GENERAL
BOTANY (BIO 172)
Dr.
Drew Barton
Fall 2003
GETTING IN TOUCH: Office: Ricker 23, Phone: x7397, Email: Barton@maine.edu
On-Line
General Botany:
http://www.courses.maine.edu
My
Home Page:
http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/~barton
Textbook
Home Page: http://www.brookscole.com/biology/
member/student/plant_bio/index.html
OFFICE HOURS: Mon 10-12, Wed 10-12, Thur 11-12, &
by appointment
REQUIRED TEXTS: Plant
Biology by Rost,
Barbour, Stocking, Murphy (1998)
The
Trees in my Forest
by Bernd Heinrich (1997)
(Rost at UMF bookstore,
Heinrich at Devaney Bookstore, Broadway downtown)
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Welcome to
General Botany. Botany is an
excellent way to introduce you to the world of biology. Although plants are wonderfully complex
and diverse in their own right, the cohesiveness of this group provides a great
place to begin exploring the functioning of organisms and the fundamental
concepts of biology. In this
course, we will examine a wide range of topics related to the biology of
plants. In the first part of the
course, we will investigate in detail how the individual plant works: how plant bodies are built, how plants
obtain and transport food and water, and how plants reproduce themselves. Next, we will discuss the principles of
evolution, how evolution has produced the incredible diversity of plants today,
and how human activities threaten these important organisms. We will finish the course by examining
the ecology of plants and forests, how these ecological principles apply to
environmental problems, and finally the ecology and environmental science of
Maine's forests. Throughout the
term, we will reinforce coverage of these fundamental principles with lab and
field observations of plants and forests.
The objective of
General Botany is not merely for you to acquire information about these
topics. Instead, you will learn
general principles that govern physiology, anatomy, heredity, evolution, and
ecology, and ways that these principles are applied in biological and
environmental science. Our study
of these topics will also enable us to consider the nature and practice of the
science of biology: in other
words, how these principles were discovered. Finally, we will use the course material as a vehicle for
developing your skills in conveying knowledge through technical writing and
oral presentation, and using the computer as a tool.
I hope that
through this course you will develop four categories of understanding:
¥ How plants work: physiology, morphology, anatomy,
reproduction
¥ Biology
principles:
genetics, evolution, ecology, biodiversity, environmental biology
¥ Application
of biology to environmental problems: food production and human population growth, acid rain,
global warming, the species extinction crisis, Maine forest issues
¥ Process
skills in science:
doing science, searching the scientific literature, writing about science,
speaking about science, using computer technology
I urge you to
think of this course as a window to the fascinating world of life and as an
opportunity to develop your career skills. Again, welcome to General Botany. I'm looking forward to an enjoyable semester with you all!
ON-LINE
GENERAL BOTANY: USING BLACKBOARD:
We will use a
web-based course management system called Blackboard.
I think that youÕll like Blackboard. You will be able to download outlines of my lectures and
course handouts, submit papers, check the syllabus and calendar for the course,
participate in on-line discussions, check your course grade, and check out web
links that can help with the course material. Since it is web-based, you can get into and use Blackboard
with any computer with internet access.
You should check Blackboard every day or at least every other day in
case I have sent an important message.
Access General Botany on Blackboard at http://www.courses.maine.edu. You will be guided on what account ID
and password to enter to gain access to the General Botany site.
Blackboard is fairly straightforward to
navigate and use. When you log in,
you will always be greeted by the Announcements page, which will provide you with any
important messages for the course.
Click on Syllabus
to see the course syllabus, which you are now reading. The Lecture folder contains outlines for each
lecture and exam study guides, and the Lab folder provides handouts and assignments for each lab. Unless you have a laptop that you will
bring to all classes, it is very important for you to print out these items
well before you need them. To do
that, simply click on the item, which will open it up in MS Word or an MS Word
reader in Internet Explorer; then print.
The Student Tools
section has the following very useful tools for the course: Digital Dropbox for submitting papers and getting back
my comments; Check Grade
for checking your current score in the course (in comparison to the entire
class if you would like); Calendar
for checking on important dates in the course; Tasks for you to keep a list of tasks for
yourself for the course; Groups
for communicating with a group of students in the course.
Here are few tips for navigating
Blackboard:
1.
Although I
prefer Netscape Navigator, itÕs better to use Internet Explorer for Blackboard.
2.
