Bio 105: Biology For Everyday Life

Krista Delahunty, M.Sc.

A. Overview

Competency Description
Introductory biology for non-majors with lab which emphasizes the connections between biology
and everyday life. Topics include scientific inquiry, chemistry of life, cells, genetics, evolution,
human biology, diversity of living organisms. On-line format includes reading material with
accompanying videos and figures, with quizzes after each concept. Students will also conduct
virtual and hands-on at home lab activities, as well as assignment-based interactive milestone
activities. As a final assessment, students will create a slideshow highlighting the work they
have completed to gain competency in many different areas of biology.

Class Meeting times: Online

Email: kristad@maine.edu

B. Required Text(s) and other Resources

All required materials and resources can be found on Brightspace.

Essential technology required for this competency includes access to Microsoft 365 (you will
need to use Word, Excel, and Power Point), as well as a camera.

Supplies that are required to complete some of the labs will be mailed to you. These include an
owl pellet and gloves for dissection, and supplies for the lactase enzyme lab (glucose test strips,
gloves, medicine cups, and unknown "patient" samples to test). You are required to supply milk
for this lab.

C. Additional Readings (Optional)

None
D. Course Outcomes/ Program Outcomes/ General Education
Outcomes

GLOs associated with course

GLO3c – students will demonstrate the ability to be consumers of biological and other scientific
information to better inform their daily lives.

GLO3e – students will perform scientific inquiry including aspects of the scientific method, such
as observation, hypothesis, experiment, evaluation, and communication. CLOs

CLOs associated with course

1) Understand and be able to apply the scientific inquiry process to researchable questions
or problems.
2) Draw valid conclusions from numerical data presented in a variety of formats.
3) Develop the ability to become consumers of biological information to better inform one’s
daily life.
4) Be able to identify the diversity of life at the domain and kingdom level.
5) Explain and be able to apply and cite examples of evolution and natural selection.
6) Explain the cell theory and identify cell structures and their functions.
7) Explain and apply the genetic basis of inheritance.
8) Be able to identify the structure and function of a variety of anatomical and physiological
systems of humans and a variety of other organisms.

Competency Description Numerical Letter Grade

Mastery Score Grade

4.0 Advanced Course Proficiency 100 A+

● Student has submitted evidence of
3.80-3.99 advanced performance exceeding 95-99 A
expectations of basic course outcomes
3.60-3.79 90-94 A-

3.40-3.59 Course Proficiency 87-89 B+

● Student has submitted evidence of
3.20-3.39 meeting expectations of critical 83-86 B
knowledge and skills identified in course
3.0-3.19 learning outcomes 80-82 B-

<3.0 Failed to meet minimum proficiency within course <80 F

Not Proficient NP
● An “NP” will be given by an instructor to a
student who has submitted evidence but
 has not reached a required level of
proficiency related to one or more
learning outcomes.

Incomplete I
● An “Incomplete” is intended to be issued
only in cases where a student is not able
to submit learning evidence due to
extenuating circumstances (such as
illness or bereavement).

Passed P
● Student met minimal expectations of
course outcomes

Stopped attending, recorded as an F L

Course Withdrawal W

Formative Assessment: (Quizzes & Interactive Milestone Activities) Learner must receive an 80
or higher on each assignment to continue moving through the content.

Summative Assessment: (Final Assignment) Learner must receive a 3 or 4 on all rubric

categories/requirements for project- based assessments, or receive a score of 80% or higher on
multiple choice assessments.

F. Teaching and Learning

Demonstrating Mastery: a two-step process:

Step One: Learning and Understanding

This competency is broken down into learning outcomes and related concepts and
objectives. For each learning outcome, you will participate in learning activities designed to
enhance and reinforce understanding. Learning activities may include readings, video and
audio clips, and links to web resources. Additionally, you will engage in quizzes after each
concept and Milestone Activities to assure that you are on track and gaining knowledge and
skills to build toward mastery.

Step Two: Final Assessment

Once you have successfully progressed through the learning activities and quizzes, you are
ready to demonstrate that you have mastered the competency. Demonstration of mastery (at
least 80%) is measured by a final assessment. Students will create a PowerPoint slide
presentation that is a comprehensive portfolio highlighting the skills that they gained throughout
the Biology For Everyday Life competency and showcase their results from a variety of
completed activities and labs. By presenting pictures of successfully completed lab results and
activities, tables and graphs from experiments, and experimental explanations and conclusions,
students will be able to demonstrate proficiency in a wide-ranging area of interest in biology,
including, but not limited to, microbiology, ecology, genetics and evolution, experimental biology,
and laboratory science.

G. Where to Get Help

The Center for Innovative Learning (CIL)

The CIL is designed to support students and promote premier scholastic achievement and
lifelong learning for the campus community. It contains the Tutoring and Writing Center,
Computer Services, Library, Student Support Services, Counseling Center, group work space,
and quiet study space.

