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General Biology 111

Fall 2012
Lecturer & Coordinator:
Prof. Brian White
office: W-3-003
(617) 287-6630
e-mail: [email protected]
office hours: Wednesdays 2:00-3:00
& by appointment (W-3-003)

Note that this

does not start
with www

World-Wide Web Site: http://intro.bio.umb.edu

Required Materials:
1. Textbook: Biology by Campbell & Reece, 9th edition. In course handouts etc., this will be
referred to as Campbell. This is available in two versions; you should be sure to get one:
The Full Campbell. This is the entire 1,300+ page book. It is comprehensive and
expensive. We will use the first part of this book in Bio 111; we will use the second part
in Bio 112. You should get this version of the book if you will be taking Bio 112. This is
available at the UMB Bookstore & some on-line bookstores like amazon.com. Note that
the page numbers in the 8th edition are very similar, but not identical to, the 9th.
The Skinny Campbell. This is only the parts of the book that are relevant to Bio 111.
It includes Chapters 1 - 20, the CD-ROM, access to the Campbell website, the index,
and the Table of Contents. It is substantially less expensive. You should get this version of
the book if you will not be taking Bio 112. This is available at the UMB Bookstore only.
2.

Lab Manual & A Problems Approach to Introductory Biology (APAIB): The Lab Manual is
essential for performing the lab activities; the lab manual also contains pre-labs,
worksheets, etc. The second part of this contains practice problems (both on paper and
computer-based) that will be used in lab and provide essential practice with the material
for the exams. You can purchase a 3-ring binder with both from Quinn Reprographics
(Quinn LL-024). Both are also available for free download on the course website. I
strongly advise you to buy the printed version.

3.

Lecture Handouts: Each lecture has a handout; this provides material essential for
understanding the lecture. You can purchase a 3-ring binder with all the lecture handouts
from Quinn Reprographics (Quinn LL-024). These handouts are also available for free
download on the course website. I strongly advise you to buy the collected handouts.

4.

111 Materials: This is a folder of software and documents that are required to complete
many of the course assignments. You can purchase these materials on a USB memory
stick from Quinn Reprographics (Quinn LL-024) or download them for free from the
course Blackboard site. Please note that there may be other versions of this on the web;
you must get the version available on the course Blackboard site.

5.

iClicker Transmitter: All students must have an iClicker transmitter (see later for details)
and bring it to each lecture. These are available from many sources including the UMB
Bookstore. Please note that you will need to be able to read the serial number of your
iClicker in order to register it; so, if you buy a used iClicker, be sure that you can read the
character serial number on the back of it.

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Course Blackboard site: Bio 111 also has a site on Blackboard. This site has links for the
Warm-ups, Homeworks, and Lecture Prep Quizzes. It also has links to the lab discussion
boards and data blogs. You should be sure to check it regularly for announcements.
Course Policies:
Lectures: Lectures meet in Lipke Auditorium: Mon, Weds, Fri 12:00 to 12:50; regular
attendance is expected. Extra copies of some handouts can be found outside W-3-003.
Lab Sections: Lab sections meet in W-2-030, -031, and -032. Some labs involve hands-on
activities; others involve problem-solving exercises. Lab sections will be assigned before the
first week of class; you may not switch sections after that time. Attendance in lab is expected.
In an emergency, you may make up a missed lab by attending another section that
meets during the same week with the permission of the TA; TAs may refuse entry to students
once the section is full. You may attend only one make up lab section per semester; after that,
if you attend a lab other than the one to which you have been assigned, you will be allowed to
attend that lab but your pre-lab and any other materials due in that lab will not be graded.
You must read the lab manual before lab. Some labs have pre-lab exercises based on the
lab manual; these are due at the start of lab and will not be accepted late. You will not be
admitted to lab unless you have a copy the lab manual inlcuding the APAIB book and a
completed pre-lab with you.
The lab sections are as follows:
Section Time
Room
1
Tu 9:30 - 12:30 W-2-030
2
Tu 9:30 - 12:30 W-2-032
3
Tu 2:00 - 5:00
W-2-030
4
Tu 2:00 - 5:00
W-2-032
5
We 8:30 - 11:30 W-2-030
6
We 8:30 - 11:30 W-2-032
7
We 1:00 - 4:00 W-2-030
8
We 1:00 - 4:00 W-2-032

