Policy on Academic Dishonesty:

Academic dishonesty (cheating and plagiarism) will not be tolerated. Students should read the sections on cheating and plagiarism in the Georgia Perimeter College Student Handbook and Georgia Perimeter College Catalog.

Cheating includes (among other things), use of unauthorized papers (or a cell phone or pager) during a quiz or exam (no matter what the content), looking at any notes or books or other materials during an unproctored online quiz, talking with someone about the quiz material during an unproctored online quiz, telling a student who has not taken the quiz or exam about the quiz or exam after you have taken it, copying from another student's paper during a test, allowing another student to copy from your paper during a test, unauthorized access to old exams or to an exam given to the class if you are taking it late for some reason, copying another student's homework assignments, using or turning in a photocopy of another student's assigned work, paying someone to write a paper or do an assignment for you, buying or downloading a term paper, or leaving the room during a test without permission or before turning in your paper. Cheating also includes giving a false excuse to the instructor in order to get the instructor to give extended time, an incomplete, or other consideration relating to a grade.

With online testing, it is particularly important to pay strict attention to academic honesty. Do not access a test online before you are ready to take it (soon the computer will recognize you and only allow you to access it once). Do not look at a printout of the test before you take it. Do not look at other web pages, your books, notes, or other papers while taking an online test. Do not have another person take the test for you. Do not have another person tell you answers to the test.

Plagiarism includes copying any phrases, sentence, or sentences verbatim from the reference source without using quotation marks and without providing a complete reference (author, date, source of material, volume, pages, etc.), or printing out an article directly from a computer database (such as Encarta or off the World Wide Web) and turning it in as your own work. Students must read, synthesize, and write their own original sentences; learn to paraphrase. Even when paraphrasing, a complete reference must be provided to the paraphrased sentences. NEVER steal words directly from any source and present them as your own.

Students are responsible for doing their own work, even if they "work together". If two papers are turned in that show great similarity such that the instructor interprets it as evidence of cheating or plagiarism, both will be penalized.

A report will be filed with the Campus Dean of Student Affairs for any alleged cheating or plagiarism incident. (See procedure in Georgia Perimeter College Catalog.) The case will be heard by the Dean and/or the College Court. Penalties may include suspension or expulsion or community service.

The faculty member is free to assign the grade he or she thinks is appropriate for the assignment or for the semester (regardless of any outcome from College Court). 

For the first offense, any student found by the instructor to have represented someone else's work as his/her own, will receive a zero for that quiz, exam, or assignment.

The second offense will result in the assignment of a grade of "F" for the course. (If several papers are turned in together or at the same time, and each contains evidence of cheating or plagiarism, they will be considered as separate offenses, and will result in immediate assignment of a grade of "F" for the course.) This policy applies to cheating or plagiarism on extra credit work as well.

Cheating on an exam will jeopardize your grade; if you receive a zero on an exam it will be extremely difficult to receive a passing grade for the course.

Statement of Non-discrimination

Georgia Perimeter College supports the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order #11246, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin or disability, be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity of the college.

Any individual with a grievance related to the enforcement of any of the above provisions should contact the Assistant Director of Human Resources, Ombudsperson.

Americans with Disabilities Act Statement:

If you are a student who is disabled as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act and require assistance or support services, please seek assistance through the GPC Center for Disability Services. A CDS Counselor will coordinate those services.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, gender, religion, creed, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status, be excluded from employment or participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity conducted by Georgia Perimeter College.

Affirmative Action Statement:

Georgia Perimeter College adheres to affirmative action policies designed to promote diversity and equal opportunity for all its faculty and students.

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You are expected to read and abide by the General Policies of Georgia Perimeter College, as stated in the College Student Handbook and in the College Catalog.

Expected Educational Results:

At the completion of this course, the student should be able to do the following:

 

I.  Introduction to Scientific Methods and Applications

 

A.  Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method and the process of scientific inquiry  (should be threaded throughout course)

B.  Demonstrate an understanding of laboratory safety  (should be threaded throughout course)

C.  Demonstrate an understanding of data collection (observation, measurement, recording, etc.), and the interpretation of data  (should be threaded throughout course)

D.  Communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly (should be threaded throughout course)

E.  Question scientific claims and arguments effectively (should be threaded throughout course)

F.  Identify patterns of change using records, tables, or graphs of measurements (should be threaded throughout course)

 

II.  Life Science

 

A.  Characteristics of Life

1.        Distinguish living organisms from nonliving materials by observable physical attributes (appearance, size, motion, etc.); recognize that fungi are living organisms

2.        Demonstrate the ability to explain characteristics associated with all living things:  cells, growth, reproduction, heredity, response to stimuli, evolutionary adaptation, energy metabolism, exchange of materials with the environment, homeostasis

3.        Compare and contrast the characteristics (including parts) and basic needs of plants and animals.

4.        Identify factors that affect the survival or extinction of organisms, such as adaptation, variation of behaviors (hibernation) and external features (camouflage and protection); identify factors that may have led to extinctions of some organisms

