BIOLOGY 21 - FALL 2002

Dr. Ellen Baker

Science 124; Fri  9-12:05; 1-4:05; Office: Science 277

 Prerequisites: Chemistry 11 required, concurrent enrollment acceptable; Advisory: Eligible for English 1

Required Texts:  Campbell, N. and J. Reece (2002) BIOLOGY, 6th Ed, Benjamin Cummings Publishing Co., Menlo Park, CA;  CD highly recommended.  Logan, R. (2001) Laboratory Guide for BIOLOGY 21, SMC.

Required Materials: 5 clean scantrons - Form No. 882-ES.  Turn these in no later than 9:00 a.m. on September 6th.  DO NOT write anything on these, not even your name.  Failure to follow these directions will result in the deduction of 2 lab performance points and 2 points for each day late.

 Class Activities and Policies:

1.  You are expected to attend every class meeting and to stay for the full time unless otherwise instructed.  Due to the nature of the class and the requirement that all students receive instruction for lab activities, late arrivals will not be tolerated.  I will take roll at  the beginning of class and at various times during the class.  Students who are not present will lose 2 lab performance points.  If you have more than 9 hours of absences during the semester, you will lose all lab performance points (40).  If you have three consecutive absences, you will be dropped from the course.

2.  NO FOOD or DRINKS (including water) will be allowed in the classroom.  Turn off all pagers and cell phones during class.  Failure to follow these directions will result in the loss of lab performance points.

3.  Assignments are due on the announced due dates at the beginning of class (9:00).  Late assignments will lose 4 points any time after 9:00 and 2 points for each day thereafter, including each weekend day.

4.  During the first class I will have you introduce yourself to three other class members.  If you cannot attend class due to an emergency, do not call me.  You must contact one of your classmates by e-mail or by phone to get assigned material and lecture notes. 

5.  Written exams will be taken from lectures, laboratory, and assigned reading.  You may not leave the classroom for any reason during an exam.  Take care of personal needs before the exam.  Students who are more than 20 minutes late for an exam will not be allowed to take that exam.

6.  Make up exams will not be given for any reason.  Exams will not be given early for any reason; therefore, do not plan to take an early Christmas break.

7.  The following format must be used when preparing lab reports:

            a.  Follow the directions that are given in the lab manual carefully, but NOTE ANY CHANGES that I might make in class.

            b.  Be sure all pages are double-spaced.

            c.  Number all pages consecutively.

            d.  Staple all text pages together, then paper clip all figures and tables to the back of the report.  Number them accordingly, by hand, if necessary.  DO NOT place figures and tables in the body of the report or sandwich the pages in with the text.

            Lab reports that do not follow this format will be returned ungraded.

8.  No later than September 5, you must send me an e-mail from the address you use to receive most of your e-mail.  My address is baker_ellen@smc.edu.  Failure to do this will result in the deduction of 2 lab performance points for each day after September 5.

Course Schedule:

TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN SCIENCE COURSES

 1.  Don’t miss class!  I introduce a lot of material during class that is not in your textbook.  In addition, I use visual aids that will help you process the information covered in the text.

 2.  Science classes are hard work.  To be successful you must spend 2 to 3 hours studying outside of class for every hour in class, more if science is difficult for you.  Study every single day, even Fridays and weekends!  This will help you avoid having to ‘cram’ for tests.

 3.  Read the assigned chapters before class so that you will know a little about the topic.  Take detailed notes during class, then re-read the chapter in detail. 

 4.  Some students recopy their notes to study for exams.  A more efficient way to study notes is to reword your notes as questions.  Be sure to have a question for each point discussed in class.  Then make an answer key for your questions.   To prepare for the exam go over your self-made test until you can successfully answer all of the questions.  Remember, your notes are only one part of the process.  You must keep up with the reading and understand the topics well enough to synthesize new ideas!

 5.  If you are having difficulty with the material see a tutor.  Tutors are available free of charge at the study center located on the second floor of the new science building.