Section
9
11
12
13
14
16
18

Time
We 5:30 - 8:30 PM
Th 9:30 - 12:30
Th 9:30 - 12:30
Th 2:00 - 5:00
Th 2:00 - 5:00
Fri 8:30 - 11:30
Tu 2:00 - 5:00

Room
W-2-030
W-2-030
W-2-032
W-2-030
W-2-032
W-2-030
W-2-031

Note: lab sections are very full - if you do not fill out and sign a student information sheet
at the first lecture, your space in lab will be given to another student even if you are
registered for the class.
Readings: Lectures and readings are designed to be complementary. Often, the emphasis of
lecture will be different from the book. Although the course emphasizes lecture material more
than readings, exams will draw freely from both lectures and readings.
Discussion Section: Tuesdays 12:30 - 1:20 in W-2-032. I will lead a group discussion of the
weeks material as a tutorial for you and an opportunity for me to understand how you are
learning the material. Attendance is encouraged but not required.
Exams: There will be four exams: three 50-minute exams given in class during the semester
and a comprehensive 3-hour final exam. There will be no make up exams. No conflict exams
will be given. If you arrive more than 5 minutes late to an exam, but before the first person has
finished the exam, you may be given as many minutes as you were late as extra time after the
exam. A subset of the students will be asked to take the exam in a nearby location to relieve
the crowding in Lipke. We will drop the lowest grade of the three 50-minute exams when
calculating your overall grade. The final exam will be scheduled during the semester. The final

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exam score cannot be dropped. You may bring a single 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper with whatever
you want on it to each exam and four such pages to the final exam.
Exam
Lectures Covered
1
Introduction 1 through Genetics 7
(Information in Chemistry 2 Lecture Handout)
2

Chemistry 1 through Biochemistry 9

(Information in Biochemistry 6 Lecture Handout)

Cell Biology 1 through Molecular Biology 7

(Information in Molecular Biology 4 Lecture Handout)

Final

The entire semester with emphasis on Cancer 1 through Cancer 4

(Information in Cancer 1 Lecure Handout)

Exam Re-grades: Occasionally, we make mistakes when grading. If you feel that your exam
was graded in error, you can request a re-grade. Instructions and notes for re-grading:
Re-grades must be in writing; because different TAs graded different questions, neither
I nor your TA can re-grade your exam on the spot.
When asking for a re-grade, you should include the following:
o Your whole exam. Do not mark on it in any way. In order to prevent cheating,
we xerox or scan some or all of the exams; any marks made on your exam after it
was graded and given to you in lab may be interpreted as cheating. Students
who alter their answers and submit these altered answers for a re-grade will
receive a grade of F for the course and a letter will be sent to the Dean of
Undergraduate Education notifying him/her of the incident.
o A note on a separate piece of paper (attached to your exam) explaining what
needs to be re-graded. Dont simply say, Re-grade question 3; you should
explain why your answer deserves more credit that we gave. If it is an addition
error, explain which numbers were added up incorrectly.
o Re-grade requests that do not follow these rules will be returned without review.
Re-grade requests must be turned in to your TA or Mark Carlson within 2 weeks of the
date the exam was handed back in lab.
Re-graded exams will be returned in lab about 2 weeks later.
Snow days: If class is cancelled due to snow, check the web site or my office phone for
announcements. In general, snow days before exams will not cause the exams to be moved; if a
snow day falls on an exam day, the exam will be held in the next lecture period.
Tutor-led Study Groups: There are several tutors to help students in Bio 111. Tutoring is free
and open to all students. The tutors will lead weekly study group workshop sessions where
they will go over that weeks APAIB problems as well as answer questions. Regular
attendance is strongly encouraged.

