BSC-2023L Human Biology Laboratory

Summer 2008

Department of Biological Sciences

Florida International University

 

Section # ________________________   Class time-  __________________________

TA name-    ___________________________

TA E-mail    __________________________

TA Office hours- ______________________     TA Office # ____________________

TA coordinator - Nora Oleas (nolea002@fiu.edu)

Human Biology web address: http://bioserv.fiu.edu/~biolab

 

Class Objectives:

The objective of this class is to understand the functioning of the human body and factors affecting human living. The lab is a practical complement for the class lecture.

 

Requirements:

1. Laboratory Manual for Human Biology by Sylvia Mader (10th Edition), McGraw-Hill.

2. Lab coat or paper apron (Available in the bookstore) is mandatory.

 

Reading assignment: You are required to read each lab assignment and task sheet before the lab period (task sheets are posted in the lab web site). Bring the task sheets to lab each week. This is essential for you to fully understand the procedures and to be able to complete the tasks and answer the questions for each assignment.

 

Grading Breakdown: All grades are based on a 100 point scale.

POINT SCALE :

100 - 94 = A ; 93 -90 = A- ; 89 - 87 = B+ ; 86  - 83  = B; 82  - 80 = B- ; 79 - 77 = C+ ; 76 - 73  = C ;72 - 70  = C- ; 69 - 67 = D+ ; 66 - 63 = D ;62 - 60 = D- ; 59 - 0  = F

 

Grade components:

 

* 40% - Weekly Quizzes.  There will be a quiz at the beginning of each class on the material from the previous and current lab. The format of the quiz may vary from multiple choice, True/False, short answer, fill in the blank and/or identification questions. The lowest quiz score will be dropped, however if you miss a lab due to an unexcused absence, this will automatically count as the quiz grade which will be dropped.  You will also receive a grade of ZERO if you arrive in lab after the quiz has been handed out. No makeup quizzes will be given.

* 35% - Practical Examinations.  Two practical examinations will be given (midterm & final) on the dates provided in your syllabus.  Each will count 17.5% of your grade. Due to the nature of the laboratory practical exams, you will also receive a grade of ZERO if you are late. You may not attend any other lab section if you miss an exam.  Make-up exams will NOT be given.

* 15% - Research Paper.  There will be one research during the course.  The research paper will count for 15% of your grade.  The research paper will be based on one topic selected by your TA from one of the 10 labs.  The research paper is to be completed individually! For more details about the research paper check the policies section in this syllabus.

* 5% - Group collaboration  This grade will be assigned based on 1) Cooperative learning exhibited during class discussion, 2) Being able to function as a cooperative learning group and 3) Showing respect to your fellow lab partners and assigned TA.  

* 1% E-mail This grade will be assigned based on the first email sent to your TA. All students are required to obtain E-mail accounts. FIU provides free E-mail accounts to students. All students must send an e-mail to their Teacher Assistant (TA) with their name, section, & e-mail address before the second lab class.

* 4% Lab Manual   You are responsible to have a folder with the syllabus, safety rules, and tasks for every lab. Also, you will complete assignments in your lab manual. Both the folder and the lab manual will be checked randomly during the semester. For more information check the policies section in this syllabus.

 

Drop & Add Policy:

If you need to add or drop this laboratory section for any reason, make sure you do so at the registrar's office.  Please note that the last day to drop this laboratory section with a DR grade is June, 2, 2008.

 

Important dates:

Midterm: Sec U01/U02 May 21st, Sec U03 May 22nd

Final:  Sec U01/U02 June 16th, Sec U03 June 17th

Research paper due: SecU01/U02 June 2nd, SecU03 Jun 3rd

 

Policies:

  1. * You will follow all policies as stated in the university handbook.  Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the course.  If you are not familiar with these policies and/or have never read them, I strongly encourage you to do so.

 

  1. Attendance is mandatory. You must be registered for the section that you plan on attending and you must attend ALL  the labs.  If this is going to be a problem for you, you need to drop this course now.  Attendance is checked at the beginning and END of class.  If you leave early your quiz grade will count as a ZERO.  We will always have more than enough to do in the time provided.  DO NOT schedule doctors/dentist appointments during class time.

 

  1.  Unexcused absences will result in a 5 percent deduction off of your final human biology laboratory grade, and you will NOT be able to make up the lab or the quiz. Excused absences are either a death in your immediate family (written proof required) or if you are in the hospital (proof required, e.g. doctor's note) or if you get involved in an accident (proof required). 

 

 

  1.  Class will start ON TIME each week, and the most important review material will be covered in the first 5 minutes of class.  The quiz will follow directly there after. If you are more than 5 minutes late, you will not be allowed into the class and you will receive a quiz grade of 0.  In the case of an emergency, it is your responsibility to notify your instructor ASAP (via email).  In addition, you will be required to provide your TA with a doctor’s note or formal certificate proving your illness, death in the family, jury duty or police report in case of an accident. There are not make up labs but a make up quiz will be granted only for excused absences (only once a semester).

