Course objectives: 1) You will build a precise understanding of the physical nature and metabolism of the genetic material, patterns of inheritance of traits, and basic approaches of recombinant DNA technology; 2) You will learn to approach genetic issues in society with a critical mind and educated perspective; and 3) You will learn first hand via original laboratory experimentation how research works and how classical and molecular genetics intertwine.

Required textbooks:
iGenetics: A Molecular Approach, 3rd edition by Peter Russell (Pearson/Benjamin Cummings, 2010). http://wps.aw.com/bc_russell_igen_mol_3.The web site contains the same activities and animations as the textbook CD-ROM. The solution manual will be on reserve in the Biocenter (Dana 211).
A Short Guide to Writing about Biology, 6th edition, by J. Pechenik, Addison-Wesley, 2006.

Office hours: Please stop by any time my door is open. Alternatively, email me in advance to make an appointment for any mutually acceptable time (list three possible dates/times in your email and I'll get back to you). My office door is open most of the time when I am not in class, though I do step out for meetings and errands. I will guarantee my presence in the office Monday 2:00-3:00 PM and Friday 11:30 AM-12:15 PM.

Email: You are responsible for all information I send by email, so check your messages each day.

Grading: Your final course grade will be calculated as follows:

Attendance and Participation: In lecture I do not record attendance, but I usually notice if you are not there. Absences are also apparent from daily quiz results. Laboratory sessions are mandatory. Each unexcused absence from lab will result in a full letter grade deduction from your course grade. Your participation grade depends upon the extent to which you participate in classroom and laboratory dialogue as well as in Blackboard discussions.

Reading/listening/viewing assignments and problem sets: Each assignment and problem set on the syllabus relates to the topic of that day. Normally, you may choose whether to read and do the problems before or after you encounter the material in class. A few assignments are specifically designated to be completed before class, however. Problem sets will not be collected. You may work together on the problem sets; solutions are available in the solution manual on reserve in the Biocenter (Dana 211).

Discussions on Blackboard: Everyone is expected to participate in the four Blackboard discussion forums on August 24, October 16, November 4, and November 30. By the time of the next class, contribute to the forum in question. For the October 16, November 4, and November 30 discussions, you must contribute at least three postings, two of which should be responses to other people's comments. Topics are listed on the lecture schedule below and directly on Blackboard. In the additional "genetics in the news" forum, please post links to news items that you encounter throughout the semester. The quality and quantity of your discussion board participation determines roughly half of your participation grade.

Quizzes: There will be short written quizzes on recent previous material at the beginning of class on some days. On other days there will be informal verbal quizzing. You may have one "pass" day for which your written quiz grade does not count.

Reviews: Reviews will be take-home, closed book, and closed notes. They will be posted on the web from links on this syllabus, and a review is typically due on the second class meeting after is posted. You may view/print a review only when you are ready to start it. You can choose whether to hand write or type your answers; however, since I sometimes ask for word counts, typing is more efficient. Each review is designed to be completed in roughly one to two hours, but you will have twelve waking hours from when you start until when you must finish. The final exam (also take home) will be designed to take two to three hours. I strongly recommend using old reviews as a primary way to study. Last year's reviews are here: #1, #2, #3, Final

Paper: You will complete a term paper for which you may choose from among several formats. You will submit a detailed proposal ahead of time. See the bottom of the syllabus for details, and see the course schedule below for due dates. This project is separate from and unrelated to our laboratory research project.

Lab notebook and poster summary: You will maintain a laboratory notebook, and you will turn in a short lab summary at the end of some lab sessions. You will create a virtual poster at the end of the semester to summarize the lab project. See lab syllabus for details.

Penalty for late assignments: Ten percent per day or part thereof. The full ten percent penalty applies starting at the beginning of each day that the assignment is late; for example, an assignment that is one hour late will have a ten percent penalty applied.

Disabilities: I will do my best to provide accommodations for students with learning or physical disabilities. If you have a learning disability documented by Davidson College, please let me know during the first week of class so that arrangements can be made. I encourage students with other disabilities to self-identify (confidentiality guaranteed) so that we may explore ways to enhance your learning.

Honor Code: You are to affirm your respect for and compliance with the Davidson Honor Code on every review and paper. The full Honor Pledge reads as follows: "On my honor I have neither given nor received unauthorized information regarding this work, I have followed and will continue to observe all regulations regarding it, and I am unaware of any violation of the Honor Code by others." Plagiarism is an Honor Code violation and is defined as representing another person's words and ideas as one's own. Please carefully read the Davidson Department of Biology statement on plagiarism for comprehensive information on what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.

