Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2024 - BISC 102 D100

General Biology (4)

Class Number: 3779

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Oct 11, 2024: Tue, Thu, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    Oct 16 – Dec 3, 2024: Tue, Thu, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Ronald Ydenberg
    ydenberg@sfu.ca
    1 778 782-5618

  • Instructor:

    Kevin Lam
    klamf@sfu.ca
    778-782-5937
    Office: B9235

  • Instructor:

    Hayley Kellam
    hayley_kellam@sfu.ca
    Office Hours: Your instructors (the professor, lab instructor, TAs) all have weekly office hours, posted at the start of the course.

  • Prerequisites:

    Biology 12 (or equivalent) with a minimum grade of C (or BISC 100 with a minimum grade of C-, or BISC 113 with a minimum grade of C+, or BPK 105 with a minimum grade of C+, or HSCI 100 with a minimum grade of C+).

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduction to evolution and ecology, focusing on the processes that shape the diversity of life on earth. Lecture and lab topics include: natural selection and other mechanisms of evolutionary change, phylogeny, genetics, speciation, behaviour, species interactions, population ecology, and ecosystems. BISC 101 and 102 may be taken in either order. Breadth-Science.

COURSE DETAILS:

Assignments                         

There are two course assignments. The Inquiry Figure Assignment is worth 15% of your grade - you’ll receive direction in the lab portion of the course. The Forest Walk Assignment is worth 15% of your final grade, and is designed to get you out to see some biology in the field. You’ll receive direction in tutorial.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Mid term       

The mid-term will be held Thursday October 17, during the regular lecture time 1230 – 1330. The mid-term covers material from lectures 1 – 10, and is worth 10% of your grade. The course exam policy will be posted on Canvas.

 

Final exam    

The final exam (2h) will be scheduled during the exam period. The first portion of the final exam covers material from lectures 11 - 22, while the second portion covers the entire course. The final exam is worth 20% of your grade.

 

Lab exam      

The lab exam will be held in Week 13 of the semester.

Tutorials

Discussion and exchange with instructors and peers forms a valuable part of a university education. You have been assigned to a tutorial group, and participation in group discussions is worth 10% of your course grade. Tutorials are scheduled, so it is generally not possible to switch to a different group.

 

Grading

  • Forest Walk Assignments 15%
  • Inquiry Figure Assignment 15%
  • Tutorial Participation 10%
  • Midterm exam 10%
  • Final exam 20%
  • Lab exam 25%
  • Lab Assignments 5%

NOTES:

Letter grades will be assigned as follows.

The boundary between B and C letter grades will be set at the overall class average. Therefore, about half of assigned letter grades are ‘B-’ or higher, and the other half ‘C+’ or lower. Letter grades are assigned as follows:

 

Scores more than one standard deviation above the average            ‘A’ letter grades

Scores within one standard deviation above the average -                 ‘B’ letter grades

Scores within one standard deviation below the average -                ‘C’ letter grades

Scores more than one standard deviation below the average  -         ‘D’

Scores more than two standard deviations below the average -         ‘F’

 

A ‘standard deviation’ is a measure of the spread in a distribution. If you’re new to statistics look up http://www.mathsisfun.com/data/standard-deviation.html. A normal distribution, (i.e. the ‘bell-shaped’ curve) has about 68% of the grades within one standard deviation of (above and below) the mean, so most grades will be ‘B’ or ‘C’.

 

Note that you must pass both the lab and lecture portions of the course to gain an overall passing grade. Failing either will result in a ‘D’, which means you will not be able to use BISC 102 as a pre-requisite for other courses. Failing both will result in an ‘F’.

 Canvas           You can find lecture recordings, a pdf of the lecture slides, and a reading list on Canvas

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Biological Science, by Freeman, Harrington and Sharp.

3rd or 4th Canadian Editions, Pearson. Highly recommended.         

 


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.