Introduction to Biology II at Amherst College

2010

Biology 19

MOLECULES, GENES AND CELLS

Profs. Springer/Poccia/Emerson

Course structure;
Three lectures a week - lecture notes will be posted on the course Blackboard site following each lecture
One 4th-hour session a week (Tuesday 1:00-1:50 PM) - These sessions will generally provide time with a faculty member to clarify topics raised in lecture and/or an opportunity to do in-class exercises. Students are encouraged to bring questions. Note that two required lab introductions will also be given during 4th hours.
Personal Response System (PRS) transmitters (‘clickers’) - Student responses recorded via PRS transmitters to questions posed in lecture or fourth hour sessions will enable professors to instantly assess student understanding of key concepts.
One study group meeting a week - These sessions will be staffed by the lecture teaching assistants and will focus on answering questions about the problem sets. Sign up for a particular session will occur during the first week of class. Problem sets will be collected by the lecture TA’s during the weekly study groups and graded for extent of completion (see below).
Problem Sets – Problem sets will be handed out throughout the semester as an additional way for students to test their understanding of lecture material. Problem set questions will generally be similar in style to exam questions. Questions about the problem sets will be answered in the weekly study groups. The problem sets will then be collected the following week and graded on a 0-1-2 scale (0=problem set not handed in; 1=problem set handed in, but is not complete and/or shows lack of effort; 2=problem set complete and shows good effort). We anticipate that completing the problem sets will have a beneficial effect on student learning and subsequent performance on the lecture exams.
One three-hour laboratory session a week - attendance is absolutely mandatory
Blackboard Site – Check for announcements and course documents.

Examinations:
There will be four examinations, each covering about 1/4 of the course. Three of these exams will occur on a weekday evening (see schedule) at 7:30 PM. The exams will be designed as 1 hour exams, but you will be given up to 2 hours if needed.  The last of the exams will occur during finals period, but will otherwise be like the others, covering only the last 1/4 of the course.  The exams will cover the following material:

Exam Date	Material Covered	Exam Location
10/5,  Tuesday	9/8 - 9/29	Merrill 2
10/26, Tuesday	10/1 - 10/22	Merrill 2
11/17, Wednesday	10/25 - 11/15	Merrill 2
TBA (Finals period)	11/17 - 12/15	TBA

In case of scheduling conflicts, exams may be taken early, either on the day before (2-4 PM) or the same day (2:30-4:30 PM) of the exam. Failure to show up at an exam will earn a “0” for that exam.  Postponements for medical reasons require a letter from your Dean.  Please mark these dates in your calendars NOW!

Grading:  The four lecture exams will together determine 65% of your final grade. Completion of problem sets will account for 3% of your grade and PRS participation will count for 2% of your grade. The remaining 30% will be determined by your attendance in laboratory and your performance on the various required laboratory reports that you turn in during the semester. The laboratory reports will not all carry the same weight - the comprehensive yeast report, for example, will count about three times as heavily as the Drosophila report. The due dates and approximate lengths for the lab reports are listed on the laboratory schedule. Note: lab reports not turned in by the due date will be subject to late penalties, with the penalty increasing each day that the report is late.
                                                    

Office Hours:

Professor Dick Poccia         1:00 PM - 11:00 AM, Wed/Fri       LSB 324      dlpoccia@amherst.edu       542-2143
Professor Amy Springer      11:00 – 11:59 AM, Wed/Thurs       LSB 424      aspringer@amherst.edu       542-5341
Dr. Julie Emerson                10:30 – 11:30 AM, Wed/Fri           LSB 322       jemerson@amherst.edu       542-8381

We encourage you to stop by any time during these hours; if you absolutely cannot make these times, please contact us by e-mail or telephone to set up an alternative appointment.                    

Lecture TAs:  Alex Chang, Paul Cohen and Fabiana Kreines
Lecture TA Study Group Times:TBD

Note on use of electronic devices in this course:

Hand-held calculators will be helpful for several of the labs. Laptop computers will only be used on rare occasions in the laboratory, and students will receive notice as to when to bring them to lab.

NO portable electronic devices (including laptop computers) are to be used (or heard) in the lecture hall or during exams. Please speak with Prof. Poccia or Prof. Springer if any special accommodations are necessary.

Amherst College Statement of Intellectual Responsibility

Every person's education is the product of his or her own intellectual effort and participation in a process of critical exchange. Amherst cannot educate those who are unwilling to submit their own work and ideas to critical assessment. Nor can it tolerate those who interfere with the participation of others in the critical process. Therefore, the College considers it a violation of the requirements of intellectual responsibility to submit work that is not one's own or otherwise to subvert the conditions under which academic work is performed by oneself or by others. For Bio 19: Any incidences of cheating will be reported to the Dean’s Office and will result in significant penalty, including the possibility of an “F” in the course.