First Year Biology Labs What to Expect & How to Prepare

UTM Orientation 2015

2015-2016: when & where

Register for LEC (lecture), TUT (tutorial) and PRA (practical)

964 students in 40 PRA sections

Labs occur weekly for 1.5 hours in either DV 2048 or DV 2055

Remember you must attend the section you are enrolled in

Fall 2015 - BIO152H5F – Intro to Evolution & Evolutionary Genetics PRA & T.A. Sections

DAY PRA Section

Time

Room

T.A.

Mondays

PRA0101 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2055

PRA0103 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0102 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2055 PRA0104 3:30PM-5:00PM

PRA0105 5:00PM-6:30PM DV 2055 PRA0107 6:30PM-8:00PM PRA0106 5:00PM-6:30PM DV 2055

PRA0108 6:30PM-8:00PM PRA0138 5:00PM-6:30PM DV 2048

*closed PRA0140 6:30PM-8:00PM

PRA0139 5:00PM-6:30PM DV 2048

*closed PRA0141 6:30PM-8:00PM

Tuesdays

PRA0109 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2055

PRA0113 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0110 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2055 PRA0114 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0111 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2048

PRA0115 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0112 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2048

PRA0116 3:30PM-5:00PM Wednesdays

PRA0117 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2055

PRA0121 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0118 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2055

PRA0122 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0119 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2048

PRA0123 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0120 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2048 PRA0124 3:30PM-5:00PM

Thursdays

PRA0125 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2055 PRA0129 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0126 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2055

PRA0130 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0127 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2048

PRA0131 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0128 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2048

PRA0132 3:30PM-5:00PM

Fridays

PRA0133 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2048

PRA0136 3:30PM-5:00PM PRA0134 2:00PM-3:30PM

DV 2048

PRA0137 3:30PM-5:00PM

Who? The 2015-2016 first year bio team:

Instructors: BIO152 – Dr. Maria Arts & BIO153 – Dr. Christoph Richter

Cindy Short – course coordinator

Caroline Bouilly & Nikki Sarkar – teaching technicians

Alvin Singh – administrative teaching assistant

Your TA

Lab Materials Textbook: CAMPBELL BIOLOGY CANADIAN EDITION BIO152: Labs & associated worksheets will be posted on the course

website BIO153: Van De Graff’s Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory

*Do not use older versions of any of the course books

All additional laboratory materials will be posted on the course

website

You will need to bring: Pencils, pens, eraser, calculator (sometimes) and a lock to lab

Optional: Lab coat

Course & Lab Information: Portal

Course website access: Portal

Login with your UTOR ID and password

BIO152

Check these (and your e-mail) regularly!

Course syllabus & lecture schedule

Find out what to do if you miss a lab, test or assignment

Find e-mail addresses for your instructor and TA

Find all lab documents and info here

Ask your questions here!

Labs link on Portal

Lab schedule BIO152: Fall 2015

Dates Lab Topic Lab Assignment

Week 1 Sept 8-11

***FIRST WEEK OF CLASS – NO LABS***

Week 2 Sept 14-18

Lab 1: Arthropod Diversity & Adaptation

In-Lab Worksheet due at end of lab

Week 3 Sept 21-25

Lab 2: Isolating DNA

Take-Home Assignment due at beginning of lab next week (week of Sept 28-Oct 2)

Week 4 Sept 28-Oct 2

Lab 3: Mitosis & Meiosis

SimUText pre-lab Tutorials: Mitosis Explored and Meiosis Explored (deadline to submit: Sunday Sept 27 11:59 PM) & In-Lab Worksheet due at end of lab

Week 5 Oct 5-9

Lab 4: Natural Selection

SimUText pre-lab: Darwinian Snails (deadline to submit: Sunday Oct 4 11:59 PM) & Take-Home Assignment due at beginning of next lab (week of Oct 19-23)

Week 6 Oct 12-16

***THANKSGIVING WEEK – NO LABS***

Week 7 Oct 19-23

Lab 5: Evolutionary Medicine: Part I –

Mastering the Techniques

Take-Home Assignment due at beginning of lab in two weeks (week of Nov 2-6)

Week 8 Oct 26-30

Lab 5: Evolutionary Medicine: Part I data collection & Lab 6: Patterns of Inheritance

SimUText assignment: Mendelian Pigs (deadline to submit: Sunday Nov 1 11:59 PM)

Week 9 Nov 2-6

Lab 7: Sexual Selection

Take-Home Assignment due at beginning of lab next week (Nov 9-13)

Week 10 Nov 9-13

Lab 5: Evolutionary Medicine: Part II - Group experiment set-up

Take-Home Assignment due at beginning of lab in two weeks (Nov 23-27)

Week 11 Nov 16-20

Lab 5: Evolutionary Medicine data collection & Lab 8: End-of-Course Assessment

Week 12 Nov 23-27

Lab 5: Evolutionary Medicine - Project Presentations

Group Presentation

What is a typical lab like?

BIO152:

Follow a protocol (set up an experiment) and record your results & then complete an assignment either in-class or at home

Work through SimUtext assignment on lab computers

BIO153:

Work through stations observing specimens & answering questions on your lab worksheets

*BIO153 labs subject to change for Winter 2016!

Working in Groups: benefits For all of your first year labs you will be working in groups

Working in groups will help you to:

Plan and manage time

Refine understanding through discussion and explanation

Give and receive feedback on performance

Challenge assumptions

Develop stronger communication skills

Tackle more complex problems than you could on your own

Delegate roles and responsibilities

Share diverse perspectives

Pool knowledge and skills

Lab Evaluation

BIO152 (lab component is worth 20% of final mark)

In-Lab Worksheets & take home assignments (Labs 1-4, 6, and 7): 15% (best 5 of 6)

Lab 5: Evolutionary Medicine (includes an oral presentation): 5%

BIO153 (lab component is worth 25% of final mark)

Two lab tests: 10% + 15% = 25%

*subject to change for Winter 2016

First year lab tips Attend all labs

Check the ‘Announcements’ section on portal (Blackboard) & your U of T e-mail

Questions: check the Discussion board & the course syllabus before you e-mail your prof

PREPARE YOURSELF: Read the posted weekly lab material & assigned textbook chapters BEFORE you get to lab

PRINT out all necessary materials from Blackboard

READ your lab manual appendices

If you cannot attend lab for an unavoidable reason check Blackboard (and/or the course syllabus) for a detailed protocol of what to do!

Give yourself plenty of time to complete assignments

Have fun!

Thank-you and Good Luck!