Quiz 1 will be on eLC and the syllabus (below) is required reading for that quiz. I will do everything in my abilities to teach this course in a way that doesn't require your attendance, but giving priority to the in-class students because my experience trying to manage both in-class and online students shows that it compromises both. There will be plenty of opportunity for learning from my recorded lectures (audio with slides if possible), the assigned readings, and opportunities for questions and interactions.
Welcome to Organismal Biology! I'll go ahead and prep you with this important information: there is no way you can learn all there is about such a huge topic in one semester. The goal of this class is to expose you to the most important "law" of biology, that a tremendous amount of diversity exists. This diversity is something we can learn how to identify, how it interacts with the environment and other life forms, and how it changes over time through growth, movement, or adaptation.
The theme of this class is our ability as scientists to make predictions: how will life respond when the environment changes? Though predictions of climate scientists are something we should take seriously for many reasons, we will find out that there are predictable ways that populations of living organisms respond when their environment gets hotter, or wetter, or drier, or fragmented. You may find that by paying attention to how species have been adjusting their physiology or their distribution on this planet tells you all you a lot of what you need to know about how climate change is re-shaping our planet.
I will do my best to make this class not about memorization of lectures, or the minute details in a dense textbook. I want you to leave this class knowing better how to learn what you need about biology when it presents itself. How do you recognize it, how do you understand the function of diversity, how do we appreciate diversity? We will work on our abilities to think critically about problems in science, to work collaboratively, and to find scientific information on our own.
The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; I will announce deviations to this plan as necessary.
Dr. John Wares (jpwares@uga.edu), personal pronouns He/Him/His, office C328 Davison Life Sciences Building. I will respond to your emails within 24 hours Monday through Friday. I will respond to weekend emails on Monday.
Virtual Office Hours, or "Student Hours" will be on Mondays from 10-11am and Thursdays from 10-11am. I will have a Zoom office open for this. Again, this should be preferable to either trying to find my physical office on campus or using a cramped "swing room" in the Student Learning Center!
In general though, when you have questions about the material:
read the syllabus
check "Course Announcements" on eLC
use the discussion boards on eLC
contact your other group members (edit: still figuring out if/how we can have groups)
email me and I'll respond when I can
PLEASE remember that there are ~160 students in this section and I do not have a Teaching Assistant. Help each other when you can!
1. eLC – much of the class material and information will be on eLC, make sure you have access! There will be a Quiz or Exam almost every week, and they will be on eLC.
2. Readings and Activities – before every class, I will post reading, videos, or podcasts to consider before class.
3. Books to Purchase – Readings will come from the scientific literature or a FREE textbook that is posted here as PDF or as web-accessible file.
4. I am no longer using Top Hat both to save you money and because honestly it causes a lot of hassle with grading that is not important for learning. I will instead be using Google Forms to get input from students during active sessions.
This means you don't have to pay anything extra to succeed in this course.
Finally, of course...
5. Zoom will be the teleconferencing software used for our class and student interactions other than the classroom.
Class sessions are from 12:45-2:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursday following the new UGA class schedule.
There are 4 units, each with a concluding exam:
1. Biology, the Environment, and Stress: exam on September 14
2. Organismal Diversity and Dispersal: September 17-October 8, exam on October 12
3. Ecology and Interactions, October 10-October 31, exam on November 11
4. Spatial Responses, exam on last day of class, December 2. This is subject to change.
Unlike Fall 2020, BIOL 1104 will not be conducted online. Lectures will be presented during scheduled class time in SLC 285; I will do my best to record these lectures but will be moving around the room and interacting with students (with a face mask on when I'm around you). Quizzes and exams will be administered via eLC, with quizzes on your own schedule and exams at a scheduled time as above. All assignments will be turned in via eLC.
Those of you taking the lab component of 1104 will also have face-to-face instruction as part of those labs; they will be taught by graduate teaching assistants. Be mindful that they put in a lot of work and risk their own exposure by teaching these sections. So, you will have to monitor yourself before coming to campus for any signs of illness like fever or coughing or GI problems, and all of us should wear a protective face covering, in particular if you have *any* indication that you have signs of being ill. This is good manners even if you only have a common cold. This protects you, the wearer, as well as those around you, from transmission via small water droplets that carry viruses.
