Bios 120 (CRN 42604)

Biological Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago

Syllabus, Spring 2025

I. Instructor & Course Details

Instructor: Dr. Som B. Ale, sale1@uic.edu; Drop-in Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1-2 pm
(3350 SES).

For BioS 120 (CRN 42604) course, you will have a course professor (Dr. Som B. Ale) as well as
a laboratory instructor (Dr. Alan Molumby). For any lab-related matters, contact Dr. Molumby,
molumby@uic.edu. Additionally, there are Teaching Assistants, designated for each section to
guide you and grade your assignments (see below).

Class Sections and Teaching Assistants

42954 Monday 08:00 AM - 09:50 AM Sangita Ghimire
42955 Monday 11:00 AM - 12:50 PM Eduardo Tovar
42956 Monday 01:00 PM - 02:50 PM Nicholas Balut
42957 Monday 03:00 PM - 04:50 PM Nicholas Balut
42958 Tuesday 08:00 AM - 09:50 AM Sangita Ghimire
42959 Tuesday 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM Eduardo Tovar
42960 Tuesday 02:00 PM - 03:50 PM Kiersten Oderman
42961 Tuesday 04:00 PM - 05:50 PM Kiersten Oderman

Blackboard Course Site: https://uic.blackboard.com/ultra/courses/_278966_1/cl/outline

Students are expected to log into the course site regularly to learn about any developments
related to the course, upload assignments, and communicate with classmates. For all technical
questions about Blackboard, email the Learning Technology Solutions team at LTS@uic.edu.

Course Modality and Schedule:

This course is taught ON CAMPUS.

DAYS and TIMES: Mon, Wed, and Fri, from 10-10:50 am
LOCATION: Science and Engineering South (SES) Room 250.

Required Lecture Text: Bio 2e, Openstax (available for free, posted in blackboard).

Labs are in-person and meet in 3084 SEL. You must be enrolled in a laboratory section.

Lab Manual (required): Molumby, Ecology, Evolution, Biodiversity- Lab and Field
Investigations (most recent edition).
1
No iclicker and Mastering Biology will be used for this course.

The lectures will be recorded in Echo360 lecture Capture.

II. Course Information

Course description, prerequisite statement, credit hours:

BIOS 120. Biology of Populations and Communities. 4 hours.

Introductory biology at the level of populations and communities. Topics include Scientific
skills, evolution, Mendelian and population genetics, biological diversity, and ecological systems
including ecosystem processes and human impacts.

Previously listed as BIOS 101. Animals used in instruction. This course is intended for science
majors. BIOS 110 and BIOS 120 may be taken in any order. Credit is not given for BIOS 120 if
the student has credit in BIOS 101. Credit is not given for BIOS 104 if the student has credit in
BIOS 100, BIOS 101, BIOS 110 or BIOS 120.

Class Schedule Information:

To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture-Discussion and one Laboratory-
Discussion. Natural World - With Lab course.

Course materials and assignments can be complex and challenging, but they are crucial to your
intellectual and personal growth and development. There are times you may need extra help.
Students who attend class consistently, complete all assignments, thoughtfully engage with
feedback on work, develop good study strategies, visit the tutoring center, and contact faculty
when struggling can develop a thorough understanding of the course material and ultimately
succeed in the course!

Course Goals and Learning Objectives:

Goals: The long-term goals are to make students think critically, and allow them to acquire
interpretative skills by gathering, evaluating, and interpreting data and info from different
sources and texts to determine their importance and validity. All pertaining to ecology and
evolutionary biology. The course allows students to develop research skills, assessing the
inherent ethical or moral dilemmas in the subject matters, and derive new evidence-based
conclusions. The long-term, fundamental goals also include offering a thorough interpretation of
data or texts, for breadth and depth of accuracy, and communicate the complex arguments and
findings effectively, both orally and in writing, adopting and using technology, data, and digital
information. Students hone their skills in preliminary experimental design, quantitative methods,
by collecting and analyzing numerical data, including methods of statistical analysis.

2
Learning Objectives:
Central to the purpose of the course, during the term, is to impart a broad introductory
knowledge and understanding of biological populations and communities. Many concepts will be
covered that span across population, community, and ecosystem ecologies. The first broader
objective is to make students appreciate the diversity of life in time and space, and within the
diverse realms. Students will understand how organisms struggle to exist (ecology). Struggle for
existence is everywhere - in occupying preferred habitats, avoiding predators, feeding, and
choosing mates. The second broader objective is to understand variation that characterizes
individuals composing populations. Three different forms of variation – at the level of
morphology, physiology, and behavior – exist. This is the raw material for evolution to act on.
The study of variation falls under the study of genetics. The third major objective is to fathom
how (genetic and phenotypic) variation matters in the struggle for existence. Only those
individuals will leave behind more decedents with traits that help them survive and reproduce
more than the individuals without the traits. Over time then those traits will be more prevalent in
populations. And we witness characteristics of populations changed over generations. When this
happens, evolution has taken its course.

