Math 151 - Fall 2015
Extra Credit Options
Each of the below options may be used by any class participant to increase their overall course grade. Any participation in these opportunities will not detract from a grade but only increase it. Each of the options states a "Maximim point value" which gives the largest amount, assuming the project is very well done, by which that option may increase your overall course grade. For example, if an option is worth 2 points and your course grade without counting this was 79, then if you completely and correctly do the option your course grade would change to 81 and your assigned grade would change from a C+ to a B-. All of these options must be turned into your TA's mailbox in Ayres Hall by 5PM on Friday December 4 (the day of the Final Exam). You are required to carry out any of these options individually - not working with anyone else in the class.
Music Connection (Maximum point value = 2): As noted several times in class, if you are the first person to email Dr. Gross the direct connection between him and the recordings he played in class (Bob Dylan's recording of "Desolation Row", Johnny Cash and June Carter's recording of "It Ain't Me Babe" and Bobby Vinton's recording of "Blue Velvet" you will get these extra credit points.
Cancer Tissue variation Analysis (Maximum point value = 2): As was noted in the description of the log-log plot in the paper discussed in class "Variation in cancer risk among tissues can be explained by the number of stem cell divisions" by Cristian Tomasetti and Bert Vogelstein, there is an extra credit option in item #3 in my description of the analysis - the description states this is worth 1 point but if you do it very well it will be worth 2 points.
Modules applying elementary mathematics to various topics in General Biology (Maximum point value = 4): There are a wide variety of Modules in General Biology which utilize elementary (high school) mathematics to illustrate a key biological idea or result (this is also linked on the Math151 Home Page under Web resources). For each extra credit point choose one of these Modules which has "additional questions" posed at the end of it (most but not all Modules have these), read the Module, answer the "additional questions" posed at the end of the Module and compose a report (of at most two pages) which (a) provides a summary of what you learned about biology by reading the report, (b) write a brief summary about how what learned relates to biology courses you have taken, and (c) answer the "additional questions" at the end of the Module. You may choose up to 4 Modules to get up to 4 grade points.
Harvesting a Stochastically-Growing Population (Maximum point value = 3). The description of this project is here and the Matlab code to assist you in carrying out this project is harvestopt.m
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