 

B.  Biodiversity/Heredity

1.        Recognize similarities and differences between organisms (compare and contrast a plant, an animal, and a bacterial cell; recognize similarities and differences between parent and offspring)

2.        Group living organisms based on characteristics, and demonstrate an understanding of how and why scientists use classification

3.        Demonstrate the ability to explain life cycles of various organisms

4.        Demonstrate the role of DNA in heredity

5.        Demonstrate the ability to explain mechanisms for transmission of traits between generations

6.        Distinguish between inherited traits and learned behaviors

 

C. Energy Flow

1.        Demonstrate an understanding of the intricacy and concepts of food webs

2.        Explain the process and significance of photosynthesis

3.        Demonstrate an understanding of the need for oxygen and organic carbon

4.        Explain the process and significance of cellular respiration

 

D. Interdependence of Life/Ecology

1.        Demonstrate an understanding of interdependence of community members; identify roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers

2.        Distinguish between autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms

3.        Demonstrate an understanding of symbiotic relationships, i.e. mutualism, commensalisms, and parasitism; relate how microorganisms benefit or harm larger organisms

4.        Demonstrate an understanding of predator/prey relationships, strategies, and adaptive significance

5.        Recognize characteristics of different populations

6.        Demonstrate an understanding of basic population dynamic structure

7.        Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of birth and death rates

8.        Demonstrate an understanding of the habitats of different organisms (aquatic, terrestrial, artificial), and the dependence of organisms on their habitat; differentiate between habitats of Georgia and the organisms that live there

9.        Demonstrate an understanding of the components and limiting factors of a habitat, a niche, and carrying capacity

10.     Demonstrate an understanding of the difference between a macro- and a microhabitat

11.     Demonstrate an understanding of the effect of pollution and humans on the environment; identify ways to protect the environment

 

 

E. Cells

1.        Recognize the cell as the fundamental unit of life

2.        Demonstrate a knowledge of the diversity of unicellular organisms (including eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells)

3.        Demonstrate an understanding of the origins of multicellularity

4.        Demonstrate an understanding of the levels of biological organization

5.        Demonstrate an understanding of the integrated functions of body systems

6.        Observe, identify, diagram, and label different cell components and explain their structure and functions (plant cells, animal cells, single-celled organisms, multicellular organisms)

7.        Explain the integration of cellular components

 

 

III.  Earth Science

 

A. Earth Systems

1.        Recognize the importance of science and technology in our everyday lives (should be threaded throughout Earth Science topics)

2.        Recognize Earth materials (rocks, soil, water, air, etc.)

 

B.  Exosphere (Astronomy)

1.        Demonstrate an understanding of the basic attributes of stars, planets, Moon, Sun, and the Solar System;  demonstrate the relative size and order of planets in the Solar System

2.        Describe and model changes and patterns in the day and night sky (including day/night transitions; star patterns; movement of stars, planets, Sun and Moon; phases of the moon), and changing length of day and night as related to changing seasons

3.        Demonstrate an understanding of the use of technology to observe distant objects in the sky

 

C.  Lithosphere (Geology)

1.        Differentiate between minerals and rocks; differentiate between different types of minerals and between different types of rocks on the basis of their physical properties; and demonstrate a basic understanding of the rock cycle

2.        Recognize and describe the basic properties and components of soil  (texture, particle size, color); compare and contrast different types of soil (clay, loam or potting soil, sand, etc.) including their ability to support life and capacity to absorb water

3.        Demonstrate an understanding of fossils as evidence of organisms that lived long ago, and processes of fossilization; compare and contrast fossils with organisms that are living today; recognize fossils of Georgia; explain how fossil fuels were formed and why they need to be conserved

4.        Recognize and describe the different geologic processes that shape the Earth, including how water and wind change rocks and soils over time; identify surface features caused by constructive and destructive processes (deposition, faults earthquakes, volcanoes, weathering, erosion); categorize Georgia landforms formed by constructive and/or destructive processes

5.        Demonstrate an understanding of the role of technology and human intervention in the control of constructive and destructive processes (seismological studies, flood control, beach reclamation, etc.)

 

D.  Hydrosphere and Atmosphere (Oceanography and Meteorology)

1.        Demonstrate a basic understanding of the water cycle, and states of water (solid, liquid, gas)

2.        Analyze weather charts/maps, and observe, measure, and communicate weather data to predict weather events and infer patterns and seasonal changes

3.        Describe changes in weather and how they relate to the water cycle (freezing, melting, precipitation, evaporation, etc.) and position of the Earth and Sun

4.        Understand and describe how weathering forms soil and how weather and erosion change the Earth’s surface

 

E.  Biosphere

1. Recognize and describe different biomes and how they are affected by weather, plant and animal activity, and geologic processes
2. Observe and record changes in a specific area using maps, and infer causes of the changes (weather, plants, animals, and/or people, etc.)

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This syllabus is subject to modification as determined by the instructor.