(3 hrs lecture, 1 hr
lab)
The University of
Tennessee at Martin
Spring 2001
Instructor: Dr. Darrell Ray Office: 323 Clement Hall
Phone: 587-7495
(office) Email:
dlray@utm.edu
Office Hours: 8-10 a.m. MT; 2-4 p.m. T; 8-9 a.m. F, and by
appointment
Text: Starr and Taggart, 1998. Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life,
8th ed.
Objective: Upon completion of this course, students
should be conversant with:
1) some of the fundamental principles of
population biology, especially as they relate to ecology and evolution
2) some general concepts of interactions among
organisms and their relationships to the abiotic environment
3) some general concepts of plant and animal
classification and systematics
4) some general principles of plant and animal
anatomy and physiology, with special consideration of selected human
systems.
Grading and
attendance:The
lecture portion of the course counts as 70% of your overall grade. The final grade will be determined on a 10
point scale (i.e. 90-100% = A). There
will be 3 hour exams (100 points each), 5 quizzes given during the second
session of the week (25 points each, one dropped), and a comprehensive final exam
(100 points). This will give a total of
500 possible points for lecture for the semester. No extra credit will be offered, so please do not ask.
It
is to your benefit to take the quizzes and exams on the dates they are
given. Makeup quizzes and tests will
only be given under the most extenuating of circumstances, and will be
administered on the last study day of the semester before final exams. It is your responsibility to keep up with
your quiz grades and attendance, and arrange for the makeup at least 1 week
before the end of the semester.
Attendance
is vital to your success in this course.
Please be present and on time at every class meeting. Chronic tardiness is inconsiderate to the
instructor and your classmates.
Additionally, excessive unexcused absences may result in a failing grade
for the course.
Office hours
and study recommendations: Please feel free to
contact me during my office hours, or arrange a time to discuss questions you
may have. I will be more than happy to
meet with you and help you in any way that I can. Remember that I am here to help you succeed, not to hold you
back.
In
order to be successful in this course, you must allow adequate time for text
reading, study, and review of class notes.
Skim the text for high points, then read the text carefully for content. If you have time, review and outline the
chapter. These are time tested and
useful strategies to make the most out of the text.
Research
has shown that students who meet regularly with a study group often perform
better than students who try and wait until the night before a test to
study. Consider forming a study group
consisting of no more than 5 members.
Ask and answer questions, compare notes, etc. It is widely held by many teachers that teaching is the best way
of learning. In other words, if you can
relate a concept to your study partners so that they can understand it, you
understand the concept better yourself.
Academic
integrity:
I live by a strict ethical code of honor, and I expect my students to do the
same. While we will have some group
activities, you will be graded on your own work. Dishonesty will not be tolerated, and infractions will result in
failure for the course.
General notes: Learning should be fun. I want you to experience the thrill of mastering
new material and applying concepts to novel situations. But that means you have to put something
into the course. Get involved in
discussions. Check out the news and
relate our topics to current events.
Above all, do your best. Whether
your major is biology or business, agriculture or accounting, English or
education, we are all living beings.
Why not make the most out of trying to understand this thing called
"life?"
|
Proposed
Topics |
|
Chapter |
|
Evolutionary
Thought |
|
17 |
|
Microevolution |
|
18 |
|
Speciation |
|
19 |
|
Population
Ecology |
|
46 |
|
Community/Ecosystem
Ecology |
|
47,48 |
|
|
|
|
|
Classification
Schemes |
|
20 |
|
Plant
Kingdom |
|
(23)25 |
|
Plant
Tissues |
|
29 |
|
Transport |
|
30 |
|
|
|
|
|
Animal
Kingdom |
|
|
|
|
Invertebrates |
26 |
|
|
Vertebrates |
27 |
|
Animal
Tissues |
|
33 |
|
Selected
Animal Systems |
|
|
|
|
Nervous |
34,35,36 |
|
|
Endocrine |
37 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Digestive |
42 |
|
|
Excretory |
43 |
|
|
Reproductive |
44,45 |
|
|
|
|
N.B.: Please note that this schedule is
tentative. I reserve the right to alter
the course content if necessary to accommodate new or different materials as the
need or opportunity may arise.