Syllabus

BIOL 1309 Life on Earth

Semester: Spring 2026

Course Information: 019 - 28637

Campus: Round Rock (RRC)

Time Lecture:  RRC 8306 T/H 1:30-2:50 

Instructor Information:

Name: David Froehlich

Office locations:    NRG 2223 (inside 2224)

RRC, 8323.09, M-F

Phone Number: 512 223-4894, Cell 512 554-1235 (text or call – it will go to voicemail – leave me a message and I will call back)

E-mail: eohippus@austincc.edu

Office hours: M/W 1-3, T/H 12-1:30, 3-4:30, Other hours by appointment only: F 10-3 or by prior arrangement

Course Description:

• Credit Hours: 3
• Classroom Contact Hours per week: 3

A survey of the living organisms on our planet for the non-science major.  Emphasis on evolutionary and natural history, structural and behavioral adaptations, biological diversity and co-evolution.

Skills Requirements: Reading, writing, and mathematics proficiency as determined by the COMPASS or ASSET test, or by the statewide THEA test, or by providing an official transcript from another college.

Course Rationale:

This course was designed for students who are primarily non-science majors.  Through the use of a study guide, textbook readings, good science videos, web-based homework assignments and discussion groups, students are introduced to the organisms that inhabit this planet, their characteristics, their evolutionary relationships and their adaptation to life on earth.

Student Learning Outcomes

Course-Level for Life on Earth:

Specific skills and competencies expected of students who complete this course include:

•     Ability to explain evolutionary relationships among different organisms

•     Ability to discuss adaptations, using several different examples

•     Ability to apply biological concepts to new examples

General Education for Life on Earth:

As a Core Curriculum course, students completing this course will demonstrate competence in:

• Critical Thinking - Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information. 
• Interpersonal Skills - Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals.
• Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning - Applying mathematical, logical and scientific principles and methods.
• Written, Oral and Visual Communication - Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.

Departmental Common Course Objectives:

The ACC Biology Department has specified the content for this course in the departmental common course objectives. The departmental objectives are located at http://sites.austincc.edu/biology/common-course-objectives/

Required Textbooks and Materials:

You will need the following items:

1.     BIOL 1309 Life on Earth Study Guide, 4th edition (updated), modified for Speer & Maxim, Nov 2018 by BIOL 1309 Redesign Team. This study guide is not sold through any bookstore. You can download and print from this course’s Blackboard site. (Available as Adobe PDF file.)

2.    The Tangled Bank: An Introduction to Evolution, ACC Special Edition by Carl Zimmer. 2010, McMillian. – First Day Access – available through Blackboard as a digital version 

3.     Life of Mammals, episode 1, available through the ACC library. You will need to watch sections of this video twice. (Study Guide Section 7 and Section12).

• • Go to ACC Library Services and search for “Life of Mammals” in the catalog. Scroll until you find “The life of mammals: A Winning Design” with the format “Film”. Click on “View                          Now” and connect to Kanopy with your ACCeID. Sign up for the free service.  
• DVDs on library reserve at CYP, ELG, EVC, HLC, HYS, NRG, RRC, RVS, SAC

4.    Homework assignments, available in the Homework area of each unit. Use the “Course Content” folder in Blackboard to find the individual unit folders labeled “Unit Course Content”.

You are responsible for all materials covered in the study guide, textbook, narrated PowerPoint lectures, homework assignments, online videos, and online activities.   

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY

This course is a three-hour lecture course.

COURSE FORMAT – The course is commonly delivered both as a distance learning and an in-class format – the following is from the distance learning version but is applicable to this format

► The course is divided into five units. 

► These units must be completed in order. Course materials become available during each unit. 

► There is a study guide that is central to the course.  The study guide includes some text that   explains major concepts for each section and guides you through the textbook readings and

      online videos/activities. The study guide is essential to the course. Start each unit with the

      study guide and follow the instructions in order.

► Each unit will have graded homework assignments which you will complete and submit to

      your instructor.

► During each unit, you will need to:

            1) Read the material in the study guide.

            2) Read the assigned textbook material.

            3) Watch online videos and/or complete online activities.

            4) Answer all study guide questions.

            5) Do your homework assignments and turn them in on time.

            6) Study everything you have done.

            7 Take the exam over these materials.

Student Technology and Support:

Austin Community College provides free, secure drive-up WiFi to students and employees in the parking lots of all campus locations. WiFi can be accessed seven days a week, 7 am to 11 pm. Additional details are available at https://www.austincc.edu/sts.