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Lecture, Homework, & Lab Schedule

Date
W 5-Sep
F 7-Sep
M 10-Sep
W 12-Sep
F 14-Sep
M 17-Sep
W 19-Sep
F 21-Sep
M 24-Sep
W 26-Sep
F 28-Sep
M 1-Oct
W 3-Oct
F 5-Oct
M 8-Oct
W 10-Oct
F 12-Oct
M 15-Oct
W 17-Oct
F 19-Oct
M 22-Oct
W 24-Oct
F 26-Oct
M 29-Oct
W 31-Oct
F 2-Nov

Topic
Introduction 1: Overview
Introduction 2: Science as a
Process
Genetics 1: Mendel
Genetics 2: Solving Genetics
Problems
Genetics 3: Cells, Mitosis, &
Meiosis*
Genetics 4: Sex Linkage
Genetics 5: Pedigrees
Genetics 6: Solving
Pedigrees & Risk
Genetics 7: Applications &
Limitations
Chemistry 1: Atoms
Chemistry 2: Covalent
Bonds
Exam I
Chemistry 3: Non-Covalent
Bonds I
Chemistry 4: Non-Covalent
Bonds II
Columbus Day
Chemistry 5: Water
Chemistry
Biochemistry 1:
Macromolecules 1
Biochemistry 2:
Macromolecules 2
Biochemistry 3: Protein
Structure I
Biochemistry 4: Protein
Structure II
Biochemistry 5: Energy &
Bonds
Biochemistry 6: Catalysis
Biochemistry 7: Enzymes &
Metabolism
Hurricane Sandy!
Biochemistry 8: ATP &
Glycolysis
Biochemistry 9:
Respiration, etc.*

Warm-up &
Homework

Lab & [Due Date]

NONE

(1) VGL 1

01: Genetics Practice Problems I

VGL I

(2) VGL 2

02: Mitosis Animation

(A) VGL 1

[Mitosis report due week of 9/24]

(3) Sweets
(4) Build a
Molecule 1

03: Meiosis Animation

Genetics Practice Problems II
[Meiosis report due week of 10/8]
04: Aipotu I

(B) VGL 2
05: Chemical Structures
(5) Build a
Molecule 2
(6) Build a
Protein

06: Chemical Properties

(7) Break a
Protein
07: Green Fluorescent Protein
[GFP report due week of 10/29]
(C) Proteins
08: Protein Structure
[Protein Structure report due
week of 11/12]
(D) FoldIt

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Lecture, Homework, & Lab Schedule, continued:

Date
M 5-Nov
W 7-Nov
F 9-Nov
M 12-Nov
W 14-Nov
F 16-Nov
M 19-Nov
W 21-Nov
F 23-Nov
M 26-Nov
W 28-Nov
F 30-Nov
M 3-Dec
W 5-Dec
F 7-Dec
M 10-Dec
W 12-Dec

Topic
Exam II
Cell Biology 1: Cells &
Organelles
Molecular Biology 1: DNA
Replication*
Veterans Day
Molecular Biology 2:
Transcription
Molecular Biology 3:
Translation
Molecular Biology 4: Introns
& Regulation
Molecular Biology 5: Genes
& Mutation I
Thanksgiving
Molecular Biology 6:
Mutation II & Viruses
Molecular Biology 7:
HIV/AIDS
Cancer 1: Introduction
Exam III
Cancer 2: Growth Factors &
Cell Signals
Cancer 3: Oncogenes &
Mutations
Cancer 4: Genetics &
Treatment
Molecular Biology 8:
Genomics & DNA
Treasure Hunt*

Warm-up &
Homework

Lab & [Due Date]

09: Amylase
[Amylase report due
week of 11/12]

(8) DNA
(9) Build a
Gene

10: Aipotu II
[Aipotu II report due
week of 11/26]
NONE

(10) Break a
Gene

(E) Genes

11: Mo Bio PP & Gene Explorer

[6-Frame Translation report due
week of 12/3]
12: Aipotu III & BLAST
[Aipotu lab due in lab this week]

