Download Advanced Placement Biology 2008-2009

Advanced Placement Biology Syllabus 2009-2010
Peak to Peak Charter School
Instructor: Mr. Justin Silcox
E-mail: [email protected]
Voice mail: 303-453-4750
Office: 245A North Building
Office hours: Monday 3:05 – 4:05 and by appointment.
Course Overview
The AP Biology curriculum is organized into three overarching topics (as outlined in the
AP Biology course description): Molecules and Cells, Heredity and Evolution, and Organisms
and Populations. We will use the following textbook to support these topics: Campbell, Neil A.
and Reece, Jane B., Biology, Benjamin Cummings, 7th/AP edition (2005).
The course emphasizes that science is a process, not simply a body of knowledge. Students
perform hands-on labs that require hypothesis testing/development and data collection/analysis to
reach conclusions presented in classroom discussion and written lab reports.
A second emphasis of the course is the recognition of evolution as the foundation of biological
thought. For this reason evolution is taught in the beginning of the class and is then used as
underlying theme for the rest of the course. The presence of glycolysis throughout the domains
and a universal genetic code are two examples that illustrate this emphasis.
The three overarching topics are given greater meaning by using a thematic approach that
deliberately makes connections among the topic areas. Eight major themes are continually
emphasized throughout the course. These themes (as described in the AP
Biology course description) are Science as a Process, Evolution, Energy Transfer, Continuity and
Change, Relationship of Structure to Function, Regulation, Interdependence in Nature, and
Science, Technology, and Society.
Students are also given the opportunity to apply what they have learned in class to bioethical
dilemmas and environmental/social concerns. This occurs through writing assignments,
classroom discussion and debate.
The class meets three times a week for fifty minutes and once a week for ninety minutes. Every
week the ninety minute class period is devoted to hands-on labs. Occasionally, one or two of the
weekly fifty minute classes are also used for hands-on labs. All of the 12 labs in the AP Biology
Lab Manual for Students are completed as part of this course. The remainder of class time is
spent performing inquiry exercises, engaging in discussion/debate, lecture with classroom
response systems (clickers), presentations and review. We meet a total of 112 days before the
beginning of the AP exams in May.
Course Sequence
Unit one: Evolutionary Biology
Topics
Readings
1. Early evolution
1. Chapter 26.1-26.5
of life
Activity/Lab/Assessment
AP lab 8: Population
Genetics and Evolution
Length
10 days
2. Evidence for
evolution
2. Chapters 22.2, 22.3,
25.1-25.5
Supplemental labs and
activities
3. Mechanisms of
evolution
3. Chapters 22.1-22.3,
23.1-23.4, 24.1-24.3,
25.4-25.5
Quizzes and Unit test
Unit two: Ecology
Topics
1. Population
dynamics
Readings
1. Chapter 52.1-52.6
Activity/Lab/Assessment
AP lab 12: Dissolved
Oxygen and Aquatic
Primary Productivity
2. Communities
and ecosystems
2. Chapters 50.2-50.4,
53.1-53.5, 54.1-54.5
3. Global issues
3. 50.1-50.2, 54.5, 55.155.4
Unit three: The Chemistry of Life
Topics
Readings
1. Water
1. Chapter 3.1-3.3
Length
12 days
Supplemental labs and
activities
Quizzes and Unit test
Activity/Lab/Assessment
AP lab 2: Enzyme
catalysis
2. Organic
molecules in
organisms
2. Chapters 4.1-4.3, 5.15.5
3. Free energy
changes
3. Chapter 8.1-8.2
4. Enzymes
4. Chapter 8.4-8.5
Unit four: Cells
Topics
1. Prokaryotic and
eukaryotic cells
Readings
1. Chapters 6.1-6.7,
26.3-26.4, 27.1
Activity/Lab/Assessment
AP lab 1: Diffusion and
Osmosis
2. Membranes
Chapters 6.2, 6.4, 7.17.5, 11.1-11.4
AP lab 3A: Mitosis
3. Subcellular
organization
3. Chapters 6.2 -6.7
4. Cell cycle and
its regulation
4. Chapter 12.1-12.3
Length
9 days
Supplemental labs and
activities
Quizzes and Unit test
Length
12 days
Supplemental labs and
activities
Quizzes and Unit test
Unit five: Cellular Energetics
Topics
Readings
1. Coupled
1. Chapters 8.3, 9.1-9.4,
reactions
10.2
2. Fermentation
and cellular
respiration
2. Chapter 9.2-9.6
Activity/Lab/Assessment
AP lab 5: Cell
Respiration
AP lab 4: Plant pigments
and Photosynthesis
Length
10 days
3. Photosynthesis
3. Chapter 10.1-10.4
Supplemental labs and
activities
Quizzes and Unit test
Unit six: Heredity
Topics
1. Meiosis and
gametogenesis
Readings
1. Chapters 13.1-13.4,
29.2-29.4, 30.1-30.3,
46.4