Once you
are in Blackboard, try to avoid using any of the navigation buttons at the top
of Internet Explorer (e.g., ÒBack,ÓForward,Ó Reload,Ó etc.).
3.
When you
hand in a paper via Blackboard, use the ÒsubmitÓ button not the ÒAddÓ button.
Important
reminder for all of your courses: always, always back up your computer work
on two diskettes or zip disks!!!
EXAMS,
ASSIGNMENTS, AND THE GRADING SYSTEM:
Your grade in
this course will be based on your total percentage for lecture and lab combined
-- out of a total of 890 points.
More than 50% of these points will be from lecture and less than 50% are
from lab. The average percentage
performance for students in this course over the last three years has been
about 76-77 %. (Last year, it was
77 1/2 %.) Although the
distribution changes some year to year, it is typically within the following
range: A: about 10%, B: 25-35%, C: 30-45%, D: 10-15%, F: 5-10%.
Lecture Hourly
Exams (three during the
regular semester and one during the Final Exam period) will be a combination of
multiple choice, quantitative problems, and essay. Lecture exams will emphasize lecture material, but also will
include material from the required reading. You will be reading sections from both a botany textbook and
from a complementary book of essays about a forest near Weld, ME, about 20 miles
from here. In lecture, you will
keep a brief Journal
(in a "blue book").
At the end of lectures or at other times, you should write down a few
thoughts about the course: ideas that are not clear, notes regarding what you
need to work on, and other appropriate comments. Journals will be collected at four random times over the
semester. I will use the journals
to record your lecture attendance and to assess and redirect the course. Your journal notes will not be graded;
you will receive full credit for simply handing in the journal when solicited. You will also be given four Quizzes during the term, one in the middle of
each of the four sections of the course.
These quizzes will encourage you to attend lecture and to review the
material more often than before each exam. If you simply read over the lecture notes covering the
material since the previous exam, you will do fine on the quizzes.
Lab assignments
are quite varied. You will hand in
a Worksheet at the
end of each of four labs. In Lab
3, you will take a Field Practical
assessing your knowledge in identifying tree species. The Lab Practical will be a combination of written and practical (hands-on)
questions. You will collaborate
with other students in giving a Plant Adaptation Presentation on adaptations of plants to a particular
environment. Late in the term, you
will write a Technical
Paper (i. e., lab
report) based on an experiment on "fast plants" that will take place
over most of the semester. You
will hand in a partial First Draft
for this paper for which I will provide help. Additional information will be provided on the lab exam and
assignments as the term proceeds.
Note that 20 points are allocated to participation in lab (participating
in discussions, collaborating well with partners, working diligently, etc.).
The list below shows all the graded
assignments, their point value, and their due dates. Keep close track of due dates.
Lecture Assignment
|
Points
|
Due Date
|
|
Lecture
Hourly Exam I |
100 |
9/29 |
|
Lecture
Hourly Exam III |
100 |
11/17 |
|
Lecture
Hourly Exam IV |
100 |
Finals
Week |
|
Lecture
journals (4 @ 5 pts each) |
20 |
Random,
usually Fridays |
|
Quizzes
(4 @ 5 pts each) |
20 |
9/12,
10/13, 11/7, 12/5 |
|
LECTURE
SUBTOTAL = |
440 |
|
Lab Assignment
|
Points
|
Due Date
|
|
Field
Practical |
40 |
9/24-25
in lab |
|
Plant
adaptation presentation |
80 |
10/29-30
in lab |
|
Lab
Practical |
80 |
11/5-6
in lab |
|
Lab
Report Final Draft (with partner) |
100 |
12/15 |
|
Participation
in lab |
20 |
|
|
LAB
SUBTOTAL = |
390 |
|
|
GRAND TOTAL = |
830 |
The
scale for your final grade will be as follows:
|
A: 92%
or above |
B-: 80-81% |
D+: 68-69% |
|
A-: 90-91% |
C+: 78-79% |
D: 62-67% |
|
B+:
88-89% |
C: 72-77% |
D-: 60-61% |
|
B: 82-87% |
C-: 70-71% |
F: 59% or
lower |
LECTURE GUIDELINES:
The
schedule of lectures
is given below. Lectures will vary
greatly. In some, I will lecture
the entire time, soliciting little input from the class. Other lectures will emphasize group
work and class participation. Come
prepared for answering questions, being called on, and actively participating
in lectures. In all lectures, I
welcome your questions and comments.