For more information, including most recent hours, please visit our library homepage.

Academic Update System

The Academic Update process is designed to help students evaluate their academic progress in
the course, identify resources, and get the support they need to succeed. An Academic Update
Form may be used by the instructor at any point throughout the course and will be sent to the
student and the University’s Academic Support Services team.

Tutoring and Writing Support

Subject area tutoring and writing assistance is available to all students for all UMPI courses via
professional and peer tutors, individually and in small groups. For more information or to
schedule a tutoring appointment, contact Anne Chase, Tutor Coordinator, at 207-768-9461,
catherine.a.chase@maine.edu, or visit her on the 1st floor of the CIL. Students can also go to
https://umpi.mywconline.com to register and schedule an appointment on either the writing
center or subject area tutoring schedule.

H. Course Policies

Course Attendance Policy

Although by nature of a CBE program, a learner's progression through the competency is self-
paced, as an institution we are required to report satisfactory academic performance. This
performance is in part determined by attendance. Therefore, the CBE
program attendance policy is as follows:

The University expects all students enrolled in the online coursework to actively participate in
the course. "Participation" is defined as the learner's virtual presence for, and participation in
discussions, activities, and related forms of electronic contact occurring in the competency
learning environment. Each learner is required to have substantive interaction and activity in
the learning platform. Substantive activity is frequent and meaningful work towards competency
completion. Learner time spent and last date of activity is monitored weekly. If a learner has
been "absent" from the platform for 10 days or more, without communication with their
Academic Success Coach, they will receive email notification requesting a status update. If
activity does not resume, or the update is not received, within 5 business days the learner will
be required to meet with their Academic Success Coach to develop a completion plan. If this
communication does not take place, at 20 days we will assume the learner is no longer
committed to the course and will be removed from Brightspace. The student will receive
a grade of "L" for all registered courses in which he/she has stopped participating.

An "L" grade indicates the student walked away from the course without properly withdrawing
and is computed in the GPA as an F.

University Attendance Policy

Individual faculty members determine the attendance policy for each course. However, all
students are expected to arrive punctually and to attend all classes. If possible, any necessary
absences should be discussed with the instructor beforehand. Behavior that detracts from the
learning environment-including excessive absences or extensive periods of not logging into the
class or posting to discussion boards, may result in sanctions including Student Conduct Code
violations and/or grades of F or L being assigned.

University Excused Class Absence Policy

The University recognizes that educational experiences extend beyond the classroom and
campus and that participation in sanctioned co-curricular activities is an important component of
a student’s university education. A sanctioned university event or activity shall be one in which a
student represents the university to external constituencies in academic, extra-, or co- curricular
activities. Faculty members are asked to provide students participating in sanctioned activities
or absences with reasonable accommodations for classes, examinations, projects, and other
assessments that are missed because of these occurrences. Accommodations may include
comparable alternative evaluation methods and/or opportunities for evaluation at other times
within a reasonable time period prior to or after the absence.

The Student Code of Conduct in our Virtual Environments

Professional Demeanor for Online Learning:
Although our classroom environment is virtual, the standards of behavior are as important as
they are within our campus walls. In other words, our virtual are real digital classroom spaces,
with real teachers, support staff and students; therefore, appropriate student conduct, aligned
with the UMS Student Code of Conduct is expected. You can review guidance about how to
professionally email your faculty and staff contacts at UMPI’s eLearning Hub.

Academic Integrity Policy

“Academic integrity violations strike at the heart of the educational mission of the University of
Maine System. The academic community of the University of Maine System recognizes that
adherence to high principles of academic integrity is vital to the academic function of the
University. Academic integrity is based upon honesty. All students of the University are
expected to be honest in their academic endeavors. All academic work should be performed in
a manner that will provide an honest reflection of the knowledge and abilities of each student.
All members of the academic community should regard any breach of academic honesty as a
serious offense.

Academic integrity means not lying, cheating, or stealing. To cheat on an examination, to steal
words or ideas of another, or to falsify the results of one’s research corrupts the essential
process by which knowledge is advanced. Cheating, plagiarism, fabrication of data, giving or
receiving unauthorized help on examinations, and other acts of academic dishonesty are
contrary to the academic purposes for which the University exists.

Violations of academic integrity include any actions that attempt to promote or enhance the
academic standing of any student by dishonest means. Academic integrity means that one’s
work is the product of one’s own effort, and that one neither receives nor gives unauthorized
assistance in any assignment. Because advanced academic work depends on the sharing of
information and ideas, academic integrity at the college level includes rigorous adherence to the
conventions for acknowledging one’s use of the words and ideas of other people.