2. Eukaryotic
chromosomes
2. Chapter 15.1-15.5
3. Inheritance
patterns
3. Chapters 14.1-14.4,
15.3-15.5
2. Gene regulation
2. Chapters 18.4, 19.119.3
3. Mutation
3. Chapters 15.4, 17.7,
18.3, 19.3, 19.5
4. Viral structure
and replication
4. Chapter 18.1-18.2
5. Nucleic acid
technology and
applications
5. Chapter 20.1-20.5
Unit eight: Structure and Function of Animals
Topics
Readings
1. Reproduction,
1. Chapters 21.1-21.4,
growth and
46.1-46.5, 47.1-47.3
development
3. Response to the
environment
Length
10 days
AP lab 7: Genetics of
Organisms
Supplemental labs and
activities
Unit seven: Molecular genetics
Topics
Readings
1. RNA and DNA
1. Chapters 16.1-16.2,
structure and
17.1-17.6, 18.3
function
2. Structural,
physiological, and
behavioral
adaptations
Activity/Lab/Assessment
AP lab 3B: Meiosis
2. Chapters 40.1-40.5,
41.1-41.5, 42.1-42.7,
43.1- 43. 3, 44.1-44.6,
45.1-45.5, 46.1-46.5,
48.1-48.6, 49.1- 49.7,
51.2-51.6
3. Chapters 40.4-40.5,
43.1-43.2, 44.1-44.2,
45.1-45.5, 48.1, 49.1-
Quizzes and Unit test
Activity/Lab/Assessment
AP lab 6: Molecular
Biology
Length
11 days
Supplemental labs and
activities
Quizzes and Unit test
10 days
Activity/Lab/Assessment
AP lab 10: Physiology of
the Circulatory system
AP lab 11: Animal
Behavior
Supplemental labs and
activities
Quizzes and Unit test
Length
18 days
49.4, 51.1-51.2
Unit nine: Structure and Function of Plants
Topics
Readings
1. Reproduction,
1. Chapters 21.1-21.4,
growth and
29.2-29.4, 30.1-30.3,
development
35.2-35.5, 38.1-38.3
2. Structural,
physiological, and
behavioral
adaptations
2. Chapters 29.1-29.4,
30.1-30.4,
35.1, 36.1-36.5, 37.137.4, 38.1-38.3, 39.139.5
3. Response to the
environment
3. Chapter 39.1-39.5
Activity/Lab/Assessment
AP lab 9: Transpiration
Length
18 days
Supplemental labs and
activities
Quizzes and Unit test
Grades
Semester grades will be weighted as follows: tests & quizzes 30%, labs & projects 30%,
homework & class work 30%, final exam 10%. Assessments (exams, tests, quizzes, labs, papers,
projects, presentations) account for 70% of the semester grade. Daily work (homework, class
work) accounts for 30% of the semester grade. The following guidelines are used to determine
semester grades 100% - 89.5% = A, 89.4% - 79.5% = B, 79.4% - 69.5% = C, 69.4% and below =
F. There are no plus or minus grades.
Checking Grades in Infinite Campus
When checking grades in the Infinite Campus (I.C.) grade book for a specific assignment you will
see a grade, an “M” or a blank. An “M” in the I.C. grade book indicates that an assignment was
not completed and/or turned in. An “M” calculates as a zero in the I.C. grade book. A blank entry
in the I.C. grade book indicates that an assignment has been completed and turned in but is not
yet graded. A blank grade does not calculate as a zero in the I.C. grade book. A blank grade is not
used to calculate the overall grade for a class. Grades are updated weekly and often daily in the
I.C. grade book so you should feel confident that when checking the I.C. grade book that grades
are timely and accurate. In order to save us (students, teacher & parents) all time and facilitate our
work and communication together please check I.C. regularly, and before any correspondence via
e-mail or voice mail.
Late Work & Re-assessment Procedures
All assignments are expected to be turned in at the precise collection time. In the Daily work
(homework and class work) component of the I.C. grade book students will earn an "M"
(Missing) or a zero (when appropriate) for any homework not turned in at the precise collection
time. In most cases, these assignments may be turned in late for a maximum of 50% credit
according to the teacher’s timeline and at the teacher’s discretion. Some daily work and/or
homework assignments may not be eligible for make-up credit. Those assignments will be
recorded as zeroes for the duration of the semester.
Students are expected to take assessments (or turn in assessments that are completed outside of
class) on the due date. Students are expected to make up missed assessments (resulting from
illness, due to conflict with athletics, etc.) within two calendar days per day of absence. If an
assessment isn’t made up within that period of time, or an assessment is missing for any other
reason the teacher will assign the student to office hours. Any assessment not turned in on time
will receive an “M” in the I.C. grade book until the assignment is made up, and a zero if not
completed according to the teacher’s timeline and specific requirements.
