ABOUT BIOL 1413
WELCOME:
Welcome to freshman zoology for non-majors. This is an introductory class that will be taught as if you have never had a biology or chemistry class before; however, it is a very rigorous course that is taught at the college level. It is basically the same course that you would get at any university in the country. It is taught several notches above what a good high school class is, so while having a good background in biology will be helpful, it does not mean that you will be able to coast through any of this material. As this course is designed for non-majors it will be broader in scope and less detailed than the majors biology classes, but there will still be large amounts of material for you to understand and learn. If your reading skills are not up to college level this course will be particularly challenging. If you tested low in reading in your entrance exams you should come see me for suggestions. I will try to make this course enjoyable for those that are interested in learning about life on earth, and I will also try to make it a useful course for you. I hope when it is over you don't see General Zoology as just another course to check off the required list of degree requirements. Biology is the study of life. What could be more interesting? But again, being useful and enjoyable does not mean that only a little effort will be required on your part. Like most courses, you will get out of it what you put into it.
I have often pondered the question of why students pay a large amount of money to take a course, then put so little effort into it. No one would ever purchase an expensive item such as a television set and then never bother to pick it up, but that is essentially what many of my students do each semester. The difference is that after purchasing a TV, most of the work is done. However, when you pay your tuition and buy your textbooks, the work is just beginning. What you have purchased is not something tangible, but access to learning. This is the time when the real work begins. I encourage you to take advantage of the access you have bought. There are many dedicated scholars in many fields at SPC that can be a great asset to you, both in and out of the classroom. You also have purchased access to high-quality learning facilities, including science labs, computer labs and the library. By not taking advantage of these facilities you are not receiving what you paid for with your tuition. By receiving an unacceptable grade, due to lack of effort, you have wasted your time and money, two commodities that you will become increasing aware of as always being in short supply. Well, that is enough of my preaching. Perhaps some things you must learn on your own.
THE COURSE:
BIOL 1413 is divided into 5 units. You will be tested at the end of each unit.
In the first unit you will learn basic principles of biology such as how biologists define life; the origin of life; the structure and function of cells and the chemistry of living things. We will discuss the increasingly important concept of what science is and is not.
In the second unit you will learn how inheritance works and how biologists explain the diversity of life on earth by the concept of evolution. We will talk about what genes are and how they do their job. We will also discuss how we develop from a single, fertilized egg into an individual.
In the third and fourth units we will do a survey of the animal kingdom, starting with the single-celled protozoans and finishing with the mammals. We will learn how biologist name and classify animals. We will end the unit with what should be an interesting topic of discussion, the evolution of primates (which includes humans).
In the fifth unit we will cover the anatomy and physiology of animals. These discussions will focus on human biology but we also will compare human anatomy and physiology to that of other animals . We will do a detailed dissection of the fetal pig in lab to go along with the lecture material.
WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT:
From years of teaching I have observed some characteristics that typically are seen in successful students. These characteristics do not rely on innate intelligence. While having a good memory and the ability to understand new material quickly are assets, these abilities are of little use if not properly channeled. Do not worry about being the smartest person in the class-- there will always be people that are smarter than you. You do not have to be a genius to pass this course, but you do need to use what you have. You will see that most of the following tips are quite obvious.
SIMPLE STEPS TO SUCCESS:
Attend class. I cannot teach you if you are not here. Even though you can get a good set of notes from my website, you cannot get the whole story.
Use your textbook. I am always surprised by the number of students that buy an expensive textbook and never take it out of the shrink wrap. I know the text is very large and detailed, but I give you very specific reading assignments for each topic to try to prevent you from being overloaded. You will be surprised by how much more you will get out of class if you do these reading assignments before class.
Do not cram the night before an exam (I know you have all heard this one). This may have worked in high school, but not in a college-level science class. There simply is too much information for you to sort out and memorize, even if you insist on staying up all night. I know a student is going to do poorly when he or she tells me they took off work the day before the exam so they could study all day. They invariably are disappointed in their performance, as am I. The key to success is to study as we go, so the night before the exam you are reviewing what you have learned, and are not trying to learn it all at once for the first time.
Again, take advantage of the access you have bought. Access is all you have purchased with your tuition. You cannot (hopefully!) buy your degree. It must be earned. I have set office hours where I am available to answer questions you might have. If these hours don't work for you, let me know and I will find a time to meet with you. We leave the lab open as much as possible when classes are not meeting, so that you can review lab material on your own. For some units the lab material is so intensive that coming in outside of class is essential.
Team up with a serious lab partner and work closely together. A bad lab partner can only bring you down, whereas a good lab partner will stimulate you to stay and work through the full lab period and even longer. Friendly competition between lab partners can be very helpful. If you feel the students at your table are bringing you down, let me know. I will find a better group for you to work with in lab.
Do the review questions for each unit that are posted on the web. If you can't find an answer come see me. Since I wrote the question, I will probably know the answer.
Again, I hope I achieve my goals of making this course a useful and enjoyable learning experience. I look forward to getting to know each of you.
Professor Wages