Dr. Ray L. Winstead and Ms. Renea A. Ruffing

General Biology I - Summer 2009


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

LAB PROFESSORS: Dr. Winstead section A02; Ms. Ruffing section A03
                                     Ms. Ruffing: Office Room 223, Phone (724) 357-7958

LECTURE TEXT: Biology: Ninth Edition, 2007 by Sylvia S. Mader  (ISBN: 0-07-246463-1)
                               (with Student Study Guide ISBN: 0-07-297671-3)

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: Our Stolen Future, 1997 (ISBN 0-452-27414-1)
                by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Myers.               

NOTE: Information and handouts for this course (plus other information) are also available on the Internet at http://raywinstead.com

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 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.)

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 2009

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

Note that labs meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

		LECTURE			             LAB

M June 1	INTRODUCTION			     M Taxonomy
T June 2			
W June 3		ECOLOGY PRINCIPLES	                     W Trophic Levels (Outside)
R June 4	        		             
F June 5	        		                                                      F Population Biology I (Outside)

M June 8	 (This lecture on Test II)         	     M Population Biology II (Outside)
T June 9		  TEST I
W June 10	CELLULAR REPRODUCTION         	     W Stream Ecology (Outside)
R June 11		             
F June 12	GENETICS              	                      F Variation

M June 15	MOLECULAR GENETICS	                     M Genetics I
T June 16	
W June 17	   (This lecture on Test III)	                     W Genetics II
R June 18	TEST II	            
F June 19	ORIGIN OF LIFE	                                      F "The Evolution Game"

M June 22              EVOLUTION                                             M Supplemental Reading Report
T June 23	CELL BIOLOGY
W June 24	   Transport of Materials                           W Classification / Evolution
R June 25			                                         (Lab grade based on work in lab)
F June 26	TEST III
Note: The lab schedule is subject to change based on the weather,
however plan to attend lab whatever the weather.

Readings

Test I:   Introduction and Ecology - Chapters 1, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50.
Test II:  Cellular Reproduction. Chapters 9, 10.
              Genetics - Chapters 11, 12.
              Chromosome Variations and Molecular Genetics.  
                  p. 50 -51 in Chapter 3, p. 193 - 195 in Chapter 11, p. 212 - 220 in Chapter 12, Chapter 13.
                          Also read Chapters 14, 15, 16 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).
Test III: Origin of Life and Evolution - Chapters 17, 18, 19, 20.
               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 Contact Info Office / Teaching Acad. Background IUP Links
General Biology I General Biology II Biometry Ornithology WWW Links

Dr. Winstead's Biology Careers and Job Searches Starting Point
Dr. Winstead's Current Local and World Standard Percentage Metric Time Clock
Dr. Winstead's Nintendo DS Battery Indicator Light Solution for Color Blind (Color Deficient) Users
Dr. Winstead's Blood Pressure Tracker:  Free Templates for Graphing Blood Pressure in Microsoft Excel and OpenOffice Calc
 

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