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Choose from among the following four formats.

1. Summarize and synthesize recent original research on a genetics topic of your choice, using papers from academic journals. Pick this option if you're interested in learning about a particular genetic disease or another genetic phenomenon. This assignment is essentially to write a "review" paper; see Chapter 8 of Pechenik.Use PubMed to find at least three recent (i.e. 2007 or later) original research papers on your topic. Use interlibrary loan to obtain journal articles for which the library does not already provide online or print access. Be sure to distinguish between research papers and review papers as sources. "Review" papers (like the one you will be writing) are often included in journals but do not contain original results; they just summarize other people's work. You can read older review papers to give you background information, but the bulk of your paper should be focused on explaining original research papers. Your paper should be 1200-1800 words, not including references. Your explanations should reflect your own internalization and intellectual synthesis of the concepts, making it clear that you have a full understanding of the information. A simple paraphrasing of each paper would not be acceptable. Follow guidelines in Chapter 8 of Pechenik ("Writing essays and review papers"), and use the citation style described in Chapter 5.

2. Write a critical analysis of depictions of genetics in a fiction book. Choose a fiction book (must be approved by me) whose plot centers heavily on genetics topics. Read the book (taking notes as you go) and write a critical review (1200-1800 words) exploring the accuracy of the depiction of genetics, the use of genetics ideas as literary devices (and the meaning thereof), and the potential effects on how the general public perceives genetic issues. Discuss reasons (valid or not) for the author's diverging from reality. You should follow MLA citation style, using direct quotations in the text of your paper, along with page number references.

3. Create a detailed Wikipedia page on a genetics topic not already covered there, or perform substantial revisions of an incomplete or inaccurate existing page. Find a topic in genetics that is important enough to required detailed coverage in Wikipedia but that is currently not covered or covered poorly. Save a copy of any page that exists initially. Research the topic, compose a detailed entry, and post it. You must cite all sources according to Wikipedia's format. Be sure to obtain appropriate permissions for posting any images that you do not create. Save and submit to me copies of all intermediate stages of your project. Also document if anyone else makes changes to the page while you are working on it.

4. Write a critical analysis of an ethical issue related to genetics, as illustrated in a recent news item. Pick a news story from 2007 or later from the New York Times, BBC, or other reputable news source whose articles typically go into some depth. Critically analyze how the issue fits within a broader context and how it intersects with societal concerns. You will need to do additional research in order to find more sources on the topic. You may not use Wikipedia or other online or print encyclopedias as cited sources, though you may refer to them initially to point you to primary sources. For other web sources, consider carefully their reliability. You may choose whether to approach your paper as an opinion piece or as an impartial examination of all sides of the issue. Your paper should be 1200-1800 words not including references. Follow guidelines in Chapter 8 of Pechenik ("Writing essays and review papers"), and use the citation style described in Chapter 5.

A project proposal and annotated bibliography is due in mid-September, and the paper itself will be due in mid-October (see course schedule above) . For the proposal,write at least a page explaining your chosen format, your general topic, your thesis (where applicable), and your overall approach. Then list your sources, and include a few sentences for each to explain specifically how that source will contribute to your project. You must demonstrate that you have spent significant time reading your sources. Your grade will be based on the specificity and novelty of your proposed project, the breadth and quality of the sources you have found, and the depth with which you have read and understood your sources.

Citing sources: Proper citations of sources is your responsibility! Paraphrasing (taking another person's sentences and changing a few words here and there) can be considered plagiarism under some circumstances, even when the source is cited. Study carefully the appropriate sections of the Pechenik book as well as the following web page for detailed information on paraphrasing and citing sources: Davidson Department of Biology statement on plagiarism.

Naming files for electronic submission: When submitting assignments by email, please title the file with your last name and the nature of the assignment (e.g. Halesproposal.doc). This instruction refers to the file itself that you are attaching to the email, NOT to the subject line of the email. Following this instruction is worth two points of your grade.

Grading: Your initial proposal counts as 20 points, or 2% of your course grade. The proposal grade is based on the cohesiveness and appropriateness of your topic, the quality of your sources, and your familiarity with those sources. Your paper counts as 100 points, or 10%, of your course grade. For the paper, the grading rubric is as follows: originality, 15 pts; scientific accuracy and completeness, 35 pts; scope/depth within topic, 20 pts; organization of ideas, 15 points; quality of writing, 13 points; proper naming of emailed file, 2 pts.

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last modified November 19, 2009 by K. Hales