Spring 2017

Biology 21

T: 9:45 - 12:55

Room : 7 - 1115

Mt. San Antonio

College

Marine biology lab (Biol 21) is

one of my favorite courses to

teach and I hope you enjoy this

course and find it interesting.

Once you have completed this course you should be able to

identify a number of organisms

that can be seen along the

California coast. We have four

field trips in this class which will

give you the opportunity to

observe and photograph a

number of organisms. Our first

tip will be to an estuary called

Newport Back Bay. You will

have the opportunity to learn

some common plants and

animals associated with

estuaries and salt marshes. Later

in the semester we will go to

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.

Bolsa Chica is an excellent place

to see and observe shore birds.

We also have two required

weekend field trips. We will be

going to Shaw’s Cove in Laguna Beach to observe organisms

that inhabit the rocky intertidal.

We will also be taking a boat

trip out of Dana Point. When

we are on campus in the

laboratory you will get a

chance to dissect a variety of

organisms such as sharks and

squid to learn the internal

anatomy of the animal and how

it relates to the animal’s

lifestyle. You will learn

taxonomy, anatomy, and some

marine ecology.

Course Description and Objectives

MA

RIN

E L

AB

Course details

Website: http://instruction2.mtsac.edu/sschmidt/

Required Text: Schmidt, Sherry and J. Kido. Laboratory Manual for Marine Biology – (Available at Day and Nite

Copy in the shopping center on the corner of Temple and Grand)

Optional Text: Castro, Peter and M. Huber. 2015. Marine Biology, 10th Edition. McGraw Hill. (This is on

reserve in the library. You will only need it a couple of times).

What’s in This Syllabus

Expectations 2

Cell phones and grading 3

Cheating policy and

important dates 4

Laboratory schedule 5

To succeed in this course you

must get to class on time, attend

all field trips, utilize your time in

lab productively, study often, and

live a life that is conducive to

learning. That includes getting

enough sleep and getting some exercise, and regularly reviewing

the material.

Make up exams and quizzes The laboratory exams are practical exams. There is no way to make up a

practical exam. If you miss an exam you will have to take a comprehensive

written exam during finals week. I will allow you to take a quiz early but I will

not allow you to take it late. You may replace a low quiz score or a missed

quiz in lab by doing an extra credit activity. You may also replace a

homework assignment in lab with an extra credit activity. See my website for

extra credit activities: http://instruction2.mtsac.edu/sschmidt/

Late assignments I have been having an issue with students coming to class late and students

turning in late work. I have found a need to develop a policy that is consistent

and fair to all my students including those that get to class on time and those

who turn in their work on time. A nonfunctioning printer is not an

excuse. Work on your assignment early enough so if problems arise, you

have time to deal with them. See the table below for my policy on

assignments that are turned in after the beginning of the class the assignment

is due. I do not accept late laboratory homework.

Coming to class late I give a quiz at the beginning of every lab

period. If you come in after I have

passed the quiz out you will not be

allowed to take the quiz.

Field Trips The bus will depart at the time indicated on

this syllabus. If you show up late you will

miss the bus. It is not fair to students who

arrive on time to wait for late students. Plus

we need to

maximize

the time

we have in

the field.

You will want to be on time!

“Education seems

to be in America

the only

commodity of

which the

consumer tries to

get as little as he

can for his money”

Max Forman

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Your Instructor: Sherry Schmidt

Office: Bldg 60 Room 2106

Office Hours:

T, Th 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.

M, W 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Phone: (909) 274- 4764

Email: sschmidt@mtsac.edu

On Time: Turned in at the beginning of class

100% - missed questions

Turned in 5 minutes after class starts

80% - missed questions

Turned in the day due but after class ends

70%- missed questions

Turned in next class meeting

50% - missed questions

Turned in beyond the next class meeting

0% - no credit given

The use of cell phones when I am talking or giving an introductory lecture in

the lab is disruptive to me and the students that sit near you. You may use

your cell phones on breaks or when we are on the bus but I expect you to

have your cell phones in your backpacks when we are in the field or in the

lab.

Grades will be determined by a straight percentage of your total

score.

Total Points in Course = 695

3 Practicums 100 points 300 points

Quizzes 100 points 100 points

Home Work/Drawings 100 points 100 points

Back Bay Report 50 points 50 points

Tide Pool Report 60 points 60 points

Boat Trip Report 60 points 60 points

Bolsa Chica Write up 25 points 25 points

Total Points 695 total

90-100% A (626 points)

80-89% B (556 points)

65-79% C (452 points)

55-64% D (383 points)

< 54% F

Cell

P

ho

nes

Grading

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Help and Resources

If you are feeling lost or

overwhelmed…

Talk to me See me during my office hours or

make an appointment to see me if

you cannot come to my office

hours.

Use my website You will find handouts and useful

information for the field trips on my

website. I also have links to videos,

practice quizzes, photographs of

dissections, and to other useful

websites. Past students have found

my website very helpful and I hope

you utilize the resources I have

provided for you.

Visit the Biology Study Room The biology study room is in

building 61 room 3318. Check my

website for the hours it is open.

The person at the front desk is

either a biology student or professor. Most of the time he/she

would be willing to answer a few

quick questions for you. The

resource room would also be a

great place to meet if you decide to

start or join a study group.

Use the Natural Science

Computer Lab The computer lab is in building 11

room 2115. You can use it to print

assignments. You must have your

student ID and your own flash drive

if you want to use the computers

and printers. Check my website for

the hours it is open.