Students who do not have the necessary technology to complete their ACC courses can request to borrow devices from Student Technology Services. Available devices include iPads, webcams, headsets, calculators, etc. Students must be registered for a credit course, Adult Education, or Continuing Education course to be eligible. For more information, including how to request a device, visit http://www.austincc.edu/sts.

Student Technology Services offers phone, live-chat, and email-based technical support for students and can provide support on topics such as password resets, accessing or using Blackboard, access to technology, etc. To view hours of operation and ways to request support, visit http://www.austincc.edu/sts.

Generative Artificial Intelligence

The use of generative AI (GAI) is permitted in this course under certain limited conditions to enhance learning while maintaining academic integrity.  GAI is permitted to foster technological fluency and to leverage advanced tools for research as long as it doesn’t substitute for critical thinking and learning.  GAI encompasses technologies that create content through learned patterns and data without direct human input.  Students are cautioned that GAI may inadvertently produce biased or inaccurate content (the computer doesn’t actually know or understand anything it just produces content based on the patterns of the information it has been trained on).  It is incumbent upon the student to critically evaluate and verify the information provided by these platforms.  GAI can be used for initial research and idea generation.  It is not to be used for final submissions unless explicitly cited and discussed.  Guidance on the ethical and effective use of GAI will be provided through designated course materials and office hours.  Contributions of GAI must be clearly cited and will be assessed on the student’s ability to critically analyze and integrate the AI-generated content.  Presenting AI-generated content as your own without proper attribution is considered a violation of academic integrity.  All work you submit must reflect your own understanding and effort.  If you use GAI to help with your work, you must clearly acknowledge how and where it was used.  Intellectual honesty is essential for a fair and supportive academic environment.  Misuse of GAI, including a failure to cite, will be considered a breach of academic integrity, with consequences including a failing grade for the assessment and academic review.  Should the technology be required as an accommodation, exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis.

In accordance with our dedication to privacy and security, students are advised to refrain from sharing any sensitive or personally identifiable information on GAI platforms.  Given that content inputted into or generated by these platforms may become accessible to the platform’s operators, caution is advised.  Always ensure your data is clean, accurate, and does not include personal information before interacting with these technologies.

COURSE GRADES

Summary of Grading Criteria:

            Homework assignments (20 @ 10 points each)        =          200 points

            Exams (5 exams @ 100 points each)                        =          500 points

            Total number of points                                                =          700 points

See below for more information about exams, online discussion groups, and homework.

Grading Scale:

Final grades for the course will be based on these percentages:

                                    A - 90-100%                (626 to 700 points)

                                    B - 80-89%                  (556 to 625 points)    

                                    C - 70-79%                 (486 to 555 points)

                                    D - 60-69%                 (416 to 485 points)

                                    F - below 60%             (    0 to 415 points)

There are no curved scores and no additional projects for extra credit other than the extra credit described in the syllabus.  Since there are extra credit points for every unit, grades will not be curved. Your grade is based solely on the points you earn from exams, homework, extra credit and participation in your online discussion group.  If you have a borderline grade (such as 79.4%), I look at your grades. If you did all exams, homework assignments, weekly discussion groups (did you substantially participated?), and took the optional final, the grade will be a B.  Otherwise, your grade will be a C. This decision will be solely at the instructor’s discretion.

HOMEWORK

You will be given homework assignments for each unit. You will find the homework assignments in the “Course Content” folder, under the “Unit Course Content” folder for each unit. Each homework assignment is worth 10 points.  Most homework assignments will require Internet access; some may require a high-speed connection in order to work.  If you do not have access at home, you can use a computer in an ACC computer lab or Learning Lab.  Exams will include questions over homework materials.

28.6% of your grade comes from homework and this material is tested on exams.  If you do not do your homework, it will affect your grade.  Please do the homework!

EXAMS

There are five required unit exams and an optional comprehensive final. 

Unit Exams

Each unit exam is worth 100 points.  Each unit exam has two parts:

(1)  25 objective questions (multiple choice or true-false).  Each objective question will be worth 2 points.  That makes the objective section worth 50 points total.

(2) Short answer questions.  You will answer ten short answer questions from the pool of questions (make sure you answer the appropriate number from each section), worth 5 points each.  This section will be worth 50 points total.

(3) Extra credit question.  You can answer one additional short answer question for extra credit but it must be identified as the extra credit answer – worth up to 5 points.