General Education Learning Outcomes:

BioS 120, under “Analyzing the Natural World” category, has the following General Education
Learning Outcomes:
1. Understand and critically evaluate information and concepts in the natural and
mathematical sciences.
2. Use and understand scientific method to analyze ideas and obtain knowledge.
3. Appreciate the value of and difference between scientific laws, theories, hypotheses, and
speculation.
4. Use scientific and mathematical reasoning to make relevant distinctions among ideas.
5. Think critically about contemporary issues in science and technology.
6. Logically and clearly communicate experimental results and observations to others.
7. Analyze quantitative information and draw conclusions from these analyses.

Required and Recommended Course Materials:

Students may purchase Adobe Creative Cloud applications via Webstore and then access them
using their license on their own device or via the UIC’s Virtual Computer Lab. Students in
financial hardship may request access to Adobe Creative Cloud when following the Webstore
process for licensing requests. Remote access will require UIC’s Virtual Private Network (VPN)
services.
Respect for Copyright: Please protect the copyright integrity of all course materials and content.
Please do not upload course materials not created by you onto third-party websites or share
content with anyone not enrolled in our course.

3
 III. COURSE POLICIES & CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

Grading Policy and Point Breakdown:

The total points which can be earned in this course are 420. This total includes 240 points that
can be earned on examinations and 180 points associated with the Laboratory. The point minima
listed below are guaranteed to result in the following letter grades: (Please note that grade
intervals go strictly by points, not percentages).
Grading
Grading Items # Point TOT % intervals
Examinations 3 80 240 57.14 A: 420-360
Lab exercises 12 5 60 14.29 B: 359-305
Natural selection field study 1 60 60 14.29 C: 304-232
Wikipedia exercise 1 20 20 4.76 D: 231-180
Student projects 1 20 20 4.76
Biodiversity notes, sketches 1 10 10 2.38
Figures/tables
from demography, growth lab
etc. 1 10 10 2.38
Total 420 100.00
Note:
1.Optional Final in the final week (date will be revealed later).
2. Grade intervals go strictly by points, not
percentages.

EXAMINATIONS:
Three midterm exams (and optional final) will be given in lecture. These exams will be worth 80
points each. Each will be 40 multiple choice questions, worth 2 points each.

Thus, there are 240 points total from exams.

There is an OPTIONAL FINAL EXAM that replaces the lowest of the three midterm exams.

If a student elects not to take this exam, it will not work against them. If the optional final is their
lowest score, it will not add to their calculations and the other two scores will be used to tabulate
the grades. The Optional Final will be comprehensive and consist of 40 multiple choice
questions worth two points each. This effectively makes the in-class exams a “best three out of
four” scenario (the optional final will not be counted if it is the lowest grade). Some students will
be able to improve their Letter Grade by doing well on the Optional Final, but for others it will
be difficult to improve their Letter Grade by taking the Optional Final.

There are NO specially prepared make-up exams. Your score on the Optional Final will serve as

4
an all-purpose makeup exam. The James Woodworth Prairie makeup assignment and Lab report
serve as an all-purpose makeup assignment for missed 5-, 10-, or 20-point assignments. These
are do not provide a “free skip” to regular assignments. Additional details will be forthcoming.

In addition, there will be two to three pop quizzes, each worth 5 points, given in class as
“extra-credit” activities. They can take place any time in class.

LABORATORY:
You can earn a total of 180 points completing the following activities.

Lab exercises (60 points):

Laboratory experiences will be conducted by students in the classroom. Student participation in
laboratories is expected. Each of the 12 lab exercises is worth 5 points for a total of 60 points.

Additionally, there is a 5–20-point optional laboratory experience, The James Woodworth Prairie
lab, intended to serve as a makeup laboratory, or all-purpose make up assignment. This is for
students who were not able to attend lab one week or unable to complete an important laboratory
assignment.

