During this lab, students determine the salinity of collected water samples. They also compare the effect of the solute concentration of their samples with that of solutions of known solute concentrations on plant cells.
![Fundamentals of Biology Research Project [Biology]](https://img.oercommons.org/160x134/oercommons/media/upload/materials/screenshots/materials-course-280638.png)
The goal of this initiative is to improve students' learning of the subject while developing their Inquiry and Problem-Solving competencies as well as their numeracy, written, digital and oral communication abilities. A flipped-class approach will be taken to present different topics ahead of the practical laboratory experiences. Topics will be presented with PowerPoints and/or videos posted on Blackboard. Students will be given a low stakes quiz at the beginning of each laboratory session to assess their knowledge and understanding of the posted material. A research project, introduced at the beginning of the semester, will be used as the backbone to integrate inquiry and problem-solving competencies to the laboratories. Each laboratory will explore a question/aspect outlined in the research project; students will be expected to work in pre-assigned groups and present individual written outputs, data, and analysis at the end of each laboratory session. Students will be expected to compile their results obtained during the semester, and make a digital/oral presentation at the end of the term. Students will collect background information and complete four written assignments; students will receive feedback on these assignments to allow for improvements and successful completion of the final presentations. Each individual student will also be required to write three laboratory reports. Collaborative work with group members will be essential for successful learning using an Inquiry and problem solving approach, although written reports will be marked individually, per the guidelines given in the assignments. The syllabus for the lecture component of these sections is identical to the syllabus of the standard versions of this course; the grading procedures for the laboratory component of the course are modified as described in the grading policy below.
LaGuardia's Core Competencies and Communication Abilities
Main Course Learning Objectives:
This course is an integrated two-semester laboratory-based sequence, stressing major concepts of biology designed to assist the student in relating these concepts to the environment. The scientific method of thinking and the experimental approach will be stressed. Among the topics studied are: SCB201 Cellular and molecular basis of life, heredity, and the evolution of life.
The courses on this portal are or will be Zero-Textbook-Cost courses. Course faculty are creating and adopting teaching, learning and research materials that permit no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.
The following course pages provide links to the syllabus and open course content, websites and learning tools:
Biology
SCB 201 – General Biology I
Chemistry
SCC 110 – Foundations of Chemistry
SCC 201 – General Chemistry I
SCC 202 – General Chemistry II
Physics and Astronomy
SCP 101 – Topics in Physics
SCP 105 – Life in the Universe
SCP 140 – Topics in Astronomy
SCP 201 – Fundamentals of Physics I
SCP 202 – Fundamentals of Physics II