PBIO 1210, Fall, 2006
Tuesday/Thursday, 12:30-1:45
Room 100 Forest Resources

 “I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than
      other things do.”   Willa Cather, ‘O Pioneers’

Read ALL of the following, carefully! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL
  OF THIS INFORMATION.

Instructor: Dr. Barry A. Palevitz, 1603 Plant Sciences, 542-1784,
    palevitz@plantbio.uga.edu
Office Hours: 11:00-Noon Fridays, or by appointment
If you want to learn about me, go to my website at
     <www.plantbio.uga.edu/~palevitz>

Textbook: 'Introductory Plant Biology', K.R. Stern et al.,
  10th edition, 2005, McGraw-Hill.


Week/Day               Lecture Topic and Reading

1    8/16      Introduction, Ch. 1; THE ESSENCE OF PLANTNESS;
            <www.plantbio.uga.edu/courses/pbio1210/plantness.html >

2    8/22      Plants in the Biosphere, Chs. 25,26
      8/24      Plants in the Biosphere, Chs. 25,26; Why evolution?

3    8/29      Plant Cells, Ch. 3
      8/31      Plant Cells, Ch. 3

4    9/5        Cell Membranes and Transport, Ch.3; pp. 151-154
      9/7        Cell Chemistry, Ch. 2

5    9/12      Cell Chemistry, Ch. 2
      9/14        "           "

6    9/19      Mitosis, Ch. 3
      9/21      EXAM 1   

7    9/26      Meiosis; Alternation of Generations, Ch. 12
      9/28      Genetics and Heredity, Ch. 13

8    10/3      Heredity and The Meaning of Genes, Ch. 13
      10/5      The Meaning of Genes
 
9    10/10    The Meaning of Genes
      10/12    Biotechnology

                10/9      MIDPOINT; LAST DAY FOR WITHDRAWAL

10  10/17    Primary Growth and Meristems, Chs. 4-6
      10/19    Primary Growth and Meristems, Chs. 4-6; Leaves, Ch. 7

11  10/24    Secondary Growth, Ch. 6
      10/26    FALL BREAK

12  10/31    Energy Metabolism; Photosynthesis, Ch. 10
      11/2      EXAM 2

13  11/7      Photosynthesis and Respiration, Ch. 10
      11/9      Photosynthesis and Respiration, Ch. 10

14  11/14    Plant Reproduction, Chs. 8,23
      11/16    Plant Reproduction, Chs. 8,23

15  11/21    Control of Growth and Development, Ch.11
      11/23    THANKSGIVING BREAK - Give thanks, be happy

16  11/28    Control of Growth and Development, Ch.11; Evolution, Chs. 13,15
      11/30    Evolution, Chs. 13,15

17  12/4      Evolution, Chs. 13,15
                     Also,  COMMON MYTHS, MISINFORMATION AND
                                  MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT EVILUTION

FINAL EXAM, Thursday, 12/14, Noon-3:00 P.M.,
                    Room 100 Forest Resources

The syllabus should be considered a general plan for the course. That is, I will largely hold to it, but deviations may be necessary. Any changes will be announced in class and/or on the course website.
MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE COURSE WEBSITE OFTEN!!!!!!!!


   SEMESTER POINTS: 3 exams (including the final), 100 points each = 300 total points.
      GRADING: A-F; in general, I will follow standard criterial for numerical percentage equivalents for letter grades. That is, 90-100=A, 80-89=B, etc.  This class will NOT follow a plus/minus grading system 

                  There will be no other assignments and no 'extra points' under any circumstances.
                  No make-up exams except, POSSIBLY, for excused absences (see below).
                  Exams will not be given ahead of time to anybody, for any reason.

Course goals: to give you an appreciation and working knowledge of biological systems, focusing on plants. Our emphasis will be on important concepts including the role of energy in biological systems, the importance of evolution as the foundation for all biological concepts, the plant life style and how it differs from that of animals (and why), the importance of sexual reproduction in plant evolution, the process of science -- our writ, how science works, why material data drawn from the natural world are so important. Wherever and whenever possible, principles and facts will be explained in terms of the evolutionary principles that account for them. As world famous geneticist Theodosius Dobzhanski once said, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.”