Natural selection (60 points):

A Field Study of Natural Selection writing assignment, worth 60 points, will be conducted
over the course of the semester. For this assignment, students will research field studies of
natural selection, list and describe various studies that have been done in the wild and summarize
the state of research so far. Students will explain what they have learned in terms of a written
essay. A rough bibliography, worth 10 points, will be due early in the semester. An outline,
worth 10 points, will be due later in the semester. A final paper, worth 40 points, will be due
near the end of the semester. Thus, the total points for the assignment are 60 points. The paper is
expected to be approximately 3-5 pages long, single or 1.5 spaced, with a bibliography of at least
10 peer-reviewed scientific sources. A strong thesis statement, regarding the state of research in
this topic, should be argued, on the basis of evidence from the scientific literature. It is very
important that students not use AI during any part of the writing process. Any use of AI
(including Grammerly and Quillbot) that we detect, for ANY part of this assignment, results in a
zero grade for the whole assignment and makeup points may not be applied to mitigate this.

Wikipedia (20 points):

A Wikipedia assignment, worth 20 points, will be due. Students are expected to edit a
Wikipedia stub or very short page, on a species.

Student project (20 points):

Student group project is a project that is conducted with other members of their class. It is
worth 20 points. The project will investigate a single major group of organisms and discuss its
natural history and evolution.

5
Projects should take the form of PPT presentations, PDFs, or videos intended to instruct the other
students, uploaded to Blackboard. These projects will be uploaded and viewed by other students.
Each member of the group will receive a grade based upon the laboratory instructor’s and
student’s assessment of their contribution, as well as their participation in class laboratories. 15
points (maximum) will be allocated for the group project (students in a group may receive
different scores if their participation was unequal), and 5 for the individual response.

Biodiversity notes, sketches, and outlies (10 points):

Biodiversity notes, sketches, and outlies on the specimens presented to students in laboratory,
will be collected and graded near the end of the semester. Students will keep a notebook of
sketches, drawings, and notes of the animal, plant, and fungal groups discussed in lab. They are
worth up to 10 points.

Scientific figures/tables (10 points):

Scientific figures and tables, for the demography lab, population growth lab, trophic transfer
exercise and urban wildlife lab, will be collected in laboratory. They are worth 10 points.

Details for each assignment are posted on Blackboard.

IV. COURSE SCHEDULE

Weekly Schedule of Class Topics, Assignments, Assessments, Due Dates, and Deadlines

Date Topic Bio 2e or Lab activity

Assigned paper
Jan
13 Biology & tree of life 1 - How to Read a Scientific Paper
15 Intro Ecology: Levels of ecology;
distribution & abundance 44.1
17 Climatic patterns and Biome 44.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jan
20 MLK day, NO CLASS

22 Population ecology (population characters) - -Pandemic Simulation Lab (an

at-home exercise)
24 Population ecology
(Population growths) 45.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan
27 Population ecology 45.4 -What is life?
(Population regulation)
29 Population ecology (life history strategies) 45.1-45.2
31 Community ecology (sp. interaction 1) 45.6
6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb
3 Community ecology (sp. interactions part 2) 45.6 -Microcosms/Trophic-Transfer
Exercise
-Natural Selection
in the Wild (bibliography)

5 Community ecology
(Community dynamics: succession) 45.6

7 Community Ecology/Ecosystem ecology

(food web) 46.1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb
10 Ecosystem ecology (energy flow) 46.2 -Medieval Science
12 Ecosystem (biogeochemical cycle 1) 46.3
14 Ecosystem (biogeochemical cycle 2) 46.3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb
17 Midterm exam 1 -Demography (begins)
19 Genetics (nature of variation) 11
21 Mendelian genetics 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb
24 Mendelian genetics 2 12 -Group Projects due
26 Exceptions to Mendelian genetics 13 -Group project presentations
28 Extending Mendelian genetics 13
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mar
3 Extending Mendelian genetics 13 -Group project presentations
5 Ecology, genetics and evolution
7 Evolution and Darwin 18.1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mar
10 Evolutionary processes 19.3 -Urban wildlife
(Adaptive evolution)
12 Evolutionary processes 19.3 -Natural selection in the wild
(Adaptive evolution) (outline)
14 Evolutionary processes 19.1-19.2 (Futuyma paper)
(Mutation, genetic drift etc.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mar
17 Evolutionary processes 19.1-19.2 (Futuyma paper)
(Mutation, genetic drift etc.)
19 Midterm exam 2
21 Behavioral ecology 45.7 -Population genetics
Genetics problems in lab
-Wikipedia Assignment
March 24-28: SPRING BREAK

7
Mar
31 Behav. ecol. (mating system) 45.7 -Human mate choice

Apr -Natural selection paper due

2 Behav. ecol. (sexual selection) 19.3
4 Behav. ecol. (altruistic behaviors) 45.7
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apr
7 Macroevolution (speciation) 18.2-18.3 - Microcosms, Demography, Urban
Wildlife, trophic transfer
(completed)
Figures due
9 Macroevolution (extinction) 47.1
11 Origin of life -
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apr
14 Phylogenies/history of life 20
16 Biodiversity (prokaryotes) 22 -Evolution, Systematics
-Biodiversity note due
18 Biodiversity 1 23
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apr
21 Biodiversity 2 24
- James Woodworth Prairie visit
(An on-your-own makeup
Assigment)
23 Biodiversity 3 25-26
25 Biodiversity 4 27-29
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apr
28 Biodiversity Conservation 47 -Conservation discussion
30 Global Climate Change 44.5
(Royal Soc. 2020 paper)
May
2 Midterm exam 3

Optional final (in person) takes place in the final week (the date to be announced).

