Introductory Biology (3 credits)
If you have it as an option, take this course with Dr. Ian Ferguson!
- Link to course outline.
(Don’t confuse this course with BIOL 202, which does not include any lab component)
Lectures:
- If you’re with Dr Ferguson, you will realize on your own after the first lecture that there is a reason why he widely considered the best prof in the department.
Labs:
- Each lab begins with a brief quiz:
- Usually 2 or 3 questions.
- Questions are based on the procedures or theory of that week’s lab
- Be sure to read up on the lab experiment before coming into the lab – this is free marks! 10% of your final grade!!!
- Lab reports are very straightforward. Fill out the necessary data or observations and hand into TA at the end of the lab.
- So technically, these are not real “lab reports”
- i.e. you’re not going home and writing up a Results Section, Discussion, References, etc.
- So technically, these are not real “lab reports”
- Lab Exam is huge – 20% of your grade
- You get a few minutes to spend at each station and then must move onto the next station
- A station may have a microscope set up with a tissue slide in place
- e.g. you may be asked to write what the slide is
- A station may have a microscope set up with a tissue slide in place
- A station can also have a theory-based question
- All information in the lab exam is based on all the labs throughout the semester.
- You get a few minutes to spend at each station and then must move onto the next station
Textbook:
- The classic Campbell biology book
- “Canadian” edition might as well be called the “Kazakhstani” edition
- They’re all essentially the same thing. The only differences are the studies they quote
- i.e. in the Canadian edition, they will primarily quote Canadian researchers.
- So if you see a great deal out there on the “regular” Campbell textbook, don’t hesitate to buy. I will not consider you to be any less Canadian, eh.
- They’re all essentially the same thing. The only differences are the studies they quote
- “Canadian” edition might as well be called the “Kazakhstani” edition
Exams:
- Dr Ferguson’s exams are mostly multiple choice, a bunch of fill-in the-blanks, labeling, and short-answers.
- Sometimes he has tables
- e.g. list all the Animal Phyla…
- Sometimes he has tables
- (Sample test-bank questions to come shortly…)
Additional Resources:
- Bozeman Science – a Youtube channel you should get to know
- Quizlet – Biology is a popular subject here
- flashcard practice
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