BIOL 1031 – Organismal Biology Laboratory – Spring 2012

 

WEB PAGE: http://www.auburn.edu/biol1031

Coordinator:  Dr. Scott Bowling

Office: 347 Funchess Hall

Email: bowlisa@auburn.edu
Office Hours: W 8:30-10:30 AM, or by appointment (email to set up)

Lab Room: SCL 223

LABS START THE WEEK OF JANUARY 9th!!! - see the Schedule

 

Lab section starting times (all in Room 223 SCL)

Tue         9, 11, 1, 3, 5, and 7

Wed       9, 11 and 7

Thu        9, 11, 1, 3, 5, and 7

Fri          9, 11, 1, 3 and 5

 

Required Materials:          Organismal Biology 1031 (Majors) Laboratory Manual, 3rd edition (Folkerts et al.)

Campbell Biology 9th Edition with MasteringBiology (custom bundle, only found at area bookstores)

InterWrite PRS RF remote (“clicker”)

Safety Apron (purchase for ~$2 at Scientific Supply Store, 211 SCL)

Safety Goggles or Safety Glasses (also purchase at Scientific Supply Store, 211 SCL)

Failure to have your lab manual or your clicker in lab will result in a score of zero for activities that require those items (entrance and exit activities).  Failure to register for MasteringBiology will also result in a zero for required activities. 

Biology 1031 Laboratory is part of the Biology 1030 Course.  You must be enrolled in both a 1031 lab section and a 1030 lecture section during the same semester to get credit for either class.  The laboratory grade will count as 25% of your total grade in the 1030 course.

Student Remotes (“Clickers”) for quizzes:  You will be required to have an InterWrite PRS RF remote (“clicker”) to use for quizzes.  These are available at the bookstores.  Rules for use of the clickers are posted on the lab website.  The information there is considered an extension of this syllabus and should be read by all students.

Laboratory attendance is MANDATORY. Be prepared for entrance and exit quizzes or activities.  There will be two lab practicals given in lab.  Please see below for more information about these exams, and also see the schedule.  You must be on the roll for the lab that you attend to get credit for the lab; changes in your lab section time must be done on Banner to be official.

Missed laboratories: Missed classes will only be excused following the guidelines in the Tiger Cub.  Note that you will be responsible for all material on any lab exams (practicals and finals), even if you miss a laboratory with a valid excuse.  Policies for missed labs are found at http://www.auburn.edu/genbio/MissedLabPolicies.htm.  The information there is considered an extension of this syllabus and should be read by all students.

Communication:  Important information will be conveyed throughout the semester via class email.  Policies and announcements made or linked via class email are considered extensions of this syllabus.  You are reminded that class emails are official communication at Auburn University.  Should circumstances warrant a revision to this syllabus that revision will be posted online and you will receive notification via class email.

Cheating: All forms of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Honesty Committee.    The academic honesty code found in Chapter 1200 of the SGA code of laws should be considered an extension of this syllabus and should be read by all students (http://www.auburn.edu/tigercub/rules/code_of_laws.doc).  You can be given an F or even expelled from Auburn Univ. for cheating.

Students with Disabilities: Students who need accommodations need to work with the Office of Accessibility (1228 Haley Center; 844-2096) to have their accommodations entered online.  However, the TAs do not have access to the online system, so students with accommodations will also need to print out a copy and give it to their lead TA at the first lab meeting, or as soon as possible thereafter.  If there is something that needs to be discussed before the first lab meeting, alert Dr. Bowling of this directly by email (above); the email sent when accommodations are posted online contains no details, and is not sufficient notice that there are issues that must be dealt with before your first lab.  IMPORTANT: if your accommodation covers missing labs, you still must submit a missed lab form each time that you miss lab for your lab to be excused; no excuse documentation is required in such cases, just write "see accommodation memo" on the missed lab form (see the “missed laboratories” policy above; note that the one week deadline applies).

