Biology 14
California Plants & Animals

Home
Syllabus
Schedule
Lectures
Handouts
Resources
Grades

California Plants and Animals
Biology 014-Section 24575
Spring 2013
Instructors:    Leticia Gallardo
                       Email: leticia_gallardo@westvalley.edu
                       Office: SM 55H    Phone: 408-741-2416
                       Office Hours: TTH 10:00-10:50am (SM58);M 2-3or 4-5pm as scheduled(SM55H); or by appt.
                       Web Page:   instruct.westvalley.edu/gallardo/

                       Michelle Geary
                       Email: michelle.geary@westvalley.edu
                       Office: SM 55A    Phone: 408-741-2572
                       Office Hours: M4:10-5:10pm, Th9-11am; or by appt.


Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course. However, students are expected to read and write at the college level and know sufficient mathematics to use and understand graphs and charts.

Required Texts & Publications:

* A Natural History of California. 1992. Schoenherr, Allan A. University of California Press. Berkeley, California.             ISBN 978-0-520-06922-0
* A Field Guide to Pacific States Wildflowers. 1998. Niehaus, Theodore. Charles L. Ripper. Peterson Field Guide.         ISBN:9780395316627.
*Introduction to Trees of the San Francisco Bay Region. 2003. Keator, Glenn. California Natural History guides ISBN:      9780520230071 
*The Laws Pocket Guide Set San Francisco Bay Area. 2010. Laws, John Muir. Heyday Books. ISBN:                             9781597141208
* Hand Lens (Loupe)
    Example may viewed on amazon.com                                                          http://www.amazon.com/SE-MJ361830C-Jewelers-Loupe-30X/dp/B000PCCJYI/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1326988423&sr=8-7

*Field Notebook.
    3 ring binder 5.5” X 8.5” OR 6 “X 9.5”
    Lined filler paper

Recommended:

*California Wildlife: A Practical Guide. 2000. Stienstra, Tom. Avalon Travel Publishers. ISBN: 9781573540872
*Binoculars

*Presentation:     Overheads, pictures, visuals, etc. as needed for oral report
*Transportation Requirement:    Students responsible for transportation to field trips

General Course Description:
Welcome to California Plants & Animals – Bio 14! You are about to begin an exciting and wondrous adventure into the diversity of plants and animals found in California. It will undoubtedly be a journey filled with amazing observations. There will be much to learn with a lot of time, energy and effort expended in this process. For many of you this course will begin building the foundation for your careers. As such, the material will need to be learned, not merely memorized. Learning requires a high level of understanding and will allow you to not only know information but be able to apply your knowledge. The ability to do so will extend the value of this course far beyond the boundaries of your transcript and into your careers and lives. In this syllabus you will find descriptions of what you can expect from this course, from me as your instructor, and perhaps most importantly, what is expected of you. Please read through the following information carefully. Transfer: CSU

Student Learning Outcomes:
    *Upon completion of this course the student should be able to:
    *Explain the life histories and identify the most common California trees, flowering plants, insects, amphibians,             reptiles, birds, and mammals.
    *Analyze the major bioregions in the state of California in terms of climate and geographical distribution of different         plant and animal species.
    *Deduce ecological interactions between different species in a community.


Course Expectations:
This biology course meets for 5 hours per week, 2 hours scheduled of lecture & 3 hours scheduled of lab. In addition to the scheduled class meetings, plan on spending additional research time in the library. To get the most out of this class you should expect to devote study time outside of class. The amount of time you spend in and outside of class will, in a large part, determine how well you do in the course. Students are expected to attend and participate in all lectures and labs. Any student absent from 4 or more class sessions (lecture or lab) may be dropped from the course by the instructor. Students are encouraged to remain active participants in class. Class involvement will not only make the course more interesting, but will also facilitate student understanding, learning and retention. All students are expected to arrive to class on time, having read the related material relevant to lectures. If you do arrive late please sit in the back or side of the room so as not to disrupt the class (your peers or instructor)

Course Format:
Lecture Format: Lectures will be used to present, clarify, and expand on information which is presented in your book. Although we will follow a typical lecture format, class participation and involvement is encouraged. If, during lecture, you have a question raise your hand and I will try to answer when appropriate. Otherwise please do not talk during lecture– it is disruptive to me and your fellow students! You do not need to bring your text to class, however, it will be to your benefit to have it available. You are required to know all of the information presented in the class lectures whether the material is in the text or not.

Laboratory Format:
Lab is an extremely important component of this course. Your hands-on exposure to materials is an invaluable experience that many of you would not get anywhere else! Plan on spending the entire assigned lab time in lab each week (minimum of 3 hours per week). Working with a group or as an individual you will explore California plant and animal communities through the use of models, preserved animals, activities and field trips. Your experience will depend on your involvement and participation, the more prepared you arrive to lab the more you will gain from the experience. You will be held accountable for all information covered in the laboratory.

