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BIO 201: PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
BIO 201: Principles of Biology: Cells (3 credit lecture and 1 credit laboratory)
Location/time: This is a 100% online course with synchronous lecture (TR 3:30-4:45).
Description: Principles of Biology: Cells is an introductory biology course. Students taking this course will be
introduced to the fundamentals of cell and molecular biology. This course focuses primarily on the intricate
workings of the cell, the fundamental unit of life. Like all living things, cells maintain an organized structure,
metabolize (that is, transform and use energy), respond to their environment, and grow, reproduce, and die.
To understand how cells do these myriad of different things, this course will explore the basic chemistry of
cells, the structure of cells, the energetics of cells, and the mechanisms regulating cell growth, reproduction,
and death. In other words, you will learn the basis of life that you can’t see. This can be a challenge, but the
end goal is worth it. This course will lay the foundation for all of your advanced biology classes.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Dr. Joseph Covi (only available by email, Canvas, and Zoom because course 100% online)
Canvas: Used for class discussions and all course materials except for labs.
McGraw Hill Connect: Recorded lectures and weekly homework are located here.
Pearson Mastering Biology: Additional homework is located here.
Email: I communicate with students via email regularly, so check your email daily. Follow the
email instructions below, because I can respond to you faster!
1. Type “BIO201 Topic” in the subject box
2. In the body, address the email to “Dr. Covi”, so I know this was intended for me.
3. On the second line of the body, Use full sentences to state questions or information.
4. At the end, type your full name (first and last as it appears with the registrar).
5. If you use a different name, then please add that so I use the name you prefer.
REQUIRED MATERIALS (AVAILABLE IN BOOKSTORE OR DIRECTLY FROM PUBLISHER ONLINE)
BIO201 Custom Brooker’s Biology 5th ed. textbook with “Connect” online access: This course uses
a customized textbook from McGraw-Hill Education. You will need access to “Connect” for this
course, which will include the custom electronic textbook. Recorded lectures and electronic
homework assignments are posted on the Connect website, so you must get access on the first
day of class! See instructions posted on Canvas for 1 week of free access and payment methods. A
loose-leaf paper version of the textbook is not required, but is available for purchase through the
bookstore and Connect. If you already paid for access to Connect for your previous BIO202 course,
please contact Dr. Covi, because you do not need to purchase a second license.
Lab: The lab is worth 25% of your grade in this course, because it is worth 1 of 4 credit hours.
While lecture is 100% online, your lab may be face to face. See separate lab syllabus sent by Dr.
Miller for details. Things you learn in lab are NOT tested on lecture exams. Likewise, lecture
material is NOT needed for lab if you complete the required lab reading and prelab assignments!
The topic in lab may not be the same as lecture each week, because the lab covers fewer topics.
Additional course materials: Required course materials will be posted using Canvas and email. You
are responsible for checking Canvas and your university email daily.
Version last updated on 4-5-2022
SPRING 2022 BIO 201: PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: CELLS DR. JOSEPH COVI
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EVALUATION (AKA GRADING)
Final grade: Your final letter grade for the course is determined as follows.
A 100 – 90%
B+ 89.5 – 87%
B 86.5 – 80%
C+ 79.5 – 77%
C 76.5 – 70%
D 69.5 – 60%
F <60%
Summary of total possible points in course (Color coded detailed descriptions provided below):
Cumulative Exam 1 100 pts
Cumulative Exam 2 100 pts
Cumulative Exam 3 100 pts
Cumulative Exam 4 140 pts
Lab 200 pts (Just multiply your % grade from lab by 2 to get your lab points)
Connect Homework 100 pts (10 pts for each of 10 online assignments in Connect)
Additional Homework 60 pts (from Pearson Mastering and other assignments)
Course Feedback 8 pts (Extra Credit for course feedback assignments)
Course Total 800 pts (maximum grade is capped at 800 pts)
Exams: There are four online exams. The exams test you over material covered in the online
lectures, handouts and homework (listed in order of importance). Each topic builds on the previous
topics we covered, so don’t skip things that feel difficult. The course schedule is color coded to show
you what material is covered on each exam.
