Dr. Ray L. Winstead
Professor of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

General Biology I - Summer 2012


 
PROFESSOR: Dr. R. L. Winstead, Office Room 5, Phone (724) 357-2912  (Biology Office (724) 357-2352)

NOTE: Information and handouts for this course (plus other information) are also available on my website at http://raywinstead.com
     (Note the QR code that you can scan on your smart phone to give you easy access to the website on your smart phone.)

LECTURE TEXT: Biology: Tenth Edition, 2010 by Sylvia S. Mader  (ISBN: 978-0-07-352543-3)

LAB MANUAL: General Biology Laboratory Manual by IUP General Biology Faculty.
                Purchase at PRO-PACKET at University Square next to Domino's Pizza.

REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTAL READING: Your Inner Fish 2009 by Neil Shubin (ISBN: 0307277453)

GRADING: Three tests will be given on lecture material. Each will contribute twenty-five percent (25%) to your course grade and all lecture tests will be curved. Your laboratory grade also will contribute twenty-five percent (25%) to your course grade. You will have eleven labs and your lab professor will explain the lab grading policy in lab.  Especially note that the lab grade will not be curved.  The Supplemental Reading Assignment will be a part of the lab score.  Your final course grade will be on the basis of total points. Lecture tests will consist of multiple choice questions, true-false questions, matching, and/or similar questions. Lecture tests will probably have about 50 - 60 one-point questions, but the recorded scores for each test will be the percent score. For example: 

                                        Test I       Test II       Test III       Lab       Total
Highest possible score     100           100             100           100         400
  for Grade A

Lowest possible score        87*           93*             90*           90#       360
  for grade A
* These values will probably be different and reflect the "curve" for that test.

# The "grade cut-offs" for the lab will not be curved and will be 90, 80, 70, 60 for each grade.

In this example, a student must have accumulated at least 360 points to earn the course grade of A. Grades of B, C, D, and F will be determined in the same manner. Notice how this gives the student an advantage: If a student misses a certain grade on one test by only a few points, those points can be earned on another test or in lab beyond the cut-offs, so that the end result would be the same as if the student had earned the higher grade initially. Letter grades on each test just give you an indication of how you are doing in the course at that time. The final course grade is determined by total points accumulated. Any make-up test will be an essay-type test. Bring your ID Card to all three lecture tests.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: You are expected to attend all classes. There is no direct grade penalty for missing class, however I offer you a friendly but strong warning that from past experience the indirect penalty for missing a class is usually severe. Based upon the percentage of material missed, the student who misses a class should not be surprised to score AT LEAST a full letter grade lower on a test than originally expected for each class missed. This adverse effect is observed even if lecture notes are obtained from someone else in the class.

CHEATING: Be aware that any form of cheating in this course (lecture or lab) will result in failure for the course.  (Be aware that this penalty has been officially implemented in this course in the recent past.)  During a test, please be sure that no notes, text, electronic device, or ear phones are accessible.

COURTESY: Please respect your classmates by not disturbing them.  For example, please turn off all sound on phones and other electronic devices while in class.  The college dean has also established the policy of no food or drinks in this lecture room.  Thank you for your cooperation.

General Biology I Schedule - Summer 2012

Note that lectures meet Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and  Friday.

Note that labs meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

  LECTURE   LAB 
M June 4   
T June 5	   
W June 6   
R June 7	   
F June 8	   

M June 11 
T June 12  
W June 13 
R June 14  
F June 15   

M June 18  
T June 19   
W June 20  
R June 21   
F June 22    

M June 25  
T June 26   
W June 27  
R June 28   
F June 29 
INTRODUCTION	

ECOLOGY PRINCIPLES



(This lecture on Test II)        
TEST I
CELLULAR REPRODUCTION
		             
GENETICS              	  

MOLECULAR GENETICS	   

(This lecture on Test III)	 
TEST II	            
ORIGIN OF LIFE	            

EVOLUTION                     
CELL BIOLOGY
 Transport of Materials     

TEST III
 
M Plant Taxonomy

W Quantitative Vegetation Analysis I (Outside)

F Quantitative Vegetation Analysis II (Inside)

M Trophic Levels / Diversity I (Outside)

W Trophic Levels / Diversity II (Inside)

F Stream Ecology (Outside)

M Genetics I

W Genetics II

F Variation Lab or Evolution Simulation Lab

M Supplemental Reading Report

W Classification / Evolution
    (Lab grade based on work in lab)


Note: The lab schedule is subject to change, e.g., based on the weather, however plan to attend lab whatever the weather.
(For example, if an indoor follow-up lab is scheduled and the weather is good, 
then we may do the next outdoor lab and do the follow-up, indoor lab later.)
Readings

Test I:   Introduction and Ecology - Chapters 1, 44, 45, 46, 47.
Test II:  Cellular Reproduction. Chapters 9, 10.
              Genetics - Chapters 11.
              Chromosome Variations and Molecular Genetics.  
                  p. 52 - 53 in Chapter 3, p. 180 - 185 in Chapter 10, p. 198 - 201 in Chapter 11, Chapters 12,  13, 14,
		p.307 in Chapter 17.
Test III: Origin of Life and Evolution - p. 317 - 322 in Chapter 18, p. 265 - 275 in Chapter 15, Chapter 16, 
		p. 276 - 280 in Chapter 15, p. 291 - 293 in Chapter 16, Chapters 17, 18, 19.
               Cell Biology - Chapters 4, 5.
                          Also read Chapters 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 for background only (no test questions will come 
                          from these chapters, however the information will be useful for a better understanding
                          of the concepts that are on the test). 

 
Front Page

Christian Essentials

Dr. Winstead's Blood Pressure Tracker:  Free Templates for Graphing Blood Pressure in Microsoft Excel

Dr. Winstead's Current Local and World Standard Percentage Metric Time Clock

Blue Spruce Park Chickadees

Dr. Ray L. Winstead
 Direct e-mail Link: RWinstea@iup.edu