At the end of each lab, it is your responsibility to be sure that all materials are clean and returned to their correct location. The tables should be wiped down following each lab. You should leave the laboratory should be cleaner than when you walked in.

Lab Safety:
In the event of an emergency student safety in the class is a primary concern. Please use your best judgment! Instructions for laboratory safety will be outlined during the first laboratory section. Students who miss this review are responsible for contacting the instructor for this information. In order to maximize safety students should be familiar with their surroundings. You should know the location of the first aid kit, fire extinguisher, eye wash, the nearest emergency phone, and emergency exit and procedures. In the event of an emergency which requires the evacuation of the building (earthquake or fire), once safety of exit has been evaluated, we will exit the building through the outside door and walk to parking lot #2. In this event you MUST follow the instructor’s directions and remain with the instructor until you are dismissed.


Field Trips:
There are several field trips for the course. Students are responsible for attending and participating on field trips. Field trips are considered lab activities (i.e. worth points) that are an integral part of the class. Students are responsible for making appropriate plans. This includes scheduling and transportation. Students are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the field study sites. While at the study sites students should consider themselves “In Class” and should behave accordingly. Guests and pets cannot be accommodated


Use of Animals in the Lab: Part of the course includes California animals. In order to achieve this, there are several labs that require preserved animal and animal skins. If you have strong objections to these procedures see me after the first class period.

Special Accommodations:
If you have a learning or physical need that will require special accommodations in this class you will need to notify me in writing of your accommodation needs. Please notify me following the first class if you require any special accommodations for learning or physical impairments. This will allow me to best meet your needs and allow us ample opportunity to provide suitable accommodations. West Valley College makes reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. College materials will be available in alternate formats (Braille, audio, electronic format, or large print) upon request. Please contact the Disability and Educational Support Program at (408) 741-2010 (voice) or (408) 741-2658 (TTY) for assistance.


Homework:
Homework assignments will be assigned throughout the semester. Reading and studying the text/ handouts, reviewing lecture powerpoints, and coming to class prepared are considered weekly homework.


Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory for student success. It is the student’s responsibility to attend ALL classes, classes will start on time and will run the entire time; schedule doctor appointments, dental appointments, baby sitters etc. accordingly. If you are absent for any reason, please notify me as soon as possible. If a student misses a lecture, it is his/her responsibility to obtain any handouts and information provided. Again, if a student is absent from more than four class sessions he/she will be DROPPED from the course. A portion of your grade will be determined by your participation, so it is important that you attend all class sessions to earn all possible points.


Withdrawing from the Course: Anyone not present in the beginning of the semester will be dropped. After the first class it is the responsibility of the student who registered to withdraw, even if he/she has stopped attending class.  Do not assume that if you stop coming to class that you will automatically be dropped. Students who fail to attend but do not inform the instructor and officially drop the course will receive a failing grade.

Conduct: Disruptive conduct in lecture and lab is unacceptable. This includes late arrivals, disruptive talk, passing notes, ringing cell phones, pagers and ipod use. Disruptive students will be asked to leave and will lose participation points. Continued disruptive behavior will result in disciplinary action.

Websites: This course will have an active website page which can be used to review lecture schedule and general class policies throughout the semester. This lecture section also has a webpage designed to provide students information relevant to this section only. Instructor’s syllabus with polices and lecture powerpoint presentations will be made available to students weekly. These materials are highly beneficial to focusing your study time and if used properly will aid in your success in this course.

Code of conduct:
*Alcohol and drug use violate West Valley College policies and will not be allowed on the field trips
*Weapons including firearms are not allowed on field trip
*Safety is critical for the success of this course. Students will be responsible for following the safety guidelines provided by the instructor. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the class with a failing grade
*Respect. Be respectful of the environment and of your classmates.

Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is MANDATORY. The college policy on cheating is clearly spelled out in the college catalogue and will be strictly enforced.  Use of any method other than your knowledge and memory (such as notes, looking on other students papers, communication between students etc.) to answer questions on an exam or quiz constitutes cheating and will result in failure of that exam or quiz. Dishonest behavior also includes: cheating, tampering, fabrication, plagiarism, and assisting (see course webpage “handout” folder for more details). Therefore be proactive; keep your work to yourself and be sure that all work (papers and presentations) is in your own and in your own words- this includes group activities. Summaries and reports must be completed individually. Any student caught exhibiting dishonest behavior will be appropriately reprimanded. All dishonest behavior will be reported to the Vice president of Student Services and will undergo review by the Disciplinary Action Committee. Resulting disciplinary action may include one or more of the following; academic probation, suspension, expulsion from the district colleges, and academic dishonesty transcript notation.

Make-Up Policy: NO make up exams are given. Be sure to show up!

