Sci 214: Integrated Science Professor: Ricky J. Sethi

Sci 214

Syllabus

Summer 2008

Required Texts	Please obtain the following textbook before class begins. Integrated Science 3rd Edition by Bill W. Tillery, Eldon D. Enger, and Frederick C. Ross © 2007
Instructor Information	Prof. Ricky J. Sethi Ricky J. Sethi has been a Professor at Devry University since 2002. He has done his: B.S. work in Molecular and Cellular Biology (Neurobiology)/Physics at UC Berkeley M.S. work in Physics/Business at USC; and Ph.D. work in Computer Science (A.I.) at UCR. Email: rickys@sethi.org Web Site: http://www.sethi.org/classes/sci214/ Office Hours: Wednesdays: 06:00 - 06:50 pm or by Appointment
Course Description	Catalog Description This course examines the core concepts of physics, chemistry, earth science and life science, along with numerous common themes that unite all the scientific disciplines. Fundamental knowledge and scientific methodology to answer basic questions about ourselves, our world, and the universe is emphasized. The course will help students gain an appreciation for the role of science in society, and will strengthen their informed decision making about issues facing them personally, and about issues confronting society. Pre-requisite Math 114 or 178 Credit hours 4 hours Meetings Wednesday 6:30 - 10:20p.m. and Online A note about the course syllabus and general course layout... All student objectives, assignments or expectations can be identified by this style background and text.
Terminal Course Objectives	DeVry University course content is constructed from curriculum guides developed for each course that are in alignment with specific Terminal Course Objectives. The Terminal Course Objectives, or more commonly "TCO's", define the course objectives that the student will be required to comprehend and demonstrate a clear understanding of by course completion. The TCO's that will be covered in detail each week can be found in the Objectives section for that particular week. Whenever possible, a link will be made from a particular assignment or discussion back to the TCO's that it emphasizes. 1 Given a scientific hypothesis or theory, predict the outcomes of a simple experiment, such as the rate of evaporation of water in a container during a dry period vs. a period of humid weather and document the results of the experiment using numerical, written, and visual methods. 2 Given an example of an object experiencing acceleration, such as a braking automobile, apply Newton's laws of motion to analyze the outcomes (for the automobile and its occupants) in pictorial, verbal, and mathematical form. 3 Given the room you currently occupy, identify all forms of energy in the room, all the ways energy enters and leaves the room, and analyze the interactions among the different forms of energy using the first and second laws of thermodynamics. 4 Given a simple chemical reaction, such as burning coal, analyze the participating substances and their interactions at the macroscopic and atomic levels. 5 Given an example of an interaction between matter and energy, such as condensation of a gas to liquid, radiation from a hot object, or radioactive decay, analyze in writing, and through the use of diagrams and equations the direction and quantity of energy movement. 6 Given a representative selection of Earth materials (rocks and minerals) that have formed in different but specific ways, analyze in writing and through the use of diagrams how the rock cycle and other biogeochemical cycles work, and how the cycling of Earth materials implies a long Earth history. 7 Given an ecological scenario illustrating the interdependence of living things, such as grassland or temperate deciduous forest (TDF), select one ecosystem and analyze the way energy is transferred and material cycles function to sustain the community or organisms. 8 Given a bacterial cell, a plant cell, and an animal cell, classify them as a prokaryotic or eukaryotic and compare and contrast their structure, function and various mode of reproductions. 9 Given the diversity of life, examine the factors that could lead to this diversity and how these factors work together. 10 Given systems of the human body, analyze how each major system obtains and uses energy for growth and development, tissue repair, reproduction. 11 Given innovations in science initiated during your lifetime (such as genetic engineering, space-based communications, plate tectonics, superconductivity), identify one or more innovation for each area of science explored in this course. Analyze the science applied for its principles, and explain the actual or anticipated impact on society.
