BCOR 102 -- Spring 2016 -- Ecology and Evolution

BCOR 102 -- Spring 2016
-- Ecology and Evolution
Welcome to BCOR 102! The information below describes the course instructors, grading policies,
and reading list. You can email any of us by clicking on our email links below. When you send an
email to any of us, please include "BCOR102" in the subject line so we will take special notice of the
message.
Lectures meet MWF from 1:10 – 2:00 in Aiken 102
Professor Jane
Molofsky
341 Jeffords Hall
[email protected]
Office Hours: Thursday
2- 4pm.
Dr. Don Stratton
304 Jeffords
[email protected]
Office Hours: After
lecture or by appt
Weekly Lab Sections
Day
Time
Location
Tuesday
8:30-11:15
Tuesday
11:40-2:25
Thursday
11:40-2:25
Jeffords
100
Thursday
2:50-5:35
Jeffords
100
Jeffords
101
Jeffords
101
GTF
Instructors
Beck
Powers
Beck
Powers
Kattia
PalacioLopez
Kattia
PalacioLopez
Lab/Blackboard Coordinator: Yainna Hernandez
[email protected], 107 Jeffords
Learning Outcomes for BCOR 102
1. Apply the process of science through observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing,
and draw inferences from biological datasets to develop conclusions (skills)
2. Work out the interplay of genetic processes with ecological processes and how they interact
with each other to determine ecosystem organization (knowledge/skill)
3. Examine a biological system using a quantitative approach (statistics, mathematical models,
simulation, etc.) – (skills)
4. Evaluate and articulate the contribution of biology to society (values)
Required Textbooks:
•
•
Evolutionary Analysis, 5th ed. by S. Freeman and J. Herron (in bookstore)
Case Studies in Ecology and Evolution by D. Stratton (on blackboard)
The first half of the course covers the general principles and applications of evolution. For that we
will use selected chapters from the Evolutionary Analysis text. During the second half of the course
we will use Stratton’s Case Studies in Ecology and Evolution.
GRADING & POLICIES
Total Course Points:
Lecture
Laboratory
Total for Course
500 points
200 points
700 points
Lecture = 500 pts.
• Two lecture exams will given during the normal lecture period on March 16 and April 27.
Each lecture exam is worth 100 points. Each exam covers roughly the material since the last
exam.
• Four in-class Quizzes will be worth 25 pts each. See the class schedule for the dates of the
quizzes. We will keep the best three of your four quiz grades.
• Final Exam (May 6 1:30-4:15 pm). It will cumulative, covering new material since the last
exam and material covered earlier in the course, and is worth 150 points. Attendance at the final
exam is mandatory. Early exams will not be given so make your plans accordingly.
• In class clicker questions will be given throughout the semester and worth 25 pts total.
• Homework assignments (open book) will be due most Wednesdays and worth 50 pts total.
• Test and quiz dates are set. Make up quizzes will not be given. If you miss a quiz and
•
have a dean's excuse (illness, family emergency, travel for University sanctioned activities),
then your quiz grade will be prorated and calculated from the three remaining quizzes.
Make up exams will only be given with a dean’s excuse (illness, family emergency,
travel for University sanctioned activities)
Two midterm exams
Quizzes (best three at 25 points each)
Final exam
Homework
In class clicker questions
Total for Lecture
200 points
75 points
150 points
50 points
25 points
500 points
Laboratory - 200 points
•
Weekly Lab Quizzes: (30 pts) A short quiz is given at the start of most laboratory sessions.
The quiz is based on the current laboratory exercise. Make-up quizzes are not given! Because
•
•
quizzes are given promptly at the start of each lab session, you cannot afford to be late to lab!
o 3 points each quiz x 10 quizzes = 30 points
Full Lab Reports: (80 pts) Typed double spaced in correct format, writing clear and to the
point, data correctly presented, analysis done correctly, discussion leads directly from the data
and analysis, all tables and figures neatly done. Papers should have a minimum of 3 citations.
Lab reports must be handed in at the start of class on the dates they are due. All lab reports
must be printed out. No emailed lab reports will be accepted; emailed lab reports will not be
considered and late policy will apply until the TA receives a paper copy of the lab report.
Late Lab Report Assignment Policy: The lab report due dates are on the calendar (March
25th , May 2nd at the start of lecture, 1:10 PM). A lab report turned in on the day it is due
but not at the start of lecture will be docked 10% and this will apply up until 5pm on the due
date. After 5 pm on the day of the due date, the lab report will be docked another 20% (for a
penalty of 30%). If handed in the following day (2 days from due date, March 27 or May 4th),
a further 20% penalty will be applied. After this time, no lab reports will be accepted for
grading.
Lab Report Due dates: Lab Report 1 due at the beginning of class on March 25th
Lab Report 2 due at the beginning of class on May 2nd
•
•
Short Lab Write-Ups or Exercises. (80 pts) Labs that are not written up as longer papers
will have a short write up or 1-2 page paper. These are due in the following lab period.
o 8 points each lab write-up x 10 write-ups = 80 points
Lab Participation: (10 pts) Points are based on your participation in the lab (or lack thereof).
0
1
2
3
4
5
Unprepared,
Unprepared, Prepared, Prepared,
Prepared,
Goes above
negative
contributes
but
engaged
helpful/positive
and beyond
attitude/comments
little
disengaged
attitude/comments expectations
Grading Scale. Your grade will be based on your total points at the end of the semester. We follow
the traditional grading scale: A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%, F = < 60%. Plus
and minus grades reflect scores close to these borders. If the scores of the class are too low overall,
we adjust this scale downward. If necessary, we also adjust laboratory scores if there are differences
among instructors in average scores. Any adjustments of scores would only help, not hurt, your final
grade.
Grade Challenges. If you think there is a mistake in grading your exam or quiz, please bring your
exam to office hours for reevaluation. Grades will not be discussed over email. Please come to the
meeting with a written explanation as to the issue you would like addressed on your exam.
Classroom respect: Come prepared to dedicate your full attention to your instructor and TA during
lecture and lab.
• Please arrive to class on time and plan to stay for the entire lecture unless you have spoken to
the professor or the TA in advance.
• Keep cell phones and other electronic devices turned off during class.
• Computers may be used for notes, but other uses such as email or web-surfing is disruptive to
students around you and discourteous to us.
Email is usually the best way to contact us. We will make every effort to answer your emails
promptly, but do not expect an immediate response.
Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
Academic honesty is expected of all students. The University of Vermont has a very strict policy
concerning academic honesty and plagiarism. Please see the statement on academic honesty
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf. Plagiarism constitutes a violation of
Academic Honesty and warrants failure on an assignment and/or failure in the course. Plagiarism of
any sort - e.g., copying part or all of a fellow student's report, copying from original references, texts,
or websites - will not be tolerated. Many of the laboratory experiments will be done as a class or
in small groups but we expect the final product to be your own work. The consequences of
plagiarism or cheating range from a score of zero on the assignment or exam, to filing a complaint
with the University’s Coordinator for Academic Honesty which can result in expulsion from UVM.
How to succeed in the course
• Keep up with the reading. The reading assignments are mostly short, but they are packed
with information so it will not be possible to learn all of the material right before an exam.
• Do the homework. Much of the content of this course is quantitative and the way to learn
that is by practice. Do the homework assignments as well as the non-graded practice problems
in the book or on blackboard. The amount you learn will be directly proportional to the time
you spend practicing.
• Come to office hours or ask questions during class. We will make every effort to help
explain difficult concepts to facilitate your learning. Ultimately, however, the learning
happens within you. We can provide information and context but real learning is an
individual process that requires work.