GENERAL BOTANY FOR NON-SCIENCE MAJORS
PBIO 100 Lecture Notes
Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland
Instructor: Dr. Charles F. Delwiche, Assistant Professor
Office: 2106 H.J. Patterson Hall (You must first make an appointment through
Ms. Olenick)
Phone: (301) 405-8300 (please telephone only for emergencies)
Email: delwiche@wam.umd.edu <--
This is the best way to contact Dr. Delwiche
Secretary: Ms. Terry Olenick (Room 1212)
Phone: (301) 405-1588 (voice-mail)
Email to5@umail.umd.edu
Office hours: By appointment via Ms. Olenick.
Welcome to Plant Biology 100, a three-credit course in plant biology specifically designed for the non-science student. The goals and objects of the course are:
1) To gain an understanding of the fundamental concepts and processes involving
plants;
2) To examine the diversity of plants and their role in the biosphere;
3) To develop an appreciation of the importance of plants to humans; and,
4) To provide information needed for intelligent management of the natural
world.
Important! The course has CORE approval in the science/math area ONLY as a lab science when taken in conjunction with PBIO 101 (Laboratory in Plant Biology, 1 credit hour).
WORLD WIDE WEB: Lecture notes and additional information, including required readings, are available on the World Wide Web (WWW). Print out each set of lecture notes prior to lecture and use them as lecture notes and as a study guide. The address is:
All students must obtain a WAM account. This no-cost account will allow full access to electronic mail and the WWW. A listserv will be provided for the class, and students are expected to respond to messages sent to this listserv. Go to Room 1400 in the new wing of the Computer Science Building for an registration form and an information packet. The phone number is 405-1500. Hours are 8:00 to 6:00.
READING ASSIGNMENTS: There are two texts for the class. Capon's Botany for Gardeners is required, while Levetin & McMahon's Plants and Society is recommended, but not required. Plants and Society covers all of the subject matter in the course, while Botany for Gardeners covers only some of the course material. Required readings from the text are listed on the lecture schedule and those in the web notes are denoted by the expression REQUIRED READING. Other preparatory readings or activities may be assigned. Additional information is available through the WWW for review but is not required. Reading the text before and after lecture as well as consulting the lecture outline on the WWW will be critical to understanding the lecture material.
FILMS AND SLIDES: During this course, films and slides will be shown in the lecture hall during your regular lecture periods. These are a regular part of your class instruction, and you are responsible for understanding the material presented.
ATTENDANCE: Attendance is strongly correlated with grade. If you are wise, you will show up for class every time it meets.
EXAMINATIONS: All examinations will be held on the days given on the lecture schedule. Four examinations will be given, each worth 100 points, each requiring 50 minutes to take. In addition to exams, there will be 50 points in quizzes, which may be given in class or assigned as homework. Any request for regrading must be made in writing and submitted within one week after the return of the exam. All exams start on time; no one will be permitted to take an exam if any student has taken an exam and left the room. NOTE: The final examination will be held in the regular classroom but at the hour noted on the lecture schedule. There are no extra credit assignments.
PRE-EXAM REVIEWS: A special review session will be held prior to each examination at which the lecturer will answer questions relative to the examination. Time and place will be announced approximately one week prior to the examintion
GRADING: The total number of points available in this class is 450 points. Students are not graded competitively. Break points for grades occur at: A, 90%; B, 80%; C, 70%; D, 60%. These break-points may be changed slightly for final grading.
| A | > 90% | 405-450 pts |
| B | 80-90% | 360-404 pts |
| C | 70-80% | 315-359 pts |
| D | 60-70% | 270-314 pts |
| F | <60% | 269 or lower |
MAKEUP EXAMINATIONS: Make up exams are offered as guided by University policy (see the Undergraduate Catalog section on attendance and assessment for details). Make-up exams will be offered for those students with official, university-approved excuses accompanied by appropriate written and verifiable documentation, or by consent of instructor. Any absences that can be anticipated prior to the exam must be arranged, in writing, prior to the regularly scheduled examination. Make-up exams are at the same level of difficulty as the regular exam, but may (at the instructor's discretion) be administered as essay or oral exams, and may differ in content from the regular exam.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Students are reminded that they are subject to the Universityís Code of Academic Integrity approved by the Campus Senate on 13 Feb 1989. See Chapter 4 of the Undergraduate Catalog for details. Penalties for cheating are very severe, and are not subject to the discretion of the instructor!
BEHAVIOR: Eating and drinking are not permitted in the lecture hall. Students are expected to be alert, to behave with decorum, and to actively particpate in the class. Students that will be unable to do so are expected to leave without disrupting the other students.
REMEMBER: The best way to contact Dr. Delwiche is via email, or to schedule
an appointment with Ms. Olenick.
