EAST GEORGIA STATE COLLEGE

A unit of the University System of Georgia

131 College Circle
Swainsboro, Georgia 30401-2699
Fall 2016 Statesboro Campus
Integrated Science ISCI 1101- SA,U,V

I.
II.

Instructor: Jason C. Lee

Course Schedule:

III.

Integrated Science ISCI 1101-U CRN # 80354

MW 850-1055 am
H132
Integrated Science ISCI 1101-SA CRN # 80474
MW 11 am to 105 pm H132
Integrated Science ISCI 1101-V CRN # 80355
TTH 830-1055 am
H191

Office information: H167H

Office Hours: MW 1-230 pm
TTH 11-1130 am & 1230-230 pm
Phone: 912-492-0740 (cell..text only) 912-623-2450 (office)
Email: jlee@ega.edu

IV.

Course DESCRIPTION
A multi-disciplinary course for non-science majors designed to improve student
scientific literacy and process skills. Students are introduced to fundamental
principles and processes of astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics.
The course will focus on the scientific method and critical thinking, and will

V.
VI.

include online/offline readings and written laboratory exercises.

Prerequisites: Acceptable score on the Compass exam
Class RESOURCE Requirements
o

Textbook: The Sciences: An Integrated Approach, 8th edition, Trefil and

Hazen (ISBN 9781118875841)

o
o

LESS EXPENSIVE: Digital Copy ISBN 9781119049685

PLEASE NOTE that the textbook will be our outline resource for the
course. We will use it, but not as the only resource. Please Rent the
book if you canor share with a friend but MAKE SURE YOU HAVE
GREAT INTERNET Capability for course assignments and readings.

Other Supplies and Resources Needed:

o
o

3-Ring Binder for Course Notebook.

INTERNET ACCESS is vital to success in this course We will be
using many articles, labs, and other online resources this semester. This
will ensure that our time is well-spent having great discussions, thought
provoking assignments, and investigative activities.

VII.

Course Learning Outcomes/Goals & Topics

East Georgia State College assesses student learning based on the
achievement of 7 general education learning outcomes. You the student
will learn fundamental principles of astronomy, biology, geology,
chemistry and physics necessary to understand and appreciate the
impact of science on society and your own life. Outcomes I, II, III, and
IV are incorporated into this course and are listed in parentheses after
each of the following course objectives.
Practice in using the scientific method of problem solving (IV)
Demonstrate an understanding of the Nature of Science across all disciplines .
(I,II, and III)
Develop basic laboratory skills, and Demonstrate improved science
process skills in lab and individual research investigations (I, II, and III)
Understand and use the vocabulary of science during class discussions
and written assignments. (I)
Develop scientific writing skills. (I and II)
Develop critical thinking skills based on the scientific method. (III)
Primary Goals of the Course: The following course goals are
designed to increase each students level of scientific literacy.
1. Students will understand that science is a cyclic process of research,
experimentation, and application. Students will increase their criticalthinking skills by participating in this process while learning various
contents in a college-level Integrated Science course.

2. Students will learn and implement experimental design vocabulary

while practicing their critical thinking skills in an inquiry-based
experiment.
3. Students will demonstrate enhanced understanding of scientific
knowledge in multiple disciplines through inquiry, critical thinking
exercises, and making inferences based on collected experimental data.
4. Students will demonstrate and improved understanding of science
process skills through hands-on activities, research, and assessments.

Topics List:
The Nature of Science (Week 1&2)
o Identifying Science, Scientific Process, Impact on Society, Making Decisions
Patterns in the Natural World (Week 1&2)
o The Night Sky, Natures Patterns, Mathematics as the Language of Science,

Making Inferences

The Birth of Modern Astronomy & Mechanics (Week 3 & 4)

o

Motion, Forces, Structural Sciences, Progression of Scientific Thought

Energy Conservation & Thermodynamics (Week 5 & 6)

o Energy Conversions, Laws of Thermodynamics, Efficiency, Entropy
Electricity & Magnetism (Week 7 & 8)
o The Atomic Basis of Magnetism, Historical Impact of Magnetism & Electricity,

Biological Magnetism & Navigation, Batteries & Circuits, MRI Technology

Waves & Electromagnetic Radiation (Week 9 & 10)

o

The Structure & Properties of Matter (Week 11)

o

VIII.