This would seem to leave few opportunities for you to get to know your Professor, Dr. Wares. As noted above, each week there will be two 1-hour "student time" sessions where you can drop in and ask questions relevant to the class or your progressing interests in the field of biology. Additionally, some of the "extra credit" assignments require a short Zoom interaction with Dr. Wares.
Before and after class sessions it is common to come up and talk to your professor. I *love* talking with you. I will wear a mask when I am not lecturing and you must as well unless disability requires otherwise, in which case we will find a space to talk effectively but safely.
Some students ask me for a letter of support after this class is over; if we have interacted at all in one of these more private meetings, it helps me tremendously to be able to report more than your grade and what is already on your resumé! However, I remind you that it is difficult for a professor of a large class to know a student well enough to provide great details that you need for professional advancement.
Face Coverings:
As of August 2021, face coverings are required by Athens-Clarke County while you are indoors. Yes, I realize that the loopholes of property ownership means this doesn't apply to UGA properties. As noted above, it is not only smart as the delta variant of SARS-COV-2 expands in our state but it is kind to wear a mask to support the health of others. You should also maintain appropriate distance from folks when possible. Many of you like to ask questions or talk with me before and after class; please respect the standard physical distancing of 6 feet and please wear a mask.
What do I do if I have symptoms?
Students showing symptoms should self-isolate and schedule an appointment with the University Health Center by calling 706-542-1162 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.). Please DO NOT walk-in. For emergencies and after-hours care, see https://www.uhs.uga.edu/info/emergencies. If you think you have been exposed, please respond accordingly depending on whether you have been vaccinated (I have been!) or not.
As I will tell you (repeatedly) the best way to learn in this class and others is repeated exposure to the material, and active engagement with the topics. You benefit from answering questions and working, talking, thinking with your peers. You benefit from thinking about these questions OFTEN, not just before the exam. My exams will require you to apply concepts, which is more challenging than memorization.
For example, you could memorize the scientific names of the finches that Charles Darwin studied in the Galapagos (Geospiza, Camarhynchus, Certhidea, Piinaroloxias) and then you would know those Latin names (but you could also look them up easily). If instead you learn that one interesting thing about these finches (actually, if you read the linked article above for "finches" you'll find that these birds are actually tanagers, oh confusing biology!) is how annual differences in rainfall and temperature influence the survival and reproduction of finches based on different beak shapes and sizes, then you could apply similar reasoning towards how environmental variation shapes diversity in a totally distinct organism.
So, my advice follows that of my colleagues who have taught BIOL 1104:
Attend class or view the lecture, pay attention, and participate. Your questions help others learn, and their questions and interactions will help you learn.
Study often, EVERY day when possible, don't focus on memorizing. Take advantage of "student hours", and try to relate what you are learning to other organisms in different habitats or parts of the planet.
Don't feel excited by the material being taught? Find out how the same concepts apply to some part of the living world that DOES excite you. Do you go fishing? Do you like butterflies or seashells? Do you love watching trees leaf out in the spring? Does your family farm? What we learn applies to all life, even if I'm using examples about mushrooms the same principles apply to bees.
When in doubt, write about it. Writing is a different way of thinking, and you may find that if you can explain an idea in writing, or clarify your questions in writing, it will help you understand the problem better.
Learning Activities:
Pre-class preparation is required. When you learn the basics outside of class, we can spend our short time together to understand the material more deeply. The unit calendars on eLC will list what you should do before each class (reading, podcasts, videos) and the material will be available on eLC.
Notes: the slides I present in class are made available so that you can use them as a guide for note-taking. I will encourage you to make your own drawings; the point is to think deeply about the material while in class. Be sure and write down questions you are being asked and try to answer them. If you miss class, use the slides to learn what you missed. I will not repeat the material from class over email or during office hours.
Graded evaluations:
Weekly quizzes on eLC: most weeks you will be responsible for completing a quiz before class on Thursdays. The purpose of the quizzes to to make sure you learn from the assigned materials and to make sure you are studying throughout the unit. You may take each quiz twice and the best score is kept. Please do not simply "forget" about quizzes and ask me to re-open them days or weeks later. They are listed on the course calendar.