Note
that outlines of all
lectures will be available on Blackboard. I will
usually stay several lectures ahead on Blackboard. These outlines will be of great help to you since they
provide a logical framework for the content of each lecture. You will find that exams will emphasize
the material presented in lecture, although some additional content from your
reading will also be included.
If
you have a laptop that you will use in lecture, simply download the lecture
outlines to your computer and bring it to lecture. Otherwise, you should print out the lecture outline and
bring it to class. Good
performance on exams will require that you add your own notes to these outlines in order to clarify
and elaborate on the outline. You
will notice that some of the outlines are quite comprehensive, including almost
all of what I cover in lecture, whereas others are much more skeletal,
requiring extensive note taking on your part. Again, it will be very important for you to take additional
notes during most of my lectures.
Reading over the lecture outline before the lecture will also help you
immensely, as would skimming back through it after lecture.
Lecture
outlines will provide a reminder of the reading for the current and the next
lectures and sometimes other reminders.
Two other very important points. First, in the lecture outline, terms that
are underlined are especially important; learn them well. Second, you should be able to answer
questions in the outline that are in italics. Read over the lecture notes before lecture and be prepared
to answer these questions during my lecture because I might call on you.
LABORATORY GUIDELINES:
The schedule of labs is given below. You must print out a copy of the lab
handout from Blackboard and bring it to lab. It is imperative that you read the lab handout or assigned
pages in your textbook before
lab. For labs where it is
indicated (see lab schedule below), bring your textbook to lab. Note that you will often hand in
completed work sheets at the end of lab.
On these worksheets, complete the parts indicated in lab and label all
drawings clearly and completely.
You will need to move through lab
exercises expeditiously, but don't be in a hurry to get out. Lab does not end until 4:50; expect to
stay at least that long. If you
leave before 4:15, you probably have not completed your work satisfactorily. Be sure to clean up after yourself before you leave lab.
There is a trash can for recyclables, a can for other trash, and a box
(the "Sharp's box") near the sink for broken glass. Cover slips can be thrown in the
Sharp's box, but wash, dry, and return blank slides. Return microscopes to the cabinets carefully.
Dress
appropriately for field trips!!! Be prepared for somewhat dirty, maybe
wet, possibly cold, but definitely exhilarating conditions on the field
trips. We will venture out under all
but hurricane conditions. Wear
good mud shoes, warm clothes, waterproof gear, and snow shoes (just kidding)
where appropriate. Bring a
notebook and pen or pencil.
ATTENDANCE
AND PUNCTUALITY:
Attendance in the
course is mandatory. An unexcused missed laboratory will result in an
automatic 30 point decrease in total lab points. DonÕt miss a lab! An unexcused
missed exam will result in a zero grade.
Permission for missing an exam or a lab (or moving to another lab for
the week) is possible only if you
contact me before
your lab or exam. If you have an
emergency, contact me as soon as possible. Reasonable excuses for a missed lab or exam are the
following: death in the family, serious illness (a cold is not a serious
illness), and a serious personal problem.
Do not schedule other appointments of any kind during the meeting times
for the course; such conflicts will usually not be considered a reasonable
excuse.
The assignment schedule is provided on
this syllabus and on Blackboard, so extensions on due dates should not be
necessary. Reasonable excuses for
extensions are the same as for missed labs and exams. For assignments handed in late with no excuse, 10% of the
possible grade will be deducted from your grade for that assignment for each
day beyond the due date.
Let me emphasize this: contact me as soon as possible when
problems arise, and we can deal with it; if you don't contact me, I will have
to count it as an unexcused absence or late assignment.
SUCCESS
AND PROBLEMS:
The course material for General Botany is
sophisticated and the pace of the course is challenging. You will likely find the course a big
step up from high school biology courses, even if some of the material is
similar. Let me assure you,
however, that you can do well, and
I want you to do well. This course is not designed to "weed
out" students.
What does it take
to perform well in the course?
Some suggestions:
á
attend
every lecture and lab,
á
during
lecture, take notes in addition to the outline provided,
á
review your
notes periodically to assess your understanding (and clear up any problems),
á
stay
"on top" of the assignments and required reading,
á
work with
other students on clarifying the problem areas,
á
begin
studying at least five days prior to an exam,
á
if youÕre
having problems, get help.
