FINAL EXAM  Tuesday, December 16, 11:00-1:00    Review Sheet

Text:  Biology, Eighth Edition, Campbell and Reece

Additional, required readings may be assigned during the semester.

Grades
 

Midterm Exams (2)	100 points	each
Final Exam (non-cumulative portion)	100 points
Final Exam (cumulative portion)	50 points
Homework, Participation, FRESH@USD	100 points
TOTAL	450 points

Objectives
    The goal of this course is to introduce you to the basic principles and processes of genetics, ecology and evolutionary biology.  For each topic we cover I will try to present you with the underlying theory as well as relevant terminology and specific examples that illustrate each theory. Many of the topics treated in this course relate directly to areas of current concern, including genetic engineering, human cloning, habitat degradation and loss, declining biodiversity, the discovery of new and important fossil species, and the ecological effects of climate change.  These issues are covered regularly by the media, and it is my hope that you will encounter stories that connect to the material we cover during the semester.  If you encounter an interesting story that connects well to the course material, I hope you'll share that information with the rest of the class.

    This course covers a lot of information, which can pile up quickly if you’re not careful.  If you attend lectures, follow the book, and pay attention in lecture, you should be able to keep up.  I expect that this class will be challenging; I hope you also find it to be interesting and fun.  If you are having trouble or are concerned about your performance in this course, please contact me as soon as possible.  I will try my best to answer your questions and help you succeed.  Besides coming to my office hours, the best way to reach me is by e-mail or through my Facebook account, if I'm online.

Exams
    There will be NO make-up exams in this course without prior approval from the instructor (me).  This means that if you give me enough advance notice and there is a compelling reason why you must miss a scheduled exam we can probably work something out.  If you wait until the last minute before telling me that you can't make it to an exam I'm likely to be much less forgiving.  Travel plans do NOT constitute a valid excuse for missing ANY exam.  If there is an emergency that prevents you from taking an exam, please contact me PRIOR to the exam time.  This policy includes the final exam.

Homework
    This class will include two graded homework assignments, each consisting of a set of problems designed to help you solidify your understanding of genetics and inheritance.  The assignments will cover some material for the second midterm; both will be returned to you with grades and comments before the second exam.

Participation
    Class attendance and participation are important components of the learning experience.  As a university student you are responsible for your own attendance and conduct.  I will not take attendance in class.  However, if you do not show up regularly or if you consistently arrive late, your final grade may suffer as a result.  Participation in class includes asking questions, being involved in discussions, and generally behaving like a real, live, interested, person.  If you tend to be shy by nature, don’t worry: I don’t expect each of you to ask three questions every day (that would be over 60 questions a day!).  However, if you go the entire semester without ever uttering a word in class, you aren’t trying hard enough.  If I go over material too rapidly or too slowly, or if I explain something that doesn’t make sense or that you don’t understand, please raise your hand and bring the problem to my attention.

FRESH@USD Program
    The FRESH@USD program consists of 35+ sessions designed to assist you with your transition to college.  Sessions cover a wide range of topics, including academic, social, and personal issues.  As part of this course, you each will be required to attend a minimum of three sessions during the course of the semester.  For each session you attend, please write a one-page summary (hard copy or by e-mail as a Word or WordPerfect document) of each session, including (1) a brief description of the subject being covered, (2) a brief critique of the session itself (possibly including organization, coverage, atmosphere, usefulness, etc.), and (3) how you feel the session connects to you personally.  Each summary will be due within one week of the session on which it is based.  These summaries don't have to be literary masterpieces, but they should contain the results of thought and insight on your part about the session and topic.  A schedule of sessions will be given to you before the semester; updates can be found at the FRESH@USD session web site.  You should register ahead of time for sessions that you plan to attend at the FRESH@USD registration web site.  Please plan ahead and don't wait until the last week of the semester to attend these sessions.

Extra Credit
    In addition to the 450 "mandatory" points, it will be possible to earn up to 25 extra credit points by successfully completing an additional assignment.  Select an article on a current topic not covered in class but related to the course content.  After having the article approved by me, you should research the topic and write a 4-6 page paper covering the subject.  This should be written as a research paper, including a reference list and either reference citations in the text or footnotes.  You may find some information on the internet, but don't use web sites exclusively as your references.  Completion of an extra credit paper is not sufficient to earn 25 points, and substandard assignments will earn fewer extra credit points.  Extra credit papers may be handed in until 11:59 pm on the last day of November (Sunday, Nov 30).  Papers received after that time will not be accepted.

Academic Integrity
    The use of information from published sources can create some confusion about proper use and referencing of material that you did not generate yourself.  Here are some guidelines to help you use but not misuse information produced by others.  The only substantial writing you are likely to do for this class is an extra credit paper, and the academic integrity concept applies to that paper just as it would to a more substantial paper for any class.  For writing assignments in general, it is expected that you will read publications and incorporate into your papers some of the findings and ideas contained in those published works.  When you refer to information generated by someone else, it is important to credit the source of that information.  Commonly, that credit comes in the form of a parenthetical citation.  For example:

    Global climate change has been implicated in the decline of zooplankton biomass in the eastern Pacific during the second half of the 20th century (Roemmich and McGowan, 1995).

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Last modified 3 Sep 2008 by Ron Kaufmann