Earth Systems, Energy Transfer and Conservation, Natural Patterns and

Predictability of Natural Events

Stars, Galaxies, and The Universe (Week 13 & 14)

o

Chemical Nature of Matter, Nanoscale Technology vs. Macroscale

Technology

The Dynamic Earth (Week 12)

o

Nature of Waves, Waves in Music & Natural Systems, Effect of Waves on

Structure & Properties, Electromagnetic Spectrum Uses in Nature &
Technology

Applying concepts to determine properties of distant objects, Star Life

Cycles, Universal Expansion

Einsteins Big Idea (Week 15 & 16)

o Tying it all together with a walk through time and the lives of great
scientists who laid the foundation for our modern worlds technology.
The Role of Computer Science in Our Modern World

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
A. Labs & Assignments
LABS will be in class using materials provided, and online using
award-winning Interactive applets from the University of Colorado

Boulder. The activities are called PhET simulations and can be explored
at the following link:
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/new

Assignments will include text assignments, readings, and other online

activities. There will be specific places on D2L for you to submit all
assignments and activities. Some will be completed and turned in in-class

Any lab and assignment answers assigned to be turned-in online must be

submitted in a WORD document by way of the assigned D2L DROPBOX,
not email! If you submit the lab in a wps or other formats, I will not be
able to open it and your work will be returned to you.

Labs and assignments are due ON THE DUE DATE. Late assignments
will not be accepted.

Safety during lab activities will be strictly enforced. For many of our labs
this will not be a major issue. However, for the chemistry based labs, and
for other labs that use chemical reagents, food, candy, and drink of any
kind, whether opened or not, is not allowed in the classroom during the lab
time.

Any student not following the safety guidelines for a given lab will receive
a grade of zero for the lab for that day.

Your grade for each laboratory activity will be based on the following criteria:
1. Lab Participation (50%). This is a subjective grade given by the instructor based on how well
you are prepared for lab, how well you listen to and read directions, on your overall
understanding of the purpose of the lab, and your lab cleanup.
2. Lab Results (50%). This will be based on your experimental results, your lab write-up, and
your answers to the laboratory questions.

B. Examinations (Please Read EXTRA Carefully)

There will be approximately 5 exams during this course.

Exams will be announced a week in advance.

Exams will include chapter/topic exams and a comprehensive final exam.

Questions will come from the textbook material as well as any additional
notes, readings, references, and Power Points that are provided for you.
Questions will be primarily objective in nature (true or false, multiple
choice, and matching) but there may be some essay, short answer, and
fill-in-the-blank.
These examinations will be worth 100 points each and the (proctored)
comprehensive final examination is worth 100 points.
I review each test individually and often must hand grade discussion
questions. For this reason please allow time after the exam has closed for
me to grade the tests.
C. Online Portfolio

Students will be required to keep an online portfolio. This will be discussed

during the first day of class. You can get a jump start by exploring Microsoft
Office 365 and looking at how to use OneNote.
D. Discussions
Class discussions are a very important part of this course. A Discussion Rubric
will be posted in the contents section of D2L and will be provided on the first day
of class. Student grades during class discussions will be based on this rubric.

IX.

Evaluation
Tests: There will be 5 Unit Exams/Assessments (1 approximately every 2 to 3 weeks)
Labs: There will be weekly lab investigations/projects
Discussions: Online and in-class discussions will be very useful to this course as
we get to come together as a class and show what we are learning, as well as
get assistance from our peers.
Quizzes: May be given on a regular basis to monitor student progress. Some will
be announced well in advance, and some will be given after a discussion or
activity

X.

Grading
Assessments
Laboratory Exercises/ Research/Course Portfolio
Assignments/Quizzes/Discussions
1 Comprehensive Final Examination

30%
30%
30%
10%

Your grade for the course will be determined as a percentage of the total points available, based
on the following scale: A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%, F < 60%.
Please Note:
The dates for exams, lab exercises, and projects will be announced online.
All students are expected to present in-class, therefore no one should
miss an important date
XI.

