Roger Williams University Spring 2017 Course Syllabus

BIO 104L.56 Biology II Laboratory

Time: Tuesday, 6pm – 9pm Location: MNS 103

Instructor: Professor Heather Kopsco Email: hkopsco@rwu.edu

Office: MNS adjunct lounge (left side) Office Hours: Fridays, 11am-noon and by appointment

Course overview and objectives

This laboratory focuses on evolution, phylogenetics and ecology, and complements the material
included in the BIO 104 lecture. Its general theme is the diversity of organisms’ environmental relationships,
evolutionary patterns and natural histories, including natural selection, adaptations, phylogenies, population
dynamics, and interspecific interactions. Emphasis is placed on improving students’ skills for literature,
laboratory, and field research, and effective gathering, analysis, interpretation and communication of data as
through the creation of professional figures and tables, and via proper scientific writing and oral presentation.
It will provide students with hands-on experiences that should enable them to:
 Explain how biotic and abiotic environmental variables affect the process of evolution by natural
selection in an example population
 Describe examples of how evolution by natural selection results in a diversity of organisms’ phenotypic
adaptations (synapomorphies) and ecological relationships across the tree of life
 Create and interpret phylogenetic trees
 Discuss how biotic and abiotic ecological relationships affect ecological patterns
 Conduct an efficient and effective primary literature search to identify relevant articles
 List important considerations of rigorous experimental design & critique developed studies
 Design and implement an experiment that tests a well-articulated hypothesis
 Create professionally formatted figures and tables in Excel
 Analyze, interpret and explain a data set, including with basic statistics
 Create a professionally formatted reference list and use citations correctly
 Prepare and present an effective oral presentation about a scientific study
 Write a short summary to explain the context, methods, results and conclusion(s) of a scientific study.

Required work and grading (laboratory grade is 30% of final course grade)
Students’ grades will be based on the following assignments: % Value of laboratory grade
 3 quizzes 20
 7-8 assignments (worksheets, peer feedback, etc.) 30
 3 projects (exp design, maintenance, summaries, data, lit review, presentations) 50

Required Course Materials

 Laptop or tablet with Excel
 Scientific Calculator (not cell phone)
 Safety Goggles (available for purchase at the bookstore)
 Pen or pencil

Grading scale (for graded quizzes, assignments and projects in lab only)
A= > 93% A- = 90-92.9% B+ = 87-89.9% B= 83-86.9% B- = 80-82.9% C+= 77-79.9%
C= 73-76.9% C- = 70-72.9% D+= 67-69.9% D=63-66.9% D- = 60-62.9% F= <59.9%

Important dates
Feb. 22 - last day to drop the course without receiving a W
 March 24 - last day to drop the course and receive a W

Attendance policy
Attendance is required for all laboratory meetings, and students are expected to arrive on time.
Tardiness may result in students not being able to participate in that day’s lab session and/or absent for a lab
session at the instructor’s discretion. Students missing 3 or more lab meetings for any reason (unexcused or
excused) will fail the laboratory. Failure of the lab section will result in failure of the entire course. This is
department policy and not negotiable.
If a student has is absent from a lab:
1. They get a zero for any lab quizzes delivered during the missed lab.
2. They will be responsible for learning the lab material they missed, and will take any quiz the
following week.
3. For an excused absence, if there is an assignment due during the missed lab, they may obtain the
data from the instructor or another student and complete the assignment. However, the grade for that
assignment will only 75% of the grade the student would otherwise receive. All absences that are to be
considered excused must be documented with the instructor prior to the lab session.

Laboratory Guidelines

 Students must abide by all laboratory policies at all times, as outlined in the Lab Safety Agreement and
this syllabus.
 For everyone’s safety, the laboratory atmosphere must remain academic, safe and orderly at all times.
Disruptive or foolish behavior will not be tolerated and will result in dismissal from laboratory which
will count as an absence.

 Proper attire is required at all times: closed-toed shoes, long pants and, as needed, safety goggles.
During field activities, additional considerations may be warranted. Students without proper attire will
not be permitted in the laboratory and will not be able to participate in the laboratory activities.

 Long hair should be tied back.

 Food and drink are not allowed in the laboratory at any time.

 Proper attention must be given to the handling of any materials used, especially chemicals, including
proper disposal procedures.

