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BIOA01H3 F
Life on Earth: Unifying Principles
Fall 2020
COURSE SYLLABUS

Objectives and Outcomes

The primary goal of BIOA01 is to provide students with the strong foundation needed to become a successful
biologist. During the term you will learn:
1. the fundamentals of evolution, speciation and population genetics, the major principles of cellular
organization and metabolic processes, and the principles of gene action and inheritance;
2. the essential skills to become an active learner of science;
3. about some basic laboratory techniques that are required to pursue your chosen field of science;
4. some approaches for finding and reading relevant biology research articles;
5. the proper approach to collecting and analyzing data and then communicating the results using the writing
and critical thinking skills presented in labs

Course Personnel
Remote
Name Title How to contact1
Office
Hours2
E-mail biolife@utsc.utoronto.ca
Dr. Scott MacIvor Instructor – Module 1 (include MacIvor in subject line)

E-mail biolife@utsc.utoronto.ca
Dr. Yan Wang Instructor – Module 2 (include Wang in subject line)
Please check
E-mail biolife@utsc.utoronto.ca
Dr. Aarthi Ashok Instructor – Module 3 Quercus for
(include Ashok in subject line)
scheduled
Lab/Course remote office
Coordinator for hours for all
BIOA01 course
- contact regarding E-mail: biolife@utsc.utoronto.ca personnel
Chris late enrollment, (include Armstrong in subject line)2 (where
Armstrong missed tests or lab applicable)
submissions, marks
management and
general advising as
related to the course
Katherine katherine.balasingham@mail.utoronto.ca
BIO Help TA
Balasingham (include BioHelp in subject)
Laboratory TBA in the first week of classes
TA

1
All e-mails must be sent from your University – issued e-mail account (@mail.utoronto.ca)
2
Chris Armstrong will only respond to e-mails during regular business hours (Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm)
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Online learning in BIOA01

This Fall semester, we find ourselves in unprecedented circumstances. With the health and safety of our students at
the forefront of our concerns, we cannot offer BIOA01 in a traditional manner. Our instructors, staff and teaching
assistants have worked hard over the past few months to make the transition to online learning seamless for all our
students. Our objectives and outcomes outlined on the first page of this syllabus remained unchanged. Despite the
lack of in-person laboratory experiments, we feel that the combination of learning resources we are implementing
in BIOA01 will leave students with the same knowledge and skills as students who took the course in a more
traditional manner.

Communicating information within BIOA01

Proper communication in BIOA01 is of the upmost importance. In addition to the syllabus, there is more
information found posted about all things related to this course on our Quercus page. These resources should be
able to answer the majority of questions that you may have regarding the course.
However, we understand that not all questions will be answered by these materials and we encourage students to
e-mail the correct course staff (whether that be instructors, the course coordinator or your practical’s TA) at the
appropriate e-mail address.
Please understand that this course is very large (~900 enrolled students) and our course personnel will only be able
to answer so many e-mails in a timely manner. We ask that you please read through all of the materials available to
you on the course Quercus page and look through other resources readily available to all students via the
University’s website (https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/home/) and our Department of Biological Sciences website
(https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/biosci/welcome-biological-sciences) to attempt and answer your own questions
first. If you still cannot answer your question, please contact the appropriate course personnel.

Quercus (q.utoronto.ca)
As this is an online course, all information will be posted on the BIOA01 Quercus course page. Information such as
contact information and virtual office hours, lectures, videos and notes, online labs, test date, and grades will be
posted on Quercus throughout the semester. Information related to your lab practical will also be posted here. It
is your responsibility to check the BIOA01 Quercus page frequently and set notifications so you do not miss any
important information. We also encourage students to use the discussion board found on the course Quercus
page to ask appropriate questions. There will be discussions set up for both lecture and lab-based questions and
they will be moderated regularly. Checking these regularly may help answer questions you have that another
student already asked!

Log on to Quercus by clicking the “Quercus” icon in the top left corner on the UTSC
homepage and using your UTORid and password.

E-mail
To help your instructors stay organized and answer your e-mails more quickly and effectively, one central e-
mail address serves BIOA01. To communicate with your Instructor and the Course Coordinator, please e-mail:
biolife@utsc.utoronto.ca
Include the name of the person you wish to e-mail, and your student number in the subject line of the e-mail to
help direct it. If there is no name listed in the subject line, your e-mail will not be answered.

