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I. TITLE:   Biological Inquiry and Analysis

II.  CATALOG DESCRIPTION:   An experiential and inquiry-based introduction to concepts in biology.   Research-oriented activities will emphasize the skills and attitudes necessary for understanding and conducting scientific inquiry.  3 hour lab plus 1 1/2 hour classroom assembly per week.

III.  PURPOSE: To develop student understanding of basic concepts in biology and science as process through active inquiry, thereby providing a solid framework for further study in this and other science disciplines.

IV.  COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

A.  understand biological concepts through inquiry
B.  develop confidence and positive attitudes by engaging in scientific inquiry and critical thinking,
C.  use modern equipment to develop an informed understanding of the role of science  and technology in society,
D.  effectively communicate ideas, reasoning, processes, and conclusions,
E.  work collaboratively to build team skills necessary for success in today’s   workforce, and
F.   think holistically to see the whole as well as the parts within and among scientific  disciplines.

V.  CONTENT OUTLINE:  The course is organized into three modules with each module serving as a stepping stone to more in-depth understanding and involvement in scientific inquiry.  In module I students focus on the history of biology and different ways of knowing.  In module II students move from understanding what biologists have done to considering what biologists can do.  In module III, students focus on complex interactions among organisms and the environment, applying the knowledge gained in the previous modules to understanding of ecology and active research in the field.

VI.  INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:  The class meets twice weekly.  Research-oriented activities are emphasized during the first meeting each week.  During these activities students propose, design, conduct, and evaluate scientific investigations.  The second weekly meeting consists of an assembly  (lecture/discussion period) during which students develop larger, more theoretical knowledge structures that stem from their hands-on experiences, synthesize and formulate relationships between important ideas, and learn concepts and theories to further build a knowledge base for meaningful hands-on inquiry.
 The assemblies during module I focus on the history of knowledge and ways of knowing (e.g.,inductive, deductive; observation, experimentation).  In the hands-on periods, students examine different ways of knowing by conducting a simple directed investigation, writing a scientific proposal, and writing a draft paper that is peer-reviewed.  In module II the assemblies focus on what biologists can do.  The emphasis in the hands-on periods is investigation of responses of organisms (behavioral and physiological).  Students work as research teams to pose questions of their own for scientific study, state testable hypotheses, conduct a directed investigation in the laboratory, analyze data, and individually present their investigation in the format of a scientific paper that is reviewed by their peers.   In module III students again focus on responses of organisms but in the broader context of ecology.  As research teams, students develop a research question that they then pursue in the field  for the next four weeks.  Each team presents their research as a poster that is evaluated by their peers.
 Each of the instructional activities is designed to allow successful accomplishment of each of the course objectives.  Students will develop higher-level understanding of biological concepts (Objective A) through their own research activities and through discussions and web-based activities related to specific scientific concepts.  As students design and conduct research projects, and critically evaluate those projects over the course of the semester, they will develop  confidence in their abilities as biologists (Objective B).  In addition, students will develop positive attitudes towards science (Objective B) as they develop their expertise as scientists and gain understanding of the scientific process.  Throughout the course students make oral presentations of their research proposals and present their final research projects in written form.  Thus, students will learn to effectively communicate ideas, reasoning, processes, and conclusions (Objective C).  Students conduct all research projects and many other course activities as collaborative teams.  At the end of each module of the course, students assess their own performance as a team member as well as the performance of their whole team.  As a result, students will build team skills (Objective E).   As students conduct their research and discuss current issues in biology, they will encounter aspects of many other scientific disciplines (e.g, chemistry, mathematics).  As a result, students will realize that science is an integrated whole rather than separate disciplines that operate in isolation from one another (Objective F).

VII.  FIELD, CLINICAL, AND LABORATORY EXPERIENCES:  Students work extensively in the laboratory and the field.  The activities incorporate the use of modern technology (e.g., computers, dataloggers and sensors).

VIII.  RESOURCES:  Students are provided with access to modern equipment to conduct laboratory and field investigations.

IX.  GRADING:  All grades will be assigned as follows:
 A  90-100 pts.  (90-100%)
 B  80-89 pts. (80-89%)
 C  70-79 pts. (70-79%)
 D  60-69 pts. (60-69%)
 E  < 60 pts. (< 60%)

 Grading is based on written papers (? 30% of final grade), exams (?20% of grade), results of peer-evaluation (?15% of grade), student presentations (? 15% of grade), and participation in class activities (?20% of grade).

X.  ATTENDANCE POLICY: Students are expected to attend all scheduled course activities.  Absence from class has been strongly correlated with poor performance on exams.

XI.  ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY:
 Cheating, plagiarism (submitting another person's material as one's own, or doing work for another person which will receive academic credit) are all impermissible.  This includes the use of unauthorized books, notebooks, or other sources in order to secure or give help during an assignment, the unauthorized copying of examinations, assignments, reports, or term papers, or the presentation of unacknowledged material as if it were your own work.  If substantial evidence exists for a violation of this policy, the student(s) involved will receive a grade of 'E' for the course and a written explanation of the violation will be included in their academic file and a copy sent to the Chair of your major department.  Disciplinary action may be taken beyond the academic discipline that the instructor administers in the course itself.

XII.  TEXT AND REFERENCES:
Raven and Johnson.  1999.  Biology.  McGraw Hill.

V. McMillan.  1996.  Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences.  Second edition.  Bedford Books.

Biology 116: Student Manual.  Developed by course instructors

XIII.  PREREQUISITES:  None.