Your final grade will be calculated from what you earn on the following assignments.  

Study Guide Questions: Campbell- this link will provide you with a number of questions from each chapter to help you study.  The Campbell web pages, study guide, and workbooks are stupendous tools that you should take advantage of as well.

Tests 
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 

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 so that you can better attempt to learn the material. 

Grading:  4 formal reports averaged.
Late reports will not be accepted.

Presentation
The 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 presentation to educate your peers, family and friends about Biology.

Each presentation 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.

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
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. 

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

Group Projects

In order to learn YOU MUST RELATE WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO LEARN TO WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW

It has also been shown that the most effective way to help you learn the content and demonstrate the knowledge you are acquiring is through active participation. 

Take advantage of learning opportunities by working in the smallest group size possible, and do as much of the work as you can yourself, rather than observing someone else learn.  
Further information regarding attendance, class participation, quizzes, and group projects.

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.