Exams: There will be FOUR exams, all multiple-choice, with a focus on application and analysis rather than memorization. Each exam you will take TWICE, once on your own and again evaluating with your peers and other resources. The repeat exam gives you the chance to understand what you knew and what you may have been confused about during the solo exam, BOTH are graded. In our 75 minute class period, 45 minutes are allocated for the exam, and when you take the repeat exam you will have 45 minutes.
Unit assignments: In past years, we did these as small groups, and I encourage you to use your friends and peers as best as you can for these projects. However I have taught this class enough times to know the stresses that group work can have - and that the last year or more has only exacerbated that problem. So, this year each unit you have an assignment that is scored individually but I will randomly assign groups of 5-6 as "people you can know are in the class that might be of help" but work with whomever you wish; if a group-person asks for your help, do what you can to support each other.
You will have an assignment to complete for each Unit.
You should try to get peer review from your group members or friends to ensure you have done as requested.
Answer-O-Rama: This just refers to regular polls I will use to find out how you are learning concepts, or to get data from the class. Each time, the link for what I'm requesting is found on the Resources page. I will try to use a QR code each time as well to speed participation.
Extra Credit: is just what you think it is, you will find out about this HERE and these points are simply added to your points total.
What if I miss class?
Attendance is important. However, if you miss a class, lectures will be recorded and resources will be available at this website. Since I no longer use Top Hat for in-class questions, you don't need to worry about being present for every class. And by "present" I mean showing up for the Zoom or other sessions.
You are also able to drop the grade of your lowest-graded eLC quiz, and lowest solo exam. I do not intend to write alternate exams for students who cannot make the scheduled exam dates - you being able to drop your low exam should account for personal absences.
I know why you are still reading this syllabus. You want to know this all-important information! You will be graded as follows:
Four Exams - each exam is worth 100 points and is TIMED and SYNCHRONOUS, meaning we all take the exam at the same time. You will drop your lowest grade, no matter what reason. You do not have to tell me, and your reason for missing or doing poorly is no different than anybody else's reason. Exams will cover both the reading material that is assigned as well as topics covered in lectures/activities. Exams will be given on eLC with strict time limits (adjusted for DRC students); the repeat exams will also be administered this way but you will have a day to answer, they are worth 10 points. Your lowest repeat exam is NOT dropped, to be sure students stay engaged for the duration of the semester.
You have 24 hours to identify any problematic questions on any exam, I do usually drop a question or two.
Quizzes - each quiz is worth 10 points, you may drop your lowest quiz grade for the semester. Quizzes will be on the reading material assigned.
Unit Assignments - there will be four unit assignments each worth 15 points.
The total expected points for the semester is thus 500. (10 quizzes, 3 exam scores, 4 repeat exam scores, 4 unit assignments).
Your letter grade for the course will be calculated at the end of the semester and will be based on a final percentage of these points. (Definitely pay attention to the Extra Credit opportunities)
You can calculate this by adding the total points YOU HAVE EARNED, dividing by the POINTS POSSIBLE, and multiplying by 100 to get a percentage rather than proportion. The "letter scale" used for your posted grade will be:
A 94.0-100%
A- 90.0-93.9%
B+ 87.0-89.9%
B 83.0-86.9%
B- 80.0-82.9%
C+ 77.0-79.9%
C 73.0-76.9%
C- 70.0-72.9%
D 60.0-69.9%
F below 60%
Grading grievances: If you feel there has been a mistake in your grade on an exam or other assignment, please contact me immediately. I will not consider grading appeals beyond 3 days after assignment or exam scores are posted. Franklin College has a list of all appeal options for students.
You may feel that you are just a point or two away from a higher grade, but I cannot with fairness add points to your score without affecting the grades/distribution of others in the class. Changing your grade simply because you 'need' a higher score is in violation of the Culture of Honesty guidelines of the University of Georgia. If you have questions about withdrawals versus dropped classes, final exam conflicts, missed class for illness, or the Hope scholarship please visit Student Affairs (studentaffairs.uga.edu/students.htm).
The grade distribution for this class has, for the past three years, been on par with what is typical for UGA classes.
Please note you can also work towards extra credit!
