Course Syllabus

Course Outline / Student Expectations

Course Title:             Biology I

Instructor:                 Joseph Lamb

E-mail:                      lambj@centergrove.k12.in.us

Dates:                       June 8th- July 22nd, 2015

Final Exams:             Wednesday or Thursday, July 1st, or 2nd, 12:00PM (midterm) .  (These dates are mandatory!  If you cannot meet with me these dates, you must let me know as soon as possible to reschedule!)   We will meet in my classroom, Room 141 at the high school, near door #14

Course Number:       SC111G and SC112G

Course Description:             This course surveys several topics in biology ranging from cellular structure and function to populations and from photosynthesis to evolution. Methods of inquiry will also be studied as well as current issues in science.

Introduction video:                 Biology I course introduction video

Objectives:      By the end of this course, you should be able to:

1. Use and apply the scientific method to a variety of situations.

2.  Determine and predict how humans and other organisms interact with their environment.

3.  Discover the major components of cells and how these parts interact for cellular function

4.  Analyze DNA and the genetic code and understand how the molecule determines features and characteristics of different organisms.

5.  Understand how natural selection and evolution have changed species over time.

6.  Successful pass the Indiana Biology ECA.

Materials Required:            The following materials are to be used every day:

• Canvas Course Management System
• Laptop and or iPad

Grading:

Please view the following document which explains the grading procedure in this class.

            

Expectations of students:

• You will respect others at all times to create a positive classroom environment.
• You will need to be able to give at least 4 hours each day to successfully complete this course!
• Do not fall behind!! It will be very difficult to recover!
• Be a good digital citizen, respect other’s opinions just as you would in the normal classroom setting.
• Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.  I will be diligent in checking all submitted work for plagiarism.  This will result in a 0 for the activity and possible expulsion from the course. 

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another person without giving that person credit. Writers give credit through accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or endnotes; a simple listing of books and articles is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting. Student writers are often confused as to what should be cited. Some think that only direct quotations need to be credited. While direct quotations do need citations, so do paraphrases and summaries of opinions or factual information formerly unknown to the writers or which the writers did not discover themselves. Exceptions for this include factual information which can be obtained from a variety of sources, the writers' own insights or findings from their own field research, and what has been termed common knowledge. What constitutes common knowledge can sometimes be precarious; what is common knowledge for one audience may not be so for another. In such situations, it is helpful, to keep the reader in mind and to think of citations as being "reader friendly." In other words, writers provide a citation for any piece of information that they think their readers might want to investigate further. Not only is this attitude considerate of readers, it will almost certainly ensure that writers will never be guilty of plagiarism.

Online Course Words of Wisdom

For many of you, this is your first online course. There are several things that make online courses very different from traditional, classroom courses. Many of the expectations are the same, but there are some additional expectations as well. 

 You will spend more time on an online course than a traditional classroom course. Don't expect to spend less time. You won't have an instructor in front of the classroom each week to tell you what is important, to explain difficult points and to guide you in the right direction during a laboratory experiment. Some of it you'll have to do on your own. That means extra time on your part. Expect to spend a minimum of 10 to 14 hours per week working on or attending your online class. You will need to spend at least 2 to 3 hours on each chapter. Laboratory assignments will take about 2 to 4 hours each.

 You must stay in contact with the instructor. It's very easy to get lost. In a regular classroom, the instructor sees you several times a week and will notice when you're not there. Stay in touch, especially if you are struggling with the information.

 You will not be able to work at your own pace. This is not a self-paced course. There are deadlines and you must adhere to them. Do not expect to finish the course in the first four weeks or to do all the work in the last four weeks. Each assignment, quiz, and test has a deadline. If you miss a deadline expect to suffer the consequences.

 You will be able to schedule your own time. The biggest advantage of an online course is its flexibility. You can work on projects and assignments, take quizzes, view lectures, almost anything on your own time. Just watch the deadlines.

 Email isn't instantaneous. I will do the best I can to get back to you as soon as possible.

Online Discussions:

Topics will be related to textbook readings and current events in the news. You will be asked to post responses on a given topic and are expected to respond to posts made by other students. You are required to use academic sources to support your statement and to document your source with a citation. Each topic will be available during the unit assigned. Posts submitted after the close of the unit will receive a grade of zero.

The discussion forum is a peer-focused learning environment, not instructor led. Although I will not respond to all of your online postings, I will read all of them. I may facilitate discussion at times, but you are expected to discuss issues, ask each other questions, and contribute to the discussion.

Additional discussion boards are posted for questions on Canvas, exams, and lab projects. I encourage you to post your questions here, as another student probably has the same question and can benefit from my response. Questions about grades should be sent via email.

Tips for an excellent discussion post:

 Postings should be evenly distributed throughout the discussion period, not concentrated all on one day or at the beginning and/or end of the period.

 Posting should be a minimum of one short paragraph or a maximum of two paragraphs.


              Address the topic as much as possible.

              Document all supporting evidence with a citation.

              If quoting from a source to support your postings, use quotations and include page 
numbers from the source.

              Build on the responses of others to create threads. Incorporate quotes from other 
student responses as a way of synthesizing and extending the conversation.

              Bring in related prior knowledge (work experience, prior coursework, readings.)

              Postings should be written using proper English, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

              Be respectful of the opinions of your fellow student, even if they differ greatly from your 
own. We can learn a lot from looking at issues from a different viewpoint.

              Discussions posted after the unit deadline will receive a zero grade.

DISABILITY SERVICES FOR STUDENTS
If you have special needs that may require modification of instruction or assessment, please make sure a copy of your IEP is on file with Center Grove Community School Corporation. You may contact Kathy Stricker, Director of Special Needs at strikerk@centergrove.k12.in.us, so that we can determine how to make necessary accommodations to best support your learning needs.