Course Syllabus

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Mizzou Academy

We are pleased that you selected this global course to fulfill your unique educational needs. You are now a member of the Mizzou Acaemy's large and diverse student body—a student body that comes from all parts of the United States and many parts of the world.

Although the freedom to choose when and where to study is a privilege, it is also a responsibility that requires motivation and self-discipline. To succeed at self-paced learning, you will need to develop a study plan by setting realistic goals and working toward them. 

This course is the study of general biology. Biology is the study of all aspects of life. This course covers cell structure, function, reproduction, and biochemistry. The course will also cover inheritance, molecular genetics, and genetic technology. It will continue with a study of the history of life and diversity. Students will conclude the course with ecology, the study of the interactions of organisms with each other and their environment.

IMG_20220731_155123774.jpgEricca Thornhill is the Science Division Chair for Mizzou Academy. She earned both a bachelor’s & master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Missouri - Columbia. She lives between Columbia & the Missouri River with her husband & kayak.  Before coming to Mizzou Academy, Ericca worked as a high school & middle school science teacher in rural & urban public schools, as well as a private school. She loves science because it helps us understand this amazing universe and makes our lives so much better! Her favorite part of working with Mizzou Academy is helping her students reach their dreams! 

Ericca Thornhill 

Teacher

thornhiller@mail.missouri.edu 

Science Division Chair

At the end of this course, you should be able to accomplish the following:

  • Describe the characteristics of science.
  • Analyze scientific research based on your knowledge of the characteristics of science.
  • Design and conduct experiments.
  • Identify and describe the structure and function of various cell parts.
  • Explain the various ways a cell creates and uses energy.
  • Describe the major events in the cell cycle.
  • Predict the genotypes and phenotypes of offspring or parents using Punnett squares.
  • Define meiosis, describe its purpose and order the major events of meiosis.
  • Construct and analyze pedigrees illustrating the inheritance of genetic traits.
  • Describe and discuss the structure and function of DNA.
  • Explain the principles of natural selection and understand how natural selection gives rise to new adaptions, new species, and evolution.
  • Describe the levels of organization in an ecosystem.
  • Explain how abiotic and biotic factors create different types of ecosystems (biomes) and determine what species can live there.

 

Note: Not all of these objectives will occur in every lesson, but they are the basis for our study.

This course can be completed in as few as six weeks or take up to 6 months (180 calendar days). The six weeks are counted from the date of the first lesson submission and not the date of enrollment.

 

  • Glencoe Biology, 2012, publisher McGraw-Hill
    Access to the e-textbook l ISBN: 978-0-07-896105-2

    Or a copy of the textbook:
    Textbook ISBN: 978-0-07-894586-1
  • Lab materials: you will need the following materials to complete the labs in the course.  
    • four eggs
    • vinegar
    • sugar or corn syrup
    • distilled water

 

 

† Materials used in connection with this course may be subject to copyright protection.

The most up-to-date requirements can be found here: 

Additional requirements for the course are below: 

  • audio and video recording capabilities (e.g. smartphone, camera)

You should submit all assigned work in sequence (Lesson 1, then Lesson 2, etc.) Assignments for the course are listed at the bottom of this syllabus.

Quizzes are taken online. After you submit them, you’ll quickly receive a report on how you did. Unlike exams, you may use any assigned readings, your notes, and other course-related materials to complete graded quizzes and assignments.  Please note that graded quizzes cannot be retaken. 

Assignments may require you to submit your completed work in the form of a file (such as a text document, image, audio or video recording, or multimedia presentation) or a hyperlink for grading. 

After your work has been graded, you will receive a report that provides individualized feedback and comments on your work. Look carefully at what you missed and read any corresponding feedback. Then study the lesson materials to make certain that you can accomplish the associated learning objectives.

Each lesson provides step-by-step instructions on how to submit your work. Be sure to check submitted work carefully for errors (e.g. spelling, grammar, and punctuation) as they may result in points being deducted.

You are required to take two proctored exams for this course.  Each exam will contain multiple-choice and short-answer questions. 

See the "About Exams" in the policies section for additional information on exams at Mizzou Academy.

Your final grade will be based on the number of points you earn on assignments and exams.

Points Distribution
Source Available Points
Assignments 180
Quizzes 220
Midterm 300
Final 300
Total 1000

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Grading Scale
Grade Percentage
A 90–100
B 80–89
C 70–79
D 60–69
F 0–59

 

You will be able to see your exam percentage in the "Exams" column in your gradebook.

After completing the course, unofficial transcripts will be available in the Tiger Portal. See this page for information on requesting official transcripts. 

View the content below to learn more about each of these elements and how they work in your Mizzou Academy Canvas course.

 

Our academic integrity policy at Mizzou Academy is based on our values of ethical behavior, learning, and giving all stakeholders the benefit of the doubt. Collaboration, research, and technical literacy are vital 21st-century skills when combined with academic integrity. 

Mizzou Academy's academic integrity policy is aligned with the University of Missouri’s academic integrity policy. The definitions of what constitutes "cheating" and "plagiarism"are posted on the Provost’s Advising Council’s webpage which can be found here: https://advising.missouri.edu/policies/academic-integrity. 

If, when completing any of your assignments or exams for this course, you are found to have demonstrated cheating or plagiarism as defined above, this is a violation of academic integrity. At your teacher's discretion, violations of academic integrity may be subject to either or both of the following actions: 

  • receiving a zero for the assignment or exam
  • receiving an F for the course

If you anticipate barriers related to the format or requirements of this course, please let Mizzou Academy know as soon as possible. If disability-related accommodations are necessary (for example, a scribe, reader, extended time on exams, captioning), please contact Mizzou Academy.

*This section describes the policies of exams at Mizzou Academy. This section only applies if you have exams in your course. See the section above to see if you have exams.

Your exams are online. It is your responsibility to schedule your exams. 

During exams, unless otherwise noted, you are not allowed to navigate away from the exam or use any other resources. If you deviate from the exam guidelines without proper prior permission, it is considered cheating on an exam. 

Mizzou Academy values fair testing and assessment to determine that students master essential course concepts and skills. During a proctored exam, tests are supervised by an impartial individual (a proctor) to help ensure that all exams maintain academic integrity. You will need to use a Mizzou Academy approved proctor. Please see the Exam Proctoring webpage for more information. 

  • Choose a proctor and make arrangements for taking the exam.
  • At least 2 weeks prior to taking your exam, submit your proctor information to Mizzou Academy 
  • You will be sent an email notice indicating if your chosen proctor has been approved or denied.
  • Arrive at your proctor’s testing site at the scheduled time with a photo ID. At testing time, you will log into your Mizzou Academy account and select the exam for your proctor to access and administer.

If you are taking a global classroom course, work with your local teacher to identify your date of the exam and how you will be proctored. You do not need to request an exam date with the above form.

  • Complete and review all assignments.
  • Review the learning objectives; make sure you can accomplish them.
  • Be prepared to explain any key terms and concepts.
  • Review all the lessons, exercises, and study questions.
  • Review any feedback and/or comments on your assignments and previous exams; look up answers to any questions you missed.

**Not applicable to World Language courses.

Canvas is where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due