1. One of the requirements of this class is that you have a bound notebook (composition book) for compiling your lab work. This will be separate from your other notebook, which may be bound, spiral or loose-leaf for taking class notes. A binder for collecting various papers is also needed (a spiral bound with a large binder is recommended). Your “Lab Notebook” will be used for the following:
a. Lab work and observations
b. Vocabulary
c. Supplemental reading questions
d. other miscellaneous work
2. The first page of your notebook will be the title page. In the middle of the page you will print:
3. The next three pages will be for your table of contents and you will write Table of Contents at the top of all three pages. Every time information is added to your notebook you will record it in the ToC with the date and page number. Each page will be numbered in the upper corner, starting with the first contents page being page 2.
4. Each new activity will have a title and a date on the top of the first page of that assignment, for instance “Tissue Vocabulary, September 7, 2004”. Each subsequent page will have a small title written at the top, such as chapter headings in a book. Make entries with either a black or dark blue pen. NO PASTEL, METALIC, OR OTHER OFF COLOR! (other than those used for highlighting) Corrections are to be made by a single line crossing out the needed correction (ex. Greater Trochanter). The correction will be written to the side, above, or wherever convenient. This should then be initialed. Any written work that continues on a page OTHER THAN the next page is to have “Go To Page #?” at the bottom so that the reader knows where to go.
5. Handouts that are to be added to the notebook will be trimmed as needed and a glue stick used to add it to the correct page. Plan ahead so that you are placing it on the proper page. Pages are NOT to be torn out of the notebook! There are to be NO loose papers in your notebook.
6. Lab activities will have a title followed by the purpose(s), materials, and procedures used in the activity. These can be HAND copied from the handouts and should be done in advance when possible. If not, anticipate how much space will be needed and leave that space available. Every attempt will be made to have these posted on the website. All Data and Observations made during the exercise will be made DIRECTLY into the notebook, so be sure to have it available each day in class. Each lab will end with a conclusion, stating what you have learned or figured out.
7. It is expected that items will be completed in your lab notebook as they are assigned, and that the parts of a lab exercise will be entered in the proper order, as described in the lab handouts. Unless specifically instructed to do so there should not be any assignment entered within another assignment. Order is necessary for ease of grading. Assignments that are not in their proper place will be assumed to have been afterthoughts and may be marked late.
8. Absolutely NO typed work will be acceptable unless directed. This specifically relates to vocabulary terms defined in your lab book or lab conclusions/synopsis. Use of Dictionary.com or similar site is recommended against. Vocabulary terms should be defined in your own words. Sites, like Dicionary.com, often provide useless definitions. For example, although Acetylecholine may be a “white crystalline form of Choline”, that is a useless definition for a compound that is a neurotransmitter, allowing nerve and muscle cells to communicate. Be sure that definitions are sensible by examining the word in its context within the book.