Please do not use professor’s e-mail addresses for BIOA01 communication! Remember to always contact the Instructors,
Course Coordinator and TAs using your UofT issued e-mail address. E-mails from other addresses (@gmail, @hotmail,
@yahoo, etc.) will not be answered.
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Required course materials:

1) Textbook
The complete textbook package can be purchased remotely from the UTSC Bookstore. The purchase of a textbook is
required for BIOA01.

The textbook for BIOA01 is:

Morris J, Hartl D, Knoll A, Lue R, Michael M. 2019. Biology How Life Works (3rd ed.) W.H. Freeman & Company: Macmillan
Education Imprint.

Purchasing the textbook can be done at: https://uoftbookstore.com/buy_textbooks.asp?

2) LaunchPad Access (online learning tool)

LaunchPad is an additional, online learning tool to help you master the material presented in BIOA01. You can purchase and
access LaunchPad through the UTSC Bookstore website as a bundle with the required textbook for the course or directly
through the MacMillan website (http://www.macmillanlearning.com/catalog). For technical support,
please call: 1–800–936–6899

Instructors for the course will assign specific chapter learning curves (the names for the assessments used within
Launchpad) that will be marked for credit in the course (see course evaluation section of the syllabi for how these
assessments are weighted). You will have to create an account and add the course to access the assigned learning curves
using the link provided below.

The BIOA01 Fall 2020 LaunchPad site for registration can be found at:
https://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpad/morris3e/14770129

It is important to note that you will be asked to provide information to create an account. Please ensure that you are using
your UofT student information (your UofT issued e-mail address, your student number, etc.) when enrolling. If you use a
non UofT e-mail or an incorrect student number, your submissions will not align with your information on Quercus and you
may receive a grade of 0 for all learning curves if we are unable to decipher a student’s identity. In a class of 900 students,
it is imperative that you create an account that matches with your student profile on Quercus.

3) Labster Experimental Simulations

Labster software will be used to run through simulated labs and is required for you to complete the laboratory portion of
BIOA01. All labs will have some amount of the grade for that particular lab associated with completing Labster simulations.
All Labster simulations will be available through the Quercus course page as an assignment (this will link you to an external
site for running through the simulation). More instructions on how to access these will be available on Quercus. Grades will
automatically uploaded upon your completion of the simulation.

If you have any technical issues running the simulations, we ask that you contact Labster's Student Support
Any other questions / concerns can be sent to the Course Coordinator, Chris Armstrong, by sending an email
to biolife@utsc.utoronto.ca. Please note that Labster is only optimized for running in the Google Chrome web browser.
Make sure you are also on a stable internet connection, as Labster simulations tend to freeze / crash when using internet
provided through tethering or low bandwidth wireless connections (like those offered in places with free Wi-Fi).

**Please note that only your first attempt of each Labster simulation will be counted towards your final grade so make sure
you only begin a simulation when you intend to finish it!**
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Course Evaluation
Your final grade in BIOA01 will be determined as follows:

Laboratory component of final grade = 22% (see breakdown below)

Labs: 6 online lab assessments with associated Labster simulations x 2% = 12%
Every two weeks you will be responsible for completing 1-3 Labster lab simulations as well as additional
exercises that will be posted to Quercus. Your mark for each lab will be comprised of your Labster
score/scores, as well as an additional assignment. All of these assessments will be available to see on
the course Quercus page and in the “Lab Topics and Schedule” section of the syllabus.

Formal Lab Report (FLR) = 10%

You will complete a formal lab report write up for a lab that will be outlined to you in detail on Quercus.
Real data will be collected from this experiment by a laboratory technician and you will be responsible
for analyzing and interpreting these data. This lab report will be submitted online through Quercus. Due
date and time as well as more information pertaining to this report will be available on Quercus.

Writing Assignments = 9%
You will be responsible for completing 3x three part writing assignments that relate to the lecture and
lab content. Each modules writing assignment consists of three parts. You must complete all three parts
to obtain a grade for these assignments. More information regarding these writing assignments will be
posted to Quercus in a comprehensive document outlining topics for these writing assignments,
instructions and due dates.

