Principles of Biology I Laboratory

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

The biology 111 laboratory course has been designed to complement the biology 111 lecture course. The laboratory manual was written specifically for Biology 111 students at UNCG. As best as possible, the lab course has been organized to follow both the text and lecture material. Understanding experimental design will be important throughout the course. The mastery of laboratory techniques and familiarity with laboratory tools commonly used in biological research are major goals of the course.

Bio 111 Satisfies the Critical Thinking and Inquiry in the Natural Sciences MAC competency.

These courses introduce students to critical thinking and inquiry in Natural Science disciplines. In the context of natural sciences, critical thinking means explaining, predicting, and reasoning about the behavior of natural systems, or the outcomes of observations or measurements, using arguments based on established scientific principles and models. In the context of natural sciences, inquiry means developing, deepening, refining, or extending concepts, principles, and models to explain natural systems, based on empirical observations.

In a Critical Thinking and Inquiry in the Natural Sciences course, students will:

• Critically analyze claims, arguments, artifacts, or information.
• Construct coherent, evidence-based arguments.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Pre-Lab Quizzes	25%
Post-Lab reports	65%
Class Participation	10%

Bio 111L Final Grading Scale

Percentage	Letter Grade
90% and above	A
88-89.99%	A-
85-87.9%	B+
80-84.9%	B
78-79.9%	B-
75-77.9%	C+
70-74.9%	C
68-69.9%	C-
60-67.9%	D
Below 59.9%	F

Attendance/Participation:

Satisfactory completion of this laboratory course requires that you attend each scheduled laboratory period. Students in this course are expected to be in the lab, seated, and ready to work at the time when the session is scheduled to begin. Instructions for each lab session, including special safety procedures may be discussed at the beginning of each session. It is imperative that all students receive these instructions, so anyone arriving late will not be admitted to that session.

If you must miss a lab session for any reason, contact your instructor immediately. You can possibly make up a lab later in the week with permission from your instructor provided there is space in another lab. All lab times and instructor contacts are listed in Canvas. If there is not a possibility of making up the lab in person, then the instructor may permit a virtual option.

Virtual labs that replace in-person labs are limited to twice a semester and must be completed within a week (7 days) of the original lab meeting.

If you do not contact your instructor within a week of the missed lab, makeup work will not be accepted.

If you miss 3 labs and do not make up for them, in person or virtually, your final score will automatically be lowered by 25%, and then by another 10% for each lab beyond 3 missed. Students that have documented emergency situations will be considered case-by-case and are encouraged to contact the lab instructor and the lab coordinator promptly to discuss their situation.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

Lab Flow – an online lab manual and assessment tool- included in First Day Complete or available for purchase from the bookstore. See link and instructions for registration on Canvas. A paper manual for notes will be handed out to all students on the first day of lab that is included in the purchase of the online Lab flow software.