Student Expectations
Respect the class time
Arrive on-time and prepared for the days activities
Stay on-task during class.absorbing every opportunity to

enhance your knowledge and skills

Respect Yourself and Other Students
All students do not learn in the same way and at the same pace.
So, please be mindful of the needs of others to process, digest,
and assimilate information that we discuss, investigate, and

explore.
Respect the Course and the Scholarly Environment
Push your mind to the limits in each discussion, reading
assignment, activity, investigation, etc. Think of yourself as being
in training and becoming better and better at being a scholar

each and every day.

Think Critically and Seek Solutions
You will be challenged many times in this course to think outside
of the box. This is easy for some and difficult for others, but we
will practice together.
Look for solutions instead of being halted by obstacles. Nothing in
life is totally easy and becoming a scholar takes practice,
dedication, and lots of hard work.

We will all work together to become the best students that we can be.

XII.

Attendance Policy
As you should know, attendance is essential if you wish to do well any class. Many
lectures will include additional material not found in your textbook. I expect you to arrive

to class on time. Arriving late disrupts the lecture, distracts everyone in the room, and is
basically unfair and rude to those in the class.
Attendance is counted from the first scheduled class meeting of each semester.
Three (3) tardies or early departures equal one (1) absence for the course(s)
involved. In order for a student to receive credit for a course, a student must
attend 80% of the scheduled instructional time.
Arriving late or leaving class early means that you are missing part of the
required instructional time. This will be noted on the attendance sheet and will
count toward an absence.
Three (3) late arrivals or early departures will constitute an absence.
You are allowed to miss up to three (3) days of class without penalty. When you
miss the 4th day you will receive a 10 point Final Grade deduction. (This also
applies to 3 absences and 3 tardies.) This also will eliminate your chances of
having any grades dropped out of mercy
WHY is coming to class important? If you miss 4 or more days..I drop NO
GRADESyou keep what you earn. If you miss 3 daysI only drop one
lowest grade. If you miss 2 daysI drop the 2 lowest grades. If you miss 1 dayI
drop the 3 lowest grades. HOWEVERPerfect Attendance = 4 Dropped
Grades!

XIII.

Make-up Policy
There are no make ups for missed exams, no matter what the excuse. Instead, your lowest
exam grade will be dropped at the end of the semester. Understand that, since you are
never sure of what may happen in the future, it is very important that you do as well as
you can on EACH exam!! THIS DOES NOT APPLY IF YOU HAVE EXCESSIVE
ABSENCES
There will be no make-ups for missed quizzes, no matter what the excuse. These are used
to provide quick feedback on progress and have no purpose if taken after the fact. The
times for assignments are announced ahead of time and you have more than a week to
complete each of them at your own pace. There will be no make-up lab
investigations. These take me too long to prepare. In some cases, an alternative
project may be assignedbut only if you are active in class, complete
assignments, AND are present the majority of the time.
DONT ASK for EXTRA CREDIT if you do not COMPLETE ALL ASSIGNMENTS

XIV.

Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty (please see EGC Student Handbook

http://www.ega.edu/counseling_center/handbook2008.pdf)

Help, except by the instructor, on any graded work will result in academic
dishonesty and failure of the course. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will
be notified. CHEATERS are BAD
XV.

ADA Statement (can be found at

http://www.ega.edu/counseling_center/disabilityaccommodations.htm)
If there is any student in the class who has special needs because of learning, or
other disabilities/challenges, he or she should discuss this with the instructor.

XVI.

Course Withdrawal Policy Statement: Students are responsible for their own
academic progress. Decisions regarding withdrawal from courses should only be
made after consultation with an academic advisor. Before withdrawing from a
course, students must meet with a Financial Aid representative to discuss their
personal financial aid situation. More information regarding withdrawal from
courses can be found in the EGC catalog at
http://www.ega.edu/registrar/catalog/Catalog0809.pdf

XVII.