Attendance: It’s IMPORTANT! Students who consistently come to class get better grades. If you don’t come to class, you will miss information not necessarily covered in the textbook. I have a habit of including things on exams that I covered in lecture but are not in the book. You are responsible for all information and announcements given in class. Though attendance is not required, I will occasionally hand out attendance sheets which could come into play in assessing your final grade.

Expectations in class (i.e., manners, etiquette):
Please turn off all cell phones, i-pods and laptops before lecture begins. I encourage you to take notes (see below), but please do so with pen and paper and not on your computer. Since this is a large class, chit-chat distracts others and upsets me. I do my best to engage your interest, so please reciprocate and pay attention. If I notice you consistently talking in class, I will speak to you privately about my concerns. You risk being administratively removed from class if you keep doing it. If you are sitting with people who insist on talking to you, switch seats.
   I also expect you to arrive on time. If for some reason you cannot do so, speak to me about it. My lectures always go to the end of the hour, and hopefully, the last 5 minutes are as good as the first 5 minutes. With that in mind, please resist the temptation to cut out of class early. Frankly, it's rude. I will take note if you consistently leave early. If you persist, you again risk being administratively removed from class. Still, I will go the extra mile to command your attention and respect -- by covering things in the last 5 minutes of class that are not in the book or in the posted notes, but WILL be on the next exam.

Lecture Notes: Starting the first week of class, I will post notes on the course website at:
     www.plantbio.uga.edu/courses/pbio1210/index.html
That means that instead of trying to write down everything I say, you are free to concentrate on those things YOU think are important and interesting. If you've read the book assignment ahead of time, you'll also know when I'm covering something that's NOT in the book, and pay special attention.
   Students often ask if I can post the notes ahead of time. Unfortunately, I cannot do so. The notes depend on what I cover in any given lecture, which is hard to predict beforehand. After lecture, I finalize the notes and post them. If I posted a set ahead of time, then posted a revised set based on what I actually covered, it would be confusing.

Study Tips: This course involves a lot of reading. It’s therefore important to establish good study habits from the start. Reading the text assignments BEFORE class helps recognition and retention of material covered in lecture.  Reviewing lecture notes and reading assignments after class then solidifies your knowledge. I encourage students to form small study groups, which can be valuable in reviewing information and answering questions. I urge you to attend review sessions as well. I also encourage you to practice ACTIVE LEARNING -- proactive techniques in which you challenge yourself to retain information. See the following website for more information on this concept:
    <www.plantbio.uga.edu/~darley/studybio.html>

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE NIGHT BEFORE AN EXAM TO CRAM.

Exams: Tests will consist of multiple choice questions and a scantron answer sheet. Before the first exam, I will post several sample questions on the course website to give you an idea of what to expect, and to help you study.
   You must bring #2 pencils and your UGACard to all exams. LACK OF A UGA CARD MAY HOLD UP GRADING OR RETURN OF YOUR EXAM. We will make every effort to get your grades back within a few days of the exam. Grades will be posted on the bulletin board outside room 1501 Plant Sciences. MAKE SURE TO CHECK AND WRITE DOWN YOUR GRADES AS SOON AS THEY ARE POSTED. WE WILL NOT CHANGE GRADES BEYOND ONE WEEK FOLLOWING THE POSTING OF EACH EXAM.
   ABSENCE FROM EXAMS: The only excuse for missing an exam is a DOCUMENTED illness or family emergency. In other words, DO NOT MAKE PLANS TO GO HOME, ATTEND A JOB INTERVIEW, BE AT AN ADVISING APPOINTMENT, TAKE A VACATION, ATTEND A WEDDING OR OTHERWISE NOT BE AT AN EXAM, FOR ANY REASON. MISSING AN  EXAM WILL NECESSITATE YOUR WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASS.

Academic Honesty: This course will be conducted in accordance with UGA policies regarding academic honesty. Each student is expected to do his or her own work on exams. I take this expectation VERY seriously. For additional information about expectations, procedures and penalties relevant to academic honesty, see “A CULTURE OF HONESTY”, posted at:
    <http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/culture_honesty.htm>.