Concepts in Biology - Course Syllabus | BIOL 1310, Exams of Biology

Download Concepts in Biology - Course Syllabus | BIOL 1310 and more Exams Biology in PDF only on Docsity! BIOL 1310/1311 Concepts in Biology Purpose/Goals: This course is designed to give students the background needed to understand some of the mechanisms and issues related to modern Biology. Specifically, this course content reflects that needed to cover the Tennessee State Standards for K-6. Covering topics such as cell biology, genetics, ecology, and evolution will provide an appreciating of some of the critical issues in modern biology (i.e. stem cells, genetic testing, environmental effects, and evolution) Since many of this topics are currently being discussed and debated in our society, this course will provide the backgound for students to be part of the discussion. Being a one semester course, students can still get important biological concepts and be able to take another science course (Chemistry 1080 or Physics 1080) and stay within the 120 credit hour limit. The course was designed based upon the Tennessee State Standards. Below is the list of content-standards that I designed and used in the course design: Content Standard Grades Biological Concepts K 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cell Structure and Function Cell Theory X x x x x x x Cells make tissues x Animal Cells x x x Plant Cells x x x Interactions Between Living Things/Environment Senses X Plant and Animal Interrelationships x x x Effect of pollution on environment x x x Living vs non-living x x Specific ecosystems x x Oganisms change environment x x Symbiosis x Competition x Diversity and Adaptation Among Living Things Adaptation allows survival X x x Diversity x x Classification x x Diversity of adaptation x x x Form and Function affects adaptation x Food Production and Energy for Life Basic need for food/water/light x x Relationship between plants and animal x Structure of plants in relation to food production x Animals use of food x Function of structures utilized for obtaining nutrients x x Photosynthesis x Food chains x Heredity and Reproduction Need for reproduction x Offspring resemble parents x Changes in organisms re: development x x Changes during development x Similarities between parents and offspring x Characteristics are transferred from parents to offspring x All organisms have life-cycles x x Examine how plants reproduce x Examine the concept of generations and populations x Biological Change Plants and Animals go extinct x x Fossils represent connections between living and extinct organisms x x Organisms are endangered and/or threatened x Investigate the fossil record in sedimentary rock x Evidence of life forms changing over time x Examine relationship between environment and extinction x Course Objective: PROVIDE CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF MODERN BIOLOGY. PROVIDE UNDERSTANDING OF MAJOR BIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS. PROVIDE EXPERIENCE WITH THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD. PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR ABILITY TO FIND AND INTERPRET BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION. PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A FOUNDATION TO UNDERSTAND 21 ST CENTURY ISSUES RELATED TO BIOLOGY. PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO RELATE LEARNED CONCEPTS TO CURRENT ISSUES. Course outcomes or goals AFTER COMPLETING THIS COURSE THE STUDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO:  UNDERSTAND HOW THE STRUCTURE OF THE CELL RELATES TO ITS FUNCTION.  APPRECIATE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ASEXUAL AND SEXUAL REPRODUCTION.  EXPLAIN MITOSIS IN TERMS OF CHROMOSOMES.  EXPLAIN MEIOSIS IN TERMS OF CHROMOSOMES.  UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENT FOR ENERGY IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS.  APPRECIATE HOW PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND CELLULAR RESPIRATION INTERACT.  UNDERSTAND THE OVERALL MECHANISM OF THE SENSES AND HOW THEY ALLOW ORGANISMS TO INTERACT WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT.  APPRECIATE THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF ECOLOGY.  UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMPETITION, PREDATIOIN, AND SYMBIOSIS.  RELATE HOW INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ORGANISMS CAN AFFFECT ISSUES OF POPULATION SIZE AND DIVERSITY.  UNDERSTAND THE BASIC CONCEPT OF EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE.  APPRECIATE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT ON THE ABILITY OF OPRGANISMS TO CHANGE.  