Professor M. McDarby 
Office: C-231N (and the Lab C223).

Office (in Lab) Hours:   M 11-1; Tu 12-1; W 11 - 12.
W 12-1 and Th 12-2 (except for meetings once a month).

Try other times on your own luck or by appointment.

Telephone: 762-4651, Office extension 8970, Has Voice-Mail.
Lab extension 8856*.
* Not during lab classes, please - Tu, Th 2-5; Tu, Th, 8-11.

E-Mail:

Lectures:   Mon, Wed, 1- 2, C-221.

Laboratory:  Thursday, 8 - 11 AM, C-223.

Link:  Old Exams 

Link: How to Succeed
 

PAGE CONTENTS

About the Course...

Introduction to Biology, Plants and Animals, SCI 139, is a broad overview of the science of living things that concentrates mostly on the larger organisms. This is a course for non-science majors, intended to give an acquaintance with the topics. It is not an in-depth biology course and is not part of a sequence: there are three SCI-level biology courses, but they are each stand-alone courses that look at different aspects of the science. However, SCI 139 is not intended as a "from scratch" course - students are expected to have some basic understanding of simple scientific concepts, such as cells, molecules, et cetera. We will build upon your basic science vocabulary but try not to get too technical. Often, living things will be presented with a view toward their impact on humans, or vice-versa. Laboratories are set up to present concepts for discussion and/or animals and plants for hand-on investigation, and please note that this course does expect students (in groups) to perform dissections.

Here is the official FMCC Catalog Description of the Course, and the learning outcomes.  This course fulfills the SUNY Education Guidelines for Natural Sciences.
 

Course Objectives:

When you have successfully completed this course, you should have an overview understanding of the basic workings of animals and plants, as well as the differences between the major groups. You should have a basic working knowledge of how biologists think the world works, including how basic scientific method works, current theories on the development of Life and on the different ideas connected to evolution. You should also increase your biology vocabulary and general understanding of basic biological processes, including those at work in and around human beings. We hope that you will better be able to follow current events related to biology, such as medical breakthroughs, ecological issues, and such topics in lower-level science education as young people you know may be exposed to.

The "Book":

Important Dates:

Lecture Exams: 
February 22nd;  March 15th;  April 19th;  May 11th.

Lab Quizzes:
March 1st;  March 30th;  May 4th.

Research Papers:
1st Proposal, Feb 6th; 1st Paper, March 9th in lab.
2nd Proposal, March 29th; 2nd Paper, May 3rd.

Lab Reports:
Due by end of following lab period; last lab due by May 8th.

Grading:

Lecture Exams (4) 100 Points Each - 400 Points - 40%

Lab Reports (12) 25 Points Each - 300 Points - 30%
Lowest completed lab of 13 dropped.

Lab Quizzes (3) 30 Points Each - 90 Points - 9%

Paper Proposals (2) 5 Points Each - 10 Points - 1%

Research Papers (2) 100 Points Each - 200 Points - 20%

Notice that the course grades add up to 1000 total Points, so each 10 Points gained (or lost) is the equivalent of 1% of your final grade, which will be figured this way:

90 - 100%........... A .......... 891 - 1000 Points.

87 - 89% ........... A- .......... 861 - 890 Points.

84 - 86% ........... B+ .......... 831 - 860 Points.

80 - 83% ........... B .......... 791 - 830 Points.

77 - 79% ........... B- .......... 761 - 790 Points.

74 - 76% ........... C+ .......... 731 - 760 Points

70 - 73% ........... C .......... 691 - 730 Points.

60 - 69% ........... D .......... 591 - 690 Points.

0 - 59% ............ F .......... 0 - 590 Points.

"D" is considered passing, but often only "C" or higher are accepted as transfer credits!

Grades may also be severely affected for students violating FMCCs Academic Integrity Policy.
 

