AP Biology Course Syllabus s1

AP Biology Course Syllabus

Bethlehem Catholic High School

Instructor: Mrs. Carole Reightler

Email:

Remind 101: 6104403344 (TEXT)

Course Overview and Objectives

The AP Biology course is designed to be the EQUIVALENT of a two semester college introductory biology course. After showing themselves to be qualified on the AP Examination, some students, as college freshmen, are permitted to undertake upper-level courses in biology or register for courses for which biology is a prerequisite. Other students may have fulfilled a basic requirement for a laboratory-science course and will be able to undertake other courses to pursue their majors.

The AP Biology course is designed around four “big ideas” and the enduring understandings that students should retain from their learning experiences in the course. In addition to a deep and meaningful understanding of the four big ideas, students who complete an AP Biology course will develop their skills in scientific investigation and reasoning. Students will engage in scientific inquiry and develop their skills in relation to science practices identified in the AP Biology curriculum as those that are necessary to scientific investigation. Students will be engaged in laboratory investigations for at least 25% of the time they spend in class and will complete a minimum of 8 inquiry-based investigations (two per big idea). These investigations will be supplemented with various other activities.

This combination of content understanding and science practice skill will leave students prepared for more advanced science courses at the college level. And, I hope, one would gain an appreciation and passion of the intricate and complex organization of the world around us and its diverse inhabitants!

Required Course Materials

Ø SUMMER READING MATERIAL: “Survival of the Sickest” by Dr. Sharon Moalem

Ø Binder with dividers (set of 12) to organize pre-Laboratory, data collection, and post Laboratory notes, handouts, and references. (pre-made by instructor)

Ø Binder (~1 inch) to be used for organizing class notes, hand-outs, class assignments, and assessments.

Ø These notebooks should be brought with you to class every day.

Ø Highlighters, pencils, pens (red and blue/or black), and post it tabs (any size)

Course Requirements and Expectations

Ø Attend class every day (if absent check Website Bethlehemcatholic/science/creightler/apbiology to stay current with class assignments) –be prepared to discuss readings and assignments on a daily basis.

Ø Read, read, read and then read some more! You are responsible for reading assigned chapters for each topic and taking notes! Your notes/outlines will be collected routinely and graded to be sure that you are keeping up. Unannounced quizzes will be given frequently on reading assignments at the beginning of class (being absent is not an excuse – reading can be completed at home).

Ø Talk, talk, talk and then talk some more! Well, as long as it’s about Biology. In order to develop the kind of understandings that we are striving for, you need to be able to communicate your learning. You also need to be able to express when you don’t understand something. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t get it” or question something that the instructor or other students are saying. Question, Question, Question, and then Question some more!

Ø Formal lab reports will be required – one per quarter but many informal laboratory write-ups will be required of as many of the investigations that you conduct in class. The lab reports must be typed and will typically be due within one week (over a weekend) after the completion of an investigation.

o Your lab reports will emphasize your developed hypothesis, data collection techniques, data analysis and your ability communicate your results and connect them to content. You will be provided with a rubric outlining how your lab reports will be evaluated.

Ø Unit exams will be given after each major unit. Each topic we learn in this class builds on what we have learned previously and everything supports the understanding of the BIG IDEAS. Because of this, unit exams are cumulative and will emphasize the connections between the four BIG IDEAS.

· Unit Exams will reflect the format of the AP Biology test you will take at the end of the year. Therefore, you must be prepared to answer multiple choice questions, do calculations and write responses to free response questions. We will practice answering all types of questions in class; usually as bell-ringer activities.

Ø Complete research and presentations as assigned; respecting all given due dates.

Ø You are expected to take the AP Biology Exam in May 11 @ 8:00 am, 2015.

Ø Whether at school or completing assignments at home, every AP Biology student will uphold the Bethlehem Catholic Academic Honesty Policy (http://www.bethlehemcatholichs.org/academics/academic_honesty_policy)

Late Work Policy

Ø All assigned work is due at the beginning of class or at the beginning of the school day by 8:05 – this will be outlined on the assignment. .

Ø Late work is accepted for 48 hours after the due date. The grade of the assignment will automatically be reduced by 20%. Late work is NOT accepted after 48 hours and you will receive a zero for the assignment. Please note that an assignment is considered late if it is not turned in at the beginning of class. For some projects I may NOT accept late work and I will announce this in advance.

Ø Being absent from my class or from school IS NOT an excuse for missing an assignment – see Website!! http://www.bethlehemcatholichs.org/staff_directory/science/carole_reightler/a_p_biology/

Absences

Ø Homework due on the day of the absence is due the day you return or it is considered late (see the late work policy above). Homework assigned on the day of the absence will be due the day after you return.

Ø Obtain the notes you missed from a classmate and THEN see me with questions and concerns.

Ø If you are absent for more than one day in a row please see me for the missed homework and extended due dates.

Ø **Make-Up work is only granted credit if it is an excused absence and handed in by the due date**

Grading

Throughout the year, work will be collected to evaluate your progress in class. Your grade will be based on the number of points you earn out of all possible points.

Grades will be based on the following:

Unit Exams

Laboratory Reports/Activities

Quizzes/Homework

Participation/Bell-ringers

Assistance

ü Parents & Guardians:

J Please e-mail me anytime to inquire about your student’s progress or set up a meeting. E-mail is my preferred form of communication and is checked on a daily basis. If you prefer to call, please leave a message on my voicemail with a call back number.