Course Schedule	The Tentative Schedule This list is intended to act as a planning guide for students. The timing of the Exams are set and Homework/Quizzes are planned weekly. Timing of all activities will be continuously communicated in classes and/or via email. Changes to Syllabus: The contents of this syllabus are subject to change with appropriate notice to the students. WEEK/TCOs Onsite Online Readings Week 1 TCOs 1 and 11 What is Science? Participate in the Threaded Discussions Complete the Lab 1 exercise and submit the Lab 1 Worksheet to the Week 1: Lab dropbox Begin work on group project Take Quiz 1 Chapter 1 Week 2 TCOs 2, 3, and 11 Motion/Energy Participate in the Threaded Discussions Complete the Lab 2 exercise and submit the Lab 2 Worksheet to the Week 2: Lab dropbox Take Quiz 2 Chapters 2 and 3 Week 3 TCOs 4, 5, and 11 Heat and Temperature, Electricity and Matter Participate in the Threaded Discussions Complete the Lab 3 exercise and submit the Lab 3 Worksheet to the Week 3: Lab dropbox Take Quiz 3 Group project DUE Study/prepare for the Midterm Exam Chapters 4 and 6 Chapter 8 (pp 172-175, 180-186) Chapter 9 (pp 192 - 201) Week 4 TCOs 6 and 11 The Universe/Earth in Space/Earth Participate in the Threaded Discussions Take the Midterm Exam Complete the Lab 4 exercise and submit the Lab 4 Worksheet to the Week 4: Lab dropbox Take Quiz 4 Chapters 12, 14, and 15 Midterm Exam Covers TCO's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 11 (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, required pages of 8 and 9) Week 5 TCOs 7, 8, and 11 The Nature of Living Things/Ecology and the Environment Participate in the Threaded Discussions Complete the Lab exercise 5 and submit the Lab 5 Worksheet to the Week 5: Lab dropbox Take Quiz 5 Chapters 20 and 23 Week 6 TCOs 9 and 11 Mendelian and Molecular Genetics Participate in the Threaded Discussions Complete the Lab 6 exercise and submit the Lab 6 Worksheet to the Week 6: Lab dropbox Take Quiz 6 Chapter 26 Week 7 TCOs 10 and 11 Human Biology: Materials and Exchange Mechanisms Participate in the Threaded Discussions Complete the Lab 7 exercise and submit the Lab 7 Worksheet to the Week 7: Lab dropbox Take Quiz 7 Study/prepare for the Final Exam Chapter 24 Week 8 TCOs 1 through 11 Final Exam (300 points) Covers TCO's 1 - 11 (Comprehensive, all assigned Chapters)
Grading Policy	The categories, which contribute to your final grade, are weighted as follows: Assignment Weighting Labs (Given weekly) 25% Threaded Discussions (Given weekly) 20% Quizzes (Given weekly) 10% Group Project (Due by Week 3) 10% Midterm Exam (1 given in Week 4 — open book) 10% Final Exam (comprehensive, 1 given in Week 8 — open book) 15% Participation/Professionalism (Reading Memos, attendance, involvement, questions, etc.) 10% Total Points 100% You must make prior arrangements for submitting late assignments and receive approval. Even then, points may be deducted depending upon the circumstances. All of your course requirements are graded using points. At the end of the course, the points are converted to a letter grade using the scale in the table below. Letter Grade Points Percentage A 900 - 1000 90% to 100% B 800 - 899 80% to 89% C 700 - 799 70% to 79% D 600 - 699 60% to 69% F 599 - and below Below 60% Chapter Reading Memos Subject matter is covered pretty much in the sequence presented in the required textbook. It is therefore recommended that you scan the chapters prior to the scheduled lectures to become familiar with new terms that will be introduced. In order to facilitate this, every reading assignment, will have a required reading memo due the meeting day following the meeting day it was assigned. The idea is to have you write down questions and other "instantaneous gut reactions" as you do each reading assignment in the text. It is very important that you create these memos as you read, and on the first pass through the material. They must not be edited or "cleaned up" afterward, and they should not be just outlines or notes. In other words, your reading memos should not simply be a summary/rehashing of the chapter; instead, they should reflect your questions, observations, and insights. What is the purpose of these reading memos? First, it shows me that you've done the reading. In addition, it encourages active reading (reading scientific tomes is a very different experience from reading a novel or other leisure book where you can passively scan the pages). And, even more importantly, it gives me insight into what you're learning, and, more significantly, what I might need to concentrate more on in lecture. Lastly, they give me a student's perspective on the material and often point out common misconceptions or exceptional insights. So why should you do them? Well, if all that insight and learning wasn't sufficient motivation, it might help to know that your reading memos will contribute significantly towards your participation grade (see grading policy below). In addition, I'll be using at least one question