Attendance & Make-Up Policies:

Laboratory classes all have associated marked reports, so missing them may lead to lost points.  Make-ups are possible using the remote materials posted on Blackboard.  All marked assignments and exams are scheduled in advance and those dates are posted on Blackboard – check regularly and/or mark your personal calendar. 

Due materials (lab reports, proposals, papers) may be handed in past the due date, (by email if no longer accessible on Blackboard) but will lose 5% per day, down to 25% for a complete and appropriately done but really late assignment.  However, proposals will not be accepted on or after the due date of the paper they are for, and NO MATERIALS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER MAY 10th.

Spring 2023 Schedule

SCI 139 Research Papers

General Information:
 

The papers must be based upon at least four proper references, listed at the end of the paper with the format given below. Note: things like dictionaries and encyclopedias are not considered proper references - you must list them if you used them, but they will not count toward the paper's required four.
 

Proposals for the Papers:

Proofreading:

Problems and Extensions:

Overall Format for the SCI 139 Research Paper:

First Page / Title Page.

You can have a full separate title page, or use the top half of your first text page for the title.

The title must be specific enough to get an idea of what's in the paper clearly across to the reader.

The title must be followed by the chosen topic number in parentheses!!! See the topics list for their numbers.

Text.

Footnotes.

Footnote Format: at the end of the information / passage, put the last name of the lead author from your reference (your reference list at the end is alphabetized by author's last name, so a reader can easily find the full reference title if they want to). No other information is needed unless you have more than one reference from that author - then, use year of publication or second author or first words of title to specify which reference you're footnoting. References without authors can be footnoted with the organization, or if the organization has a very long name, the first words, followed by dots (...).
 

Reference Page.

References are listed as follows. Any source used for information, whether used for a footnote, whether "proper" or not, should be listed. The entire list is alphabetized by author's last name or title if no author is listed. Make notes in your list for information that was not available.

Paper Sources: In this order: Author(s), last name first, full names, full list; Year (only) of publication; Title of actual reference; reference source if part of bigger whole, like a magazine article or a separately-written book chapter would be; Volume and Issue Numbers for a magazine, Date if a newspaper, or Publisher if a book; Page Numbers if applicable. If using a "paper" source from a database, name the database; or if a paper source offered over the Internet, give the address and date accessed.

Internet Sources: Use ONLY sources that can be shown to be reliable! List as: Author(s), last names first, full names, full list (if no author, give the website organization; if neither, you shouldn't use the source); Year of writing and/or most recent update; Title of specific web page accessed; Web site name/ support organization if page is part of larger site (information pages usually are;  this may be a repeat of the "author / organization," that's okay); Full Internet address; Date(s) that you accessed the information.

Other Sources: Check with Mr. McDarby on formats for unusual references. Don't make assumptions!
 

SCI 139 Research Paper - Topics List.

NOTE: You cannot use the same topic twice.

Common mistakes for this topic: People ignore that this is specifically a paper about the process of research - they get sidetracked with general information about the organisms instead. Sometimes it's hard to find enough process-oriented information, even about "popular" organisms.
 

Common mistakes for this topic: As in Topic 1, people ignore that this is specifically a paper about research process - they get sidetracked with general information about the organisms instead. They may also get thinking more about the general type of research, combining different types of organisms instead of focusing on one.
 

Common mistakes for this topic: People often start this paper with no really clear idea of what they're supposed to be doing - you have to understand what a functional system is to review one. Sometimes a system is picked that is very technical to explain. Often little space is given to how the system relates to the other systems, a very important aspect of this paper.

Common mistakes for this topic: If you choose books with very limited scope (little books), you run out of things to compare too fast.  People sometimes forget to tell at the beginning of their papers what their books are; they get bogged down just reviewing (this is not a review!) the books, and give almost no real comparisons. Sometimes it's clear that they didn't really understand the books, which makes it hard to compare them!

