Course Number: BIO 101
Credit Hours: 4
Contact Hours: 4 (Lecture); 2 (Lab); 0 (Other)
COURSE RATIONALE: This course provides non-majors with a basic understanding of core biological concepts and the nature of biology as a science, as well as providing laboratory experience. It is intended to meet transfer requirements for a laboratory science course. This course is not intended for Biology majors.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: BIO 101: Essentials of Biology. This course addresses the nature of biology as a science. Students will learn core biological concepts and engage in the analysis and communication of biological subject matter. This course is not intended for biology majors.
Prerequisites: ENG 050 or ENG 075 and MTH 075 or appropriate placement by college assessment
Course Objectives/Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
- Describe the characteristics of living things.
- Describe the organization of living things from atoms to ecosystems.
- Describe specific examples of how living things interact with each other and the environment.
- Explore the relationship between society and biology.
- Explain how evolution is a unifying theme in biology.
- Analyze, and verify or refute, biological claims using reliable sources of information.
- Participate in the scientific process by forming hypotheses, designing experiments, analyzing experimental data, and determining if data supports or fails to support a hypothesis.
- Effectively communicate biological concepts to a variety of audiences.
Course Outline:
Describe the characteristics of living things
- Cellular organization
- Reproduction
- Metabolism
- Homeostasis
- Response to Stimuli
- Growth and development
- Evolution
Describe the organization of living things from atoms to ecosystems
- Atoms and molecules
- Organelles and cells
- Tissues, organs, and organs systems
- Organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems
Describe specific examples of how living things interact with each other and the environment
- Ecology and ecosystems
- Movement of matter and energy through ecosystems
- Symbiotic relationships
- Human impacts on the environment, including anthropogenic climate change
Explore the relationship between society and biology
- Issues in biology as related to other areas such as health and medicine, the environment, agriculture, and public policy
Explain how evolution is a unifying theme in biology
- Evidence of evolution
- Mechanisms of evolutionary change
- Role of DNA/genetics in evolution
- Family trees, classification, and relationships among organisms
- Diversity of life, including human evolution
Analyze, and verify or refute, biological claims using reliable sources of information
- Credible sources
- Good science versus pseudoscience
Participate in the scientific process by forming hypotheses, designing experiments, analyzing experimental data, and determining if the data support or fails to support a hypothesis
- Steps of the scientific method
- Hypothesis formation and testing
- Analysis of data and interpretation of graphical representations of data
Effectively communicate biological concepts to a variety of audiences
- Effective presentation of ideas and information related to biology
- Use diction, grammar, sentence structure, and biological terms appropriate to audience and occasion
Resources Included: Upon confirmation of the student's course registration, SC4 will mail an acceptance letter to each student's home address. This letter will contain additional information about login access to the SC4 Portal and establishing a college email account. Students will receive login information to the Canvas learning management system (LMS) via their college email account. The email will provide login procedures necessary to access the online course(s) for which a student is enrolled.
Additional Costs: Required Textbook / Materials: Students or their enrolling schools are responsible to purchase the required textbook and materials listed in the syllabus. Students are responsible for all tuition, books/supplies, and fees the school or school district does not pay; this includes the non-refundable student fee for dropped courses.
To locate your required textbook, use the SC4 Catalog Advanced Search to locate the Section Details and Book Details pertaining to your course section.
- If you have the section number for the course in which you have been registered by SC4, then you can select the Subject of the course name (e.g., Biology) along with the Course Number (e.g., 101) and Section number (e.g., 60) and then click the Search button in order to locate your section description. Click on the Section name and number hyperlink, and scroll down to view the Books Details and Pricing as well as the Book Details, including the required ISBN, title, author, and price. For additional help with textbook information, you may contact the SC4 Bookstore: (810) 989-5725 https://www.bkstr.com/stclaircountyccstore/home.
- If you do not yet have your section number or have not yet registered for the course, then you can locate this information by entering the Term (e.g, Fall 2021), the Course Subject (e.g., Accounting) and Course number (e.g., 211), and select “Online Course” for the Location, prior to clicking on the Search button. Click on “View Available Sections”. Finally click on a section to locate the Section Details and Book Details as described above. NOTE: Prior to purchasing required materials, students should verify that the book details match those displayed in their assigned section once SC4 has completed their dual enrollment registration.
Scoring System: Michigan Virtual does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue diplomas. Michigan Virtual will transmit the final letter grade awarded by SC4 for each dual enrollment course completed to the student and his/her enrolling school.
Time Commitment: Dual enrollment semester sessions are 12-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1.5 or more hours per day in the course to be successful.
Technology Requirements: Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to all web resources linked within the online course content provided by the SC4 Canvas learning management system.
Instructor Support System: For technical issues within your course, contact your SC4 instructor or the college at 810-984-3881.
Instructor Contact Expectations: Students can use their college email or other means provided by their instructor within the course syllabus or within their learning management system once the term has begun when they need instructor assistance. The instructor may describe additional communication options.
Academic Support Available: Disability Services - Support services are available to students at SC4 upon request. For information regarding services provided by St. Clair County Community College, contact the Achievement Center at (810) 989-5759. Students must self-identify their need for assistance.
Required Assessment: Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, instructor-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments.
Technical Skills Needed: No special skills are required beyond being able to operate a computer and use word processing software.
Additional Information: [1] Dual enrollment courses follow unique start, end and last day to withdraw dates for St. Clair County Community College (SC4)’s academic calendar for 12-week courses [https://michiganvirtual.org/dualenrollmentdates].
[2] You are consenting to pay the SC4 in-district tuition and fees for the course(s) selected [https://sc4.edu/admissions/tuition-and-fees/]. Michigan Virtual will send an invoice for eligible charges following the enrollment/withdrawal date of each term. Students or their enrolling schools are responsible to purchase the required textbook and materials listed in the syllabus.
[3] SC4 accepts the SAT as qualifying scores for dual enrollment eligibility. If a student has not taken the SAT, then SC4 will evaluate the student’s high school transcript to determine college readiness. Upload the student’s SAT report and/or high school transcript to Michigan Virtual’s Student Learning Portal (SLP) [https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/slp-add-sat-and-transcript-files-to-student-account/].
[4] Dual enrollment courses are limited to students attending public or private schools in the State of Michigan. Nonresident or homeschooled students are not eligible to dual enroll.
[5] SC4 will transmit a student’s scores electronically or by mail via Michigan Virtual. Dual enrollment scores will not appear in the SLP.
[6] Students must complete the online webform linked in their registration email before the enrollment will be confirmed.
[7] SC4 will contact the student directly with an acceptance letter and information on accessing the SC4 Portal, a college email account, and the online course content.