Campus Emergency Policy:

In the event the fire alarm is sounded, everyone must evacuate the
building at once and in a calm and orderly fashion, using the nearest exit.
In the event of a severe weather warning everyone must proceed
immediately to the nearest designated shelter area which are marked by
a small tornado symbol. All severe weather shelter locations are posted
on the EGC website. Each student should, on the first day of class,
determine the location of the nearest exit and the nearest designated
shelter area for each of his or her classrooms. If you have difficulties
locating either ask your instructor to assist you.
The Connect-ED system is a communication service that enables East
Georgia College administrators and security personnel to quickly contact
all East Georgia College students, faculty and staff with personalized
voice and text messages that contain emergency-related campus
information (e.g., campus closing, campus threat, health scare, etc.) With
Connect-ED, East Georgia College students can be reached and
provided with vital instructions anywhere, anytime, through their cell
phones, home phones, e-mail, TTY/TDD receiving devices, or other textreceiving devices. (http://www.ega.edu/connected.pdf)
EGCS students should make themselves familiar with Georgia Southern
Universitys Emergency Response Plan
http://services.georgiasouthern.edu/ess/Emergency%20Response
%20Plan.pdf
In the event of an emergency, EGCS students should follow the
instructions of EGCS faculty and staff members and GSU campus
officials.

XVIII.

Additional Course Requirements

A scientific calculator and internet access will be needed for this course.

Please plan on a Meeting with Mr. Lee during the first couple
of weeks of class. This will allow me to answer questions and get to
know each student a little better.

XIX.

ONLINE and IN-CLASS ETIQUETTE

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: (The Rules and Penalties)
1) The use (out-going calls, in-coming calls, text messaging, camera use, gameplaying, or any other use) of cell phones or pagers in the class room during
the regularly scheduled class period is strictly prohibited. Phones/pagers
should be stored out of sight of the instructorUNLESS WE USE THESE
FOR AN ASSIGNMENT OR ACTIVITY. Cell phones and pagers are to be
turned off while in the classroom. If a phone or pager goes off in the
classroom or is used in the classroom the student will be required to leave
the classroom for the remainder of the period. Each incident of use in the
classroom will result in 5 point reduction of the final average.
2) Eating in the classroom is strictly prohibited. Each incident will result in 2
point reduction of the final average.
3) Use common courtesy & respect when addressing other students and the
instructor. If you do not do this, you will be asked to leave the classroom and
receive no credit for the day.
ACT APPROPRIATELY. You are in a SCHOLARLY ENVIRONMENT.
Course Content on D2L

XX.

Each student will have a user-id and password to enter the D2L site for this class. Once
logged on, students will have access to the course schedule, syllabus, announcements, email, abbreviated class notes, laboratory exercises, discussions, and links to useful web
sites. Students will also be able to access exam keys and their current course grades.
Students are expected to access the courses D2L site on a regular basis to check for
announcements from the instructor. Likewise, the instructor will log on throughout the
week to check and respond to any e-mail received from students.
I will be posting D2L Material each weekend and then throughout the week I will be
monitoring discussions, grading assignments, helping with labs, etc.

XXI.

IMPORTANT FACTS REGARDING THIS COURSE & ONLINE

ASSIGNMENTS/Submissions

This course is NOT a self-paced or independent study course. The key to

being successful is being self-motivated, present, and prepared.

 EVERYTHING IS DUE AT MIDNIGHT on the DUE DATE ASSIGNED

UNLESS otherwise assigned and posted.
By remaining in this class, you accept the responsibility of reading
required material, maintaining online internet access, and attending class
regularly.
You should consult D2L regularly and complete all assignments on
time.
I strongly urge you to review the syllabus and the weekly assignments to
determine if this online course is right for you, your schedule and your
level of motivation.
Assignments must be submitted by way of D2L in the assignment section.
It is necessary to have WORD to be able to submit assignments to me by
way of D2L.
Please realize that computer crashes or computer problems are not
acceptable excuses for failing to complete assignments as they become
due! A variety of sources now provide computers with Internet access to
the public. If you experience computer problems, make the appropriate
arrangements to complete your assignments on time. I cannot emphasize
the importance of not waiting until an hour before an assignment is due to
begin. (You must remember that some assignments may take longer than
you anticipate)
By remaining in this course, you acknowledge and accept the
necessary testing procedures and policies as stated by the
instructor. Please do not seek exceptions to these policies.

WHEW!...Now that all of the nuts and bolts are counted

and organized, lets get started with an AWESOME semester
of Integrated Science. I put a lot into this course and hope
you get a lot out of it