieving the
goals of the university studies program. V.
Course Policies and Expectations of Students Attendance: The University
policy is that students are expected to attend all sessions, participate in
all class activities, and satisfactorily complete Late assignments: Any assignment
turned in late will receive a one-half grade reduction for each day past the
due date. Assignments more than five days late will not be accepted.
Saturdays and Sundays count as days. See "emergencies" below. Lab absence: If you have a
reason to miss lab, please let the instructor know. There are no makeups for lab points. Students missing more than two laboratory
sessions will have their course grade reduced by a half letter grade
for each lab missed beyond two. Make up exams will be given only
to students who have made arrangements in advance with Dr. Waterman, and only
for university-sanctioned reasons (i.e., University official business,
religious holidays, death in family, illness). Make up work: Unless you are
absent on official university business, you are responsible for obtaining
copies of the lecture notes, handouts, reading assignments, etc. from
classmates. If assignments are due on the day you are absent, the late policy
will still apply if your paper is not turned in on time. See policy on
emergencies. Emergencies. Yes, these do
happen. Please let us know, as soon as possible if you are unable to take an
exam or complete an assignment for emergency reasons. The audex is always on (573/ Plagiarism: I take plagiarism seriously. By the time a student is in a 200 level college course, they should know how to avoid plagiarism. Ignorance of proper procedures is NOT an excuse. I have provided links to resources to help you learn to avoid plagiarism. Here's a quick tip on avoiding plagiarism. If you use more than 3 words together that come from someone else (a source), cite it, or change it into your own words and cite it. The
most common forms of plagiarism are paraphrasing another’s writing too
closely, failing to cite sources, or using quotes without properly citing the source. Please make good records when you are
taking notes for papers, so that you can give credit to the author whose
ideas you are using. If you want to learn how to paraphrase
properly, do the tutorial at the Southeast Writing Center http://ustudies.semo.edu/writing/owl/bu/tutorials/usingSources/qps/paraphrase2.asp
Note well: If you commit
plagiarism of these types, you will receive a zero on that assignment and
your name will be reported to the Judicial System. Note well: If you
submit a paper written by another person, that is cheating, not plagiarism, You will receive an F in this course and I
will report your name to the Judicial System. Please
read again the full policies on plagiarism and cheating in the Southeast
Student Handbook. The penalties can be severe, and range from failing the
assignment to being removed from the University. STUDY ASSISTANCE
There are several forms of assistance for you as you work on learning biology
in BS218 1. The
instructor.
I am available and happy HAPPY to meet with you at
mutually convenient times. Do not hesistate
to make an appointment. Or, email me! I answer emailed questions
except about grades (– can’t, it’s illegal). mailto:mwaterman@semo.edu 2. Study guides online. I have
placed study guides on the course website for each exam period.
Students generally say they print them out early on and use them to guide
their reading and their study of daily notes. My lectures and tests are
keyed to these study guides. 3. Additional web sites. I have found several useful
websites and have linked them either to the study guide pages directly, or as
the "animations
menu"
on the home page of the course. These give you more information,
simulations and interactive activities to test your understanding or help you
learn. VI. Assessment Plan: Based on a total of 800
points.
Here is
more information on the components of the assessment plan: A.
Exams.
There will be 4 one-hour exams covering new material, each worth 100 pts or
50% of the grade. Exams will include questions drawn from the lab
activities. Study guides will be posted on the website. B. Lab
assignments and quizzes: There will normally be a lab sheet to turn
in for each week’s lab work, and there will be at least two
quizzes. Lab grade is 25% of final grade C. Biology
in the News paper: Follow the additional detailed
instructions that are on the course website. Final
paper is DUE Tues June 9, 2009 Generally,
you will locate a newspaper article published
since Feb. 1, 2009 with
topics related to biology and humans. Your paper will summarize the biology, describe some of
the controversial implications of this issue, defining "pro" and
"con" positions, and then defending your own position using a
rational set of arguments supported by evidence. The references you will be
using must be reputable sources such as refereed journals, scientifically
reputable web sites, etc. Five pages max. plus
references. Follow
detailed instructions for the topic proposal, reference and citation formats,
and the body of the essay, which are at D. Class participation. You must be present
to participate. As a participant, you must contribute to class discussions,
ask and answer questions in lecture and lab, and actively take part in class
activities. There are
four units in the course, each designed to help meet the needs of teachers
who will be working with the Missouri Show Me Standards and Missouri Science
Curriculum Frameworks. In addition, there is material about genetics and
ecology that will undoubtedly touch the life of each adult living in the 21st
century, and that each needs to understand, whether they teach or not. The four units are: Ecology, Cell biology,
Genetics, and Diversity. BS 218 Tentative Course Outline and Schedule Summer 2009 Revised 5/26/09
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