MICROBIOLOGY

(BIOLSC50LS-080)

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION:

 

Spring Semester 2012, Tu & Th 6-7 pm (lecture) and 7:00 - 9:50 pm (lab) (First class 1/24/2012)

 

INSTRUCTOR:               W. Dirk Sikkema

OFFICE HOURS:           Tu & Th, 5-6 pm in classroom

E-MAIL:                        dsikkema@blacksage.com

 

TEXT:                           MICROBIOLOGY, An Introduction by Tortora, Funke & Case 9th ed or 10th ed

LAB MANUAL:              Microbiology Lab Manual by D. Hseih

MANUAL SUPPL.:         A PHOTOGRAPHIC ATLAS for the Microbiology Laboratory

 

 

GRADE CRITERIA:

 

1.         LECTURE EXAMS  (x4)                                     100 pts ea                      400

 

2          LAB PRACTICAL EXAM                         160 pts ea                                 160

 

3.         QUIZZES                                                          10 pts ea                        ~50

 

4.         LAB TECHNIQUES PRACTICAL             50 pts                                       50

 

5.         LAB REPORTS (10 to 30 points each)                                                                ~300

            (If you are absent on the day that a lab is conducted, you

            cannot turn in a lab report for that day)

 

6.         LAB TECHNIQUE OBSERVATIONS (30 points)                                          30

 

7.         FINAL EXAM (comprehensive)                           160 pts                           160

 

APPROXIMATE TOTAL NUMBER OF POINTS                                                                ~1120

 

A          90%-100%

B          80%-89%

C          70%-79%

D          60%-69%

F          <59%

 

Percentages are rounded e.g. anything above 89.5% gets rounded to 90% and so on

 

LAB REPORTS:

 

For each lab exercise, do the following for a lab report:

 

1.         Cover Sheet:  (typed or neatly written and not torn out of a spiral notebook) in  the following format:

a.         Purpose:  What are you going to learn in this exercise (one or two sentences).

b.         Results:  Drawings, charts or diagrams of data obtained from your work.  You may use the pages from your lab manual.

c.         Conclusion:  An explanation of your results and a discussion of what variables might have affected your results. Should be a paragraph or two.  Discuss what you think you have learned from this exercise.

 

2.         Questions:  A set of questions will be asked for each lab exercise.

 

On days that there are more than one lab, you must turn in a separate lab report for each lab exercise.  Lab reports are usually due one week from the date the experiment was performed in class.  Due dates will be assigned in class. Late lab reports will lose 10% per class period late no matter what the excuse. 

 

LAB TECHNIQUE:

 

The Microbiology Laboratory can be a dangerous place.  It is important to employ good technique in order to protect yourself and others.  Part of your lab grade will be based upon observations of the instructor regarding how you conduct your experiments.  This also includes clean up of your position and making sure the microscopes are returned (without slides on stage, oil on the lenses and in the required position).