Download Syllabus - McQ AP Biology

AP Biology Syllabus 2013-14
McQueen High School
Ms Petrina M-Puhl
1. Summer Assignment
AP Biology Summer Assignment
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AP Biology is a very rigorous course designed to introduce you to one of the most
fascinating and useful of all modern sciences. Due to the large amount of material that
needs to be covered during the year, a summer reading/research assignment is
essential. Following the advice of my current students, the summer assignment will take
you to many parts of the textbook and introduce you to many of the topics that we will
visit this year. This assignment is long but not really difficult. The answers can be found
in the text (mainly), in other resources, and/or online.
What you get out of this class will be based on what you are willing to put into the class.
The students who have performed the most successfully on the AP exam are those
students who are willing to work steadily throughout the summer and school year and
who are willing to work independently. There isn’t time to thoroughly cover all
necessary topics in class alone so outside work is a necessity. In this regard, you
should purchase an AP Biology prep book: Cliff, Princeton Review, and Barron’s are all
respected sources, but you may choose others, too. You may be able to purchase one
of these books from previous students and they are also readily available online or in
local bookstores. Many students find these books extremely helpful.
As soon as possible, you should stop by room 225 and check out a copy of
Campbell Biology, the AP textbook that we will be using for the course. The summer
assignment will be worth 250 points. This assignment will be due Wednesday,
August 12, 2012. Extra credit will be given if it comes in Monday August 14! To
complete this assignment, you may use any resources that you wish, but the textbook
will be the most helpful. I urge you to collaborate with each other but I absolutely do
not want to see identical work from any students! The best way to reach me is at my
email address: [email protected]. Feel free to contact me over the summer
but do not worry if you don’t hear back from me immediately because I will only have
sporadic Internet access during June and July. Best advice is NOT to wait until the end
of the summer to start work!!
I look forward to seeing you next year,
Ms. Puhl
AP Biology/ Forensic Science
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Robert McQueen high School
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AP Biology Summer Assignment
 Teacher: Ms. Puhl
The summer assignment should be placed in a one-inch diameter three-ring
notebook with tabbed and labeled dividers separating each of the three parts. You
should type all of the questions and write your answers, by hand, below the questions.
DO NOT PUT THE QUESTIONS ON ONE PAGE AND THE ANSWERS ON ANOTHER
PAGE. An electronic copy of the assignment will be emailed to you and it will also be
available on the school website. A suggestion is to look over the questions first and
estimate the amount of space that you will need for each answer. Then, insert
spaces between the questions before you print them. Write neatly; if I can’t read
your writing I can’t give you credit for your answers. Please do not put your pages in
page protectors!
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Additional Information:
Advice from students who just finished taking the AP exam: Start the summer
assignment early and do not try to do the whole project at one time! A better strategy is
to do smaller parts of the project over a longer period of time.
Grading rubric:
Sections will be scored as shown on the rubric. You will earn points for detail,
completeness, and depth of thought. To earn the full points, you will need to have
adequately addressed all parts of each question.
Please print the grading rubric and use it as the title page for your notebook. I will
not grade your notebook without this page.
Proper format includes the following: Notebook and dividers as described above, rubric
in front, typed questions with hand-written answers; All questions and answers
presented in numerical order within each section; SKIPPING LINES BETWEEN EACH
QUESTION; and neatness.
The major purpose of this summer assignment is to introduce you to the wide spectrum
of modern biology and to familiarize you with your textbook and other relevant resources
that you may be using throughout the year. This book contains a LOT of information. We
will not be covering EVERYthing in the book so don’t get overwhelmed as you work your
way through the text. Most, but not all, chapters will be covered in the summer
assignment.
Do a good job on this assignment. The grade can be a big boost to your first nine
weeks grade and it will also be a good review guide for the AP exam. The textbook is
big and heavy. It is a very well-written book, though, and students who read carefully
can and do learn quite a bit. Don’t overlook the illustrations, charts, and graphs….they
can be very helpful.
Have a good journey!
 AP Biology Summer Assignment 2012-2013 Grading Rubric
Name_________________________________________
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Period________________________________________
Date__________________________________________
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Points
Possible
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Chapter
Explorations
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Unit 1
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20
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Unit 2
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20
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Unit 3
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30
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Unit 4
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12
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Unit 5
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26
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Unit 6
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10
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Unit 7
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20
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Unit 8
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12
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1
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2
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Big Ideas
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24
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3
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Scientists
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16
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4
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Data
Presentation
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50
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Format
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Early Bonus
(10 points)
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Total
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10
250
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1. Ch. 2 - Write the key concepts from chapter 2 (include the concept number, also).
