Fall 2009
Department of Biological Sciences
Section # ________________________ Class Time- __________________________
TA Name- ___________________________
TA E-mail __________________________
TA Office Hours- ______________________ TA Office # ____________________
TA Coordinators – Adriana Galvis (agalv004@fiu.edu)
Ana Paula Benaduce (adasi004@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.
Required text:
1. Laboratory Manual for Human Biology by Sylvia Mader (11th Edition), McGraw-Hill.
Required Lab Supplies: The following supplies are available at the FIU Campus Bookstore and are mandatory for admission to the lab:
1. Lab coat (Long sleeve shirts are not acceptable)
2. Close-toed shoes
3. Weekly task Sheets
* You will NOT be allowed in the lab (even to
take the quiz) unless you are wearing your lab coat, close-toed shoes and have
your task sheet*
Grading Breakdown: All grades are based on a 100 point scale. No extra-credits will be given under ANY circumstances. Asking for an extra credit will show a complete disregard of this syllabus. There will be NO curve. No “incompletes” will be given.
POINT SCALE :
100 - 90 = A; 89 -80 = B ; 79 - 70 = C ; 69 - 60 = D ; 59 - 0 = F
Grade components:
Weekly Quizzes: There will
be a quiz at the beginning of each class on the material from the
previous and current lab. 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.
Practical Examinations:
Two practical examinations will be given (midterm & final) on the dates
provided in your syllabus. Each will comprise 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.
If you are forced to miss an examination due to an emergency, please contact
your TA and TA coordinator before the exam 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 (The same applies to weekly quizzes).
Research Paper: There will be one research paper for this lab. The research paper will be based on one topic selected by your TA from one of the 10 labs and it will be given to you no later than the second week of class. The research paper is to be completed individually! 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! Your TA will introduce you to it 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. 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. Please be sure to talk to your TA if you are unsure whether you have plagiarized and how to cite references. For more information please check the Research Paper Guidelines in our website.
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 mates and assigned TA. Additional Information on Group Work:
You will be working in groups of four. Each group will be assigned various tasks that must be completed during the lab period. You must work together to complete one task before moving onto the next one. Your TA will evaluate the group after each task to determine that each group member understands the information. Each person will be evaluated and will receive a Group Grade based on their ability to work within the group. Did the group finish the tasks? Did all members of the group work together to make sure that everyone understood the material? Were there negative comments by group members? These are the kinds of questions that will shape your evaluation.
E-mail: 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.
Otherwise the
first quiz will be zero.
Lab Manual: You are responsible to have a folder with the syllabus, safety rules,
and tasks for every lab. You will also complete assignments in your lab manual.
Both the folder and the lab manual will be checked randomly during the
semester. This grade will include all homework. If you bought a used book you
must answer all questions in a separate sheet of paper and have them in your
folder.
Policies:
Behavior: Students should behave as educated, tolerant and willing-to-learn persons and follow conducts described in the Student Handbook. If a student fails to respect any one of these policies, especially the respect for self and others, that individual will be expel from the lab thereby creating serious consequences for your grade and enrollment status. Students should follow the safety rules in a lab. Students should wear lab coat and protective clothes all the time. Food, drinks, cellphones, laptops or music/video devices are NOT allowed in the lab. Text messaging is not allowed in the lab, if you are caught doing it, you will be asked to leave the classroom.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory and you have to be ON
TIME. You must be registered for the section that you plan on attending and you
must attend
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.
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.
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.
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
Important dates:
Midterm: Week of
Final: Week of
Research paper due:
"Professors don't give grades, students earn them."
* Due to
unforeseen circumstances, this syllabus may be subject to change!!!
I _________________________,
(sign your name) have read and completely understand the
policies and procedures for
Date:______________