Lecture component of final grade = 69% (see breakdown below)

Module 1 Launchpad Assessments = 3%

Module 2 Launchpad Assessments = 3%
Module 3 Launchpad Assessments = 3%

Term Test for Module 1 = 20%

Term Test for Module 2 = 20%
Term Test for Module 3* = 20%

*term test for Module 3 will take place during the final exam period in December 2020
**Please note that each term test will only cover material from that particular module; no term tests are
cumulative

Statement regarding use of Turnitin

In BIOA01, we will be using Turnitin (through Quercus) for the submission of the writing assignments
and the FLR. Failure to submit or failure to submit a Turnitin readable document will result in a grade
of 0. You should be aware of the following policy for the use of Turnitin at the University of Toronto:

“Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays to Turnitin.com for a review of
textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their reports to be
included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database, where they will be used solely
for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the University’s use of the Turnitin.com
service are described on the Turnitin.com website.”
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Course Content
A. Lecture Topics (tentative)

Lecture topics include:

- Evolution
- Classification and Phylogeny
Module 1: Evolution
- Speciation
- Tree of Life: Eukaryotic cells
- Evo – Devo
- Cells
- Respiration
Module 2: Cell Biology and Metabolism
- Photosynthesis
- Tree of Life: Fungi
- DNA: the stuff of heredity
- Peas, Pedigrees and Probability
Module 3: Gene Action and Inheritance
- Transcription and Translation
- Tree of Life: Viruses & Prions

B. Lab Topics and Schedule (all times are EST)

Due date and time

Lab topic with Labster simulations
Date available for all assigned
accompanying assessment to complete
assessments

Appreciating the Diversity of Two – Biodiversity; September 18th, 2020

Lab 1 September 8th, 2020
Life Biomes by 5pm

Three – Evolution;
October 2nd, 2020 by
Lab 2 Phylogenetic analysis Experimental design; September 21 , 2020
st
5pm
Lab Safety
Two: Pigment
October 23rd, 2020 by
Lab 3 Photosynthesis extraction; Electron October 5 , 2020
th
5pm
transport chain

November 6th, 2020

Lab 4 Microscopy One - Microscopy October 26th, 2020
by 5pm

Polymerase chain reaction and Two: Micropipetting; November 20th, 2020

Lab 5 November 9th, 2020
gel electrophoresis PCR by 5pm

One: Mendelian December 4th, 2020

Lab 6 Mendelian genetics November 23rd, 2020
inheritance by 5pm
 Course Regulations
Lectures
Pre-recorded lectures will be posted by the instructors to the course Quercus page. There is currently no software or
application sanctioned for use at University of Toronto that could accommodate the capacity of students (450 per lecture
section) that would attend a live lecture in this course. However, these lectures given by the instructors are of high audio
and visual quality and cover the same amount of material as lectures presented live.

To get maximum benefit from the lectures in this course, students are advised to:
• read the relevant sections in your textbook before the lecture. Do not take extensive notes or
memorize the material at this stage – just read and become familiar with the terms and concepts to
be covered
• download posted lecture material from Quercus before each lecture
• during lectures, take your own notes with the aim of understanding the main concepts covered
• re-read the relevant sections in your textbook as needed after lecture and create your own study notes;
review your notes frequently
• arrange to speak with the Instructor during scheduled online office hours or by appointment if having
difficulties understanding material covered in lectures

Engaging in Online Labs and BlackBoard collaborate meetings

**Make sure you have enrolled yourself in a practical for BIOA01 on ACORN. Your submitted course
assessments will not be marked if you have not enrolled in a practical and you will receive a 0 for all
assessments until you do so**
The lab practicals will be offered in bi-weekly 90 minute scheduled meetings with your practical TA (who will introduce
themselves in the first meeting). These sessions are meant to be utilized as a way to have your TA relay important
information to you as it pertains to BIOA01 and to go over information pertaining to the current lab assessments that
students will be working on. TAs will also help facilitate learning by offering engaging topics and activities related to the
topic of the labs as well as to ask questions that will stimulate conversation between students and the TA. TAs will also be
able to answer student questions during these periods.

These sessions will occur on BlackBoard (BB) collaborate which is accessible via the course Quercus page. You will be able to
join these sessions via computer or by phone. You will need a microphone if you wish to engage and ask questions during
the meetings. We ask that you please be respectful when participating in these meetings, as there will be other students
attending these meetings listening intently to the information being conveyed. Mute your microphone when not speaking
and use the chat function to ask questions when applicable.