Workload Breakdown: This is a four-credit class. The student workload has been estimated to
include three hours a week of lecture/review and an additional six to eight hours of work outside
lecture. This workload is fairly standard for university courses in the United States and abroad.
Reading the PowerPoints is more efficient with time than listening to recorded lectures. The
textbook is important for a student to gain the basic background understanding to fully
understand the lectures. Workload will vary from week to week and from student to student – the
above numbers represent projected averages, based on the experiences of former classes.

8
Academic Dishonesty Policy: Any student caught copying others' work on an assignment or
exam or cheating in any other way will receive a zero for that assignment or exam and will be
referred to the Student Judicial Affairs Committee, the Department Chair and/or Dean.

Late Work Policy: We do not accept late work, excepting military service, jury duty, or special
disability accommodations. If you have a DRC accommodation regarding late assignments,
discuss this with your instructor and teaching assistant the first week of the course. In the event
of circumstances beyond a student’s control where a student is unable to turn in an assignment
on time, a one time – we offer a makeup assignment (the Garfield Park Conservatory Trip, or
other options from the field exercises in the lab manual). Details will be forthcoming, but the
makeup assignments can replace credit for an assignment that was turned in late and received a
zero.

Missed Exam Policy: We do not offer makeup exams. But there is an optional final that
replaces the lowest exam score. This effectively serves as an all-purpose makeup exam.

COVID absence policy: If a student is unable to attend class due to Sars COVID 19 isolation,
lectures will be broadcasted online, and students are encouraged to attend remotely if they are
able. They will be recorded. Missed exams can be made up via the optional final exam. Missed
laboratories and other assignments can be made up via a makeup assignment, due near the end of
the semester.

Certain Individual Circumstances: In addition to military service, jury duty, and disability
accommodations, certain individual circumstances such as death of an immediate family
member, hospitalization, serious illness, domestic violence, pregnancy complications, child care
crises, or housing insecurity, might affect a student. It might be possible to make
accommodations for a student facing a crisis-situation (Some of the situations mentioned are
protected under Title 9, others we try to accommodate as best we can). These accommodations
will not be made if the assignment was due earlier in the semester, and are best made BEFORE
the actual due date, so contact the professor as soon as a crisis-situation materializes. Be
prepared to provide documentation. The most preferred accommodations are to 1) grade an
assignment, turned in on time or at the first available time, accounting for the fact that the
student was not able to complete it, and 2) to arrange for a makeup assignment. No crisis
described as a “family emergency” will be given accommodations. No accommodations will be
made for a medical appointment made at the same time as class or an exam, although certain
important court dates (immigration, child custody), will be considered.

Grievance Procedures: UIC is committed to the most fundamental principles of academic

freedom, equality of opportunity, and human dignity involving students and employees. Freedom
from discrimination is a foundation for all decision making at UIC. Students are encouraged to
study the University's “Nondiscrimination Statement”. Students are also urged to read the
document “Public Formal Grievance Procedures”. Information on these policies and procedures

9
is available on the University web pages of the Office of Access and Equity: http://oae.uic.edu/.

Course Evaluations: Because student ratings of instructors and courses provide very important
feedback to instructors and are also used by administrators in evaluating instructors, it is
extremely important for students to complete confidential course evaluations online known as the
Campus Program for Student Evaluation of Teaching evaluation. You will receive an email from
the Office of Faculty Affairs inviting you to complete your course evaluations and will receive
an email confirmation when you have completed each one. For more information, please refer to
the UIC Course Evaluation Handbook: https://faculty.uic.edu/course-evaluations/

Requests for individual extra credit/bonus points to bump to another letter grade – Giving
individual extra credit to a single student presents significant fairness issues. Extra “bump up”
points present even more serious fairness issues. Please, do not ask for extra points.

Animals are used in instruction, but no student will be put in a position where they are compelled
to harm a living animal.

