Course Syllabus

Jump to Today

GCC Syllabus Banner

Bio 115 Syllabus-Winter

Let's get ready to learn the anatomy and physiology of the human body!

Instructor Contact Information

Course Description

Biology 115 is an introductory course (4 units) covering biological principles as they apply to the human body. The central theme is the structure and function of the human organism. Topics covered include: human evolution, the human species in the environment, cells, tissues, the major body systems, heredity, and the major human conditions and diseases. A daily laboratory allows students the opportunity to gain practical experience in the techniques necessary to study the health sciences.

About this Class 

  • This course is Hybrid with online lab meetings:  We will be meeting online in live lab meetings Monday through Thursday 8-10:25am, for 5 weeks.
  • This course will officially begin on January 10, 2022 and ends on February 10, 2022.
  • This is a 5-week asynchronous course with synchronous lab meetings.

  • Time Commitment

    Although this is an introductory course, this class will require a time commitment (12-15 hours of studying and online interaction). Please consider preparing ahead of time, and managing your time wisely to allow you to learn efficiently and effectively. If you need guidance, please do not hesitate to contact me. I hope to help each student succeed in this course.

Browser Compatibility:

I highly recommend using the most recent version of Google Chrome as your browser to make sure everything works correctly in Canvas.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will be able to identify and/or describe the various organelles of a human body cell, explain their functions, and apply this knowledge to the concept of homeostasis. 

  2. Students will be able to identify and/or describe the primary tissues of the human body, explain their relevant features and explain the relationship of these tissues to the overall function to the organs they are a part of. 

  3. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the basic terminology needed to understand and study the human body, including terminology pertaining to body position, directional terminology, body cavities and the planes and sections of the human body. 

  4. Students will be able to identify, define, describe and/or explain the various organs of the human body systems as to their basic anatomical features and physiology, focusing on the maintenance of homeostasis and the relationships to major diseases and/or pathological conditions. 


 

Textbook(s) and Required Materials

Course: Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, 10th Edition, VanPutte, Regan, Russo (Published by McGraw-Hill)

Laboratory: Biology 115 Lab Manual by Dr. Vlasta Lyles. (These labs will be posted on Canvas weekly.)

Course Communication

Email

If you ever have any questions, please email me through Canvas by clicking on "Inbox" on the left side of your homepage. Click on "Compose a new message", select this course and then select "Teachers" under the "To" field and you will find my name, Hermineh Moradi.  This is email inside Canvas :-) I am not supposed to receive any personal email...Canvas email only, please! I will respond to your email within 24 hours, all week long. If you do not hear back from me within this time, please assume I did not receive your email and resend it.

Course Assignments

Important Dates

The due dates for your assignments can be found in the Calendar in the global navigation links at the top of your screen. Or, you can find the due dates along with the description of the assignment, if you click on Assignments to the left of the screen.

Weekly Assignments

Each week you will need to complete the following:

  • Read/watch the daily lectures, as they become available to you on Canvas. 
  • Post the weekly Discussion/Assignment by the date/time specified.
  • When indicated, respond to other students’ posts in the Discussion.

Grading Criteria

Grading Scale

Letter Grade

Percentage

A

90-100%

B

80-89 %

C

70-79 %

D

60-69%

F

59% and below

Assignment Rubrics

In order to understand what is expected of you for each assignment, please check out the rubric -- a table that details the "tips for success" of each assignment and the benchmarks for success -- attached to each Assignment/Discussion for the grading criteria.

Course Grades & Feedback

You can view your grades using the Grades button in the course navigation links. Please check your grades regularly to make certain that I have received all your assignments. If you have a question about a grade, email me through the Canvas Inbox (left-side of your screen). Please do not post your personal concerns in a discussion forum.

I will be using the Canvas grading tool for your discussions and written assignments within one week of submitting your assignment. You can see not only your grades, but also comments and feedback as well.

Your final grade will be based on the combined points earned in lecture and lab. The grading scale used will be the following:

Percentage

Letter Grade

90-100%

A

80-89.9%

B

70-79.9%

C

60-69.9%

D

<59.9%

F

Points:

Exams Points vary
Labs 5 pts x 16 labs
Discussions 5 to 10 pts (when assigned)

 

*The total points may increase if there are additional assignments/quizzes.

Submission Policy

Plan for success! Submit your work by the requested due date and time. If you have an extenuating circumstance, please contact me by private message before the assignment is due to make alternate arrangements.

Attendance/Participation/Refund Policies

If you miss more than the equivalent of one week’s worth of online assignments and one week’s worth of live lab instruction during the semester, you may lose credit for, or be dropped from, the course.

One week’s worth of work is equivalent to online submissions of discussions, quizzes, and/or assignments that are due EVERY 2 DAYS (due dates will be clearly stated).

(To be successful in this course, log into class regularly. YOU MUST log in daily to stay up to date on lectures, discussions, and assignments. I would also recommend that you update your notifications to keep you updated on the activity when you are not logged in.)

The lab portion of this class is NOT optional. Attendance is REQUIRED daily.

Additional Policies and Resources

Academic Honesty

It is expected that all work submitted for grading is original, not copied from others and that the work being graded is indeed done by the student who is receiving the grade. Cheating and plagiarism are serious violations of the student conduct code. Cheating or plagiarizing will result in a zero on the assignment or test and may result in other disciplinary action taken by the College. All incidents of cheating or plagiarizing may reported to the Dean of Students. For more information, please refer to the Glendale Community College Academic Honesty Policy.

Late Work

Discussions: There will be no late work accepted for discussions after the due date.

Assignments & Late work: If assignments/homework are turned in by the due date, there will be the potential for full credit. There is a "24-hour late period" for submissions up to 24 hours after the due date. These submissions will have the potential for half credit. For example: If the 10 point assignment was turned in “late”, and the student received 8 points, s/he will receive 4 out of 10 points for the final grade on this assignment.

Policies regarding late work protect students who work hard to meet scheduled deadlines. No exceptions will be made for Discussions.

Exams: There will be no late exams administered. In rare cases, with legitimate circumstances, proof will be required and may be considered for an exam to be administered at a later time. Please contact me via email as soon as possible in an urgent situation.

Students with Disabilities

  • All students with disabilities seeking accommodations are responsible for making arrangements in a timely manner through the Center for Students with Disabilities. Please let me know right away if you will need accommodations so we can pre-plan together.
  • Please let me know if you have adaptive software and hardware to assist you with taking this course or if you have any specific needs of which I should be aware. You can find more information about Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) or call the office at 818-240-1000 x5905.

Student Technical Support

Go to the Student Tech Support  page if you are having Canvas tech issues or check out the resources below:

Student Online Services

There are many additional services to help you during this course. A few of these include:

  • Free Online Tutoring, which can be accessed through the website or through Canvas.
  • GCC Library (Databases & Online Chat), which can be accessed through the website or through Canvas.

Additional services can be found on the GCC Student Services Webpage.

 

Additional information

If this is your first college science course, expect to study more than you may be accustomed to from some of your non-science courses. Students who do well in this course attend class, read the text book, and take comprehensive notes in lecture.

Schedule of Assignments

 See Schedule posted on Module page 

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due