Biology of Organisms 31-122 - back
Spring 2003

Instructor: Gregory E. Hyde. Ph.D.
Office: Brockton S-323 ext. 1619
Home Phone: (508) 788-1380
ghyde@massasoit.mass.edu

Office Hours:
Monday 11:30 - 12:30
Tuesday 9:30 - 10:30 & 2:00 - 3:00
Wednesday 3:30 - 4:30
Thursday 2:00 - 3:00

Class-Lab: Monday and Wednesday 1:00 - 3:15

Text: Biology, Sixth Edition (2003) by Raven, Johnson, Singer and Losos, Selected Chapters; McGraw-Hill Companies

Lab Manual: To be handed out.

Study Guide: To be handed out.

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Catalog Course Description:

31122 Biology of Organisms 4 Credits
This course is a study of the domains, kingdoms and major phyla comprising the living world. The evolution of the diverse forms of life on the earth today, from the earliest life forms to the present, serves as a unifying theme throughout the course. Topics include classification, anatomy, physiology and ecology. Observation and dissection skills will be developed while studying selected organisms, both plant and animal, in the laboratory portion of the course. The dissection component of the lab work is required for successful completion of the course.
Lecture: 3 hours and Laboratory: 2 hours
Prerequisite: Biological Principles (31121) and Preparing for College Reading II (11092), Introductory Writing (11099), and Fundamentals of Mathematics (38010) or waiver by placement testing results or Departmental Approval.

Course Objectives:
The major objectives of the course are:
First, to gain an understanding and appreciation of the diversity of life. Second, to study and compare the biology of various taxa. Third, to be able to explain the evolutionary processes that have shaped all of the living things on the earth.

Teaching procedure:
Teaching will be done as a combination of formal lecture with aid of overhead transparencies, video disk and demonstration. Field and independent outside work is an integral part of this course. Off campus trips are required. You will be given several weeks notice so that you can adjust your schedule if necessary. You will be designing some of the lab work, collecting your data and drawing conclusions from it. This part of the course is intended to strengthen your use of scientific reasoning and presentation. Class discussion centered on specific readings will be a common part of the class. Dissection of many animals and plants will be done as a way of learning anatomy.

Laboratory: two hours per week
Lab work, listed in the Course Outline and Lab Schedule, will generally follow the topics as they are covered in lecture. Please review this material before coming to the lab. Please bring a pencil to lab for drawing and all other lab work. Paper will be provided. Lab reports, the product of dissection, and drawings are generally due at the end of the lab period. A lab practical based on your mammalian dissection will be a major part of the lab grade.

Section objective:
Specific topic objectives are listed at the beginning of each chapter in the text (Concept Outline) and the summery and questions at the end of each chapter serve as a guide for reviewing these objectives.

Attendance:
Attendance is taken in class and lab. Ten points of your grade will be earned by attending classes and participating in discussion. Absences in excess of three (3) will reduce the credit earned; one point per absence. Homework will be assigned from time to time, and the student should be prepared to hand in the homework at the beginning of the next class. If a class is going to be missed please get in touch with me by e-mail or phone. It is the responsibility of the student to find out what went on during class and make up the work before the next class. Reviewing a colleague's notes is strongly recommended. I will also keep a set of notes and handouts on reserve in the library and material will be available on the inter net for your use.

Procedures for evaluation of student performances:
Discussion in class is an important part of the course and your contribution to this discussion will be evaluated and add points to your grade (10). There will also be some home and class work which is collected and graded (5). During the course three section tests will be given. There are NO MAKE-UPS for the section tests and a grade of 0 will be recorded for a missed test, but the best two section test grades will be used when figuring the section tests average (40). A short formal paper will be written during the later half of the course (5). Lab reports, drawings and/or the product of your dissection will be evaluated each week and will be the basis for the lab portion of your grade. Because of the nature of the lab work, it is often not possible to made-up missed labs and missing lab reports will be given the grade of 0. When figuring the grade for the lab portion of the course, the 10 best lab grade will be used (20). Some lab work will be evaluated on a + or - basin and a + will earn credit as a successfully completed lab, one of the ten, but will not be figured into the lab average. A comprehensive final examination will finish the semester (20).

