Welcome - See grades tab for Exam #4
Biol 002A
Spring Term, 2002
Instructors:
Carol Bookwalter
111 Marsh Life Science 
Office Hours: W/F 12:30-2pm
For an appointment call 656-0454
email: cbookwal@zoo.uvm.edu
 

Laboratory Coordinator:

Gary Olivetti, Ph. D.
118 Marsh Life Science
For an appointment call 656-0438
email: golivett@zoo.uvm.edu

 David Barrington, Ph. D.
225B Marsh Life Science
Office hours: T/Th  9-10, F 10-11
For an appointment call 656-0431
email: dbarring@zoo.uvm.edu
 

SI Instructor - 

James Morey
801-951-1945
email: jdmorey@zoo.uvm.edu
SI time and place
Mon 12:20pm  107 Marsh Life Science
Tue 5:30pm     107 Marsh Life Science
Thu 2:00pm      B203 Angell

http://www.uvm.edu./~learnco/si/index.html

 
 
Biology 002A is a continuation of the foundation course Biology 1. Professor Bookwalter will teach the first half of the course. This portion of the course will cover animal phylogeny and diversity, animal structure and function, and ecology. Dr. Barrington will finish the course by providing some insight into the history of life on earth and the way plants work.
On exams, you are responsible for the material discussed in lecture.  It is highly recommended that you read the assigned material, both before and after it is presented in lecture.
Class Meeting Times  
Lectures: MWF, 11:15-12:05, Marsh Life Sciences Building 235
Laboratory: See your registration for times.  Lab  meets  in  MLS 114


Required Texts:

 
Biology (Fifth Edition), Campbell, N.A., J.B. Reece and L. G. Mitchell. 1999. Benjamin-Cummings Publishing Company, Menlo Park, CA. ISBN 0-8053-6573-7. Available at the UVM Bookstore.

Biology 2A Lab Manual.  Available in the UVM Bookstore.

   Course Format  
Lecture - The basic material for this course will be presented during lecture. A few topics covered in lecture are not in text. In many cases, there is broad overlap between the lecture material and the reading assignments from the text.   Important concepts are highlighted and clarified during lecture.  In general, the student that regularly attends class is better prepared for the exams.

Lab - The labs complement the lecture material.  Labs cannot be "made up" and because lab sections are full you cannot attend a section other than the one you are enrolled in.  One of the benefits of having smaller lab sections is that each student can get more individual attention from the Teaching Assistant (TA).  If a university approved absence arises, you need to discuss it with your TA prior to the lab meeting in order to make other arrangements.

LABORATORIES BEGIN THE WEEK OF JANUARY 21nd in 114 MLS.

Changing lab times is under your control, if there is space available. There is a limit of 20 students per lab. Lab times may be changed until drop/add period ends on Monday, January 29.  See Dr. Olivetti if you have questions about registering for the course or changing lab times.

There is no lab fee. All necessary equipment will be provided.

Attendance: the major way in which we decide upon your commitment to the course, beyond grades, is lab attendance. If you must miss a lab, talk to your teaching fellow before the lab takes place. You will not be allowed to attend another lab without Dr. Olivetti's written permission.

If you have a documented illness or family emergency we will be happy to assist you when you return. Please see your teaching assistant, instructor or lab coordinator.

Teaching assistants: a dedicated group of graduate students in the biological sciences who teach the labs and are your first contact if you have any problem that affects your performance in Bio 2A. Take advantage of them!!!
 

 Text Reading Assignments  
The text is excellent!  It is comprehensive and very well written.  The illustrations are detailed and easy to follow and you can use them to view  the written material in a different format.  Many students like to read the material ahead of class.  If this works for you, great.  If you are having difficulty with the readings, I strongly suggest that you review the figures prior to coming to class and wait until after the lecture to do your reading.  The text has more information than my lectures, and the emphasis of the lectures may be quite different from that of your text. You will be tested only on material covered in lecture.

The Interactive Study Partner (CD) located in the back cover of your text is yet one more way to view the material.  It contains activities, little movies, and additional multiple choice problems covering the topics we study.  Many students have found it helpful.
 

