LB145Sec 001-004

Today’s Outline

• Biology Assessment• Introductions• Syllabus / Course Overview• Class Meetings• Introductory Activities• What’s coming up in the next

few weeks

About Me: Who am I?

• Dr. Pete White • email: pwhite@msu.edu• Office: E186 [and] NKL 111• Office Hours: TTh 9-10am• http://tiny.cc/lb145

About You: Who are you?

Syllabus / Course Overview

• This is your education – you have input!– Periodical anonymous feedback on teaching and

learning.– Guided independent inquiry in labs.– Flexible grade weightings.

Syllabus / Course Overview

• What are “flexible grade weightings?”• There are 750 gradepoints in this course.– 300 are earned in lab (non-flexible).– 450 are earned in “lecture” (flexible).

Default Option

StudyNotes Option

Exams Option

Midterm Exam 1 50 50 50

Midterm Exam 2 75 60 90

Midterm Exam 3 75 60 90

Final Exam 100 80 120

StudyNotes 50 100 0

In-Class Exercises 30 30 30

Homework 70 70 70

LECTURE TOTAL 450 450 450

Syllabus / Course Overview

Exams 67% 56% 78%Study Notes 11% 22% 0%

Exercises + Homework 22% 22% 22%

Syllabus / Course Overview

• What are “flexible grade weightings?”• There are 750 gradepoints in this course.– 300 are earned in lab (non-flexible).– 450 are earned in “lecture” (flexible).

• How and when do I choose?– Choices are made after Exam 1 (by Jan 31st)– You will be given a piece of paper, indicate your

choice and sign.

Syllabus / Course Overview

• What are StudyNotes?– Go to http://tiny.cc/lb145– Click on Syllabus and look under sub-heading

STUDYNOTES…

Syllabus / Course Overview

Syllabus / Course Overview

• Your FIRST StudyNotes Assignment is due on THURSDAY, Jan 10th.

• You need to summarize Chapters 6.3 and 6.4 of the textbook.

• *See the example on the website for guidance.

Syllabus / Course Overview

• Midterm Exam 1 is on Thursday January 24th http://tiny.cc/lb145

– Mini-Exam– Covers first ~ three weeks of class.– 50 points– Short Answers + Long Answers– Consult your StudyNotes and Study Questions on

the website

Syllabus / Course Overview

• Other important dates:http://tiny.cc/lb145

– Midterm Exam 1 is on Thursday January 24th • Last day to drop course w/ refund February 1st

– Midterm Exam 2: Thursday February 28th

• Spring Break is March 4th - 8th

– Midterm Exam 3: Thursday April 11th

– Final Exam: Monday April 29th, 12:45-2:45 pm

Homework

• SIX homework assignments throughout the year.

• Your grade is split between the quality of work you hand in AND your ability to evaluate someone else’s work.

• More details on this next week.

• I may use TurnItIn for homework assignments in this course.

• When I do:– I will openly disclose use of Turnitin in this course on the

syllabus and at the time assignments are announced.– For a given assignment, I will use Turnitin for all papers.– I will make the final determination of originality and

integrity.– To ensure privacy, I will ask students to remove

identification (e.g. names & student numbers) from submissions.

Syllabus / Course Overview

• Clickers!– You need a

clicker.– You must

register your clicker.

– iClicker.com

Syllabus / Course Overview

• Honors Option!Something cool?t.b.a.

Class Meetings

Class Meeting Overview

• General course structure:– Tuesdays: lecture and class activities• Short lecturing blocks interspersed with clicker

questions, minute papers, discussions, etc.– Thursdays: activities and problem solving• Molecular Sculpting, Match’Em, Trivia Game,

DYKWYTYK, etc.

Class Meeting Overview

• WHY not just lecture?– Whoever does the most work learns the most.

Attention Span StudyJohnstone & Percival

• Observed 12 lecturers over 90 lectures.• Within 10-18 minutes students lost interest.• Attention span decreased over the course of

the lecture.– By the end, attention span was about 3-4 minutes.

Classroom EnvironmentYour Task: Create a classroom code of conduct.WRITE DOWN:List 3 behaviors that we should include in a classroom code of conduct. Think about what others can do to disrupt your learning and/or what other can do to enhance your learning.

I will compile the results. We will review them on Thursday and vote on them as classroom code of

conduct policy guidelines.