These are listed for you in the front of the chapter.
2. Ch. 3 -Use illustrations to describe how the structure of a water molecule allows it to
form hydrogen bonds with other water molecules.
Points
Earned
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3. Ch. 4 - We are called “carbon-based life-forms.” What about the carbon atom makes it
an ideal atom to form the “backbone” or skeleton for most biological compounds?
4. Ch. 5 - Fill in the blanks in the table describing the 4 main groups of organic
compounds in living things.
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Compound
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Atoms
found in all
members
of this
group
Major
purposes
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Examples
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Carbohydrates
Sugars,
starches,
cellulose,
chitin
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Lipids
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Proteins
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Longterm
energy
storag
e,
regulat
ion
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Regulation,
transport,
protection,
structural
support
Nucleic
Acids
C, H,O,
N, P
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Unit 2: The Cell
1. Ch. 6 – Describe the similarities and differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic
cells. Then, select 3 eukaryotic cell organelles that you think you will enjoy studying. For
each one, draw and explain the function of this organelle and tell what you find most
interesting about it.
2. Ch. 7 – Describe the differences between passive and active transport. For each of
these types of cell transport, describe several different examples.
3. Ch. 8 – What is metabolism? Describe how ATP and enzymes are related to
metabolism.
4. Ch. 9 – In your own words, describe the major purpose of cellular respiration. Also,
find a website that describes a lab activity that could be used to study the rate of cellular
respiration. Select a site and an activity that is something that you understand and that
would be appropriate for high school or younger students. Briefly describe the activity
and be sure to include the website address in your answer.
5. Ch. 10 – Describe the importance of photosynthesis to life on earth.
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6. Ch. 12 – Find and view a website that animates or illustrates the steps of a normal
eukaryotic cell cycle. Then, describe how cancer and the cell cycle are related. If you
can find a website that illustrates cancer formation, explore and include this, too!
Unit 3 – Genetics
1. Ch. 13 –Compare and contrast sexual and asexual reproduction and list the
advantages and disadvantages of each type of reproduction. Also, describe the most
significant differences between mitosis and meiosis.
2. Ch. 14 – Look through chapter 14 (and/or any other resources related to Mendelian
genetics) and use the information to answer the following questions:
a. In Goozels (mythical creatures), wheel-shaped legs are dominant to stick-shaped
legs. Two heterozygous wheel-legged Goozels mate and have 12 little Goozels. How
many (if any) of these offspring should have stick-legs? Select appropriate symbols and
show your work.
b. What do you think will be the most interesting topic to study in this chapter? Explain.
3. Ch. 15 – describe a chromosome. Then describe a genetic condition (such as Down
Syndrome) that can result when chromosomes don’t separate correctly during meiosis.
4. Ch. 16 –
a. What is the role of DNA in living things?
b. Describe the structure and parts of a DNA molecule.
c. Briefly, describe how DNA replicates. Use illustrations.
5. Ch. 17 –
a. Describe the relationship between genes and proteins. B. Compare and contrast the
structures and functions of DNA and RNA.
6. Ch. 18 – Compare and contrast viruses and bacteria. Describe some diseases
caused by each type of microbe. Are viruses living things? Explain your answer.
7. Ch. 20 – This chapter describes a number of research techniques that are used to
study genetics and DNA. Describe ONE of these techniques and describe what types of
things we can learn from using this technique. Find, visit, and list a website that
describes or simulates the technique that you chose.
8. Ch. 21 – Describe how mammals can be cloned. Humans are mammals but,so far, no
humans have been successfully cloned. Do you think we should try to clone humans?
Defend your position.
Unit 4: Mechanisms of Evolution
1. Ch. 22 – This is the introductory chapter for the evolution unit. Look through the topics
covered in this chapter and describe the ones that you think will be most interesting to
study. Explain your choices.
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2. Ch. 23 – why are populations considered to be the smallest unit of evolution? Explain
the roles of mutation and sexual recombination in the process of evolution.
3. Ch. 24 –
a. Discuss the biological species concept.
b. Reproductive isolation is one of the major processes that keeps species separate
from each other. Distinguish between pre-zygotic and post-zygotic barriers that
contribute to reproductive isolation and provide an example of each.