Accommodations If you feel that you have a disability

that may prevent you from

succeeding in this class please

contact the DSP&S office. The office

is located in the Student Services

Building (9B).

http://www.mtsac.edu/dsps/

Laboratory Homework The laboratory homework

includes drawings you complete

during the laboratory period as

well as questions related to the

organisms you have studied during

the lab period. You need to have

detailed thoughtful answers to the

questions. The purpose of the

homework and quizzes is to

prepare you for the practical

No make-up quizzes

or homework

are given.

According to the Mt. SAC policy on academic integrity an instructor who

determines that a student has cheated may give the student a failing grade for

the assignment, for the course, or drop the student from the course. Since

the student has failed to abide by the standards of academic honesty, the

instructor has a right to give an F for the assignment or the course even

though the student may have successfully and, presumably, honestly passed

the remaining portion of the assignment or course. If the instructor issues a

failing grade for the course or drops the student, the actions shall be

reported to the Dean, Student Services, and Director, Student Life. An

instructor may also recommend that appropriate action be taken under

provisions of the Administrative Regulations and Procedures on Student

Discipline.

Some examples of cheating include, but are not limited to:

Plagiarism, which is the use of materials authored by another person or obtained

from a commercial source or the use of passages without proper

acknowledgment. This includes using photographs from the internet without

giving the photographer credit.

Having or using unauthorized materials during any exam or quiz.

Notes concealed in or written on clothing, hats, or skin (as examples).

Looking at another student’s work during any exam or quiz.

Removing an exam or quiz from the classroom without the professor’s approval.

Taking photos of exams, quizzes, completed ScanTrons®, or exam keys.

Turning in work that was generated by other individuals or by the same

individual but in a prior semester, including but not limited to: lab report data,

lab report or homework questions, homework assignments, and extra credit

assignments. Allowing another student to look at your exam or quiz, or allowing another

student to copy your homework, lab reports, or other assignments. (If that

work is duplicated you may also receive the same penalties listed above for

violation of the Biology Department Policy on Cheating, and the college policy

Policy on Academic Integrity

Page 4 on cheating and academic dishonesty.)

Some Important Dates

and Holidays

August 29- School Starts

September 5 - Holiday September 9 - last day to

drop without a “W” November 10 - Last day to

drop

November 11 - Holiday

December 12 - 16: Finals

DO NOT CHEAT

OR PLAGIARIZE.

IT IS NOT WORTH

GETTING AN “F”

IN THE COURSE

AND A CITATION

ON YOUR ACADEMIC

RECORD!!!!!!

You are not

allowed to have

a cell phone at

your seat during

an exam. If you

have a cell

phone in your possession I

consider that cheating and

you will receive an “F” on the

exam and you will be

written up for cheating.

Laboratory Schedule

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Week Date Topic Assignment

1 28 Feb The microscope, the cell, and plankton

Chapter 1

2 7 March Primary producers: Marine plants and algae

Chapter 2

3 14 March Required Field Trip to Newport Back Bay

Meet at steps in front of Performing Arts Center

Bus departs at 9:45 am and returns between 1:30 and 2:00 pm.

Read Article:

Estuaries and Salt

Marshes

4 21 March Taxonomy - Porifera (Sponges)

Chapter 3

Newport Back

Bay Report due

5 28 March Practicum

Field Trip to Wildlife Sanctuary

6

Sat

4 April

8 April

Cnidaria ( Jellyfish and Corals) and Annelida (Segmented Worms)

Required Tide Pool Field Trip - Shaw's Cove, Laguna Beach

Low tide (-0.2) is at 2:39 p.m. Bus departs at 11:45 am and returns between 4 - 5 pm

Chapter 4

Read Article:

The Rocky

Intertidal

7

11 April

Mollusca (Clams, Mussels, and Squid)

Chapter 5

Tide Pool Report

Due

8 18 April Arthropoda (Shrimp, Crabs, Lobsters, Horseshoe Crabs, Sea Spiders) Chapter 6

9

Sat

25 April

29 April

Practicum - Echinodermata

Required Boat Trip - Dana Point - Bus departs at 7:15 am and returns 3:00 pm

(Note there is a $45.00 fee for this trip)

Chapter 7

10 2 May Urochordates (Tunicates) and Chondrichthyes (Sharks, Skates, Rays) Chapter 8

11 9 May Osteichthyes (Bony fishes) and Aves (Marine Birds)

Chapters 9 and 10

Boat Trip Report

Due

12 16 May Required Field Trip - Bolsa Chica

Bus departs at 9:45 am and returns between 1:30 and 2:00 pm.

Last day to turn in extra credit

13 23 May Vertebrate Homologies

Chapter 11

14 30 May Review for final practicum

15 6 June Final Practicum

16 13 June No formal class meeting.

Comprehensive written final exam for those who need to make-up a missed

practicum or a low practicum score will be given at 10:30 am.

Students will be able to relate anatomical structure to life style of various marine organisms, and analyze the significance of the structure and functions of organ systems to the mode of life in the marine environment.

Students will be able to analyze external and internal anatomy of marine organisms and describe differences in structure between various classes of marine organisms within a particular phylum.

Students will be able to summarize ecological principles associated with marine ecosystems.

Students completing relevant assignments in Area B courses will evaluate the impact of science on their daily lives

Students will be able to identify 5 different organisms found in the intertidal zone of southern California.

Students will be able to identify dominant invertebrates and vertebrates of the intertidal regions in a field situation by observing differences in distribution at different elevations above sea level.

Students will be able to compare and contrast the biological and physical aspects of the marine environment, and explain adaptations of marine organisms to each aspect.

Students will be able to differentiate between the major phyla of marine organisms based on anatomical differences discovered in laboratory dissections.

Students will demonstrate an ability to recognize chordgrass, pickleweed, and salt grass and describe the elevational distribution of these plants in a salt marsh.

Student Learning Outcomes for Biology 21

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