As general practice, students will not be allowed to take a test, decide they weren’t actually ready,
and retake it later. In some cases, re-assessing on portions of summative assessments (unit exams,
papers and projects) will be allowed only if: 1) a student has completed all homework required by
the teacher for the unit prior to the summative assessment; 2) met with the teacher in office hours
(number of times to be determined by the instructor) in order to show adequate preparation for reassessment. Re-assessment will involve only the portion of content on which a student failed to
show mastery (i.e. not the whole test). It is the teacher’s responsibility to establish appropriate
time requirements for re-testing, and what the re-assessment will look like for each student.
Teachers have discretion to determine if and when students are eligible to re-assess. Re-assessing
on any summative assessments must be completed according to the timeline set by the instructor,
but prior to the next summative assessment. There will be no re-assessment opportunities on final
exams.
Notebooks & supplies needed for the course:
Each student will be responsible for keeping and organizing a notebook for daily class use. These
notebooks will serve as an important learning tool and resource for all students. We will be using
them for daily writing assignments. The notebook will consist of a 3-ring binder, lined loose leaf
paper with a 3 hole punch and a minimum of 3 dividers with a 3 hole punch. The binder will be
organized into 3 sections: daily entries, handouts, and graded work. Students may have additional
dividers if they would like to organize their notebook further. Students will also need a USB flash
drive so that they can safely & reliably save and transfer class work from computer to computer
at school and home. Students are also expected to bring pencils and pens to class everyday.
The AP Biology Exam
A major goal of this course is to prepare you for the AP Biology exam that is scheduled for 8 a.m.
Monday, May 10, 2010. At Peak to Peak it is an expectation that every student who enrolls in an
AP class takes the national exam. Please let me know as soon as possible if you are considering
not taking this exam. Any student who chooses not take the AP Biology exam will need to
prepare for a cumulative semester one and two final exam to be taken during the designated time
in the semester two final exam schedule. All students who take the AP Biology exam will be
exempt from the cumulative semester one and two final exam.
The AP Biology exam is three hours long and consists of an 80 minute, 100 question multiple
choice section, a 10 minute reading period (when students may read the free response questions
and organize their responses), and a 90 minute free response section consisting of four questions.
The number of multiple choice questions taken from each subset of biology reflects the
percentages in the topic outline that is located below (for example, 25% of the multiple choice
questions will be taken from the molecules and cells component of the class).
Percentage of Course
I. Molecules and Cells ..............................................................................25%
A. Chemistry of Life ..................................................................................7%
1. Water
2. Organic molecules in organisms
3. Free energy changes
4. Enzymes
B. Cells .......................................................................................................10%
1. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
2. Membranes
3. Subcellular organization
4. Cell cycle and its regulation
C. Cellular Energetics …………………………………………………….8%
1. Coupled reactions
2. Fermentation and cellular respiration
3. Photosynthesis
II. Heredity and Evolution.........................................................................25%
A. Heredity ……………………………………………………………….8%
1. Meiosis and gametogenesis
2. Eukaryotic chromosomes
3. Inheritance patterns
B. Molecular Genetics. …………………………………………………...9%
1. RNA and DNA structure and function
2. Gene regulation
3. Mutation
4. Viral structure and replication
5. Nucleic acid technology and applications
C. Evolutionary Biology…………………………………………………..8%
1. Early evolution of life
2. Evidence for evolution
3. Mechanisms of evolution
III. Organisms and Populations..................................................................50%
A. Diversity of Organisms………………………………………………...8%
1. Evolutionary patterns
2. Survey of the diversity of life
3. Phylogenetic classification
4. Evolutionary relationships
B. Structure and Function of Plants and Animals ………………………..32%
1. Reproduction, growth and development
2. Structural, physiological, and behavioral adaptations
3. Response to the environment
C. Ecology…………………………………………………………………10%
1. Population dynamics
2. Communities and ecosystems
3. Global issues
In the free response portion of the exam, one essay is taken from section I of the outline
(molecules and cells), one from section II of the outline (heredity and evolution), and the
remaining two questions are taken from section III of the outline (organisms and populations).
Any of these four essay questions may require the student to analyze and interpret data from
laboratory experience. The multiple choice section of the exam counts for 60 percent of the
student’s exam grade and the free response counts for the remaining 40 percent. Within the free
response section, each of the questions is of equal weight. Answers to the free response questions
must be in essay form. Outlines or unlabeled or unexplained diagrams will receive no credit. The
exam is graded on a five point scale. Each number corresponds to a statement of qualification that
is outlined below.
AP Grade
5
4
3
2
1
Qualification
Extremely well qualified
Well qualified
Qualified
Possibly qualified
No recommendation
Colleges and universities have differing policies on how they grant credit for AP scores. Please
contact institutions individually for this information if this is an important consideration for you.
Please see next page
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