Biology 101L Spring Semester 2013 Biology and Society Laboratory Lab 01

Michelle Smith Instructor: Contact Information:

Syllabus Schedule Assignments Handouts Prelab quizzes Class Web Sites:

Lab: Section F 2:30-5:15 Imiloa 123 Lab Time & Location

Instructor’s Office Location & Hours Imiloa 136 Tuesday 11:15-1 Wed.-Friday 12:30-1 or by apt

General Objectives Make you excellent observers Develop life-long habits which will help you understanding how you fit into and impact society Learn how to apply the “scientific method” to common biological problems Discover key community resources

Strategy Active learning –Collect your own data –Analyze data & compare with other data –Interpret through synthesis Considerable work outside lab

Strategy Work generally spans multiple sessions Details shown in PowerPoint slides Procedures and Info Links on the Web

Lab Topics Making Observations: Birds Bird Abundances & Trends Habitat Assessment & Evaluation Biomes Invertebrates and Vertebrates Food

Lab Topics Variability : A Food Perspective Biological Forensics Ethics & Environmental Dilemmas Environmental Trends & Predictions

Lab Requirements Field Notebook Safety Check Assumption of Risk & Release Permission for field trip

Please turn it off before arriving to class! Cell Phones

Mandatory Be on Time! Don’t expect labs to end early. Let instructor know if you anticipate an absence. 5% of grade Attendance

Participate in activities Work collaboratively Clean up after 5% of grade Participation

Pre-Lab Quizzes 14 pre-lab quizzes (10% of grade) Go to BIOL 101L site No make-up quizzes Don’t be late

Homework Assignments Your work matches the assignment It is accurate and complete It is on-time It shows thoughtful insight 80% of your grade

Grading Attendance 5% Participation 5% Prelab Quizzes 10% Assignments 80% Total100% Note: Your laboratory grade will be averaged with your lecture grade (50:50).

Grading A90% or above in total points B 80%- 89% of total points C70%- 79% of total points D60%- 69% of total points F Below 55% of total points; also informal or incomplete withdrawal from course.

What We Do For You Stimulate your interest Guide you in asking critical questions Demonstrate data collection and documentation Show you basic analysis techniques

What We Expect of You Come on time and prepared to fully participate Join us in the spirit of adventure and learning Take the time and apply the effort

Assumptions You are here to participate You are honest You can show initiative

General Structure of the Labs Review and discuss homework Learn about the new tasks Work on the tasks in the lab and outside Review new homework assignment to be done between labs Discuss some “ethical dilemmas” related to the lab materials

Web Support

Cheating Plagiarism See student handbook on conduct code or

Ethical Dilemmas Biology 101L Biology & Society Laboratory Laboratory 0

Ethical Dilemmas Questions that provoke discussions about topics which require mature decision-making. “Role playing” is often required – put yourself is someone else’s place and evaluate a situation from her perspective.

Ethical Dilemmas Topics come from: Issues related to this class Current news Perennial societal issues

It is hard for me to get to class on time and I don’t think that I should be penalized points for being late. I think that it is much more important whether I do my assignments correctly than if I am prompt or not.

My Instructor didn’t give me a very good grade on the last assignment. I really thought that I deserved better. There should be a simple, completely objective standard on which all grading is based.

Smoking and obesity have been in the news recently with the claim that they are equally important, major-risk factors in preventable deaths. I don’t think that a biology class is the proper venue to discuss such issues. Whether I smoke or what I eat is simply a matter of personal choice.

The Board of Water Supply is urging that we use less water. I think that I should be able to use as much as I want. It is the job of government to supply what is needed, not to tell me what to do.

Human stem cell research involves the use of embryonic tissue. I believe that scientists should be allowed to study what ever they want, especially if there is some promise of eventually helping people. Political leaders should not put any restrictions on scientists.