J Please be advised that your child is always fully aware of his/her grades. All students and parents have access to their grades online and I update and post grades on a weekly basis.

ü Students:

J I am often available before and after school. Please let me know IN ADVANCE that you are coming to be sure that I will be around. Available times throughout day, Period 5 everyday but Day 5 & 6 and Period 8 (except Day 4).

J I check my email almost every night. If you are having a problem, send me an email and you will likely get a response before class the next day.

The Big Ideas and Enduring Understandings

As previously stated, our course will develop your understanding of the four big ideas identified as unifying principles in the study of biology. Each big idea has “enduring understandings” which are the core concepts that you should retain and understand in order to develop a lasting understanding of the big ideas. In addition, each enduring understanding has supporting statements of “essential knowledge” that you must know to fully comprehend the enduring understanding.

The big ideas and their supporting enduring understandings are listed below. Each unit references these enduring understandings. You will notice that enduring understandings and big ideas overlap and are covered in more than one unit – this is because the big ideas are all connected to each other and developing an understanding of one will help you understand others! Statements of “essential knowledge” can be found in the introduction of your textbook.

Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.

v Enduring Understanding 1A: Change in the genetic makeup of a population over time is evolution.

v Enduring Understanding 1B: Organisms are linked by lines of descent from common ancestry.

v Enduring Understanding 1C: Life continues to evolve within a changing environment.

v Enduring Understanding 1D: The origin of living systems is explained by natural processes.

Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.

v Enduring Understanding 2A: Growth, reproduction and maintenance of the organization of living systems require free energy and matter.

v Enduring Understanding 2B: Growth, reproduction and dynamic homeostasis require that cells create and maintain internal environments that are different from their external environments.

v Enduring Understanding 2C: Organisms use feedback mechanisms to regulate growth and reproduction, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.

v Enduring Understanding 2D: Growth and dynamic homeostasis of a biological system are influenced by changes in the system’s environment.

v Enduring Understanding 2E: Many biological processes involved in growth, reproduction and dynamic homeostasis include temporal regulation and coordination.

Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life processes.

v Enduring Understanding 3A: Heritable information provides for continuity of life.

v Enduring Understanding 3B: Expression of genetic information involves cellular and molecular mechanisms.

v Enduring Understanding 3C: The processing of genetic information is imperfect and is a source of genetic variation.

v Enduring Understanding 3D: Cells communicate by generating, transmitting and receiving chemical signals.

v Enduring Understanding 3E: Transmission of information results in changes within and between biological systems.

Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties.

v Enduring Understanding 4A: Interactions within biological systems lead to complex properties.

v Enduring Understanding 4B: Competition and cooperation are important aspects of biological systems.

v Enduring Understanding 4C: Naturally occurring diversity among and between components within biological systems affects interactions with the environment.

Science Practices

In addition to developing your understanding of biology content, the goal of this course is also to help you develop the habits of mind that scientists use in their work. As such, the AP Biology course is also designed around seven science practices that the investigations and activities you participate in during class will help you develop. Each of the science practice statements has supporting information that will help you understand all aspects of the practice that you will develop (I will provide you with a separate handout that details these). Engaging in these practices will enable you to gather and analyze evidence and develop your own testable explanations for scientific problems. You will find evidence of activities that help you develop these practices in the schedule following this section. Activities and discussions that develop science practices will be followed by “SP 1, 2, 3, etc” depending on which practice is being targeted during that activity.

Ü Science Practice 1: The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.

Ü Science Practice 2: The student can use mathematics appropriately.

Ü Science Practice 3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.

Ü Science Practice 4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question.

Ü Science Practice 5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.

Ü Science Practice 6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.

Ü Science Practice 7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts and representations in and across domains.

A.P. Biology Schedule 2014-2015

(This schedule is tentative and is subject to change.)

Unit 1: The Nature of Science and The Chemistry of Life (10-15 days)

Required Readings: Chapters 1-3 & 6

Enduring Understandings to be addressed: 2A, 3A, 4A-B

Essential Questions for Discussion:

ü What are the four big ideas?

ü How is evolution a unifying theme in biology?

ü What are the methods involved in scientific investigation? How do scientists simulate the natural world?

ü How does scientific research impact society?

ü What is a “theory” in science?

ü How is the biosphere organized? How does one level of organization depend on another?

ü What are elements that make up living organisms?

ü What is the difference between organic and inorganic compounds?

ü What are the major categories of organic molecules?

ü How does structure control function at the level or organic molecules?

ü What are the unique properties of water? Why are these properties vital to living organisms?

ü How does the structure of the water molecule determine these properties?

ü How do the laws of thermodynamics apply to biological systems and evolution?

ü How is energy transferred in metabolic reactions?

ü What is the relationship between an enzyme and its substrate?

Activities:

· Survey of textbook and creation of posters on the four big ideas

· Inquiry cubes activity (SP3, SP5)

· Design an experiment to test cardiovascular fitness (SP1 – SP7)

· Lab activity to distinguish between ionic and covalent compounds (SP1, SP3, SP5)

· Create charts on structure and function of organic molecules

· Toothpickase activity (SP1-2, SP4-5)

· Enzyme Activity (Investigation 13 in Student Lab Manual) (SP1-7)

Unit 2: Evolution and Biodiversity (15 - 25 days)

Required Readings: Chapters 15-23, 28-30

Enduring Understandings to be addressed: 1, 2A-B, 2D-E, 3A & 3C, 4B-C