Teaching Expectations

• Class begins at 12:40 and ends at 2:00.• Be respectful of students and student learning. • I will be organized and prepared.• I will follow the syllabus.• I will maintain and foster a respectful and

inclusive learning environment.• I will respect the classroom code of conduct

policy guidelines voted on by the class.

How to Prepare for Class

• Complete StudyNotes.– I will not cover 100% of the course material in

Tuesday lectures.• Do study questions and homework.• I will not always post PowerPoint slides before

class.

Learning

What are your learning goals?

• Develop a list of 3 goals you hope to achieve in this course. List the goals as statements about knowledge skills, behaviors or interests.

What are MY goals for your learning?

• I want you to learn everything you can about proteins.

• I want you to learn everything you can about proteins.

• I want you to be able to describe complex micro-biological systems.

• The course is divided into three units:

Unit 1: Cells and Organelles; Membranes and Lipids

Unit 2: Cellular Bioenergetics

Unit 3: DNA, Gene Expression and Everything in Between

Think about Learning….

• What is learning?

Learning Survey

1.) What is learning? Write a 1-2 sentence definition of learning.

Learning Survey

2.) Suppose you have a younger cousin who will be a freshman at MSU next year. She solicits advice from you on how to learn in college. Drawing on your understanding of learning, list 4 recommendations for your friend that would lead to better learning. Explain your reasoning for each of these items.

Introductory Activity

• The case of PARALYIC SHELLFISH POISONING

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is primarily associated with bivalve mollusks (such as mussels, clams, oysters and scallops). These shellfish are filter feeders and, therefore, accumulate neurotoxins, called Saxitoxin, produced by microscopic algae, such as dinoflagellates, diatoms, and cyanobacteria…. Human toxicity and mortality can occur after ingestion of affected shellfish.The principal toxin responsible for PSP is saxitoxin. Some shellfish can store this toxin for several weeks after a harmful algal bloom passes, but others, are known to store the toxin for up to two years. PSP acts primarily on the nervous system.

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

PSP can be fatal in some cases, particularly in immunocompromised individuals and children. Symptoms can appear ten to 30 minutes after ingestion, and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tingling or burning lips, gums, tongue, face, neck, arms, legs, and toes. Shortness of breath, dry mouth, a choking feeling, confused or slurred speech, and loss of coordination are also possible.

Saxitoxin Sensitivity vs. Saxitoxin Resistance

Resistant clams accumulate saxitoxin and are harmful to

humans.

Not all clams are resistant to saxitoxin:

(dead clams )

Minute paper:

• From a cell and molecular biology perspective, why are some clams resistant to saxitoxin while others are sensitive?

HINTS:• Resistant clams have the genotype DE or DD.• Sensitive clams have the genotype EE.(What does D do?)

Answer the following questions:

1. What is a protein? 2. Draw a protein. 3. What does a protein do?

Question:

What is a Protein?

Answer: A chain of amino acids.

Question:

What does a protein look like?

Answer: There are many ways to visualize a protein:

Question:

What do the D and E alleles do?

Answer: They code for different variants of a protein. One

version of the protein results in resistance to saxitoxin.

Proteins• Everything we will learn in LB145 relates to

proteins.• Unit 1: Proteins and membranes/organelles• Unit 2: Proteins and energy• Unit 3: Proteins and DNA

Proteins are everywhere and do almost everything.

• Lipids and Lipid biolayers

• Fluid Mosaic Models• How does stuff get into

and out of cells?• How does stuff move

around within cells?

Campbell 8e, Fig. 6.12

Unit 1: Cells and Organelles; Membranes and Lipids

Building Mental Models

• Think about a cell membrane – how would you draw one?

Membrane?

Membrane?

Building Mental ModelsCe

ll m

embr

ane

Looking Ahead..

Looking Ahead..

Due on Thursday:

• Get the Lab Book! Lab starts on Jan. 9th/10th

• Bring your folder (with name, artifact & descriptor).• Study Notes are due on Jan 10th.– READ Freeman Biology, Sec 6.1-6.4– Make notes on

Carbonless paperfor sections 6.3-6.4.

– You can find carbonlessnotebooks on Amazon.comand at most bookstores.

• Register your clicker.• CATME (by midnight tonight)