You may be tested on any material covered in the study guide and homework topics.  In addition to your ability to remember facts and definitions, you will also be tested on your ability to apply what you have learned to new situations, identify relationships, and analyze situations using the facts and terms you have learned.

There are no retests or makeup exams in this course for the five required exams.  However, you can use the optional comprehensive final exam (discussed below) to replace your lowest non-zero exam grade.  The final will not substitute for a required exam that you did not take.

Optional Comprehensive Final

An optional comprehensive final will be available during the last few days of the semester.  The final will cover all the material in the five units.  The final consists of 20 long answer questions (from a pool of questions from each section) each worth five points.  In addition, you can answer on additional question for extra credit.  Your grade on the comprehensive final will be used to substitute for your lowest required exam but will not be used to substitute for an exam that you did not take.  If your grade on the comprehensive final is lower than your lowest required exam grade, the final will not be counted.  The final cannot hurt your grade; it can only improve it. If you have a borderline grade, take the final!

Extra Credit

There are two ways you can earn extra credit. (1) There is an extra credit homework that can be completed at any time during the semester for an additional 5 points (located in the Unit 5 class materials) (2) Each unit exam has one extra written question that you can answer for extra credit, for a total of 25 possible extra credit points over the semester. The optional final has up to 5 extra credit points. Collectively, there are 35 possible extra credit points. There are no other extra credit options for this class.  There are no extra credit papers that will replace your exam grades.  If you want to replace your lowest exam grade, take the optional final.

Preparing for Exams

1.  Use the study guide to direct your studying.  The study guide has been written to go through the material in a sensible fashion.  The material in the study guide, including the study questions, is as important as the material in the textbook or online videos/activities.  In some sections, you will find that certain pages in the textbook have been skipped. You do not need to cover this material.

2.  Do your homework in a timely fashion.   If you submit your homework in a timely fashion, you will have the opportunity to check your answers to see if they were correct before taking the exam.

3.  Before you take the unit exam, go back and review the material in the study guide, textbook, discussion topics, and homework.   You may be tested on any material covered in the study guide, homework, or weekly discussion topics. 

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance/Class Participation:
Regular and punctual attendance and discussions and completion of work is expected of students.  Your course performance depends on your attendance (if you do not attend it is very difficult to learn the material).  You are responsible for all materials, activities, assignments, or announcements covered in class, regardless of your reason for being absent.  If you do miss a class, get notes from someone in the class and get handouts and assignments from me.  I will not take roll (except to verify the roster), but you are responsible for your attendance.  In situations where, due to the weather, the pandemic, or other emergencies, it is the students responsibility to communicate with the professor during the closure and completing any assignments or other activities designated by their professor.

Missed or Late Work:

Since I will be posting a discussion/response for each homework after the deadline, there will be no late work accepted for them.  There will be no make-up exams or retests.  If you must miss an exam for some reason then you must contact me as soon as possible!  Exceptions will only be made for documented emergencies (e.g., life threatening illness).  Be aware that the optional final will replace your lowest test grade if you choose to do it but it cannot hurt you.

Withdrawals:

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should he or she decide to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary (e.g., failure to complete the safety training, violating the safety policies, failure to sign the acknowledgment of receipt of syllabus, etc.)  If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date (April 27). The student is also strongly encouraged to retain their copy of the withdrawal form for their records.

Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall 2002, may be charged a higher tuition rate for that course.

Students are responsible for understanding the impact that withdrawal from a course may have on their financial aid, veterans’ benefits, and international student status.  Per state law, students enrolled for the first time in Fall 2007 or later at any public Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a “W”) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college education.  Some exceptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit.  Students are strongly encouraged to meet with an advisor when making decisions about course selection, course loads, and course withdrawals. The last day to withdraw before the official reporting date is February 4.

Reinstatement: 

I will only reinstate students I have withdrawn with written request and only at my discretion.

Incompletes: 

An incomplete (grade of "I") will only be given for extenuating circumstances.  What constitutes “extenuating circumstances” is left to the instructor’s discretion.  If a grade of I is given, the remaining course work must be completed by a date set by the student and professor.  This date may not be later than two weeks prior to the end of the following semester.  A grade of I also requires completion and submission of the Incomplete Grade form, to be signed by the faculty member (and student if possible) and submitted to the department chair.

Students may request an Incomplete from their faculty member if they believe circumstances warrant.  The faculty member will determine whether the Incomplete is appropriate to award or not.  The following processes must be followed when awarding a student an I grade. 

