Sci 213 Syllabus W05
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Science 213, Learning by Inquiry: Life Sciences

This course is designed to provide pre-service elementary and middle school teachers with the necessary tools, knowledge, and motivation to teach basic biological concepts. In this course students should learn how to integrate major biological themes and be able to relate how the topics covered in the course fulfill the National Science Education Standards and the Michigan Curriculum Framework. Students will use inquiry-based learning.

The co-requisites for this class are English 131 Composition and Math 110 Intermediate Algebra, both with a grade of C or better.

Instructor: 

Mrs.Kelly

Office

S-104e

Phone

313-845-9728

Email 

jkelly@hfcc.edu
jkelly@henryford.ucompass.com

Office hours

M & W  10:10 - 11:00 am & 1:10 - 2:00pm
 T & R 
 10:10 - 11:00 am & 1:10 - 2:00pm

Web Server Addresses:

Mrs. Kelly's web page

http://sciweb.hfcc.net/Kelly/Index.htm

UCompass Server

http://henryford.ucompass.com

Textbook

 http://www.ahumanapproach.com - from Kendall/Hunt

Pre-ed program at HFCC

http://adm.hfcc.net/~dzopf

UM-D, School of Education

http://www.soe.umd.umich.edu

Measurable Objectives

A. Major Core Course Objectives

This course is designed to provide pre-service elementary and middle school teachers with the necessary tools, knowledge, and motivation to teach basic biological concepts.  After completing this course students should be able to:

  1. Integrate major biological themes and be able to relate how topics covered in the course fulfill National Science Education Standards and  Michigan Curriculum Framework.  

  2. Prepare a lesson using inquiry-based learning.*

  3. Prepare a science education portfolio.*

  4. Construct charts, graphs and reports from classroom generated data.*

  5. Design and conduct basic scientific investigations. *
  6. Develop solutions to problems through observation, reasoning and investigations. *
  7. Manipulate simple scientific instruments that aid in observation and data collection.
  8. Use simple metric measurement devices to obtain data for use in scientific investigations.
  9. Write and or follow procedures in the form of step-by-step instructions, formulas, flow diagrams, and sketches.
  10. Discuss topics in groups by making clear presentations, restating or summarizing what others have said and asking for clarification or elaboration.

B. Detailed Course Objectives 

After completing this course, students should be able to: 

  1. Identify the characteristics of life. 

  2. Design an experiment that will determine if objects are alive. 

  3. Describe the characteristics of a living cell.

  4. Describe the components of a habitat and explain ecological succession and the effects of humans on habitats. 

  5. Diagram the flow of energy between organisms. 

  6. Create a pyramid of energy that represents various organisms in a food chain. 

  7. Design and carry out an experiment that demonstrates the process of photosynthesis.*

  8. Explain life cycles of different organisms and compare and contrast the different stages. 

  9. Prepare a visual representation of the life stages of an organism using scientifically correct terms. 

  10. Determine the phenotypes and genotypes of a particular trait, given a scenario. 

  11. Describe the structure of DNA and differentiate between genes and chromosomes. 

  12. List the types of evidence for evolution and classify organisms based on their evolutionary origins. 

  13. Describe the four basic processes that are required before nutrients can be used by animals. 

  14. Describe the organs responsible for each of the four basic digestive processes, given a picture of the digestive system.

  15. Examine a picture of an animal and describe the transport system within the animal. 

  16. Trace the path of blood as it flows through the human heart. 

  17. Describe how plants transport materials. 

  18. Compare and contrast how gases get inside these organisms, given pictures of different organisms. 

  19. Explain what each part of a model of the human respiratory system represents and describe how the human respiratory system works. 

  20. Describe the different reproductive strategies used by plants and animals.

  21. Interpret what stimuli our senses can detect, and be able to name the parts of the eye and ear.

                                     * critical thinking assessment

 

Class Schedule

Tuesday & Thursday  9:10 - 11:00 am Room S-110  Section 1

There is no substitute for the classroom experience. All students are expected to be present at the start of class. Handouts will be made available throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to obtain copies of this material and retain it in an organized fashion for future reference. It is expected that you will read the appropriate material, as indicated on the course calendar, prior to class. This will help you to understand and apply the complex concepts and principles that will be covered in class.

 

Text

BSCS Biology: A Human Approach.  Second edition, 2003.  Purchase required

 

Conduct

¨ Cheating in any form is unfair and will be dealt with.  Refer to the student handbook for details.  All work in this course is to be original. Copying is stealing and is a form of cheating. Please review the HFCC Policy on Academic Dishonesty on my website.
¨
Tape recorders are not permitted in class without the consent of the instructors.
¨
The wearing of headphones is not permitted at any time.
¨
Under no circumstances is talking on cell phones or text messaging allowed in class.  Be considerate of other students and turn off beepers and cell phones before the start of class. Do not leave class to make phone calls.  The instructor reserves the right to deduct points for cell phone use.
¨
Cell phones are not allowed to be used as calculators.  It will be necessary to purchase a simple calculator.
¨
State law forbids handguns on campus.

 

Assignments

¨ The instructors reserves the right to alter the sequence of lectures, labs and exams as circumstances dictate. The number of points per assignment may vary.