 Grading Format and Policies
 
Requirement Points
Midterm Exam 1 (Feb. 11) 100
Midterm Exam 2 (Mar. 8) 100
Midterm Exam 3 (Apr. 10) 100
Final Exam (May 6, 8 am) 100
Lab 200
Total 600

  The exams will be multiple choice. There will be no make-up exams. Any request for a change in exam time must be for official university reasons only.  This must be discussed with the instructor prior to the test time.  There will be no exceptions.  In such cases you may schedule to take the exam early, but not late.

The final exam  is worth 100 points. It is not cumulative and it covers the material Dr. Barrington will discuss during the last quarter of the class. The final exam is scheduled for Monday May 6 at 8:00 AM. There will be no alternate final exam.

If you have difficulty with multiple choice testing I recommend that you seek study skills assistance from the Learning Co-op or the Office of Specialized Student Services.  We will be practicing multiple choice questions frequently in class.
 

 Academic Honesty  
Students must be familiar with and follow the Academic Honesty policy and procedures explained in the most recent edition of The Cat's Tale Student Handbook (Click here). How to do well in this class:  
Attend all classes and take notes.  Reading a textbook is no less important than attending lectures.  Before coming to class, look over the objectives for the chapter.  It helps to open your textbook and review the figures before they are presented in class. The pace is fast.  If you get behind during lecture, make a quick, recognizable mark in the margin.  Pick back up with the lecturer as soon as possible.  After class you can return to the mark in the margin and fill in the missing information either from the textbook or from classmates.

Schedule a regular time to review your notes within 24 hours of each lecture.   Information you received in lecture is fleeting in your short-term memory.  The sooner you come back to it, the more likely you will transfer it to a long-term storage.  Waiting any longer than this means that most of the material will be lost, and it will take longer to commit it to memory.  Try to integrate review of the lecture with the corresponding readings in your textbook.  Working with the same topic is the best way to master the lesson.  Return to past lecture notes frequently to help retain the information you have already learned.

Stay current with the lessons.  Biology is not like other courses that have assigned problem sets or homework.  It is easy to fall behind during the weeks between exams.  There is far too much material on each exam to be able to master it in just the few days before a test.  Keeping up does not take any more time than a marathon cramming session the day or two before a test.  Staying on top of the subject is a more efficient use of your time (e.g. an hour after each lecture 10 different times vs. 10 hours cramming).  You will learn and retain more from repeated exposures to the material over many days and weeks.  When it is time to get ready for the test, you will only need to review the material to refresh your mind.

Studying for biology takes more than learning to recognize facts.  Nor  is it sufficient to commit the facts to memory.  Challenge yourself to understand how the facts relate to the main topics outlined in the objectives.  How do these facts relate to material studied in past lectures?  If we discuss the function of a  neuron in one lecture, don't treat a muscle movement as a separate, unrelated topic.  Make the connection that the neuron is carrying the message (stimulus) to, and then  from the brain to stimulate the muscle to respond.  If facts and concepts aren't related to each other, you are missing the information that helps hold all the details together in a logical way.  You must see the logic if you are going to understand biology.
 

 How to get help with lecture material  
If you are having difficulties with any aspect of the course, ask for help as soon as possible.   Remember both your TA and the instructors hold office hours to be used helping students.   Don't hesitate to use this resource even if you can't pinpoint where you are having difficulties.   We are here to help.

Work with other students from this class.  When you explain material to others you learn it much more clearly.

Attend the SI classes (the hours will be posted on the blackboard and this web site). Consider getting a tutor at the Living Learning Center (656-4075).
 

 I would be pleased to hear from you by e-mail as frequently as you like with questions and information you hear or read on hot topics in biology.  I have a continuous study session going in the handouts section.  If you have a question, e-mail me and I will post your question and answer on the handouts page.  This will be available for the entire semester.  Check the site often.  You may be able to fill in some of your questions this way.   I check my e-mail frequently and find that it is the easiest way to contact me. Remember
  You are responsible for the work you do (or don't do) in Biol 002A. Final grades will be calculated for all students in the same way. The Registrar's Office provides information on Change, Add and Drop deadlines.
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