Midterm Exam 1: Links chemistry, biological structure and membrane function. That includes
the structure and function of both viruses and cells.
Available at 6AM on Tuesday 2/15 (A 1.5 hour clock starts when you open it.)
Unavailable after 11:59PM on Monday 2/15 (must submit by this time)
Midterm Exam 2: Links chemistry and cell structure by going into detail on how and why
molecules are built and broken-down using enzymes and the laws of energetics.
Available at 6AM on Tuesday 3/22 (A 1.5 hour clock starts when you open it.)
Unavailable after 11:59PM on Monday 3/22 (must submit by this time)
Midterm Exam 3: Links chemistry, metabolism and energy with a focus on how information is
stored, replicated, transferred and read by molecules (DNA, RNA and protein).
Available at 6AM on Tuesday 4/19 (A 1.5 hour clock starts when you open it.)
Unavailable after 11:59PM on Monday 4/19 (must submit by this time)
Cumulative Exam 4: Links all of the topics of the previous exams by going into detail on how cells
replicate. That includes cancer, which is uncontrolled cell replication. Variants of
the questions from exams 1-3 will also be included.
Available at 6AM on Thursday, May 5th (A 2 hour clock starts when you open it.)
Unavailable after 11:59PM on May 5th (must submit by this time)
This scale is not negotiable. Grades will be rounded to the
nearest whole percent. For example, a score 89.5% after
the extra credit is added in is a B+ while an 89.501% is an
A, because standard rounding rules require the fraction to
be greater than ½ of a percent. The cutoff must be made
somewhere. Be sure to complete the extra credit
assignments, because that is the only grade “bump”!
SPRING 2022 BIO 201: PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: CELLS DR. JOSEPH COVI
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Recorded Lectures on McGraw Hill Connect: I prerecorded lectures on all topics we will
cover this semester. We will use them in what is called a flipped design where you watch lecture on
your own time and then work with the lecture material in class with Dr. Covi.
You must log into McGraw Hill Connect first. To do this, click on the McGraw Hill link on our Canvas
page. That will take you to our Connect website. On the Connect website, click on the “Recorded
Lectures” link in the lower left-hand corner of the left side menu (see image below). That will take
you to a site called Tegrity. Tegrity is a powerful site that allows you to select individual topics and
slides in a lecture, so you can quickly go back to a specific part of a lecture for review or while doing
homework! All of the lectures are numbered, but their website doesn’t show them in order. You
have to select “View” then “sort” then by “Title” to see them in order by lecture number.
Summary:
Canvas → McGraw Hill Connect → Recorded lectures link → Tegrity → View → sort by title →
select recorded lecture number you want.
McGraw Hill Connect Homework: We learn best by having to use information as we learn it. That
is the purpose of the homework assignments, and you can redo them until you are satisfied with
your understanding of the topic. Here are the important facts to remember about the homework.
1. You have a McGraw Hill assignment due every Tuesday unless we have an exam or holiday!
2. You access the McGraw Hill Connect homework through a link in Canvas.
3. Plan for each homework assignment to take 1 to 2 hours, because you are supposed to read
the textbook and refer to lecture notes as you answer the questions.
4. The Connect homework is due before the due date for the recorded lectures on a topic
because it is designed to help you get more out of the lectures. You may watch the recorded
lectures early if that works better for you, though.
5. Homework for Chapters 2 and 3 (first two assignments) is accepted late without penalty.
6. Starting with Chapter 4, all late homework will lose 25% per day (i.e. 2.5 pts lost per day).
That is the equivalent of losing 2.5% on an exam per day. If you are four days late, then it is
the equivalent of losing a letter grade on an exam, so be sure to finish by the due date!!!
Additional Homework: I will post additional assignments under the assignments tab in Canvas
throughout the semester. Some will take you to the Pearson Mastering website. You will need your free
access code to enter the site. Do NOT pay! The instructions and code will be posted on our Canvas site.
