Syllabus – Biotechnology/Biotechnology CE

Course Description/Overview/Welcome Statement

Credit: 1.0 Science Elective

Canvas Course – The Canvas course contains detailed information about the course in the Disclosure statement.

This is a Concurrent Enrollment Course, offering both high school credit through Provo High School and college credit through Utah Valley University. It also offers CTE Skills Certification for students who qualify and is the core course in the Health Science Education CTE Biotechnology Pathway. University credit from this course is transferable to all colleges and universities. Contact the receiving institution for how the credits will be applied.

This hands-on, lab-based class explores careers in biotechnology with emphasis on central dogma of biology, DNA techniques, applications in biotech, and bioethics. Includes extensive lab work. Throughout the semester, you will gain experience in various laboratory techniques, lab math, and recording your experiments.

Prerequisites

Biology required, Chemistry recommended. This class is available to all high school juniors and seniors in good academic standing. There are no college prerequisites for this course.

Learning Expectations

Objectives | Topics to be Covered

The overall goal of the course is to provide career exploration in biotechnology fields. Objectives include:

• Introduce a myriad of biotechnological applications and associated bioethics
• Provide hands-on laboratory and critical thinking experience
• Encourage entrepreneurial creativity by providing an opportunity to develop and market a potential                   biotechnology product.

Assessment of Progress

Grades and Credit

Concurrent enrollment students will receive the same grade for the high school course as the college course. Your concurrent enrollment grade for this class will become part of your permanent college transcript and will affect your GPA.  A low grade in this course can affect college acceptance and scholarship eligibility.  Students may not retake CE courses to replace a failing or poor grade. If a student fails a class or receives a poor grade, the only way to replace that CE grade is to retake the course on the college campus.

Grades will be determined using a Standards-Based Grading system. Standards will be assessed through a variety of methods, including formative quizzes and assignments, as well as summative assessment such as multiple-choice and open response exams, written lab reports, and skill performance assessments. Proficiency scores on assessments will be based on a 4-3-2-1 scale. Details about the grading system can be found in the disclosure document linked in canvas.

Course Materials

Materials

• Black pen
• Calculator
• 3-ring binder
• Lab notebook (provided)

Fees

Provo High School requires a $15 lab fee for the course.

UVU Concurrent Enrollment requires a one-time $35 enrollment fee and $5 per credit. BTEC 1010 is a 3-credit course.

Classroom Procedures

Late Work

Students are expected to turn in work on time.  Students should arrange with me before hand (or in the case of illness as soon as reasonably possible) if there is an extenuating circumstance that will prevent you from turning work in late.

Dress Code

Provo High Dress Code will be followed. In addition, because of laboratory safety regulations, no shorts or open-toed shoes are allowed during laboratory exercises.

Laboratory Safety Agreement

Students must sign and hand in a laboratory safety agreement. If a student fails to turn in a signed laboratory safety agreement, he or she will not be allowed to participate in laboratory exercises and will lose points for the assignments. If a student willfully violates laboratory safety policies, the student will be removed from the laboratory, lose credit for the work, and may be removed from the course.

Microbes

All microbes used in this course are nonpathogenic (not disease causing).

University Policies

Academic Integrity

Utah Valley University expects all students to maintain integrity and high standards of individual honesty in academic work, to obey the law, and to show respect for others. Students of this class are expected to support an environment of academic integrity, have the right to such an environment, and should avoid all aspects of academic dishonesty. Examples of academic dishonesty include plagiarizing, faking of data, sharing information during an exam, discussing an exam with another student who has not taken the exam, consulting reference material during an exam, submitting a written assignment which was authored by someone other than you, and/or cheating in any form. Violators of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action. Cheating will not be tolerated.

In keeping with UVU policy, evidence of academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade in the course and disciplinary review by the college. Additional information on this topic is published in the student handbook and is available on the UVU website.

Calendar of Due Dates for Major Assignments

A calendar of due dates will be published in the Biotechnology Canvas course and in printed course materials.  Canvas can be accessed at provo.instructure.com.