Unit 5: The Tree of Life – Introduction to Biodiversity
1. Ch. 26 – Describe how scientists think the first eukaryotic cells were formed
(endosymbiosis theory).
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2. Ch. 27 – Prokaryotes can have both harmful and helpful impacts on humans. List and
describe 2 harmful and 2 helpful impacts.
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3. Ch. 28 – Protists are the most nutritionally diverse of all eukaryotic organisms.
Describe some of the methods by which different protists get their food (find this in the
first few pages of the chapter but look through the chapter to get an idea about the great
diversity of this group).
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4. Ch. 29-30 – Members of the plant kingdom range from very simple to very complex
organisms. Order these groups of plants from simplest to most complex and give a brief
description of each group as well as at least one example of each group: Angiosperm,
bryophyte, gymnosperm, pterophyte.
5. Ch. 31 – Fungi are heterotrophs that feed by absorption and they are very important
to humans. Name and describe 2 types of pathogenic fungi and 2 beneficial uses of
fungi.
6. Ch. 32 – Describe the concept of “animal” –briefly mention nutritional mode, cell
structure and specialization, reproduction and development.
7. Ch. 33 – What is an invertebrate animal? If you had to be locked in a room with an
invertebrate, which phylum would you MOST like to be with and which phylum would
you LEAST like to be with? Justify your selections.
8. Ch. 34 –
a. You are a vertebrate animal in the class Mammalia. If you could be any other type of
non-mammalian vertebrate animal, what would you be? Explain why.
b. A number of characteristics distinguish humans from other hominids. Describe these
characteristics.
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Unit 6 – Plant Form and Function
1. Ch. 35-39 – Look through these 5 chapters and find TWO concepts (identified in blue
and red by concept number – such as concept 35.1 on p. 713) that you think
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you will enjoy studying. Briefly describe this concept and explain why it appeals to you.
You only need to find 2 within the 5 chapters, NOT 2 per chapter.
Unit 7 – Animal Form and Function
1. Ch. 40-49 – look through these 10 chapters (during the year, we will cover some parts
of all of these chapters but not all 10 in detail!). Select the FOUR chapters that you think
you will most enjoy studying. For each chapter, briefly describe the purposes and major
structures of the body systems featured. Also, describe what about these particular
chapters appeals to you.
Unit 8 - Ecology
1. Ch. 50-55 – Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and the
environment. These interactions are critical to keeping us alive. Look through each
chapter and list the single concept within each chapter that you think is the most
important concept in the chapter (for each chapter, write the concept and the concept
number).
Part II – Big Ideas in Biology
You have just finished looking through your entire textbook. For each of the big ideas
listed below, think about what they mean, and then look through your textbook to find
chapters that you think are related to the big ideas. Under each big idea, list each
chapter that you think contains topics that exemplify that big idea. Write a specific,
justification for why you think these particular chapters should be included under that big
idea. You do not need to write a justification for each individual chapter, but summarize
why you chose that group of chapters and cite a few specific examples. You may find
that a chapter goes with more than one big idea. Reading chapter 1 will give you a good
feel for some of these topics.
Big Idea 1: The diversity and unity of life can be explained by the process of evolution.
Big Idea 2: Biological systems use energy and molecular building blocks to grow,
reproduce, and maintain homeostasis (regulation).
Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information critical to
life processes.
Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these interactions possess complex
properties.
Part III – What kind of scientist are you?
Each unit in the textbook starts with an interview of a scientist in the field featured in that unit.
Select the scientist that you think is the most interesting. Briefly, describe their research and
explain why you chose that scientist.
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Assessments: At the end of each unit students will take an assessment
consisting of application, synthesis or multiple-choice items covering the chapters
and materials for that unit. A final exam will be given both semesters.
Assessments will directly correlate to the College Board AP biology program
including labs, essays, and other materials.
 Lab Reports
AP Biology Formal Lab Report Format
For several of the 12 required AP Biology Labs, you will construct a lab report using the guidelines
listed below. You will need to be extremely familiar with these labs for the AP Exam in May.
 Lab reports will be typed and can be submitted electronically (see instructions below).
 Lab reports should be written in APA format (see separate handout).
 This write-up is to be your own work. Once you finish taking data, you are on your own. Except
for the data, NOTHING in this report (including graphs) should be identical to your partner’s.
 Any information taken from outside sources must be properly cited. Large amounts of
information should not be copied and pasted into your report—even if it is cited.
