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Biology 13, Sections D07F, D08F, & E01L

Expanded syllabus for Fall 2004

Professor Teusch, S-116, kpteusch@nyc.rr.com, 718-368-5722

Due dates for tests and assignments

First midterm exam                                          Tues 10/12                    (D07F & D08F)

                                                                             Wed 10/13                    (E01L)

Lab report on scientific investigation             Thurs 10/28, 4 pm          (all sections)

Second midterm exam                                     Wed 11/10                    (E01L)

                                                                            Thurs 11/11                   (D07F & D08F)

Essay paper                                                      Wed 11/24, 5 pm           (all sections)

Final exam                                                        Week of 12/13-12/17     (dates TBA)

Additional information

The midterm exams will contain multiple choice and short answer questions based on the material discussed in lectures and on the assigned reading in the textbook.  Each exam is worth 100 points.  One week before the exam, I will announce which lectures and readings will be covered in the upcoming exam.  The exams will be given during the regularly scheduled class time, and you will have one hour to complete each exam.

The final exam is cumulative (comprehensive).  The format will be similar to the midterm, with multiple choice and short answer questions.  The final is worth 20% of your total grade.  I will announce the date, time, and place of the final exam as soon as it is scheduled by the college.

If you are unable to take any of your exams on the scheduled date, you must see me BEFORE the exam to discuss whether we can schedule a make-up exam.  Make-ups are permitted only under unusual extenuating circumstances.

The lab report on your scientific investigation will be due on October 28^th.  Additional information on how this report should be structured is on the other side of this page.  The report is worth 100 points, and five percent of your grade on this report will be deducted for each day it is late.

Five additional lab reports will be collected during the semester.  These reports are based on the activities outlined in your lab manual.  They will be completed during your regularly scheduled lab time and turned in at the end of the lab.

We will continue to have 10-15 point quizzes at the beginning of each lab, based on the previous week’s material and the reading of the current week’s lab.  There are no make-up quizzes, so be on time!

Please remember that attendance in lab is critical.  If you miss a lab and are unable to make it up, you automatically lose 5% of your total grade.  If you know that you will miss lab, please talk to me BEFORE your absence to schedule a make-up lab.  It is very difficult to schedule a make-up after your regular lab day has passed, and in many cases it simply isn’t possible.  So please plan ahead!

Lab report on scientific investigation

Due Thursday, October 28^th by 4 pm

1. General instructions:  The report must be typed and printed on white paper, 8 ½ x 11 inches.  Use 1-inch margins and 10, 11, or 12- point Arial or Times New Roman font.  (If these fonts are not available on your computer/typewriter, please see me.)  Please use 1.5 or double line spacing and number your pages.  Each person must write his or her own report.  Group reports are not acceptable.  Each of the sections below (except “Title page”) should begin with a heading (e.g., Hypotheses, Methods, etc.)  Be sure to check your spelling and grammar!

2. Title page:  The title page should contain a descriptive title of your project (i.e., the reader should be able to figure out what the paper is about from the title), the date, your name, the course number (Biology 13), and your section number (D07F, D08F, or E01L).

3. Abstract:  The abstract should be labeled with the heading “Abstract” and should appear at the top of the second page of your report (the first page is your title page).  The abstract is one paragraph that summarizes your experiment.  You should 1) state the question you investigated, 2) briefly summarize your methods, 3) report your results, and 4) summarize your conclusion.  The purpose of the abstract is to give a short but complete summary of the entire project.

4. Hypotheses:  Using complete sentences, state your null and alternate hypotheses.  Don’t forget to indicate which is null and which is alternate.  You may put these on the same page as the abstract.

5. Methods: Beginning on a new page, label the next section “Methods” and write a few sentences describing your experimental design.  This section may include either a drawing or a verbal description of the planting boxes.  Indicate your independent and dependent variables.  Be sure to explain the treatment for each experimental group, the treatment for the control group, what you are measuring, and a discussion of how you controlled for extraneous variables.

6. Results:  Summarize your results in words and in a graph of your data.  This graph may be computer generated or hand drawn, but it must be neat and legible.  The graph should include labeled x and y axes and a title, and should be at least 4 inches by 4 inches.  The data for your results may include combined data from the entire class, but be sure that you know how the data were collected if they are not from your own group.

7. Discussion:  This section should include the following:

1)      The predictions you made before the experiment began.

2)      Your interpretation of your results (whether you accept or reject your hypothesis, and why).

3)      A discussion of possible alternative interpretations, including a list of possible sources of error in your experimental design or results, and what could be done in future experiments to improve the design and results.

4)      How your results relate to previous research on this topic (see “references” below).

5)      Your conclusions about the original research question.

8. References:  Include a list of at least 3 references to articles or books on the topic of plant growth and pH.  You may use your textbook as one of the references, but not your lab manual.  At least one reference must be from a scientific journal, and one from the Internet.  Put enough information in the reference so that readers would be able to find it on their own (author, date of publication, title of article and title of journal, page numbers, publisher).  If you have questions about what to put in the references, look at the examples at the end of each chapter in your textbook.

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