¨ Readings in addition to the text chapters will be assigned as appropriate. 

¨ Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due at the beginning of the class period and in-class activities are due before you leave class. Points will be deducted for assignments handed in after the due date. NO assignments will be accepted later than 7 calendar days after the due date.

¨If you miss class and therefore do not hand in an assignment on time, that assignment will be graded as late

¨Assignments may be turned in up to two days before the due date for a non-final evaluation. Most class activities, because of their nature, cannot be made up. 

¨ Handouts will only be available the day of the class. If class is missed, it is your responsibility to get copies of the handouts from other class members.

¨ Participation in class activities will count towards the in-class component of the course grade. It is important that you arrive on time and stay for the entire class period to fully participate in the day's activities and discussions. If you miss class for any reason, you will lose participation points.

¨ Quizzes, when given, are at the beginning of class. Students who arrive late may not take the quiz later.  Quizzes cannot be made up for any reason.

¨Each days participation is worth 5 points.  To earn these points you must sign in as soon as you enter the classroom on the sign-in sheet.  Your signature must be in your own handwriting and no one else is allowed to sign your name.  If you forget to sign in you will have forfeited the 5 points permanently.  It is your responsibility to sign in.  It is not the teacher's responsibility to remind students.

¨ The instructor reserves the right to deduct points for tardiness and leaving early.  Class starts on time and lasts the entire two-hour period.  You are not allowed to register for another class whose meeting times overlap with this class.  If you work, it is your responsibility to arrange your work hours so that they do not overlap the class or make you late to class.  If you must take or pick-up children from school it is your responsibility to make arrangements so that you can be on time for class and stay the entire class period.

¨ If an emergency arises, it is your responsibility to miss as little of class as possible.

 

Examinations

¨ The exams will have objective, short answer and essay questions. The exams may be graded on a Scan-trons machine. Any machine errors will be corrected if brought to our attention. However, if the misscored question has a changed answer or an eraser mark, no credit will be given.

¨ Exams may be made up ONLY if the student provides an official WRITTEN excuse for the absence. If a problem comes up on the day of the exam, call the phone numbers given on the first page and leave a message on the voice mail BEFORE THE START of the exam.

¨ If allowed, the make-up exam will be essay and will be given on the Friday before the end of classes.   It is your responsibility to remind the instructors two weeks prior to this date about taking the make-up.  Only one exam may be made up.

 

Grading: 

Participation and in-class work

140 points

Two exams and a final

300  points

Science Education Portfolio - 3 components 

  

#1 Pick one life science activity and relate it to the Michigan Curriculum Framework Benchmarks.

 25  points

#2 Defend a position regarding a current science controversy

 25  points

#3 Growth and development of personal science knowledge in life science 

 25  points

In-class work

 100  points
 (approximately)

Out of class work

(homework)

 75  points
 (approximately)

Notebook  30 points
Quizzes 40 points

Total

  760 points
 
(approximately)

 

Grading Scale:

A 10 – 90%  760 - 684 points

B 89 – 80%  683 - 608 points

C 79 – 70% 607 - 532 points

D 69 – 60 % 531 - 456 points

E 59 –0 % 455 -  0 points

 

Required materials

3-ring binder, 1.5 inches thick, for class notebook
30 Insertable dividers for 3-ring notebook
set of colored pencils
#2 pencil with eraser
100 MB Zip Disk or 128 MB Jump drive (also called an USB drive)
Simple calculator.  TI-83 or higher are not allowed during exams.

 

Schedule adjustments

Membership in a class does not cease until a student officially withdraws either in person in the Registrar’s Office or by using the touch tone registration system. A grade of DR (drop) is recorded on a student’s transcript whenever a class is officially dropped before the end of the TENTH week of the semester. If a student stops attending a class without officially withdrawing, or notifying the instructor in writing, a grade of  E  will be recorded. Refer to the current college catalog for specific details.

 

Assisted Learning Services

The college has an Assisted Learning program to facilitate equal opportunity for students with disabilities. Services may include free tutoring, taped textbooks and readers for the legally blind and reading impaired, and administration of exams to students who are unable to take them with their regular class. To qualify for these services please contact the Assisted Learning office personally. The office is located in the Learning Resource Center and the phone number is 845-9617. Would any student using these services please identify themselves to the instructors at their earliest possible convenience so that I may be of assistance.

 

Internet access on campus.

Students may use the computers in the Media Lab on the second floor of the Library. To use the computers, you need three things: your login ID, your password, and a HFCC Library card. Obtain your login ID from https://my.hfcc.edu/webadvisor/   A free HFCC Library card may be obtained in person at the Circulation Desk in the Library. 

 

UCompass

Instructors at HFCC are placing course material on the world wide web using a course manager software called UCompass.  In this course I will communicate with you online using the email function in UCompass.  Be sure to sign on daily to UCompass to check your email.  http://henryford.ucompass.com/ 

 

Email

As a student at HFCC you automatically are assigned a HFCC email account.  Refer to the Academic Computer Resources Home Page for information on your username and password. In this course I will send out emails using UCompass.

This page updated   01/09/05  Copyright J. Kelly