Barnard BI 203 Syllabus Fall 09, Page 1 of 11 BI 203: Genetics Course Syllabus Spring 2009 Instructor: Professor Daron Barnard Office hours: Monday 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Office: ST 310C Tuesday 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM Phone: 508-929-8143 Wednesday 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM E-mail: [email protected] Thursday 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Other times by appointment Class meeting Normal class meetings will be Tuesday/Thursday from 11 – 12:45 AM in ST 102 Lab will meet: Tuesday or Thursday from 1 - 3:45 PM in ST 319 Course description In this course we will cover the basics of hereditary both in a lecture setting as well as a laboratory setting. We will concentrate on three areas of genetics: Mendelian (or transmission) genetics, molecular genetics, and population/evolutionary genetics. While easily divided into these units, they are by no means independent, each being tied to the others. Major concepts to be covered will include how the genetic material: 1) replicates and is passed on, 2) contains information that results in a phenotype, and 3) can change. Recent discoveries as well as historical concepts will be discussed. Course philosophy Genetics is a broad field and we cannot cover all relevant material. Instead we will focus on the fundamental principles, and explore examples from the major concepts in depth. The goal will be for students to have a foundation of knowledge and to have developed genetics problem solving skills so when presented with a new theory or data, one would understand the underlying concept and could apply this to the new information, allowing a deeper study of any of the areas. It is my hope that when topics interest you, you will examine and probe them further then we are able to during class. I am always willing to help and encourage this type of independent thought. Through this course I want you to think like a geneticist and a biological scientist. To this end we will strive to go beyond the material itself, to understand how biological knowledge is developed. The most important aspect of this course is your learning, so if you are having trouble with the material, please come see me early and often! Course Goals 1) Students will understand the concepts of classical, molecular, and population genetics. 2) Students will solve genetics problems. 3) Students will make connections between genetics, their lives and other disciplines. Learning outcomes: At the completion of this course students should be able to (see end of the syllabus for expanded version and tips on how to reach these learning outcomes): 1) Explain the nature of inheritance, the genetic material and how it results in phenotype, variation in genetics, and relationship between these concepts. 2) Use the concepts of Classical, Molecular and Population genetics to analyze data and solve novel genetics problems. 3) Design and carryout genetics experiments, and participate in the generation and evaluation of genetic knowledge. 4) Interact with others regarding the impact and use of genetics and genetic information on society. Barnard BI 203 Syllabus Fall 09, Page 2 of 11 5) Use knowledge of genetics concepts to develop informed questions about a new genetic related topic. 6) Connect genetics with concepts/knowledge from other courses Required materials • Genetics: A Conceptual Approach, Third Edition (W.H. Freeman) by Benjamin Pierce ISBN: 978-0-716-77928-5 Another option is to get the “ebook” version. This can be purchased directly from the publisher by going to: http://ebooks.bfwpub.com/pierce3e.php Note that this gives you online access anywhere to the text. You can make notes and highlight materials as you would in a paper text. It is $89.95 for a 365 day online subscription. The study online materials associated with the text are available electronically for no charge on the Pierce website. Go to http://bcs.whfreeman.com/pierce3e/ and register as a student to access everything online. • Additional handout material for the class and lab will be available on the course BlackBoard site or will be distributed in class. • You will need a calculator that is not a phone. You will need to have this available for tests. Additional resources • The BlackBoard site. Resources from the lecture (i.e. Power Point presentations, some readings) will be available at this site. You will also need to use this site to access the problem sets and class announcements. • If you are particularly interested in a topic and wish for further readings, I have lots of books in my office that may be borrowed for short periods of time. These books are also available if you want a different explanation of a topic. • Finally, there is no end to web sites that deal with genetics, particularly that of individual organisms. Many of these will include photos or movies that might let you see some of the concepts that we are discussing in action. I have included links to some on the Blackboard site, but be sure to search for some on your own, and let me know what you find! Grading and expectations: The grading breakdown will be as follows (out of a total of 1000 possible points): Problem sets 100 points (10%) Reflection paper 50 points (5%) Literature Summary 50 points (5%) Tests (3) 300 points (30%, each 10% of total) Final Exam 200 points (20%) Lab 300 points (30%) • Problem Sets will be posted on the BlackBoard site. They are to be completed by class time on the day that they are due at which point they will become unavailable. There will be 11 of these, each worth 10 points. This means that you can miss one of the sets and still receive full credit, or you can complete all of them and receive extra credit. The only way to really grasp genetics is to work through problems, so I suggest that you take these seriously. Barnard BI 203 Syllabus Fall 09, Page 3 of 11 • Tests and Exam are designed to test understanding of the concepts and ability to apply the concepts to novel problems. You can expect questions that range from multiple-choice to essay. The final exam will cover the material following the last test to the end of the semester, as well as being cumulative. The grade that you receive on the final exam may be used to replace your lowest test grade. In other words, if you get 80% on the final exam, and you have a test grade that was lower than 80% (see attendance policy below) you will get 80% of the points available on the test. Therefore the final will have much more weight as it will still count as the final. This will be done with only one test, and only the final exam can be used as a substitution. See attendance policy below for more information. • Literature Summary will require students to read an article from the primary literature and then write a short paper. This will be a short (2-3 pages) review of the articles that address the “why” and “how” behind the research. See the handout regarding this assignment. • Reflection Paper will involve finding a news report that touches on some aspect of the genetics that we have been studying. You will then explain the significance of the report to a non- scientist and then write a brief paper describing and reflection on this experience. • Lab Portion of the grade will consist of brief lab write-ups, an article summary looking at methods, and a major lab report. See the lab description and policy for more information. Course Policies • Attendance: General Attendance. I highly recommend attending all the lectures. You are responsible for any assignments, the material covered, and announcements that are made in class. Students find that this is not the type of course that you can skip the lectures and get what you need to know from the book. Attending lecture is the best way to make sure that you are keeping pace with the class and the work. In addition the class participation portion of the course grade includes group work during class – if you are not present, you are not participating! Attendance and Tests and the Exam. There will be NO make-up tests. If you miss a test you will receive a zero. However, you may substitute the grade that you receive on the final exam for a single test, if you have missed the test for a valid reason and have cleared it with me. If you just skip a test with no excuse it will remain a zero. See the information regarding tests, and exams above. There will not be a make up exam unless school is cancelled on the day of the exam. I will only consider a make up exam with a valid excuse (as determined my myself and if necessary the Department Chair). Attendance and the Laboratory. Your attendance is required at all laboratory meetings and absence will require a valid excuse. Biology is an experimental science and some of the most important learning will go on in the lab. If you know that you will not be able to attend a specific lab please talk to me before hand. If you are sick and miss a lab I will need a doctors note. If there is an emergency come talk to me. Otherwise you will receive a zero for that lab. I cannot offer make up labs on an individual basis. Plan ahead! Barnard BI 203 Syllabus Fall 09, Page 4 of 11 • Questions. I strongly encourage you to ask questions.