Topic 5.) A current ethical issue that involves animals or plants. These are the moral issues that surround Mayisions about living things. You might find proper subjects in such areas as medicine, research, public policy or the environment, but a major part of the issue has to affect animals (other than  people) or plants. You must find a subject that has at least two sides, and you must present all sides of the issue adequately. You may express your own opinion is you wish, but all sides must be treated fairly despite your personal feelings.

Common mistakes for this topic: People pick a subject they feel too strongly about, so the "other side" is presented very poorly (and don't use a reference source from one side to explain the other side); these papers may be difficult to organize properly - people sometimes just go over and over the same territory.

Topic 6.) The overall history of a some aspect of animal/plant biology theory or research. You need a subject that not only has a history, but one whose history you can actually track. Give early background and descriptions, discoveries, political / social aspects and impacts, all in a historical framework, including development of new ideas.

Common mistakes for this topic: Finding such information is almost impossible for some subjects. You need a subject that has a significant history, with definite developments that can be connected to dates, and as such is manageable in a fairly short paper. Also, although you would think otherwise for something that's essentially a timeline, many people can't seem to organize these papers properly.

Topic 7.)  A full examination of how a particular type of domesticated plant or animal has been and is now cultivated, including how different breeds or strains have been developed.  There will be history, but mostly this will be about current practices.

Research Paper - Common General Mistakes.

Topic Number is missing or wrong.

Paper doesn't really address chosen topic, or misses much of the topic's requirements.

Organization of the paper is poor - things are discussed in widely separate sections. NOTE:  outline, and dont be afraid to use a word processor to move things around.

Points you've already discussed are repeated.

Plagiarism - source material is copied with no or very little attempt to put into your own words.   (You need to rephrase all material in your own words. You are allowed to quote, but only occasionally and not without attribution:  explaining in your text who is being quoted and why they are a quotable source!)

Spelling and Grammar:

Overall proofreading was not done and needed to be. (Computer checkers are better than nothing, but will still miss a lot of mistakes.)

Apostrophes are not used on possessives. (Exception: possessive "its" gets no apostrophe;  "it's" is a contraction meaning "it is.")

Apostrophes are used on common plurals (only very rare plurals get apostrophes).

Colons and semicolons are misused. (A colon sets something up, often a list; a semicolon breaks thing apart a bit more strongly than a comma.)

Verbs don't refer to their nouns (singular, plural) properly, or change tense for no reason.

Confusion amongst "there/ their/ they're," or "your/ you're," or "two/ to/ too."

Effect and affect are confused. (Effect is almost always a thing, affect is a verb.)

Proper usage is "try to do whatever," not "try and do it," as most people speak.

Footnotes are overused, or not used when needed, or formatted improperly.  (See earlier section on footnotes.)

Quotations are overused (you're supposed to be paraphrasing, mostly, not copying) or are not attributed.  Your reader should know who is talking, and why they are worth listening to!

In quotations, periods and commas are put outside the quotation marks. (Punctuation at the end of quotations go inside the quotation marks unless putting them there would change the meaning of the quotes.)

Style results in confusion or changes for no apparent reason.

Paper isn't long enough. (Text alone has to be at least 4 pages!)

Reference format is wrong, and/or information that's supposed to be there is missing.

Not enough references (should be at least 4 proper ones!).

You've footnoted a reference that's not on your reference list.

You've failed to include at least one recent reference.

Research Papers Marking Deductions (in %):

First Paper

Second Paper

Title:

- 1

- 2

- 40

- 1

- 2

Text:

-1 to -10

-2 to -20

- 8

- 10

-12 to -25

-15 to -40

-20 to -45

-25 to -55

Length (Minimum 4 Pages of Text Required):

- 6

- 12

- 15

- 25

- 30

- 50

Spelling and grammar:

0

0

- 1

- 2

-4 to -40

-8 to -50

-2 to -10

-4 to -20

References:

-5

- 10

- 10

- 20

- 4

- 8

- 8

- 12

- 1

- 2

-8 to -20

-15 to -40

-20 to -100

-1 to -40

+1 to +25