Biology 100L: General Biology Laboratory

Presentation Guide for

Biology 100L: General Biology Laboratory

You will make a five minute presentation on a current topic in biology that relates to, but doesn’t repeat, the topics being covered in class. These are worth 80 points. The topics relate to the previous week’s subject so you will demonstrate the relationship between previous material and some current event or personal experience. Since presentations are intended to draw upon personal experiences, pick a topic you find interesting, or has meaning for you (example: a cancer diagnosis in your family). The table below shows how you will be graded for this activity, and the back of this sheet has topic examples. There will be two presentations each week. See the sign-up sheet in class to sign up for the week/topic of your choice. Points will be deducted for each week you postpone your topic. If you don’t meet minimum standards (for example, you don’t have 2 or more visuals, or you clearly have little idea what your talking about…) your presentation will be delayed until you do meet minimum standards, and the point penalties will be applied.

Here’s the rubric that describes how you will be scored:

Criteria	Points	Comments
Relevance	7	Specifically state how your topic relates to what the class is covering and why it is important to you.
Knowledge	8	Make sure you understand your topic and include new information about it (Way beyond what was covered in class) Check pronunciation of words in a dictionary or glossary
Preparation	20	Put your name and topic on the board - large enough to be read by everyone. Rehearse your talk so that it falls within the 4-5 minute limit (you will stopped after 5 minutes). Your materials should show evidence of preparation, not evidence of being pasted together that morning. Have your materials and equipment ready. Understand the points you are making. Bring backup if you are making a digital presentation such as power point. USB drives (“Jump drives, RAM drives”) are best.
Presentation	15	Look at your audience, not at your notes or the screen Speak in a conversational tone, clearly and loudly enough to be heard. Do not just “read” your notes or use a monotone. Avoid using distracting terms (“like”, “huh,” “well,” “ya know,” “y’num sayin’?”) or weakening slang (“kinda”, “sorta”) Enunciate and speak at a moderate pace
Visuals	15	Use two visuals to illustrate your topic and make sure they can be seen. Text on your visuals must be readable at the far corners of the lab. Credit will be given for visuals that demonstrate creativity, effort, and support of your topic. Use your visuals when you refer to them. Use of the whiteboard may be helpful but does not count as a visual
Organization	10	Present your information logically and coherently Use an outline to organize your thoughts. Summarize your talk by restating your main point(s)
References	5	Consult at least two outside references to support your presentation. Submit your outline with your visuals and bibliography at the end of your talk.

Oops! 90% of Visuals contain text that is too small to be read from across a classroom.

50% of Visuals are printed directly off the internet or copied out of a book.

75% of people do not rehearse their presentation and it really shows!

These folks read their info like they’ve never heard it before, take too long, or stumble over critical words. They can’t answer questions like “What’s the relationship between natural selection and evolution?”

60% of people speak directly about the overall topic covered the previous week, as in: “Today I’m going to talk about mitosis…” Well, what about it??! You must say something that takes the topic beyond the introduction you got the previous week. Take a Maximum of 1 minute to review the previous week’s material. After the intro you’ll have 4 minutes to develop the real presentation.

Finally, about 25% of people clearly do not understand what they are talking about.

If you don’t understand it, don’t say it! (Always a good rule for life.)

Presentation Topic Suggestions

These are only suggestions. You are welcome to select any topic that you think is appropriate for that week - check with your instructor to be sure. If you change your topic notify your instructor in advance!

Find something you care about, it really helps!

Week/Date	Previous Lab Topics	Examples
3 / Feb 4	Scientific method, Cell Chemistry/ Nutrition	What are high-glycemic carbs and why do they matter? The difference between 'scientific' conclusions and those of current popular reporting. Trans-fatty acids and their harmful effects. Insulin, how does it work?
4 /Feb 11	Enzymes	Human liver enzymes and why they always check them during blood tests. What are 'cardiac enzymes' and who cares? Enzymes in technology.
5/ Feb 18	Diffusion and Osmosis	Kidney function; How alcohol makes you drunk (and the specific role of osmosis…) Salmon and their changing physiology during migration
6 / Feb 25	Photosynthesis/Respiration	Daytime plant chemistry versus night time. Human uses for anaerobic respiration. Life without photosynthesis (deep sea vents, caves)
7 / Mar 3	Mitosis	Cell repair and Aging, Mitosis and asexual reproduction. The importance of mitosis to cloning. Human mitosis after death…
8 / Mar 10	Meiosis	Stem-cell research (growing new hearts, etc), Difference between making human sperm and eggs. Diet and fertility
9 / Mar 17	Human Genetics	Any genetic disease (Tay Sachs, celiac disease, genetic breast cancer) Sex-linked vs sex-influenced traits. Human evolution & disease
10 / Mar 24	Protein synthesis/ Genetic engineering	Protein synthesis and hair loss. Recombinant production of insulin; Bioluminescence in biotechnology, Genetically engineered foods: pros and cons. Bacteria in tanks growing tons of medicine.
12/April 7	DNA Fingerprinting	Use in solving crimes; DNA & biometrics in individual ID, DNA and RNA viruses, DNA in conservation biology, DNA and cladistics
14/Apr. 21	Evolution	evolution of viruses in rabbit populations, pesticide resistance in insects, Island gigantism (eg the Island night lizard on our own Channel Islands)
15/ Apr. 28	Population Ecology	Artificial & natural control of exploding populations of introduced species. Detection methods for threatened populations. Predator declines due to over-harvesting of prey species for human uses.
16 / May 5	Cladistics & Kingdoms of Life	San Diego beaches and storm drain runoff, Endangered San Diego habitats, Tecate cypress and Thornes hairstreak. Extreme thermal tolerance. “Key species” such as elephants or coast live oak, and their role.
Still week 16, the Last week!	People presenting week 16 can also use: Biodiversity	Biodiversity of large animals vs. small (eg ants, beetles) human-caused extinctions (Stellar’s sea cow, Ivory-billed woodpecker, Passenger pigeon, Xerces blue, California grizzly bear, etc) Role of blue-green bacteria in the evolution of all living things. CA biodiversity compared to other states….

Many people earn 80 points by giving excellent presentations. This dramatically helps your grade. Don’t miss this opportunity by trying to throw something together off the internet the morning of the presentation. Find something interests you and really go for it!