Schedule

Dates listed for Exams are fixed and will not change during the semester. However, the schedule and pace of topics is tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the course.  Homeworks and Quizzes will be scheduled based on our progress on course content. Please check the schedule regularly – and refresh your browser each time you visit this page to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.

 C  Day  date  Focal Question(s)  resources DUE/Assigned
 1  Th  9/3 How does this class work? – D2L: https://d2l.msu.edu/
– Course Website:
http://longlab.plantbiology.
msu.edu/BS162/Fall2015/
– CATME: http://info.catme.org/		 (1) CATME Survey – due 11:59pm Thursday, 9/3. You will receive a link via e-mail.
(2) QZ1.Course Info & Syllabus Quiz. In D2L, due Tuesday, 9/8, 12:00pm (noon).
2  Tu  9/8 Population Sampling Activity with your group. – Mason, Ch 38. Populations.
– Tables, Figures, Figure Legends:  http://abacus.bates.edu/
~ganderso/biology/resources/
writing/HTWtablefigs.html		 DUE: Quiz 1, 12pm (noon)
(1) Team Contract
 3  Th  9/10 How do ecologists describe populations? – Mason, Ch. 38 – Populations. DUE: Team Contract 
 4 Tu  9/15 How do ecologists model population growth? Why does population size vary over time? – continue Mason, Ch. 38 Quiz 2 opened in D2L 9/12, 11am.
 5  Th  9/17 How can we use models to better understand populations? How do populations interact? – Mason, Ch. 39 – Communities. HW1 Due in Class.Quiz 2 in D2L DUE Friday, 9/18, 5pm.
 6  Tu  9/22 What are consequences of direct and indirect interactions between populations?  – continue Mason, Ch. 39 HW2 Due in class.
 7 Th  9/24  Exam 1
 8  Tu  9/29 How can we extend our use of models to help us explain relationships among genetics concepts? – Mason sections: 13.1, 14.1-14.3, 15.1-15.2 In Class Group Model – upload to D2L Dropbox by 5pm.
 9  Th 10/1 How is genetic information organized? – Mason sections: 10.2
10  Tu  10/6 How does genetic variation originate? How is it linked to phenotypic variation?
 11  Th  10/8 How do genes and alleles influence phenotype?  -Mason: 12.5 HW3 and HW4 Due in class.
 12  Tu  10/13 How is genetic information transferred across generations? (of cells and organisms?) – Mason: 10.3-10.5; 11  HW5 Due in class.Quiz opened in D2L – Due Friday, 10/16 at 5pm
 13  Th  10/15 finish information transfer
 14  Tu  10/20  Exam 2 Midterm Survey Due (use link provided in e-mail)
 15  Th  10/22 How can we predict genetic and phenotypic characteristics of offspring? – Mason: Ch. 12  
 16  Tu  10/27 How can we explain patterns of inheritance that don’t follow “Mendelian” standards? – Mason: Ch. 12 (esp. 12.6) HW6 Due in class. 
 17  Th  10/29  What is ‘selection’? How does it work? – Mason: Ch. 19
 18  Tu  11/3 How can we quantify change in populations over time? – Mason: Ch. 19 (esp.19.2 – 19.3)
 19  Th  11/5 How can we apply principles of evolution and natural selection to explain real world patterns and problems? – Mason: Ch. 19; also – skim Ch. 23 for overview of bacteria/viruses.  HW7 Due in class. 
 20  Tu  11/10 Continue case: Antibiotic Resistance
 21  Th  11/12  Exam 3
 22  Tu  11/17 How can we explain and represent the origin of new species?  – Mason: Ch. 22
 23  Th  11/19 Exam 3 Redux – emphasis on application of 5 principles of natural selection  In-Class Quiz
 24  Tu  11/24 How do energy and matter move in systems?  – Mason: Ch.39.5-39.6; skim 39.7
 —  Th  11/26 No class: Happy Thanksgiving!
 25  Tu  12/1 Continue – How do energy and matter move in systems? – Mason: Ch. 39.5 – 39.6; skim 39.7
 26  Th  12/3  How can we explain changing carbon dynamics? What are the consequences? – Mason: Ch. 40.6
 27  Tu 12/8  Exam 4  HW8. Due in Class.
 28  Th  12/10 Group Evaluation of Biology in Media
 Tu  12/15  Final Exam: 12:45-2:45