RELATE CHANGES IN TIME TO SIMPLE MODELS OF GENE AND EFFECTS ON GENES. a. Is the course designated as meeting a General Education requirement? The course has been evaluated by the University General Education committee and is awaiting a decision from the TBR committee. b. Outline of course content Major Topics: WEEK LECTURE TOPICS LAB 1 CELL THEORY EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN 2 CELL STRUCTURE USING THE MICROSCOPE 3 CELL FUNCTION MICROSCOPY BASICS AND ANIMAL TISSUES: AN INTRODUCTION 4 CELL REPRODUCTION REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT 5 HEREDITARY CHEMICAL COMPOSITION 6 HEREDITARY/DEVELOPMENT PHOTOSYNTHESIS 7 ENERGY CONVERSION DESIGN YOUR OWN LABS 8 ENERGY CONVERSION Demonstrate your own labs 9 INTERACTIONS WITH INVRONMENT TOUNGE TASTE ANALYSIS 10 INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER ORGANISMS Data Analysis and Reporting 11 INTERACTIONS WITH INVRONMENT DESIGN YOUR OWN LABS 12 EVOLUTION AND BIOLOGICAL CHANGE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY 13 EVOLUTION AND BIOLOGICAL CHANGE DEMONSTRATE YOUR OWN LABS 14 EVOLUTION AND BIOLOGICAL CHANGE LAB PRACTICAL c. Information on projects, activities, exams used in evaluating student outcomes. In the lecture, the students take several in-class exams that are short-answer, concept- based questions. In addition, the students complete several D2L based exercises that involve posting in various discussion boards. Another mode of evaluation is the production of “portfolios” based on specific state standards. In these “portfolios” students must demonstrate how they would approach specifc state standards with specific concepts to be covered and hands-on activities to be used. The students give a brief oral presentation on their “portfolios” and are evaluated by the following matrix: In the lab, students collect data from a 5-week long experiment utilizing Brassica rapa growth under different conditions. This data is then collected and each student writes a lab report on the experiment. In addition, the students are provided the opportunity to design their own experiments/exercises that are geared toward a specific state standard. The final evaluation is a lab practical that is developed to allow the students to demonstrate skills such as using the microscope. Examples of student work can be found at http://faculty.etsu.edu/millerh/1310 2. A chart or narrative on these courses indicating when they have been offered so far or will be offered. It is also possible that a syllabus has not yet been developed, but a date has been projected for when the course will be offered. Are any of the courses offered at branch campuses? Enrollment by semester beginning the academic year before the grant (04F- 05Spring) would be helpful. For general education courses taken by other majors as well as education majors, the enrollment is not as important. However, perhaps, you have increased access to these courses by offering them in summer. If so, then indicate this. Course Fall 06` Spring 07 Fall 07 BIOL 1310 25 13 17 BIOL 1311 25 13 17 Note: this course did not exist until fall 2006. We are planning to offer at least 2 sections of this course in the near future, pending ongoing discussions of TA support. Staffing 2. Who is teaching the revamped courses? Any new people, reassignments, adjuncts? Hugh Miller III, PhD, Associate Professor in Biological Sciences developed and taught the BIOL 1310/1311 course. Grant funds were used to support part-time instructors who assisted Dr. Miller with teaching the 2 lab sections. Facilities and materials 1. Describe changes in space allocation 2. Purchases using grant funds I purchased a license for each student in my Fall 06 section to the TOOT electronic portfolio software. I also purchased 30 clickers for use in the Habitat classroom. 3. Storage of materials Each instructor has a cabinet assigned in the Habitat classroom. 4. Smart classrooms, instructional technology Instructional delivery--may be included in syllabi 1. Interviews with faculty on what they feel they are doing differently I have taken a different approach with designing and teaching this course. Having read the literature on science education and realizing that elementary school teachers must cover many different subjects, I decided that this course needed to be concept driven instead of the usual terminology driven science course. These students must understand concepts in order to teach biology, the specific content and terminology is always available especially with the Internet. I also realized that as we are covering these critical concepts, I should provide the students with the opportunity to use the state standards and the learned concepts to describe how they might teach these concepts to K-6