To make sure everyone is clear when they should be attending their BB collaborate meetings, there is a list of the
practical schedule posted in the syllabus and on the Quercus course page. These BB collaborate meetings only take place
every two weeks for your practical. Odd-numbered practicals will attend their BB collaborate meetings during the first
week each lab assessment is available (eg. PRA 0001 would attend their scheduled BB collaborate meeting for Lab 1 on
Tuesday September 8th at 9:00am EST) while even-numbered practicals will attend in the second week (eg. PRA 0002
would attend their BB collaborate meeting for Lab 1 on Tuesday September 15th at 9:00am EST). Make sure to check this
information and remember your practicals schedule; these will be your only regularly scheduled meetings with your TA
for the semester and missing them means missing out on valuable information and an opportunity for (digital) face-to-
face interaction! Please make sure you attend the correct BB collaborate practical, as we do not want to overwhelm the
service and our TAs with having too many students attend each practical. If you have an issue with attending your
scheduled BB collaborate meeting, please contact the course coordinator.
Completion of lab simulations, online lab assessments, lab reports and any other associated work is mandatory in BIOA01.
NO late assignments will be accepted without proper documentation (see procedures for accommodation request). Late
formal lab reports will have a late penalty automatically applied (10% of the mark per day including weekends); work will
not be accepted if more than 5 days late. Times and dates to hand in late material will be posted on Quercus.

There are lab exercises that will ask you to complete the tasks assigned by yourself, either in the comfort of your home or
by venturing outside. We ask that you please follow all health and safety protocols when doing so (washing hands regularly,
avoiding contact with your face and eyes, practicing social distancing, wearing a face covering when appropriate and
staying home if sick). Please contact the Course Coordinator if there are issues with performing these tasks.

Facilitated Study Groups (FSGs)

BIOA01 is supported by an independently-run facilitated study group. These weekly study sessions are open to all BIOA01
students. Attendance is voluntary. If you have questions, visit the FSG website at:
https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/ctl/facilitated-study-groups-fsg
Please note: All materials used in FSG sessions (handouts, questions etc.) are created by the FSG moderators and not by
the course instructors. Please ensure that you contact the FSG moderators about any questions related to these materials.
Please also note that while questions used in the FSG sessions are useful to promote your understanding of course
concepts, they may NOT be the same format used for the term tests in BIOA01.
List of practical sections times on Blackboard (BB) collaborate for contact with your TA
Day and Time to attend BB
Practical # collaborate
(all times are EST)
0001 Tuesdays 9:00 – 10:30am
0002 Tuesdays 9:00 – 10:30am
0003 Tuesdays 9:00 – 10:30am
0004 Tuesdays 9:00 – 10:30am
0005 Tuesdays 10:30 – 12:00pm
0006 Tuesdays 10:30 – 12:00pm
0007 Tuesdays 12:00 – 1:30pm
0008 Tuesdays 12:00 – 1:30pm
0009 Tuesdays 12:00 – 1:30pm
0010 Tuesdays 12:00 – 1:30pm
0011 Tuesdays 1:30 – 3:00pm
0012 Tuesdays 1:30 – 3:00pm
0013 Tuesdays 3:00 – 4:30pm
0014 Tuesdays 3:00 – 4:30pm
0015 Tuesdays 4:30 – 6:00pm
0016 Tuesdays 4:30 – 6:00pm
0017 Wednesdays 11:30 – 1:00pm
0020 Wednesdays 11:30 – 1:00pm
0021 Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:30pm
0022 Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:30pm
0024 Wednesdays 2:30 – 4:00pm
0025 Thursdays 10:30 – 12:00pm
0026 Thursdays 10:30 – 12:00pm
0029 Thursdays 12:00 – 1:30pm
0030 Thursdays 12:00 – 1:30pm
0031 Thursdays 1:30pm – 3:00pm
0032 Thursdays 1:30pm – 3:00pm
0033 Thursdays 3:00pm – 4:30pm
0034 Thursdays 3:00 – 4:30pm
0035 Thursdays 4:30 – 6:00pm
0036 Thursdays 4:30 – 6:00pm
0039 Mondays 11:30am – 1:00pm
0040 Tuesdays 6:00 – 7:30pm
0041 Mondays 1:00 – 2:30pm
0042 Mondays 2:30 – 4:00pm
0043 Mondays 2:30 – 4:00pm
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Procedures for accommodation requests for course work and term tests
In order to be eligible for consideration for a missed term test or to submit lab assignments or the FLR late,
students must provide a valid documented reason to the Course Coordinator.