Concurrent Enrollment Deadlines–see UVU’s Concurrent Enrollment website for deadlines

Note: If you enroll for Concurrent Enrollment and later drop the high school class, you must also withdraw from the UVU class to avoid receiving an E or UW (unofficial withdrawal).

Progress Reports and Report Cards

Grades can be accessed on powerschool.  Grades are updated weekly.

Connecting Home to School

I can most easily be contacted by email.  lorienf@provo.edu

Personal Statement and other items (optional)

Laboratory Safety Rules

1. Know the location and use of: fire extinguisher, fire blanket, fire exits, safety shower, eye wash, spill kits, and first aid kits.
2. Conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all times in the laboratory.
3. No smoking, gum chewing, eating, or drinking in the laboratory. Never apply make-up in the laboratory.
4. Never fool around in the laboratory. Horseplay, practical jokes, and pranks are dangerous and prohibited.
5. Wear safety goggles when handling acids, bases, and organic solvents. Likewise, wear safety goggles if you are close to an unshielded UV light source. Contact lenses are not advised.
6. Wear sensible clothing. No shorts, short skirts, capris, or open-toed shoes allowed. Long hair must be tied back. Wear a lab coat at all times when in the lab.
7. Prevent cuts and burns. Discard broken or chipped glassware in marked containers. Be aware and keep your neighbors aware of hot objects. Heat materials only in beakers, flasks, and porcelain ware; never heat graduated cylinders, burets, pipets, or watch glasses.
8. Immediately report any unsafe conditions to your instructor.
9. Report immediately any accident, no matter how minor, to your instructor.
10. Be aware and cautious of other’s activities as well as your own.
11. Avoid all flames if flammable solvents are in use nearby. Most solvents other than water are flammable.
12. Pipetting by mouth is not allowed. Use a pipetting device to pipet all liquids.
13. Never conduct unauthorized experiments.
14. Never work alone in the lab.
15. Follow all safety precautions given by your instructor or protocol.
16. Keep all toxic and/or volatile materials in the fume hood. A fume hood is located in the chemistry room.
17. Label all containers. Labels should include the name and concentration of the solution, the date it was prepared, and your initials. Unlabeled containers will be discarded weekly!
18. Pipet tips that have been in contact with cells must be discarded in a biohazard container.
19. It is unethical to dispose of genetically-modified organism down the drain. Excess cell cultures must be autoclaved and disposed of properly or treated with a 10% bleach solution before being discarded down the drain.
20. Certain aqueous solutions may be discarded down the drain, however, common sense dictates that volatiles (HCl, ammonia, etc.) be poured down drains ONLY IN THE HOODS!!
21. Do not pour down the drain any organic solvent (e.g. acetone, acetonitrile, etc.). Inform your instructor of any organic solvent that needs to be disposed of.
22. If there is a fire drill, containers must be closed, gas valves turned off, and electrical equipment turned off. Learn where the gas valves are located in the laboratory.
23. Limit the amount of time you wear gloves. Avoid touching lab doors and equipment as much as possible when wearing gloves.

Housekeeping and Etiquette

1. You are responsible for the cleanliness of the entire lab as well as your workstation. Your work in the lab is not completed until all areas are returned to a clean and orderly state.
2. Clean up areas around the reagent weighing balances immediately after use.
3. Wipe up spills immediately.
4. Dirty laboratory glassware and equipment must be placed in the appropriate receptacles (usually located next to sinks) and, if possible, rinsed off with distilled water prior to washing in the washing machine.
5. Place dirty spatulas in the dirty spatulas container after use.
6. Glass pipettes must be placed in the appropriate receptacles. If the receptacles are empty, refill with a solution of 10% bleach.
7. Solid chemicals, pipet tips, matches, filter papers, paper towels, microtubes, and all other insoluble materials should be disposed of in the proper waste container, not in the sink.
8. Keep aisles clear. Books, purses, and backpacks should be stored in the classroom and not in the laboratory.
9. Aliquots of stock solutions and media should be kept at your bench or in the freezer for your future use.
10. Never interfere with experiments or procedures conducted by others in the laboratory.
11. Immediately report short supply of any reagents or communal solutions or kits to your instructor.
12. Refill water and ethanol bottles when emptied.