NONE
(11) BLAST

* Lecture Point Festivals

The starred lectures will involve an especially high level of interaction with you; I will give out
as many Lecture Bonus Points (see below) as I can. We will explore the material using case
studies, data you provide, etc. In order for these to be successful, you will need to be prepared
for these lectures by carefully reading the text, waching on-line videos, etc. These readings,
videos, etc. will be supported by an on-line Pre-Lecture Quiz for each of these lectures. This
on-line quiz will be administered through Blackboard and will be due at 11:00 AM on the day
of the lecture. Points for the questions on these quizzes will be awarded for correct answers
only.
Lecture Bonus Points
At one or more times during most lectures, I will ask students to consider a question and
discuss the answer among themselves. I will then call on a student randomly by name to
answer that question. If you respond to the question by passing, you will receive no extra
credit; however, if you respond with an answer even if it is incorrect you will receive 2
points towards your exam total grade. If you do not respond at all, you will be penalized by

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the loss of one point from your exam total grade unless you speak to me by the end of that
lecture to explain why you did not respond.
Students will be called on a maximum of once per semester; once your name has been
called, it will not be called again.
Students who do not wish to be called on at all can e-mail me their name and I will
make sure not to call them.
In order to be eligible to be called on in a given lecture, you must have registered your
iClicker and beamed in an answer to the iClicker question at the beginning of that lecture.
Warm-up Problems
These are designed to give you practice with the material before the lectures. These are an
essential part of the course. They are due at 11:00 AM before the lecture listed above; they will
not be accepted late for any reason. They will be very challenging but you do not have to get
them right; you only have to try. You will get full credit for trying. You will complete each of
these assignments individually; they must be in your own words. They are designed to help
you come to class prepared and help me to target my lectures to the difficulties you are having
with the material. Your answers must be submitted on line through the Bio 111 Blackboard
site; details about each of the Warm-ups can be found on the Bio 111 Blackboard site. You need
only complete 10 of the 11 warm-ups; that is, you can miss one with no loss in credit.
Homework
These are designed to give you graded practice with the material after lectures. They are due at
11:00 PM on the day listed above; they will not be accepted late for any reason. In order to get
full credit, you must give the correct answers to these problems; partly correct answers may
receive part credit. Your answers must be submitted on line through the Bio 111 Blackboard
site; details about each of the Homeworks can be found on the Bio 111 Blackboard site. You need
only complete 4 of the 5 warm-ups; that is, you can miss one with no loss in credit.
Lecture Prep Quizzes
These are designed to help you get prepared for the Lecture Point Festivals. These quizzes
are open book and open note. You need only complete 3 of the 4 Lecture prep quizzes; that is,
you can miss one with no loss of credit.
Readings and Activities
The readings in Campbell are intended to be read before the lecture listed. Because the
readings do not always go in the order found in the book, it may be useful to review by
reading all the sections in page order rather than the order on the reading list. The activities
on the Mastering Biology website are intended to help reinforce the concepts learned in lecture.
The practice problems in APAIB are designed to be worked after the lecture listed. You
will notice that some lectures have many problems while others have none. In general, by the
end of the lecture listed, you have all the information necessary to solve the problems listed.
Some of these problems will be worked each week in lab to show you problem-solving
strategies. You do not have to do all the listed problems after each lecture; you should be sure
to have done them all before the exam on that material. Note: the solutions to the practice
problems in APAIB are an essential part of the book. You should read them over carefully
after you have written out answers to the problems in the book. Solutions can be found in the
APAIB folder of the 111 Materials.
Software from A Problems Approach to Introductory Biology will run on almost any computer,
Mac or PC. It is also set up to run on some of the computers in the Library. In the Red lab
(Healey Library UL), it is set up on the PCs only. You can access the programs from the

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programs menu; look in the B. White APAIB sub-menu. The software is also available on
the PCs on the 4th floor of the Library and on the 2nd floor on the computers behind the Cafe.
The software can be found in the Software folder of the 111 Materials.