1.      Prior to the end of the semester in which the “I” is to be awarded, the student must meet with the instructor to determine the assignments and exams that must be completed prior to the deadline date.  This meeting can occur virtually or in person.  The instructor should complete the Report of Incomplete Grade form.

2.      The faculty member will complete the form, including all requirements to complete the course and the due date, sign (by typing in name) and then email it to the student.  The student will then complete his/her section, sign (by typing in name), and return the completed form to the faculty member to complete the agreement.  A copy of the fully completed form can then be emailed by the faculty member to the student and the department chair for each grade of Incomplete that the faculty member submits at the end of the semester.   

3.      The student must complete all remaining work by the date specified on the form above.  This date is determined by the instructor in collaboration with the student, but it may not be later than the final withdrawal deadline in the subsequent long semester.  

4.      Students will retain access to the course Blackboard page through the subsequent semester in order to submit work and complete the course. Students will be able to log on to Blackboard and have access to the course section materials, assignments, and grades from the course and semester in which the Incomplete was awarded.  

5.      When the student completes the required work by the Incomplete deadline, the instructor will submit an electronic Grade Change Form to change the student’s performance grade from an “I” to the earned grade of A, B, C, D, or F. 

If an Incomplete is not resolved by the deadline, the grade automatically converts to an “F.”  Approval to carry an Incomplete for longer than the following semester or session deadline is not frequently granted.

Course Outline: separate file

College Policies: separate file

What’s On the Exams?

Required Textbooks and Materials:

You will need the following items:

1.     BIOL 1309 Life on Earth Study Guide, 4th edition (updated), modified for Speer & Maxim, Nov 2018 by BIOL 1309 Redesign Team. This study guide is not sold through any bookstore. You can download and print from this course’s Blackboard site. (Available as Adobe PDF file.)

2.    The Tangled Bank: An Introduction to Evolution, ACC Special Edition by Carl Zimmer. 2010, McMillian. – First Day Access – available through Blackboard as a digital version 

3.     Life of Mammals, episode 1, available through the ACC library. You will need to watch sections of this video twice. (Study Guide Section 7 and Section12).

• • Go to ACC Library Services and search for “Life of Mammals” in the catalog. Scroll until you find “The life of mammals: A Winning Design” with the format “Film”. Click on “View                          Now” and connect to Kanopy with your ACCeID. Sign up for the free service.  
• DVDs on library reserve at CYP, ELG, EVC, HLC, HYS, NRG, RRC, RVS, SAC

4.    Homework assignments, available in the Homework area of each unit. Use the “Course Content” folder in Blackboard to find the individual unit folders labeled “Unit Course Content”.

You are responsible for all materials covered in the study guide, textbook, narrated PowerPoint lectures, homework assignments, online videos, and online activities.   

Course Schedule

BIOL 1309 Life on Earth (006)(19742)

 Fall Semester 2025

BIOL 1309 Common Course Objectives

Section 1: Science as a Process
Students should be able to:
 Describe the process of scientific inquiry and apply this knowledge to
examples.
 Identify the components of a scientific experiment and explain why control
groups are used.
 Explain the difference between a hypothesis and a scientific theory.
 Compare what theory means to a scientist vs. a non-scientist.

Section 2: Classification and Scientific Nomenclature
Students should be able to:
 Define phylogeny, describe a phylogenetic tree and interpret a
phylogenetic tree.
 Explain the purpose of the biological classification system,
 List the categories of the biological classification system in the correct
order.
 Describe the parts of a scientific name.
 Describe the biological species concept and apply it to examples.
 Name and describe the organisms in the three domains.
 Compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure at a simple
level.
 Describe the endosymbiotic origin of eukaryotic mitochondria and
chloroplasts.
 Compare and contrast the major types of eukaryotes: plants, animals,
fungi and protists.

Section 3: Evolution—an Introduction
Students should be able to:
 Define evolution.
 Describe the various kinds of evidence for evolution and apply this
knowledge to examples.
 Recognize teleological statements and rephrase them to remove the
teleology.

Section 4: Darwin and Natural Selection
Students should be able to:
 Discuss the observations of Charles Darwin leading to the theory of
natural selection.
 Describe the historical background of the development of evolutionary
theory in the 19th century.
 Explain how Charles Darwin used artificial selection, comparative anatomy
and embryology to understand and explain evolutionary mechanisms.
 Name and describe the following aspects of natural selection, including
applying this knowledge to examples:

o Genetic variation
o Overproduction of offspring
o Competition for resources
o Differential survival and reproduction.