Remember: I am here to help you and will be available in office hours,
by phone, and by email. If youÕre
having problems, we will discuss the possibility of your getting help from a free
General Botany tutor (at
the Learning Assistance Center in Merrill Hall). Also, try the textbook web page (http://www.brookscole.com/biology/member/student/plant_bio/index.html),
which has lots of flashcards, practice tests, links, etc. Let me reiterate: if major problems
arise (lost in the course material, illness, personal problems, etc.), don't
put off talking to me about it. I
can help much more one week before an exam or assignment than one week after a
due date.
Academic honesty is expected of all
students in this course.
Plagiarism, cheating, and other departures from academic honesty will,
of course, be dealt with harshly in accordance with UMF rules.
Equal educational opportunity is offered to students with special needs due to disability. Please notify the instructor if a reasonable accommodation is needed to meet course requirements.
TENTATIVE
LECTURE SCHEDULE
|
Date |
Lecture Topic |
Reading
Assignment |
|
W
9/3 |
Introduction
to Course |
|
|
F
9/5 |
The
Scientific Method |
RBSM:
Ch 1; H: Whispering Pines |
|
M
9/8 |
How
plants work |
|
|
W
9/10 |
Photosynthesis:
Plants, Cells, Energy |
RBSM:
Ch 3.1-3.2, skim 3.3-3.7, Ch 8 H:
Intro, A Forest Ramble, View from the Top, Trees as Individuals |
|
F
9/12 |
Photosynthesis:
Light Reactions QUIZ I |
RBSM:
Ch 10.1-10.5 |
|
M
9/15 |
Photosynthesis:
ÒDarkÓ Reactions |
RBSM:
Ch 10.6 |
|
W
9/17 |
Photosynthesis:
C4, CAM |
RBSM:
Ch 10.7-10.9 |
|
F
9/19 |
Respiration |
RBSM:
Ch 9.1, 9.2 |
|
M
9/22 |
Application:
Food production I |
|
|
W
9/24 |
Application:
Food production II: Genetic Engineering |
RBSM:
skim Ch 17; 4 fact
sheets Ð go to http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=340 http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=341 http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=345 http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=346 |
|
F
9/26 |
Catch-up
or Review |
|
|
M
9/29 |
EXAM
I |
|
|
W
10/1 |
Plant
Tissues |
RBSM:
Ch 4 |
|
F
10/3 |
Roots
|
RBSM:
Ch 5 |
|
M
10/6 |
Stems:
primary & secondary growth |
RBSM:
Ch 6 |
|
W
10/8 |
Leaves |
RBSM:
Ch 7 H:
Evol. of Small vs Big Trees, Wood |
|
F
10/10 |
Reproduction QUIZ
II |
RBSM:
12.1 (skim meiosis), 12.2, Ch 13.1-13.3, 14 H:
Sex in Trees, Seeds & Seedlings |
|
M
10/13 |
Columbus
Day: NO CLASS |
|
|
W
10/15 |
Pollination:
Plants and Insects (movie from ÒPrivate lives of plantsÓ) |
RBSM:
Ch 13.4 ÒGhost
stories from the ice ageÓ by Barlow.
Natural History
Sept 2001 (*see below for
directions) |
|
F
10/17 |
Growth
Regulation: Hormones |
RBSM:
Ch 15.1, 15.2 |
|
M
10/20 |
Growth
Regulation: Environmental Stimuli |
RBSM:
Ch 15.3; H: Time to a Tree |
|
W
10/22 |
Catch-up
or Review |
|
|
F
10/24 |
EXAM
II |
|
|
M
10/27 |
Plant
transport of Water and Food |
RBSM:
Ch 11.1, 11.2, 11.4 |
|
W
10/29 |
The
Soil and Plant Nutrition |
RBSM:
Ch 11.3 |
|
F
10/31 |
Application:
Acid Rain and Forest Dieback in New England |
2 fact sheets. Go to: http://esa.sdsc.edu/acidrainfactsheet.htm |
|
M
11/3 |
Genetics
and Heredity I |
RBSM:
Ch 16 (skim meiosis) |
|
W
11/5 |
Genetics
and Heredity II |
RBSM:
Ch 16 |
|
F
11/7 |
Genetics
III/Evolution I QUIZ III |
RBSM:
Ch 16, 18 |
|
M
11/10 |
Evolution
II |
RBSM:
Ch 18 |
|
W
11/12 |
Evolution
III |
RBSM:
Ch 18 and pages 275-276 |
|
F
11/14 |
Evolution
IV |
RBSM:
Ch 25 |
|
M
11/17 |
EXAM
III |
|