 

  1. THERE WILL BE NO MAKEUP EXAMS!!! All exams will be given at the very beginning of class.  If you are forced to miss an examination due to an emergency, please contact your TA and TA coordinator before the examination via E-mail. Send a message that includes the reason for your absence.  You will be asked to provide a written excuse (doctor's note, accident report, etc.) before a missed exam will be forgiven.   

 

  1. Any student who does not show up for TWO consecutive labs without contacting. their TA or Head TA  cannot continue taking the lab.  The biology lab experience is not the same as a lecture.  The practical experience itself is a necessary component of a balanced science education.  Because labs cannot be "made-up", missing two consecutive labs without contingencies defeats the purpose of laboratory program.

 

  1. The exams and research paper will be graded and the results will be returned to students as soon as possible, which is almost always the next lab period.

 

  1. Exam grades will NOT be dropped! Final grades will be based on a standard 100 point scale grading system.  Grades are NOT curved. Grades will not be posted. NO “INCOMPLETES” will be issued.

 

  1. CHEATING or PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!! Students caught   cheating during an examination or plagiarizing will be removed from the exam and given an "F" for the course.  

 

  1. The assignments are to be turned in at the very beginning of class. Late work will be subjected to a 10 percent mark off the graded quality of the late paper.  For every additional day the assignment is late a 10 percent mark off the graded quality of the paper will ensue. Late assignments that are turned into the biological science office (OE 167) must be logged in by a Biology secretary with the date & time received.

 

  1. All labs will run until ALL groups are finished. Groups that finish early will work as helpers to those students that require help, or complete homework, and or work on completing assignments such as the Research Paper. No-one is permitted to leave the lab early.

 

  1. Your laboratory workbench must be clean and sterilized with all instruments put away in their proper place at the end of class! Failure to do so will cost you 2 percent off your final grade every time you fail to follow these instructions.

 

  1. Students should behave as educated, tolerant and willing-to-learn persons and follow conducts described in the Student Handbook. Failure to respect any one of these policies, especially those concerning academic honesty and respect for self and others, will result in serious consequences for your grade and enrollment status.

 

  1. Students should also follow the safety rules in a lab.  Students should wear lab coat and protective clothes all the time. Food, drinks, cellphones or music/video devices are NOT allowed in the lab.

 

  1. Dissections: The best way to comprehend the organization and makeup of an organism’s body is through the dissection of that organism.  In the human biology laboratory, dissection is an essential part of the learning process and is therefore required. If you are unable to dissect an animal, you may not be excused from that lab that day.

 

  1. Lab Manual Check: Your lab manual will be randomly checked on two different occasions throughout the semester. It must always have the review questions completed. You may carry all the relevant documents inside a separate folder (any kind) or permanently attached to your lab manual, consisting of the following: first include the laboratory syllabus and then the following in chronological order: Lab safety rules, Research Paper guidelines; notes from each laboratory exercise; quizzes; and lab reports.  Your name, course title, & section number will be written on the outside front cover of your notebook.  Failure to follow the exact guidelines may result in a lower lab manual grade!!!

 

 

  1. Research Paper: Your TA will give you the topic of the research paper no later than the second week of class. You need to gather information from the library as early as possible. The research paper will be 5 pages long (Times News Roman, 12pts, ~1500 words).  It should include a half page introduction, 3 pages forming the body of the paper and a half page conclusion. Finally, the last page will consist of a reference page that will include a minimum of 4 journal articles, 1 citation from a book (do not use your lab Manual or lecture book), & 4 citations from legit web sites (do not use information from your Human Bio website). The research paper must be submitted into Turnitin.com on time. Spelling and grammatical errors are penalized.  Plagiarizing is not acceptable! Do not copy anything directly from a web page. This is a serious offense and will be reported to the Dean. You CANNOT RE-SUBMITT a paper used for another class.  To avoid plagiarizing you must cite every idea or piece of information that is not your own or “common knowledge.”  Unless you are writing a direct quote that must be cited, you must write all information in your own words.  For more information please check the Research Paper Guidelines in our website.

 

  1. Plagiarizing: Your TA will introduce you to plagiarism and how to avoid it in your papers this semester. Please take note of what your TA tells you because failure to do so will result in getting an “F” for the paper with serious considerations to dismissal from the course and possibly the university. Each TA is supplied with software that is sensitive to any level of Plagiarism and if you submit something that you have plagiarized the computer will find it. Please be sure to talk to your TA if you are unsure whether you have plagiarized and how to cite references. Your paper will be submitted to www.turnitin.com, which is a useful tool to detect plagiarism. Make sure you asked your TA about plagiarism before you submit your paper.

 

  1. Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty or disruptive behavior will be reported immediately to the TA coordinator. Please familarize yourself with The University's Code of Conduct http://www.fiu.edu/-jms/standards of conduct.htm

 

"Professors don't give grades, students earn them."

  * Due to unforeseen circumstances, this syllabus may be subject to change!!!