Introduction to Biology

Instructor: Christie Coffin
Length of Course: 1 Year

Curricular Map (PDF FILE)

Course Description:
We will begin the school year with ecology, the study of how living things interact with other living things and the nonliving environment.  The big picture for this unit is that nothing exists in isolation, and a change in one component will affect everything else within the ecosystem.  In this class, if you do your part, our class will stay strong.  If you don’t, you are not just influencing yourself, you are influencing your classmates too. 
This is an introductory survey course on contemporary biology which fulfills the college entrance laboratory science requirements for the University of California . Through the investigation of the chemical basis of life, the examination of basic structural characteristics of cells, and cellular constituents, as well as the study of living organisms, student will be able to recognize, discuss and correctly apply fundamental biological principles influencing his or her personal relationship with other living things. Furthermore, students will be able to apply their knowledge of basic biological principles to the problems humans face in a modern technological society. Laboratory work is an integral and required part of this course.
Course Prerequisites
Grade of C or better in half or more of the freshman academic courses, or a C or better in another college prep science course.
Course Goals/Student Outcomes 

• To encourage the students to apply the scientific method in their efforts to understand, interpret, and engage in the biological sciences
• To study biological science as both a body of collective knowledge and a set of processes that can be used to acquire and refine information in an organized way
• To learn how application of fundamental scientific concepts affect our daily lives
• To develop skills in the manipulation of materials and equipment and in the collection, organization, and communication of scientific information
• To use attitudes and knowledge about science to live as an informed citizen in a scientifically developed and literate nation
• To stimulate curiosity, respect and appreciation for living organisms( including self) and their place in the environment

Major Topics of Study (in chronological order)

• Ecology
• Cell Biology
• Genetics
• Evolution
• Physiology

Course Outline

• interactions and characteristics of life
• studying the living world-scientific method
• divisions and characteristics of the biosphere
• physical and chemical basis of life
• cell structure, function, division, and development
• cell reproduction- asexual (mitosis) and sexual (meiosis)
• principles of heredity (Mendelian genetics)
• inheritance patters and gene expression
• biotechnology-genetic engineering
• bioethics
• evolution, natural selection, speciation
• biological classification
• study of prokaryotes
• study of eukaryotes
• human body: basic anatomy and physiology
• Primary concentration: on maintenance of internal environment
• Secondary concentration : reproduction and embryological development; food and energy, coordination

Attendance/Make up Work:
The calendar for the classes is posted in the Lotus database, and so it is also on the web. That means that you will know what is going on in a class any given day. For excused absences, you will have as many days to make up assignments or tests as the number of days you missed. Work may not be made up for unexcused absences. In addition, unexcused absences will count against your Work Ethic grade. If you are absent, you must meet with me before or after class on the day you return. 

Tardies:
Each class will start with an anticipatory activity. I expect you to be working on the anticipatory activity (journal on Lotus) at the start time of class--if you are not doing so, you are considered tardy. Every tardy counts against your grade and two tardies are considered an unexcused absence.
Materials Required:
Calculator (TI-82 or above is recommended)
Notebook (for your class notes)
Lab-book (composition book will suffice, this is specifically for labs)
Pencil
Flash drive recommended

Evaluation

The grading system at NTHS is a reflection of the learning outcomes that have been established here. Thus your grade in this class will be formulated according to the following list:

Biology Content	50%
Work Ethic	20%
Oral Communication	10%
Written Communication	10%
Collaboration	5%
Technology	5%

 

Work Ethic Analysis:
Homework (5%): You can expect that there will be at least two homework assignments due each project. These require you to acquire time management skills because the homework takes several days to finish. Please do not attempt to complete the homework in one night. Can you do it? Maybe. Did you learn anything? Doubtful. Since this is a preparatory science class you can expect 20-40 minutes of homework/studying each night. During class I will check each student's completeness and effort.
Anticipatory sets (5 %): The sets will be given at the beginning of each class period. I will occasionally collect these for grading, in terms of effort and completeness. These are excellent tools for studying for tests (Yes, this is a hint!).
Labs(10%) : You can expect to have lab checkpoints throughout the year in which I will check the accuracy of your lab notebook. Your table of contents will always be checked for accuracy and be considered at 10% of each lab check.
Biological Content Analysis:
Reflections (10%) : Therewill be several reflections per semester that ask you to reflect on specific articles, presentations, and labs.
Tests & quizzes (10%) : Tests will be given after each unit and quizzes will be given at various times. I do not believe in pop-quizzes so every student will be well aware of any testing instrument that I utilize.
Final (10%) : Each semester will have a cumulative final. The first semester final will be precisely before winter break and the second semester final will be before the end of the semester.
Projects (20%): There will be eight projects that deal with various biological principles.
Oral/ Written Breakdown:
Oral Communication(10%): Several projects will require you to create oral presentations or multimedia projects. This type of communication will be graded using rubrics that may be found on the project briefcases. Discussion and participation will be included in this grading and will account for 3% of this section.*
Written Communication (10%): Various projects require students to use create essays, research papers, reports, etc. This type of communication will be graded using rubrics that may be found on the project briefcases.
*Note: For the projects that do not end with an oral/multimedia presentation, oral communication will be evaluated based on conferences with the teacher and with classmates throughout the project as well as discussion and participation.   
Collaboration Breakdown:
Students will be assigned groups for labs, projects, and occasionally study/homework groups. It is my expectation that during class and outside of class the students will collaborate within these groups. Peer evaluation will also be considered for this portion of the evaluation.