Reading & APAIB Problem List

Lecture

Readings in Campbell

Activities on
Campbell website

APAIB Problems
{except these}

Introduction 1
Introduction 2
Genetics 1
Genetics 2
Genetics 3
Genetics 4
Genetics 5
Genetics 6
Genetics 7
Chemistry 1
Chemistry 2
Chemistry 3
Chemistry 4
Chemistry 5
Biochemistry 1
Biochemistry 2
Biochemistry 3
Biochemistry 4
Biochemistry 5
Biochemistry 6
Biochemistry 7
Biochemistry 8
Biochemistry 9
Cell Biology 1
Cell Biology 2
Molecular Biology 1
Molecular Biology 2
Molecular Biology 3
Molecular Biology 4
Molecular Biology 5
Molecular Biology 6
Molecular Biology 7
Cancer 1
Cancer 2
Cancer 3
Cancer 4
Molecular Biology 8

1-17
18-25; 262-264
264-267; 269-273
228-234; skim 248-257
286-292; 297-300
275-281
269-270
279-281; 300-302
30-37
38-42; 58-66
40-43; 46-47
38-41
50-51
68-77
77-81
81-83
84
142-149; 152-153
153-155; 326-327
149-151; skim 163-169
Skim 170-179; skim 184-189
94-101; 125-129
86-89; 305-318
325-334
337-343; 356-362
334-336
344-346
381-390
242-243; 373-376
206-211
376-377
426-432

14.1 Monohybrid only

14.2; 14.3
12.2; 12.3
15.1, 15.2
14.4
2.2
2.3 Covalent only
4.2 Isomers only
5.1
5.4
8.1
8.4
8.3
9.1; 9.2; 10.1
6.2; 7.1; 7.2
5.5; 16.1
16.2
17.1; 17.2
17.4; 18.2
17.3
19.2 (not phage); 19.3
12.3
11.1; 11.2; 11.3
-

Ch1: 1; 1.1.all* {1.1.2}; V1;

V2; 1.3.all {1.3.4-1.3.7}; V3
Ch1: 1.4.all; V4
Ch1:1.2.all{1.2.5};1.5.all{1.5.1}
Ch1: 3.8; 3.9
Ch2: 1.1.all; C1
Ch2: 1.2.all
Ch2: 2.1.all
Ch2: C3
Ch2: 2.3.all; C5
Ch2: 2.4.all; 2.5.all; C6
Ch2: C8
Ch2: 3.1.1; 3.1.3
Ch2: 3.1.4; 3.1.7; C7
Ch2: 3.1.2; 3.3.1-3.3.4
Ch2: 3.3.5-3.3.7
Ch3: 1.all; 2.all; C1
Ch3: 3.diagnostic only
Ch3: 4.1.all
Ch3: 4.2.all
Ch3: 4.1.all;{4.1.2};4.2.all, C2
Ch4: all
-

* Note that 1.1.all means all problems that start with number 1.1; in this case, it is 1.1.1
through 1.1.7. Problems in {braces} will be worked in lab.
Grades: Your final grade will be calculated on the basis of 500 points as follows:
200 points for your best two of the three hour exams (100 points each)
100 points final exam
150 points Lab: Your lab grade will be totaled (max = 480) and scaled to a maximum of
150 points (multiplied by 150/480); see breakdown that follows.
50 points Lecture & Electronic Grades: Your grade in this category will be totaled
(max = 273) and scaled to a maximum of 50 points; see breakdown that follows.

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Lab Grades
Done at home & handed in at start of lab
Pre-labs
11 x 10 pts = 110
Mitosis Report
15
Meiosis Report
15
GFP Report
25
Protein Structure Report
40
Amylase Report
50
Aipotu II Report
25
6-frame Translation Report
20
Aipotu III Report
30

Work done entirely in lab

Mitosis Checkoff
Mitosis Animation
Meiosis Animation
Aipotu I Checkoff
Chemical Structures Checkoff
Small Molecules Worksheet
Chemical Properties Worksheet
Protein Structure Checkoff
Aipotu II Checkoff
Aipotu III Checkoff

10
20
20
10
10
20
30
10
10
10
Total: 480

Lecture & Electronic Grades

Done in Lecture:
Genetics Survey
iClicker (33 out of 36)

10
33

Done and turned in on-line (Blackboard)