Section 5: What the Rocks Say
Students should be able to:
 Describe the processes of fossil formation.
 Explain how relative and absolute dating work in general and apply this
knowledge to examples.
 Outline the major events in the evolution of life on earth and briefly
describe the evidence for each.
 Describe the evolution of oxygen-producing photosynthesis and its effects
on early life forms.

Section 6: First Life, the Videos
Students should be able to:
 Describe Snowball Earth, the geological evidence, and its importance to
the evolution of complex life forms.
 Outline the major events in the early evolution of animals and briefly
describe the evidence for each.
 Describe the main features of various animal body plans and their
evolutionary significance. Apply this knowledge to examples.

Section 7: The Tree of Life
Students should be able to:
 Describe tetrapod evolution. This includes anatomical changes and
ecological changes, such as the shift from an aquatic environment to a
terrestrial environment.
 Discuss the role of transitional fossils in understanding tetrapod evolution,
using examples.
 Describe the amniotic egg and explain its importance in tetrapod
evolution.
 Describe the characteristics of mammals.
 Compare monotremes, marsupials and placental mammals, using
examples of each.
 Describe the role of Archaeopteryx as a transitional fossil demonstrating
the evolution of birds within the reptiles.
 Explain how information from the fossil record and living organisms is
used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of a group of organisms.

Section 8: The Ways of Change
Students should be able to:
 Describe the function of DNA in cells.
 Explain the relationships among these terms: DNA, chromosome, gene,
protein, allele.
 Explain that all living organisms use DNA in a similar fashion and explain
the implications of that for the evolutionary history of life.
 Describe and compare asexual and sexual reproduction.
 Describe the sources of genetic variation in a population, including the
differences in the kinds of variations produced by mutations and by
recombination.
 Explain the differences between harmful, neutral, and beneficial mutations
and their effects on organisms’ fitness.
 Explain what is meant by evolutionary fitness and give examples.
 Explain the following evolutionary mechanisms and give examples:
o Genetic drift
o Gene flow
o Sexual selection.
 Describe and give examples of negative selection, positive selection,
stabilizing selection, and balancing selection

Section 9: The History in Our Genes
Students should be able to:
 Describe in general how molecular data are used to construct
phylogenetic trees.
 Explain what a molecular clock is and how it is used.

Section 10: Adaptations
Students should be able to:
 Describe adaptation and explain the role of natural selection in their
evolution.
 Recognize a variety of adaptations and discuss how natural selection
could have resulted in the evolution of these features.
 Describe the evolution of a complex adaptation that requires many
different parts working together. Explain the roles of gene duplication and
gene recruitment in the evolution of these adaptations.
 Describe the importance of the “genetic toolkit” (Hox genes) in the
evolution of animals.
 Explain the factors that constrain evolution.
 Define convergent evolution and apply this concept to examples.

Section 11: The Origin of Species
Students should be able to:
 Explain different species concepts and the usefulness of each.
 Describe various reproductive barriers and their effects on speciation.
 Explain different methods of speciation, using examples.

Section 12: Radiations and Extinctions
Students should be able to:
 Define biogeography.
 Explain the role of vicariance, dispersal and reproductive isolation in
determining the distribution of organisms, using examples.
 Define adaptive radiation and extinction. Describe how these two types of
events affect patterns of biodiversity, using examples.
 Describe the Cambrian Explosion and discuss hypotheses for the causes
of this adaptive radiation.
 Compare background extinctions and mass extinctions, using examples.
 Explain how humans are currently involved in causing the next mass
extinction.

Section 13: Intimate Partnerships
Students should be able to:
 Explain coevolution, using examples.

 Distinguish between positive-negative, positive-neutral, and positive-
positive relationships using examples..

 Explain symbiosis, using examples.
 Explain the concept of a natural arms race, using examples.
 Explain the process of endosymbiosis and its effect on evolutionary
history.

Section 14: Primate and Hominid Evolution
Students should be able to:
 Describe the characteristics shared by all primates.
 Describe the major groups of primates and their evolutionary relationships.
 Describe the characteristics and evolutionary history of hominids.
 Compare hominids to other primates.
 Describe the general pattern of human evolution.
 Apply evolutionary mechanisms to current human evolution, using
examples.