 

Behavior in Lab and Lab Safety:  Do not eat or drink in the lab, and do not have any open containers of food or drink in the lab; if you do so you will be kicked out of lab for that week.  Use of cell phones and laptop computers is BANNED in the lab - if you use such a device in lab, you will be kicked out of the lab for that week.  Policies concerning lab aprons and shoes are found at http://www.auburn.edu/genbio/aprons.htm and are considered to be an extension of this syllabus; all students should read the policies and adhere to them.  Students are expected to behave appropriately in the laboratory – during most weeks there will be at least some item in use that can be dangerous if not treated with proper respect.  Teaching assistants will give directions about how to use materials and what to take extra precautions with (for example, when you need to wear gloves).  The golden rules of lab are:  if you have a question or concern, ask a TA; if a TA tells you something, listen and do as he or she says.  Failure to follow lab safety and behavior policies will result in being kicked out of lab and a loss of lab points.

 

If any spill or emergency (cut, burn, etc.) occurs, immediately get the attention of the nearest TA for assistance and advice.  Do not attempt to clean up a spill without guidance from a teaching assistant.  If a situation occurs where quick action on your part could avoid or reduce a hazard or injury, act first and get a TA’s attention as soon as possible.  If you or another student has an injury or problem (faints or is about to faint, etc.), get the attention of a TA immediately.

 

GRADING

Grading System: 

Lab Quizzes/Assignments

150 pts

 (plus 26 bonus)

 

MasteringBiology Assignments

  50

 

 

Lab Practical #1

150

 

 

Lab Practical #2

150

 

 

Lab Subtotal

500 pts

divide by 2 for adjustment

 

Adjusted Lab Total

250 pts

25% of course grade

Your lab points subtotal (out of 500 points) will be divided by 2 to adjust the lab total to 250 points before reporting to your lecture instructor (the “adjusted lab total”).  Points for the adjusted lab total will be rounded to the nearest whole number (0.5 and above will round up, below 0.5 will round down).  If your adjusted lab total is more than 250 points you get to keep those extra points for determining the overall course grade.

 

Lab Quizzes/Assignments:

Activities in the weekly labs are listed above as worth 150 points.  However, as detailed below, it will be possible to earn up to 176 points here (a total of 26 bonus points).

                Entrance Quizzes:

Each week that you have a lab exercise you will take an entrance quiz at the beginning of class.  Each entrance quiz will have 8 points possible; with 11 lab weeks, that is 88 entrance quiz points possible overall.

                Hand-ins or Exit Quizzes:

Each week that you have a lab exercise there will be some sort of exit evaluation.  This will vary in form depending on the lab exercise.  For some labs it will in the form of a hand-in exercise, for others it will be either an oral or a written exit quiz.  Always put your name and your Auburn email address on any hand-in.  You are not free to leave lab unless a TA has dismissed you – even if you complete and turn in a hand-in, a TA must approve that your work area has been cleaned enough and also may ask you to wait for some summary announcements or discussion.  The exit evaluation activities will be worth 8 points for each lab; with 11 lab weeks, that is 88 exit points possible overall.

                MasteringBiology Assignments:

Every student in Biol 1031 must enroll on the MasteringBiology website.  Details about MasteringBiology registration are posted on Blackboard.  The information there is considered an extension of this syllabus and should be read by all students.  At various times during the semester there will be materials assigned on the textbook MasteringBiology course website.  Those assignments will be completed and scored on the website.  THESE ARE REQUIRED ACTIVITIES, and do count for part of your lab grade.  Details about such assignments will be given in emails or posted on the MasteringBiology course website during the semester.  These are worth 50 points total, but there will be some bonus points possible with these.

 

Lab Practicals:

The lab practicals will be multiple-choice tests that will be given in your regular lab section.  Some physical specimens will be used, as well as some projected slides (especially in place of microscope slides).  The first practical will be given the week after the lab that has Exercise 7 covers Exercises 1-7; it will have 50 questions (~8 per lab week) worth 3 points each, or 150 points.  The second practical will be given the last week of labs and covers Exercises 8-15; it will also have 50 questions (~10 per lab week) worth 3 points each, or 150 points.  For all practicals there will be no going back for questions that you miss, so come to the test on time and pay attention throughout the test.