Warm-ups (10 out of 11) x 10 pts
100
Homework (4 out of 5) x 25 pts
100
Pre-Lecure Quizzes (3 out of 4) x 10 pts 30
Total: 273

All individual grades as well as your final grade will be determined using the following
breakdown: 86-101 = A; 71-85 = B; 56-70 = C; 41-55 = D; 0-40 = F.
Grades will be posted as they become available on the web as follows:
Grades for all assignments turned in on Blackboard (Warm-ups, Homeworks, PreLecture Quizzes) will be posted on Blackboard.
Grades for all other assignments will be posted on GradeORama this can be accessed
from the Access Your Grades link on the course website (intro.bio.umb.edu).
Due dates: Lab reports are due as indicated in this syllabus or as modified by your TA. In
cases where there is a conflict between when the Lab Manual says that a report is due and
when the syllabus or TA says so, your TA is the final source; the syllabus is next. In certain
cases, and only with the permission of your TA, lab reports may be turned in to the TAs
mailbox in the Biology office (W-3-021) by 5:00 PM on the day that they are due. In ALL other
cases, late reports will NOT be accepted* do not assume that we will grant you an exception.
I have very limited flexibility; if you need an exception, it can only be granted if you come to
me in advance.
* Each student will be allowed to turn in one and only one lab report one week late for a
maximum of credit. Specifically, if the lab report is turned in between 1 and 7 days late
(relative to the students assigned lab section meeting time), the students lab report will be
graded; the score received will be of the grade earned. Each student may do this only once
per semester.

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If you have computer problems with your lab report, you have several options for turning it
in on time (in each case you are responsible for making sure that your TA receives your
report):
1. Turn in a partially-complete report on time.
2. Bring your report to your TA on disk (only with your TAs permission).
3. E-mail your report to your TA as an attachment (only with your TAs permission).
4. Fax your report to the Biology office (617 287-6650); attention: your TA (only with your
TAs permission).
It is always good practice to keep backup copies of lab reports on other disks to guard against
hard drive crashes.
Incompletes: Incompletes will only be granted under certain special conditions (see Mark
Carlson for details). To receive an incomplete, you must be passing the course and the work to
be completed must be a well-defined unit of the course. An incomplete must be arranged in
advance of your absence at a meeting in person with Brian White.
Academic Conduct: Students are required to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct,
including requirements for the Academic Honesty Policy, delineated in the University of
Massachusetts Boston Graduate Studies Bulletin and relevant program student handbook(s).
http://media.umassp.edu/massedu/policy/3-08%20UMB%20Code%20of%20Conduct.pdf
In this course, penalties for academic misconduct, including plagiarism (copying from
another student, a book, or the internet), are strictly enforced. It is my policy to make the
consequences of being caught cheating on a given exercise much more severe than the
consequences of not turning in that particular exercise.
iClicker Beginning with Introduction 2, at the beginning of each lecture and again at the end
of each lecture, I will ask a short multiple-choice question (note that the exams will not be
multiple-choice); these questions are designed to see if you have understood a major point
from my lecture.
You will submit your answer as described below; you will receive 0.5 lab points for
each answer you submit, whether it is correct or not. Answers are due during the lecture on
the day the question was asked; no late answers will be accepted; there are no make-ups for
missed iClicker questions. After all the answers have been logged in, I will announce the
correct answer. Answers are available for download from the course website. You are strongly
advised to look at the answers after the lecture; the point of these questions is to get you
thinking about the lecture material that is why you get full credit for any answer, right or
wrong.
Using an iClicker This looks like a small TV remote control. You transmit your answer
to the receiver in Lipke and your answer is logged by the computer.
You will need to register your iClicker serial number so you can get credit. You do
this by going to the course website, clicking on the Register your iClicker link, and following
the directions there. You should not register through iClicker.com.
You can miss up to three of the 36 iClicker questions without losing any credit.
Lecture Audio I make a digital audio recording of each lecture and post these on iTunesU. A
complete set of lecture audio from last years Bio 111 is currently available on the website.
This years lecture audio files will replace those from last year as the lectures are given. Many
students find these recordings helpful when reviewing their lecture notes. DANGER: these
are not a substitute for attending lecture!!!

