Your final grade will be calculated from what you earn on the following assignments. Refer to the Schedule for dates that each assignment is due.

Notes:
Cheating, dishonesty, and plagiarism will not be tolerated and may result in failure of the assignment and/or course. Please review these articles on plagiarism: "What is Plagiarism at Indiana University"; "How to Avoid Plagiarism"; "Avoiding Plagiarism"
Make-up labs are NOT possible due to space and time constraints. If you miss a lab you may obtain the data from another member of the group and use it to complete the lab assignment.
Late assignments will be accepted, but you will be docked one-half letter grade for each day late If you have a reasonable explanation for needing to turn in assignments at any time other than that assigned, see me to discuss arrangements for your situation.
Late work and Make-up exams must be approved in advance by the instructor.

Tests (60%)
There will be five (5) tests in this class. Test questions will include multiple choice, true and false, fill in the blank, short answer, and essay. To calculate your test grade, average all tests and multiply by 0.6.

Lab Reports (10%)

NOTE: For all labs: You MUST wear shoes with closed toe: NO sandals or "Flip/flops". You may be asked to leave if you are not wearing the proper footwear.

The Biological Sciences are based upon observation, hypothesizing, experimentation, drawing conclusions and communicating that information to a wider audience . I strongly recommend that you prepare a laboratory notebook. A laboratory notebook is one way to help you understand this process. The lab book is your record of that process. It should provide a clear record of the labs we have done, and the conclusions you have drawn. Your laboratory notebook should contain a table of contents, lab reports, completed laboratory based questions, and completed handouts as appropriate. For best results, look at the objectives for the lab exercise; and in the discussion, state how the lab activities helped you achieve the objectives of the lab. It is through the process of writing the labs that you will better understand the concepts. This will improve your learning and you will do better on the tests! (Further information about developing a Lab Notebook).

Formal, typed laboratory write-ups are required for the following labs: Enzymes, Diffusion, Respiration, and Photosynthesis. Make-up labs are NOT possible due to space and time constraints. If you miss a lab you may obtain the data from another member of the group and use it to complete the lab assignment. This does NOT mean that you can copy the entire report, (review Plagiarism articles noted above).

Grading: 10%: 4 formal reports averaged.
Late reports will be accepted, with a loss of one-half letter grade for every day late beyond the day assigned.

Poster Presentation (10%)
The poster presentation helps introduce you to the vast body of knowledge making up the biological sciences. It also provides an alternative (to testing) to demonstrate the knowledge gained during this term of General Biology I.

You are responsible for picking a topic of your choice in the Biological Sciences and preparing a poster to educate your peers, family and friends about Biology.

Each poster must show an explicit connection to molecular and cellular biology.

The more it incorporates the concepts we focus on in class, the better it serves as a way to integrate Biology into your life.

Take special care in choosing your topic. If the topic is too broad, it is difficult to cover it adequately. If the topic is too narrow it may be difficult to find adequate information.

Each poster must include a 100 word (maximum) abstract that summarizes the content of the presentation. Your name (the author) must be prominently displayed on the poster. (Be proud of your work!)

You can review the class presentation regarding posters by selecting one of the formats below:

PDF (requires Arcrobat reader)
Powerpoint (download - requires MS Powerpoint)

Class Participation and Group Projects (20%)
Class Participation
It is expected that you will pay attention and actively participate in class discussions and laboratory activities. My philosophy of teaching is to fully engage the students in the learning process. The nature of this class requires sincere effort from all participants. The participation grade will include quizzes given during the first 15 minutes of class. These quizzes will be over class material from the previous class, and from the assigned readings for the day.

If there is any reason you cannot attend class, it is your responsibility to make arrangements with the instructor for missing or late assignments.

General Etiquette:

• Please turn off volume on cell phones while in class.
• Please enter quietly and unobtrusively if you arrive late.
• Please participate only in the primary discussion (don't converse with your neighbor - it is distracting).
• NOTE: For all labs: Wear shoes with closed toe: NO sandals or "Flip/flops".You may be asked to leave if you are not wearing the proper footwear.

Group Projects
It has been shown that the most effective way to help you learn the content and demonstrate the knowledge you are acquiring is through active participation. Often, you will be working in small groups on problems and presentations. These projects have their own evaluation

Further information regarding attendance, class participation, quizzes, and group projects.

Grading Scale

Note:
+ / – Grades may be used to more accurately report the grade
Cheating, dishonesty, and plagiarism will not be tolerated and may result in failure of the assignment and/or course. Please review these articles on plagiarism: "What is Plagiarism at Indiana University"; "How to Avoid Plagiarism"; "Avoiding Plagiarism"
Make-up labs are NOT possible due to space and time constraints. If you miss a lab you may obtain the data from another member of the group and use it to complete the lab assignment.
Late assignments will be accepted, but you will be docked one-half letter grade for each day late If you have a reasonable explanation for needing to turn in assignments at any time other than that assigned, see me to discuss arrangements for your situation.
Late work and Make-up exams must be approved in advance by the instructor.