Course grades:
Discussion 10%
Home work & Class work 5%
Section tests 40%
Paper 5%
Note book, Lab Reports & Dissection 20%
Final Exam 20%

Total 100%

Letter grades will be figured with + and - as follows:
A = 95 B = 85 C = 75

A plus (+) indicates three points higher, e.g. B+ = 88%. A minus (-) indicates three points lower, e.g. C- = 72%.

Course Outline and Lab Schedule:

Week Week of Lecture topic Chapter Lab

1 20 Jan. Evolution VI, 20 Evolution

2 27 Jan. Last day to drop/add 21, 22, 23 Classification
Origin of Life, Domain, 5 Kingdoms

3 3 Feb. Monera, Viruses IX, 33, 34, 35 18
Protista 19 pt1, 20

4 10 Feb. Porifera, Coelenterates XII 29
Flat and Round Worms 44 30

5 17 Feb. No classes Monday, President's Day
Mollusks, Segmemted Worms 45 31

6 24 Feb. Arthropods, Echinoderms 46, 47 32, 33 pt1

7 3 Mar. (Test) Chordates 48 MCZ

8 10 Mar. Chordates 48 33

9 17 Mar. Spring Break

10 24 Mar. Chordates 48 D, Pig

11 31 Mar. (Test) last day to withdraw 5 April
Fungi 21

12 7 April Plant Kingdom X, 37 19 pt2

13 14 April Lower Plant 37 22

14 21 April No classes Monday, Patriot's Day
Higher Plants 37 23, 24

15 28 April No classes Tuesday, Scheduling for Fall 2003
Flowering Plants (Test) 38, 39 25, 26

16 5 May Summing Up, Last Classes, May 9;

17 12 May Finals start Thursday May 12, Final Exams end May 15, 2003

Biology of Organisms Spring 2003
Massasoit Community College

This should be a wonderful course and I am really looking forward to teaching it. It is very important both you and I have the same expectations.

1. The course is a continuation of Biological Principles. Where and when did you take Biological Principles? _________________________________

How well do you remember the big ideas presented in that course? ___________________

What were those ideas? _____________________________________________________

2. Biology of Organisms is a more advanced course and therefore I will be relying on your bringing more to the class. More discussion. More ideas. More facts.

3. Biology of Organisms is a more advanced course and therefore I will be relying on the readings to provide you with many facts and to strengthen concepts.

4. Biology of Organisms is a more advanced course and therefore I will be relying on you to bring enthusiasm to the subject matter. We will be looking at a wide variety of life forms, most of which are large enough to see and dissect, therefor relating to them is relatively easy. Field work, including trips, is also in important part of this course.

5. Biology of Organisms is a traditional biology course in that it is based on a lot of observation. Both external and Internal. Dissection skills will be developed.

6. Biology of Organisms is a traditional biology course in that dissection is an important part of the course. This provides you with an understanding of tissues as will as anatomy. If you are prepared for lab, you probably can finish in the scheduled time, but do not be surprised if you need extra time to study or complete a dissection. I will always be willing to stay and work with you.

7. Biology of Organisms is a 4 credit science course and will require a considerable amount of time beyond the regularly scheduled class. For the average student who wants an average grade eight hours a week is generally required. Are you willing to put that much time into this course? _______________

8. Do you have a job? ___________ If yes, How many hours a week? __________

9. List Eight Hours in the next week when you will be able to study.

_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

10. If you are still in the room please provide me with easy ways of getting in touch with you.

Phone _______________________ e-mail _______________________
May I share this information with others in the class? ___________________

11. I have read the above and intend to be an active member of this class.

Signature _______________________ Date ________________________