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How to access lecture audio on iTunesU:

1) Get iTunes. It is free from this site: http://www.apple.com/itunes/
It works for both Mac and PC. You only have to do this once.
2) Start iTunes.
3) Click the "iTunes U" button at the top of the iTunes window:

4) Click the "Universities & Colleges" button under

"ITUNES U QUICK LINKS":
5) Find the "University of Massachusetts Boston" link and click it.
7) You may see General Biology I Fall 2011 in Featured Items; if not, you will need to go to
Whats new, click on See All, and sort by name to find the course audio and video.
8) Click the link for the course you want. Be sure you choose the correct year.
9) Clicking on the lecture name will play it in iTunes.
10) Clicking the "Get" button will download the file to your computer and make it available to
put on your .mp3 player:
Acommodation for Students with Disabilities
Section 504 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 offer guidelines for
curriculum modifications and adaptations for students with documented disabilities. If
applicable, you may obtain adaptation recommendations from the UMass Boston Ross Center
617-287-7430. You need to present and discuss these recommendations with me within a
reasonable period, prior to the end of the Drop/Add period.
If you are using adaptive software with Blackboard Vista, please contact the instructor
for information regarding the softwares interface with the LMS.

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Lecture notes from Bio 111 Fall 2011 are available in Quinn Reprographics (Quinn LL-024)
and on the course website listed under each lecture.
***DANGER*** please read these notes and warnings before buying them.
Notes:
1. They are intended for people who have trouble keeping up with me in lecture; you can
make notes on these pages if you like.
2. These are the notes I used in lecture in Bio 111 Fall 2008.
3. They are just what I wrote on the board, nothing more.
4. I have not edited these they may contain errors.
Warnings:
1. These are not a substitute for lecture! There is much more to lecture than what I write on
the board.
2. This years lectures will be similar but not identical to these. You should be sure to look at
what I write on the board carefully.
They may contain errors. You should go by what I write on the board this year & what you
find in the book.
Lecture Notes from this year. I am using a Tablet PC to write notes on the screen. After each
lecture, I will post these notes on the course website.
Studying For Bio 111 One successful strategy is to read the introduction to APAIB; it gives a
productive way to use that book. You should read over the sections in Campbell; dont try to
memorize it all, just get a sense of whats there and what it says. Then, start working through
the assigned problems in APAIB and use Campbell as a reference when you work through the
problems in APAIB.
Tips for success in Bio 111:
Succeeding in Bio 111 will require a substantial effort on your part. The keys to success are:
My tips:
(1) Come to lecture every time. More so than many courses you have taken, the course is
primarily based on lecture, not the book. The readings are designed as background and to
help you understand what you didnt get in lecture. Other peoples lecture notes are better
than nothing, but there is no substitute for attending lecture.
(2) Come to lab prepared. The TAs will assume that you have read the lab manual and/or
looked over the practice problems.
(3) Participate in lab discussions. Lab is designed to have you practice with the material from
lecture. Lab sections are designed to allow your questions to be answered; be sure to take
advantage of this opportunity.
(4) Do the practice problems and write out your answers before looking at the solutions. The
hardest part of problem-solving is the start and if you look at the solutions, you will never
get the practice starting that you will need for the exams.
(5) Connect with your TA and the tutors early. They are there to help you; dont wait until its
too late.

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Tips from past Bio 111 Students