***Please note that the course coordinator will not be accessing ACORN to check for students using this
resource to declare illness, as ACORN declarations do not include student contact information, course code or
what work is being missed. The ONLY methods accepted in this course for accommodations are outlined
below***

1. To submit late lab assignments or FLR (without academic penalty):

***You must contact the Course Coordinator before the end of the relevant due date to be eligible for
accommodation. Please include a digital copy of your self-declaration form with your e-mail or indicate when
you plan to submit this form***

If you are ill during the term, and this illness influences your ability to meet a deadline for submission of a term
assignment, you can submit a Self-Declaration of Student Illness form, indicating the days in which you were ill.
This form is meant to take the place of the more typical medical form, and is available at:
https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/biosci/missed-term-work-policy

Please note the following aspects related to this Self-Declaration of Student Illness form:

1. Similar to the submission of a medical form, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for contacting the Course Coordinator to
make arrangements for an accommodation for your missed deadline.
2. You may use the Self-Declaration of Student Illness form ONLY for term assignments and the FLR. For any
term tests in this course you will need to submit a Verification of Student Illness form (See “For Missed
Midterm”). For the final exam you will need to follow the typical procedures for petitioning to write a
deferred exam.
3. You may use the Self-Declaration of Student Illness form up to two times in this course. If you require an
additional accommodation for a term assignment, you must then use the standard Verification of Student
Illness form.
4. Submitting a false Self-Declaration of Student Illness form constitutes academic misconduct, and could be
subject to sanctions under the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters.

Please submit any Self-Declaration of Student Illness forms to the Course Coordinator as soon as possible.

2. For Missed Midterm:

*** You must contact the Course Coordinator within 72 hours of the end of your scheduled term test to
be eligible to write a make-up term test***

Please submit a completed University of Toronto Verification of Illness or Injury Form. Form can be found here:

http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/registrar/verification-illlness-or-injury

The date/time of the original test that was missed must be clearly indicated as well as a clear statement of the
medical issue.

If you cannot write a Friday evening or Saturday term tests for religious reasons, please notify the Course
Coordinator in writing by e-mail within one week of the announced midterm test date; an alternative time
will be presented if approved by the Instructor.
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3. For missed Final Exam:
Students must contact the Registrar’s office (www.utsc.utoronto.ca/registrar/deferred-exams) and follow the
procedures outlined in order to arrange to write a Deferred Final Exam (DFE). The DFE will be scheduled during
the Winter 2021 Exam Period taking place in April 2021. Please note that the format of the DFE may differ
from the original while covering the same content.

All of the forms and more information are also available on our department website found at the link provided for the
Self-Declaration of Student Illness form.

Important UTSC Policies

UTSC is dedicated to fostering an academic community in which the learning and scholarship of every member may
flourish, with vigilant protection for individual human rights and a resolute commitment to the principles of equal
opportunity, equity and justice.

1) Information on Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarship in a University, and to ensure that a degree
from the University of Toronto is a strong signal of each student’s individual academic achievement. As a result, the
University treats cases of plagiarism very seriously. The University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters
outlines behavior that constitutes academic dishonesty and the process for addressing such offenses (see
http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/resourcesforstudents.html).

2) Information Regarding AccessAbility Services at UTSC

Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a disability/health
consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to e-mail the instructors in BIOA01 and/or the
AccessAbility Services Office as soon as possible. Please note that all inquiries are confidential. You can contact
AccessAbility Services at 416-287-7560, by e-mailing ability@utsc.utoronto.ca or visiting their website
(www.utsc.utoronto.ca/ability).

3) Information on Religious Observances

It is policy at UTSC to provide special consideration for recognized holy days which may be observed by our students.
Though not all holy days require students to be absent from school, accommodations may still be necessary in some
cases. As a student, it is your responsibility to check the due dates for all course work and scheduled dates for
tests/exams on a regular basis. Inform the Course Coordinator of any potential conflicts at least 7 days prior to the date
of the test/assignment. Failure to do so may result in special consideration not being granted (documentation may be
required).

4) Procedures Regarding Final Marks

The final mark in BIOA01 is based on term work; the evaluation breakdown is given in this syllabus. After the final exam,
marks are calculated and submitted to the Department for review. Once approved, the final mark for each student in the
course will be released on ROSI/ACORN.
Final marks are not negotiable and instructors are not permitted to discuss final marks with students. If students have
concerns about their final mark, they should consult the proper procedures to be followed as outlined by the Registrar’s
office:

https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/registrar/petitions

Once final marks are posted, it is an academic offense to ask for your mark to be changed (See Academic Handbook).