Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Welcome to Biology 101!  I LOVE biology, and I hope to share my enthusiasm with you. I hope that you learn some basics about science, the scientific method, work toward critical thinking, and learn about the living world. Science is a process, as is learning, and requires time, guidance, nurturing and hard work. Expect to attend lecture and lab in-person. In addition to holding a traditional "lecture," expect to engage in collaborative group work and active learning in class. Attendance in both lecture and lab is critical to your success.  

Class Meetings (in-person at Sylvania Campus):

• Lecture: Mondays and Wednesdays 12:00-1:20 pm in ST 107
• Lab: Wednesdays 2:00-4:50 pm in ST 212

Course Description:

My goals for you are to learn the very basics of biology. This laboratory science course is designed for non-biology majors and is the first of a three-term sequence. Introduces the properties of life, morphology and physiology of cells, cell chemistry, energy transformation, and the basic principles of ecology. A laboratory science course designed for non-biology majors. For more details, visit: http://www.pcc.edu/ccog/default.cfm?fa=ccog&subject=BI&course=101

Coursework Expectations:

• Plan to spend 6-12 hours outside of class studying and completing homework.
• Weekly in-class activities (lecture and Lab)
• Weekly required hands-on lab activities, in addition to lab pre-labs and quizzes due each week.
• Weekly lecture quizzes.
• 2 midterms and 1 final.
• 1 environmental issues project and share-out in small groups
• 1 connections project (10 hours of finding "biology" in the community)

Instructional Materials:

• We will use an open sourced (free) online text (Openstax Biology 2e) this term.  
• Labs will be available via online D2L- students must print labs prior to lab meetings on Wednesdays

About your instructor:

I love teaching at PCC and teach Principles of Biology, Botany, Introduction to Sustainability, Environmental Studies from a Biological Perspective, and General Biology. As a honeybee ecologist, my loves are being outside with flowers and insects! I have studied honeybee learning and memory, lizard interactions, and more! I have volunteered with Adventure Scientists surveying for pine martens on the Olympic Peninsula, creating DNA databases for big leaf maples and western red cedars to prevent poaching, and many other projects. Currently, I am focused on changing curricula and pedagogy in biology to be more inclusive (gender, culture, ethnic, age, etc.) so please help me see places that need work! 

Hope to meet you!

You will use D2L to access everything that you need for lab and lecture this term. Your job will be to either print each lab or to bring a device to class to the lab electronically. You will work in groups for each lab. I have found that most students really wanted a print version, so remember that you can print 100 pages back to back at the library and other locations (https://www.pcc.edu/technology/support/printing/).