Botany  2104 - Plant Form and Function - Spring 2016 - Syllabus

PDF of the syllabus

Prerequisites: none
Lecture/Lab: MWF 8:30-10:20 in SL421
Instructor:
Dr. S. Harley; e-mail: sharley@weber.edu; Office: SL409M, 801-626-7434; Office Hours: MWF12:30-1:20 or by appointment; e-mail: sharley@weber.edu
Botany Department Office:
SL402M, 801-626-6174
Course URL: http://faculty.weber.edu/sharley/2104/2104.htm

        Plant Form and Function is one of the two core courses required by all Botany majors and minors. The other course is Botany SI2114, Evolutionary Survey of Plants. The two courses are independent of each other in that one is not a prerequisite for the other. If you will be taking upper division Botany courses, you should be aware that some have both 2000-level courses as prerequisites and that others only require a specific one of the two.
        Plant Form and Function is a 4 credit hour course which meets in three 2-hour blocks per week. Lab activities are integrated with lecture information. On average, you will spend approximately 2-3 hours per week in lecture time and 3-4 hours per week in activities. The first part of the course will cover plant anatomy, including subcellular structures. The second part of the course material will cover plant metabolism (respiration, photosynthesis, mineral nutrition) and plant reproduction.

Required texts and materials
R.F. Evert and S. E. Eichhorn.  2013.  Biology of Plants, 8th ed.  W.H. Freeman and Company. 
Lab Manual: Download the individual labs at the course page on WSU Online/Canvas.   
safety glasses (Safety glasses are available at the WSU Bookstore or Chemistry stores on the 5th floor of the Science Lab Building.)

Recommended texts and materials:
Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences
by V. E. McMillan. This text is required for Botany 2121.  Any edition is OK.
A Photographic Atlas for the Botany Laboratory by Van de Graff et al. This text has been recommended in the past for Botany 2114.
30 cm ruler, colored pencils, and a calculator

Campus Closure
In the event of an extended campus closure due to natural disaster, epidemic, or other event, instruction will continue via the Canvas learning management system if possible. Material which corresponds to the scheduled lecture subjects will be provided. If possible, you are expected to login to the system on a regular basis to keep up with course work and to receive further instructions. If possible, I will check email (@weber.edu and within the Canvas system) on a regular basis should you need to communicate with me. The severity of the "event" and impact on human health, communication lines, etc, will determine the extent that class can continue. Arrangements for missed laboratory work will be sorted out when campus re-opens.

Students With Disabilities
Any student requiring accommodations or services due to a disability must contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Services Center.  SSD can arrange to provide course materials in alternative formats, if necessary.

Student Behavior
This class meets in a laboratory room.  Therefore, food and drink (including water) are prohibited.  Feet must be in enclosed shoes.  Your clothing must cover your lap when you are seated.  Safety glasses are required.  Additional safety information will be covered on the second day of class.
You are expected to comply with the Botany Department Statement of Expectations of Students
WSU subscribes to TurnItIn.com, an electronic service that verifies the originality of student work. Enrollment in this course may require you to submit some or all of your assignments to it this semester, and documents submitted to TurnItIn.com are retained, anonymously, in their databases. Continued enrollment in this course constitutes an understanding of and agreement with this policy.


BTNY 2104 Learning Outcomes
Each unit in the lab manual includes a list of learning objectives. Each objective contributes to one or more of the following overall learning outcomes for the course.

1. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the levels of organization (molecules, organelles, cells, tissues, organs, whole plant) in flowering plants and be able to relate functional aspects at one level to function at a higher or lower level of organization.

2. Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the adaptative significance of modifications of the three vegetative organs of vascular plants: roots, stems, and leaves.

3. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the two most basic metabolic pathways of plants: respiration and photosynthesis. In addition, students will demonstrate understanding of the adaptative significance of the CO2 concentrating mechanisms found in C4 and CAM plants.

4. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of which chemical elements are required for plant life and examples of the specific aspects of plant life that utilize those elements.

5. Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the interactions between plants and microorganisms in the context of plant mineral nutrition, especially with regard to the nitrogen cycle.

6. Students will be able to distinguish between asexual and sexual reproduction in flowering plants and be able to demonstrate understanding of the significance of a cloning reproductive system versus one which allows for genetic recombination.