Academic Honesty and the Honor Code: Academic honesty means performing all of your work without plagiarism, cheating, lying, tampering, stealing, giving, or receiving unauthorized assistance from any other person, or using any source of information that is not common knowledge without properly acknowledging the source. WHEN IN DOUBT IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE YOU ARE FOLLOWING THESE RULES! The academic honesty policy of the University of Georgia is supplemented by an Honor Code that was adopted by the Student Government Association: I will be academically honest in all of my academic work and will not tolerate academic dishonesty of others. All students agree to abide by this code by signing the UGA Admissions Application. For more information please refer to honesty.uga.edu. This commitment and statement means that you agree NOT to:
Log into another student's account to answer questions for them.
Write someone's name on an assignment and turn it in if that person did not actually contribute to the assignment.
Look at another person's exam or Scantron while taking an exam, even if you are just "checking to see where that person is on the exam".
Cheat, lie, or plagiarize in any other way. If you have questions about an assignment and academic integrity, please ASK.
Any person found using unauthorized assistance will be reported immediately to the Office of the Vice President for Instruction and/or the UGA Honesty Office. The minimum penalty for unauthorized assistance is a failing grade on that assignment/exam, and the maximum penalty is suspension from the University. I have certainly used the Honesty Office before, I don't enjoy it - don't risk your academic future!
An addendum on plagiarism since it has been in the news more often than usual in recent years. Plagiarism means representing your own thoughts and words with somebody else's. Any resource you use to learn from and use to represent facts or concepts must be cited clearly.
I PREFER the citation style indicated here: peerj.com/about/author-instructions/#reference-format.
Even after you have cited the article, book, website, or newspaper (or whatever), ensure that no passages are repeated without clear quotations around that material and a direct attribution to the original author and source. If you find you are quoting so much that more than about 5-10% of your assignment is in quotations, you are relying on their words too much. Re-read, do what you need to understand the material better, and put your understanding into YOUR OWN WORDS. For more guidelines, see www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/what-is-plagiarism/.
Reasonable accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities. The Disability Resource Center in the Division of Student Affairs (114 Clark Howell Hall; 706-542-8719 voice, 706-542-8778 tty) coordinates accommodations and services for students with disabilities. Please notify the instructor of any accommodations needed for the course during the first 2 weeks of the semester. Typically, the main ways that this comes into play in BIOL 1104 include:
I make every attempt to ensure all audio/video resources are captioned; I will do what I can to work with active captioning services for my lectures. If you have any problems with captions or transcripts please contact me so we can work to make sure this is not a problem.
Exams will be timed so that you have appropriate time limits that overlap with the rest of the class.
If you have any other needs with regard to seating, support animals, etc. please just let me know. Laptops are allowed, along with other devices, but must be used for class purposes only.
Technology Difficulties
First of all, please let me know by email (jpwares@uga.edu) if you have concerns about your internet connection this Fall. There are resources and strategies I can recommend. My goal will be for the best possible interaction when you can be in class during scheduled class periods, but that the classtimes will be recorded and posted to eLC for asynchronous viewing or review.
You will have adequate time to complete the assignments. If you wait until too late (less than 3 hours before it is due, or after regular 9am-5pm business hours), I may not be able to help you. If you forget to complete an online quiz, it will not be available to make up.
If you have problems with eLC, contact the EITS help desk 706-542-3106 or eits.uga.edu/support/request.
NO form of discrimination or (micro)aggression regarding race, sex, gender, sexuality, religion, ability, or other forms of diversity will be tolerated. You must respect the learning environment of all the others in the classroom and in all interactions (email, eLC, etc.). If you've learned anything from recent events at all, it should be that we have a long way to go in this country before we can assume that prejudice against others is no longer a problem.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, you are encouraged to contact Student Care and Outreach in the Division of Student Affairs at 706-542-7774 or visit https://sco.uga.edu. They will help you navigate any difficult circumstances you may be facing by connecting you with the appropriate resources or services.
UGA has several resources for a student seeking mental health services (https://www.uhs.uga.edu/bewelluga/bewelluga) or crisis support (https://www.uhs.uga.edu/info/emergencies).
If you need help managing stress anxiety, relationships, etc., please visit BeWellUGA (https://www.uhs.uga.edu/bewelluga/bewelluga) for a list of FREE workshops, classes, mentoring, and health coaching led by licensed clinicians and health educators in the University Health Center.