Evaluation:

Assignments (50): Lab assignments will be assigned to reinforce concepts. Students will be allocated points for lab work & field trips. Students will also be tested on lab material.

Quizzes (80p): Quizzes will cover lecture &/or lab material covered during the class period. Quizzes will be administered at the ending of class. Make-up quizzes are not available, so be sure to attend class.

Field notebook (100p): A field notebook will be required for the field component of the course. Points will be allocated based on format, content, and completion of assignments.

Exams (450p): Students are responsible for all material presented in lecture & lab whether it can be found in the text or not. Attendance of scheduled exams is mandatory. There are NO make-up exams. Failure to attend an exam may result failing grade for the course. Exams scores will not be dropped or substituted. Exams will begin promptly at the beginning of class. Please arrive on time and note that you will not receive extra time to compensate a late arrival. Note: Please write legibly- my standard policy is if I can’t read it, it’s wrong!
There will be two non-comprehensive exams and one comprehensive final exam. The dates of these exams are listed in the course schedule. The exams will consist of a combination of matching, true/false, fill in the blank, short answer.

Paper & Presentation (100p): As part of your course grade you will be required to write a paper and give a class presentation. The purpose of this assignment is to provide you the opportunity to reinforce the material you have learned in class and apply the concepts to a topic/subject we did not cover. For this assignment you will choose a topic that relates to a California plant community or animal species that interests you. You may choose any topic or study organism that interests you. This is a REQUIREMENT! You must find a topic that you want to learn more about and would like to share with your classmates.

Periodically we will post your grades. This gives you the opportunity to confirm where you stand in the course, if you are missing any work or if I have made any errors recording your grades. Be sure to look it over. If you have any questions regarding any grade you receive and/or the grading method please feel free to talk to us.



Grading: You are not in competition with other students. Your course grade will be determined by the total number of points you earn.

Point Breakdown:                Assignments                               70 pts
                                             Quizzes                                      40 pts
                                             Field notebook                           100 pts
                                             Exams (3 @ 150 points each)    450 pts
                                             Paper & Presentation                 100 pts

                                                     Total Points Possible:      780 pts

Grade Calculation : (pts. earned / pts. possible) x 100 = %
*If complications in assigned point allocation arise, the percent scale of the remaining points will be used to calculate grades
                                Your final course grade will be based on the following scale:

                            A (90-100%),  B (80-89%),  C (65-79%),  D (55-65%),  F (below 55%)

Periodically I will post your grades. This gives you the opportunity to confirm where you stand in the course, if you are missing any work or if I have made any errors recording your grades. Be sure to look it over. If you have any questions regarding any grade you receive and/or the grading method please feel free to talk to me.

Miscellaneous Notes: Due to the disruptive nature of cell phones and pagers all cell phones and pagers must be completely turned off while in lecture and lab. If for some reason you must leave your cell phone or pager on please switch it to silent mode and leave the room before answering it. Ringing cell phones and/or pagers during exams may result in failure of the exam. If you must leave your phone on during an exam please switch it to silent mode. If, for any reason, you answer a cell phone or pager during an exam you must turn in your exam and forfeit your remaining time. Disruptions of this nature will also result in the loss of participation points.

Places to seek Additional Help:

Gallardo Office Hours:TTH10-10:50(SM58);M2-3 OR 4-5pm(SM55H) as scheduled; by appt.
Geary Office Hours: M 4:10-5:10pm, Th9-11am; or by appt.

Form study groups: Your fellow classmates are a valuable resource
Support Services: Please take advantage of the support services on campus- They are here to help you! Services contact information is listed below
Tutorial Services: All students are eligible for free on campus tutoring. If you wish to get help you MUST make the commitment to attend any scheduled tutorial sessions. If any student misses 2 un-cancelled tutorial sessions they will be dropped from the program.

Important Phone Numbers:

Life threatening emergency- Campus phone………………………………………………..9-911
Student Health Services on campus……… ………………………….…………………741-2027
Safety Escort Service (Campus Police) ……………………….……………..…………741-2092
Science and Math Division office …………………………………..……….……..…….741-2018
Extended Opportunity Programs & Service (EOPS)……………...……………..……..741-2010
Disability & Educational Support Program (DESP)……………………..………………741-2010
Technology Center………………………………………………………………………….741-2666
Tutorial Services……………………………….………………………………..………….741-2038
Counseling Center………………………………………………..…………………………741-2009
Bookstore……………..……………………………………………………………………..741-2015

Important Dates                                                                Holidays:
Last day to Add……………………………….…Feb 10        President’s Day…………..………Feb 15-18
Last day to drop without a “W” …….. Feb 10                  Spring Break………….……………Apr 1-6
Last day to drop with a “W”…………... Apr 26                 Cesar Chavez……………………….Apr 1   
Grades Available…………………………………Jun 4
       





                                 


page created by Leticia Gallardo
updated:  28  Jan  2012