Put plainly: academic honesty is very important. It is dishonest to cheat on exams, to copy term
papers or to submit papers written by another person, to fabricate experimental results, copy
answers from an answer key or websites that facilitate cheating, or to copy parts of books,
articles, or websites into your own papers without putting the copied material in quotation marks
and clearly indicating its source.” (Policy Manual - Academic Integrity - University of Maine
System, 2020)
Note: the full UMS Academic Integrity Policy can be accessed at: https://www.maine.edu/board-
of-trustees/policy-manual/section-314/

Right to Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities

The University is committed to providing a learning environment that promotes educational
opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities. Students needing
accommodations should contact the Director of Student Support Services, Mary Kate Barbosa
at 207-768-9613, with current and complete documentation.

Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Relationship

Violence, Stalking and Retaliation Policy
The University is committed to providing a safe environment which promotes the dignity and
worth of each member of the community. In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable
laws and in pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University does not discriminate on the basis
of sex in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. For this reason, the
University will not tolerate sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating
violence, domestic violence, stalking, or retaliation in any form. All conduct of this nature is
considered a violation of this policy.

The University will respond promptly and effectively to complaints and reports of violations of
this policy. In responding to all complaints and reports, the University will act to ensure the
safety of students, guests, and employees while complying with state and federal laws and
provisions of applicable collective bargaining agreements and employee handbooks.
For more information: http://www.maine.edu/about-the-system/board-of-trustees/policy-
manual/section402/

I. Schedule of Learning Outcomes, Topics & Activities

The table below details the objectives along with their corresponding topics, which are
supported by milestone activities and quizzes.

Learning Outcomes Topics/Concepts/Objectives

Compare and contrast the terms scientific
hypothesis and scientific theory.
Distinguish between inductive and deductive
reasoning.
Describe the characteristics of a scientific
hypothesis.
List strategies for minimizing bias when designing
experiments.
Introduction to Science Describe the features of a controlled experiment.
Define correlation and explain that it does not
indicate causation.
Describe the information that statistical tests
provide.
Compare and contrast primary and secondary
sources.
Summarize the techniques you can use to
evaluate scientific information from secondary
sources.
The Macrobiome Describe the characteristics of the terrestrial
biomes and give examples of adaptations to
these.
Describe the characteristics of the aquatic biomes
and give examples of adaptations to these.
Cite the current estimate of the species diversity
and explain why this accounts for a small
proportion of the total.
Describe the current taxonomic system,
phylogenetic trees, and the three major domains
of life.
List the major characteristics of 3 of the 4 major
kingdoms of Eukarya: Animalia, Fungi, and
 Plantae.
Compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic
cells.
Describe the structure and function of the
subcellular organelles.
List the basic characteristics of domains Bacteria
The Microbiome
and Archaea.
List the characteristics of protists.
List the characteristics of viruses.
Summarize the endosymbiotic theory.

Define evolution and explain how populations

change.
Describe the mechanisms of evolution.
Discuss the evidence for evolution.
Define and describe speciation.
Identify common misconceptions about evolution.
Describe evolutionary relationships.
Describe the structure of DNA.
Describe the process of DNA replication.
Evolution, Natural Selection, and Explain sexual reproduction.
Genetics Describe meiosis and mitosis.
Describe Mendel's experiments and monohybrid
crosses.
Explain the laws of inheritance.
Describe the mechanisms underlying extensions
of the laws of inheritance.
Explain the basic techniques of cloning and
genetic engineering.
Describe how biotechnology is used in medicine
and agriculture.
Describe the building blocks of molecules.
Describe the properties of water that are critical to
maintaining life.
List and explain the functions of the four major
types of biological molecules.
Describe the fluid mosaic model of the plasma
Propertites of Life, Metabolism, and membrane.
Human Nutrition Explain passive transport, osmosis, diffusion and
tonicity.
Explain active transport, endocytosis, and
exocytosis.
Define metabolism and energy.
Discuss how enzymes function as molecular
catalysts.
Human Anatomy and Basic Define the term tissue and name and describe the
Physiology four types.
Describe the structure and function of epithelial
tissue.
Compare the structure and functions of the
connective tissues.
Compare the structure and functions of the three
types of muscle tissues.
Describe the structure and functions of the
nervous tissues.
Explain what an organ is and list the major organ
systems of the human body and their basic
functions.
List and describe the functions of the organs and
accessory organs of the digestive system and
explain how food is absorbed by the body.
Define and describe homeostasis.
Describe how the endocrine system functions, list
and describe the major glands, and describe
hormone production and function.
Define endocrine disruption and describe the
effect that agricultural chemicals can have on the
health of frogs.
Describe innate immunity.
Describe adaptive immunity.
Describe disruptions in the immune system.
Describe the form and function of a neuron.
Describe the basic parts and functions of the
central nervous system.
Describe the basic parts and functions of the
peripheral nervous system.