 All students are responsible for cleaning their laboratory bench including wiping off the surface,
returning all materials, and any other tasks as needed. All materials, including gloves, must be disposed
of in the proper waste receptacles.

Student Health Statement

Some procedures and materials utilized in the laboratory may pose a health risk to certain individuals.
If you suspect that your involvement in laboratory may compromise your health, consult Health Services before
participating in any laboratory activities.

Academic integrity and classroom civility (including cell phone policy)

By becoming an RWU student, you have agreed to abide by the Academic Integrity pledge (“…to pursue
the highest ideals of academic life… to be honest…”; see: http://rwu.edu/academics/academic-affairs/academic-
standards) which means that you will not cheat, fabricate information, plagiarize, be fraudulent or interfere with
others’ work. This course is encompassed by the MNS division policy which includes this statement:
The MNS Division at Roger Williams University has adopted as its divisional standard that breaches of
academic integrity within a course will result in failure of the class in which the breach occurred.
(Also see: http://rwu.edu/academics/schools-colleges/fcas/mns/academics/academic-integrity)
So don’t plagiarize! The professor of this course is skilled in identifying plagiarism, uses a program in
Bridges to identify it and will document this or any other instances of academic dishonesty in any student’s
permanent file and will allow a student to fail the course. You are fully responsible for knowing what constitutes
plagiarism; if you have any uncertainties review www.plagiarism.org.
Much laboratory work includes working in groups, and developing group work skills is an important part
of becoming a professional scientist. However, collaboration in groups does NOT mean that students should
complete the work of group mates or that it is acceptable to take the work of group mates. All students are
expected to contribute to group work and, as expected, complete individual work (e.g., worksheets) on their
own. Students will be instructed about group work expectations, including when it is acceptable to submit one
assignment product for the whole group. If you are uncertain about the expectations, please ask!
In addition, maintaining academic integrity (e.g., civility) includes respecting others and learning how to
disagree with ideas while not being disagreeable. All students should respect their classmates and the learning
environment of a classroom; this includes NOT: being tardy to class; being disruptive by talking out of turn,
texting on mobile devices or using computers for non-class purposes! Such disruptions are distracting and
disrespectful to the professor and other students and will not be tolerated. Any student who violates these
classroom policies will bear the consequences following the definitions, policies and procedures described in the
University Catalog. In addition students engaging in such behaviors may be identified by name in the class, or be
asked to leave the classroom if they do not conduct themselves civilly or cannot refrain from texting in class. In
such instances, the student will receive an unexcused absence with no credit for in-class activities.

Academic support services

Tutorial Support Services (TSS), located on the second floor of the University Library within the Center
for Academic Development, provides peer and faculty tutoring at no charge for all RWU students. The Science
Center offers assistance Monday – Thursday 9 am – 8 pm; Friday 9 am – 3 pm; and Sunday 2 pm – 8 pm. For
additional information about the Center, including tutor schedules, please see the website at
http://rwu.edu/go/tss.
Students who wish to receive academic accommodations for this course must first register with
Student Accessibility Services (SAS) in order to begin the accommodation process. The SAS office will provide
registered students with the specific information they will need to share with each instructor. SAS is located on
the second floor of the Main University Library and is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Mon. through Fri. The
contact number is 401-254-3841. As needed see the instructor to discuss your specific needs. For more info
see: http://rwu.edu/academics/academic-services/sas

Laboratory Schedule (Also see chart on the next page)

Week of
Jan 30 – Introductory case study: Cardinal ecology & evolution
Feb 6 – Case study student presentations; Arabadopsis natural selection
Feb 13 – Arabadopsis continued; Evolution of antibiotic resistance
Feb 20 – Holiday week: No labs
Feb 27 – Quiz; Arabadopsis & Evolution of antibiotic resistance continued
March 6 – Arabidopsis presentations; Antibiotic resistance cont; Plan for plant ecology experiment
March 13 – Spring Break: No labs
March 20 – Plant ecology experiment (continues through April 24); Phylogenetics
March 27 – Quiz; Adaptations across the Tree of Life
April 3 – Population growth & dynamics
April 10 – Field ecology
April 17 - Quiz; Field ecology
April 24 – End plant ecology experiment & field ecology project
May 1 – Plant ecology presentations; Concluding synthesis
BIO 104 Laboratory Schedule Overview