7. Students will be able to use a compound light microscope to investigate plant structure and function.

8. Students will be able to make accurate records of visual information via annotated scale drawings.

9. Students will be able to use a basic spreadsheet program (e.g., Excel) to analyze data and draw conclusions supported by statistical analysis (chi-squared test, t-test, ANOVA).

10. Students will be able to present summaries of data in appropriate graphs and tables and be able to interpret information provided in the form of graphs or tables.

11. Students will be able to demonstrate familiarity with and proper use of botanical terminology.

12. Students will demonstrate the ability to find and synthesize information on plant form and function from a variety of appropriate literature sources.

13. Students will demonstrate good citizenship in the laboratory, including following laboratory safety guidelines and working cooperatively and collaboratively with other students.

Your course grade will be based on the following:

Exams:
There will be three 100 point exams and one 200 point cumulative final (~100 points old material, ~100 points new material). Of the 500 points available, only 400 will go towards the calculation of your grade. Either your lowest score on a 100 point exam will be dropped or your final exam score will be halved; whichever calculation gives you the higher grade will be used. Your exams will be a mixed format of multiple choice, short answer, essay, diagrams, and lab practical.

Activities:
You will turn in all of the labs. Only selected questions, drawings, graphs, etc. will be graded. The points per lab will be variable, depending on the length of the lab. Due dates for labs will be announced in class when the labs are being conducted and can include the announcement day. You must be present in order to get credit. There will be four in-class case studies based on published research; you must be present in order to get credit. Each case study is worth 10 points. You will also turn in a 20 point library assignment and a 10 point graphing assignment.

Essay:
One of the goals of this course is to provide support to the development of the Botany Student Portfolio. As part of the portfolio, students write an essay which addresses the core concepts in Plant Biology. For BTNY 2014 you are to write an essay that focuses specifically on the adaptations of flowering plants that enable them to cope with a variety of challenges. Instructions for the essay will be covered in class during the fifth week of classes and are available at the course page on WSU Online/Canvas.   

Calculation of Final Grade:

Exams

65%

Activities

25%

Essay

10%

TOTAL

100%

Percentages to achieve a specific grade are as follows:

A 93%

B = 83-86.9%

C = 73-76.9%

D = 63-66.9%

A- = 90-92.9%

B- = 80-82.9%

C- = 70-72.9%

D- = 60-62.9%

B+ = 87-89.9%

C+ = 77-79.9%

D+ = 67-69.9%

E ≤ 59.9%

Awarding of a UW grade: miss more than one regular exam OR miss the final exam OR not turn in the Essay OR turn in fewer than 18 activities. 
Any plagiarism in the Essay will result in a grade of zero and reporting of the student to the Dean of Students.


NO MAKE-UP EXAMS.   NO MAKE-UP ACTIVITIES.   NO EXTRA CREDIT.

Extra Credit: There is no extra credit in this class. (1) If you do not have time to master the content material and complete the assignments mentioned above, you certainly do not have time to do extra work. (2) It is not to fair to your classmates for you to have different criteria for your grade.


Important Dates

Jan 18

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day -- no classes

Feb 5

Exam 1

Feb 17

Library assignment due  (CHANGE)

Feb 15 Presidents' Day -- no classes

Feb 19

Graphing assignment (and Research Design Lab) due  (CHANGE)
Mar 4

Exam 2 

Mar 7-11 Spring Break -- no classes
Mar 16

Completed draft of Essay due

Any essay turned in after March 16 will be treated as the final version.

Apr 4

Exam 3

Apr 20

Final version of Essay due. Turn in the marked draft, too.

Apr 25  Botany Department Field Trip to Antelope Island State Park
class does not meet

Apr 27
(Wednesday)

Final Exam, 9:00-10:50

 Labs

Seed Germination and Root Growth

Research Design

Photosynthesis

Storage Polymers of Seeds

Roots

Mineral Nutrition

Diffusion and Osmosis

Stems

Nuclear Division Processes

Microscopy

Leaves

The Flower

Plant Cell

Secondary Growth

Pollination and Fertilization

Cells and Tissues

Respiration

Fruits

Constructing Phylogenetic Trees

 

 


For additional information and support materials, visit the Botany 2104 Home Page, the Botany 2104 Course Schedule, and the course page on WSU Online/Canvas.   


Course Schedule

PDF of Syllabus                                PDF of Course Schedule


Return to Harley Home.

17 April 2016