from your reading memos on the weekly quizzes. Format of the reading memo: nothing terribly elaborate. Just have a sheet of paper handy as you read the text and jot down your notes. As long as they're legible, I'll be happy. They don't have to be any specific length; I'm just looking for your first impressions and questions you might have. As far as the grading is concerned, I'll basically just be checking off if you're doing them or not. So if you hand one in, you'll get the credit for it. But I'll also be reading them so if you want to impress me, come up with some great memos/questions! Finally, if you're more comfortable jotting them on your computer, feel free to email them to me. Discussion Grading In the Discussion areas of the course, you, as a student, can interact with your instructor and classmates to explore questions and comments related to the content of this course. You can ask questions or make comments on the week's course material in the "Q & A Forum" discussion. This discussion is NOT graded. Two GRADED discussion questions will be posted each week. You will post your responses and comment on the responses of at least one of your fellow classmates. Your grade will depend on the quality of your contribution including such things as: providing additional information to the discussion; elaborating on previous comments from others; presenting explanations of concepts or methods to help fellow students, presenting reasons for or against a topic in a persuasive fashion, sharing your own personal experiences that relate to the topic, and providing a URL and explanation for an area you researched on the Internet. If a personal emergency (medical or otherwise) or other situation (such as an extended power outage or technical problem) arises and you are unable to post your responses, please contact your instructor as soon as possible.
Course Policies and Procedures	Attendance and Tardy Policy: Regular attendance is essential. Please be prompt as you will miss material and disturb other students by arriving late. Absences: Students are responsible for all materials, assignments, and class work missed during both excused and unexcused absences. In other words, it is the student's responsibility to make up the missed work. What should I do if a discrepancy is found with my grade? 1. Double-check the error and try to determine what caused it. 2. Send your instructor an email explaining your findings. 3. Trust that any error in grading will be corrected quickly. Late Work and Make Up Assignments: Class assignments must be submitted on time. If you have an emergency that will cause your work to be late, please contact your instructor in advance of the due date so that arrangements can be made. Your instructor may reserve the right to deduct points for work turned in late based on the reason and the timeliness of notice. Extra credit: It is the policy of DeVry University that extra credit will not be allowed in any of its classes for any reason. Exams: There will be two exams during the course. These exams must be taken at their scheduled time unless arrangements are made with the instructor BEFORE the scheduled exam. The exams will be comprehensive and cover all material discussed in the course up to that point. Student Behavior: Students are expected to behave in a mature manner, demonstrating respect for each other, the instructor and the learning environment, both in class and online. Academic Integrity: All students are expected to adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy outlined in the DeVry Student Handbook. If you see behavior that may be in violation of this policy (copying, plagiarism, inappropriate collaboration, etc) please let the instructor know. Plagiarism & MLA Citations: Plagiarism is a violation of the Academic Integrity code of this institution and will not be tolerated. The plagiarism policy applies to every aspect of DeVry coursework including threaded discussions, exams, quizzes, essays, assignments, etc. It is important that students fully cite any text they apply to their work. Please see the materials in document sharing and the webliography on MLA to learn how to avoid plagiarism. If you copy from, rely on, or paraphrase from your text or from any other source, you must include in-text citations. For any source other than your text, you must also include the proper reference material including the full URL and date accessed if the source is the web. Failure to do so is a violation of DeVry Academic Standards, and will mean a zero for your assignment and an investigation of plagiarism by Student Services. Please take a moment to review these important tutorials. To learn more about avoiding plagiarism in your work: How to Avoid Plagiarism To learn more about MLA Style Citations in your work: MLA Method of Citing Sources For a complete explanation of DeVry University's Academic Integrity Policy, please see the School Policy item under the Course Home tab. For additional information see your student handbook.