Disclaimer: This syllabus is intended to give the student guidance on what may be covered
during the semester and will be followed as closely as possible. However, as the instructor, I
reserve the right to modify, supplement, and make changes as course needs arise. I will
communicate such changes in advance through in-class announcements and in writing via
Blackboard Announcements.

V. ACCOMMODATIONS

Disability Accommodation Procedures: UIC is committed to full inclusion and participation of

people with disabilities in all aspects of university life. If you face or anticipate disability-related
barriers while at UIC, please connect with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at drc.uic.edu,
via email at drc@uic.edu, or call (312) 413-2183 to create a plan for reasonable
accommodations. To receive accommodations, you will need to disclose the disability to the
DRC, complete an interactive registration process with the DRC, and provide me with a Letter of
Accommodation (LOA). Upon receipt of an LOA, I will gladly work with you and the DRC to
implement approved accommodations.

Religious Accommodations: Following campus policy, if you wish to observe religious

holidays, you must notify me by the tenth day of the semester. If the religious holiday is
observed on or before the tenth day of the semester, you must notify me at least five days before
you will be absent. Please submit this form by email with the subject heading: “YOUR NAME:
Requesting Religious Accommodation.”

Pregnancy Accommodations: Following campus policy, pregnant students have rights under
Title IX. To request pregnancy-related accommodations, contact the Title IX Coordinator
10
at titleix@uic.edu or 312-996-8670.
VI. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

Inclusive Community: UIC values diversity and inclusion. Regardless of age, disability,
ethnicity, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geographic
background, religion, political ideology, language, or culture, we expect all members of this class
to contribute to a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment for every other member of
our class. If aspects of this course result in barriers to your inclusion, engagement, accurate
assessment, or achievement, please notify me as soon as possible.

Name and Pronoun Use: If your name does not match the name on my class roster, please let
me know as soon as possible. My pronouns are [she/her; he/him; they/them]. I welcome your
pronouns if you would like to share them with me. For more information about pronouns, see
this page: https://www.mypronouns.org/what-and-why.

Community Agreement/Classroom Conduct Policy:

 Be present by turning off cell phones and removing yourself from other distractions.
 Be respectful of the learning space and community. For example, no side conversations or
unnecessary disruptions.
 Use preferred names and gender pronouns.
 Assume goodwill in all interactions, even in disagreement.
 Facilitate dialogue and value the free and safe exchange of ideas.
 Try not to make assumptions, have an open mind, seek to understand, and not judge.
 Approach discussion, challenges, and different perspectives as an opportunity to “think out
loud,” learn something new, and understand the concepts or experiences that guide other
people’s thinking.
 Debate the concepts, not the person.
 Be gracious and open to change when your ideas, arguments, or positions do not work or are
proven wrong.
 Be willing to work together and share helpful study strategies.
 Be mindful of one another’s privacy, and do not invite outsiders into our classroom.

Content Notices and Trigger Warnings: Our classroom provides an open space for a critical
and civil exchange of ideas, inclusive of a variety of perspectives and positions. Some readings
and other content may expose you to ideas, subjects, or views that may challenge you, cause you
discomfort, or recall past negative experiences or traumas. I intend to discuss all subjects with
dignity and humanity, as well as with rigor and respect for scholarly inquiry. If you would like
me to be aware of a specific topic of concern, please email or visit my Student Drop-In Hours.

11
 VII. RESOURCES: Academic Success, Wellness, and Safety

We all need the help and the support of our UIC community. Please visit my drop-in hours for
course consultation and other academic or research topics. For additional assistance, please
contact your assigned college advisor and visit the support services available to all UIC students.

Academic Success
 UIC Tutoring Resources
 UIC Library and UIC Library Research Guides.
 Offices supporting the UIC Undergraduate Experience and Academic Programs.
 Student Guide for Information Technology
 First-at-LAS Academic Success Program, focusing on LAS first-generation students.
Wellness
 Counseling Services: You may seek free and confidential services from the Counseling
Center at https://counseling.uic.edu/.
 Access U&I Care Program for assistance with personal hardships.
 Campus Advocacy Network: Under Title IX, you have the right to an education free
from any form of gender-based violence or discrimination. To make a report, email
TitleIX@uic.edu. For more information or confidential victim services and advocacy,
visit UIC’s Campus Advocacy Network at http://can.uic.edu/.
Safety
 UIC Safe App—PLEASE DOWNLOAD FOR YOUR SAFETY!
 UIC Safety Tips and Resources
 Night Ride
 Emergency Communications: By dialing 5-5555 from a campus phone, you can summon
the Police or Fire for any on-campus emergency. You may also set up the complete
number, (312) 355-5555, on speed dial on your cell phone.

12