(1) Go to lecture! Go to lab! Pay attention!
(2) Read questions on exams VERY CAREFULLY!; Really explain yourself on exams.
(3) Be prepared to solve questions, not just learn facts. Pay a lot of attention because when it
comes to exams youll need to know everything (hard exams).
(4) Keep up in lecture, review your notes, and do all the practice problems in the lab manual.
They are really helpful.
(5) Go to every lecture. Make good use of Lab TA for information and questions on problem
solving. Dont fall behind. Get a tutor.
(6) Chill out and dont stress. Its not as hard as you might think. If you keep up with the
work, youll be fine. Do the practice problems (thats what the exams are about).
(7) Use all the tools you have at your fingertips ie: lecture notes, extra question problem sets,
the text, Brians extra explanations to complex ideas (the handouts). All together, they
provide you with everything you need for success.
(8) Best prep: read labs, lecture material prior to class. This aids in comprehension and
allows you to ask informed, useful, questions in class.
(9) Dont neglect the textbook. It isnt emphasized but helps fill in the gaps for non-science
folks like me.
(10) You must be absolutely certain that you want to take Biology 111 because its hard! It
requires a lot from you. You cant afford to goof off in this class; everything taught in
lecture and lab counts.
Using the Lecture Audio
In the Spring of 2007, I asked the Bio 112 students how they used the on-line Lecture Audio.
They reported that they used it to review lectures, even those that they had attended. They did
not use it as a substitute for lecture. I also asked the following two questions:
What did you get from coming to lecture in person that you didnt get from the on-line audio?
Being able to ask questions and get clarification immediately
Hearing other students questions and the answers.
Seeing animations, demonstrations, etc.
[only listening to the audio is like] going to lecture with my eyes closed and the lights
turned out.
a lot easier to take notes from the board while listening to Brian teach rather than online. Also, I feel that I have a better understanding and remember more information in
person.
easier to pay attention in class
much easier to follow the notes if you attend lecture
What did you get from listening to the lecture audio that you didnt get from coming to lecture?
Hearing something I missed the first time.
Reviewing.
Being able to stop and go back over something I missed.
Being able to go at my own pace; to rewind & fast-forward
Being able to pause and think about what I just heard
repetition of stuff that was hard to understand

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The Success Project

Every Fall, several of the students who fail the first exam go on to do well in the course. We
interviewed two of them to find out how they changed their study habits so that their
experiences can benefit future Bio 111 students. Here is a summary of what the interviewer
found:

The students were unprepared for the style of the exam, one student thinking it was
going to be multiple-choice. They werent prepared for the free-response style answers.
Here is what he/she said (edited):
I guess just mainly the concepts- in the first month, I enjoyed genetics- I really enjoyed doing
genetics. I was just surprised at the score I got. But I guess its just kind of like I got carried away,
and sowith just like, doing the calculations- because, in my mind, I knew, I thought I knew what
I was doing, because I didnt really pay too much attention- I was like, oh I know how to cross and
make Punnetts squares, this is easy- So, when it actually came to the exam, I saw he asked
more specific questions, and I kind of was reading into it too fast. And it turned out I was wrong. I
guess, in a way, it wasnt really what I expected- I thought it was going to be more multiple
choicecuz I was used to more multiple choice- And it was just all free response, filling in, and
so, Im used to taking a lot of multiple choice tests, so you can study it, but you dont really have
to know the answer too well.

The problem book is a very valuable resource. Both students didnt really use it to study
for the first exam, but they did use it to study for the second, and it helped them
tremendously. The practice exam was also useful for them.
Q: Did you, in the problem book that you have, did you use the problems and solutions in the
problem book to study?
A: I used it extensively on exam 2.
Q: and you didnt on exam 1, and then you started after that?
A Yeah, I did- the problem book was very helpful. And I didnt look at the answers, at all. I think I
looked at them if I really wasnt sure about somethingQ: but if you got stuck, what would you do? Would you go back to your notes?
A: I would go back to the book or my notes.

The students spent much more time studying for the second exam. It seems that for the
first exam, they both thought that they had a better grasp of the material than they
actually did, and were overconfident. More attention to studying helped them with the
second exam, including spending more time writing the cheat sheet of in-exam notes.

One student was very happy with the iClickers and made a point of saying that they
were very helpful.

Both students benefited from going back and checking their answers after completing
the second exam.
...as I was doing the exam, I was thinking the same thing, I was like, oh, this is so easy, I was
going through the pages really quick, and I turned them in, and I didnt doublecheck my answers
like I did for the second one, and, like I said, I misread one of the problems that he was asking. I
thought he was asking a different question, and then when I got out of the exam, and I was
talking to the other students, they were like, no, he was asking for this and that, and so I was just
like, I was just reallyI was just really upset.