Format:
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Title (should be detailed enough to give an overview of the lab. “Enzyme Lab” is too vague.
“The Effect of Temperature, pH and Salinity on Enzyme Activity” is better.
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Background Any pertinent background information should be included as an introduction
to the lab report.
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Purpose/Objective
o Include variables (independent and dependent); state specifically what you will be
measuring.
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Examples:
 Good: “To measure the effect environmental variables such as light
intensity, humidity, and wind on the rate of transpiration in plants”.
 Not so good “To look at the effect various conditions on water loss in
plants.”
Variables
 Independent—Include the variable(s) and the conditions.
 Dependent—State the variable(s) and discuss how it will be measured.
 Identify the control group and the experimental group.
 Experimental Controls/Constants—experimental variables that will be held
constant; include at least two.
Hypothesis will also be included in this section.
 Should be written as an “If….then” statement
 Use clear and precise words
 Explain what observations led you to come up with your prediction..
Procedure
o In paragraph form, describe what you did.
o Provide a thorough overview, and explain what you are doing.
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Do not copy the procedure word for word(if you had lab instructions).
Should include enough detail that someone would be able to replicate your
experiment by reading your report.
Data/Observations
o Include data tables and any charts and graphs. It is ok to copy/paste data tables I
post on my website (for group data).
o Charts and graphs should be computer generated.
o All graphs should be based on class data unless otherwise indicated.
 Requirements for a good graph:
 Title
 Label axes with title and units
 Calibrate axes in regular increments
 Plot all points
 Add a line or curve of best fit— NOT a connect the dots graph
 Include a legend if more than one set of data is on the same graph.
 Data section should also include a short paragraph describing
observations, or qualitative data.
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Conclusion
o What did you learn by doing this experiment? Explain your findings.
o Go back to your purpose and answer the question that was posed.
o Include specific numerical data in the discussion.
o Include background information on the topic to frame your discussion.
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Analysis
o Answer all analysis questions in the lab handout (or other questions I may specify).
For some labs, there may not be any questions.
o Analyze your data, explaining any possible sources of error, how the investigation
could be improved, and any new questions that arise.
• Bibliography
o Any outside sources used must be documented in the bibliography in APA format;
failure to do so is plagiarism.
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To submit electronically:
E-mail to my school e-mail address ([email protected]) by 3:30pm on the due date.
 Foundation Assignments: you must do one of the following for every unit:
Biozone pages, Bozeman Biology Videos, Reading Guides or Power Points for the
chapters in each unit.
 Review Outlines: will be assigned at the end of the third quarter.
 Blended Instruction: this course is taught using digital, textbook and outside
materials as well as, inquiry labs and research projects.
 Class Materials:
www.pearsonschool.com/access: SSNAST-SETUP-YOGIC-NEMAN-
REPOT-LACES
 Important dates:
Open house Wednesday, August 28.
AP Biology exam Monday, May 12, 2014.
First Semester
Biochemistry (10 Days)
Focus Topics
• Water
• Organic molecules in organisms
• Free energy changes
• Enzymes
Learning objectives
1.32 The student is able to justify the selection of geological, physical, and chemical data that reveal
early Earth conditions.
2.1 The student is able to explain how biological systems use free energy based on empirical data that all
organisms require constant energy input to maintain organization, to grow and to reproduce. [See SP
6.2]
2.9 The student is able to represent graphically or model quantitatively the exchange of molecules
between an organism and its environment, and the subsequent use of these molecules to build new
molecules that facilitate dynamic homeostasis, growth and reproduction.
4.1 The student is able to explain the connection between the sequence and the subcomponents of a
biological polymer and its properties. [See SP 7.1]
4.2 The student is able to refine representations and models to explain how the subcomponents of a
biological polymer and their sequence determine the properties of that polymer.
4.3 The student is able to use models to predict and justify that changes in the subcomponents of a
biological polymer affect the functionality of the molecule.
4.17 The student is able to analyze data to identify how molecular interactions affect structure and
function.
Skills
• Understand the relationships among these concepts
• Relate properties of water to the xylem of the plant
• Site specific examples of how organic molecules are used in the cells of plants
and animals
• Relate free energy to the sodium/potassium pump and/or the xylem of the plant
• Relate enzymes to DNA synthesis
Required activities: you must do one of the following: Biozone pages, Bozeman
Biology Videos, Reading Guides or Power Points for chapters 2-5 in Campbell Biology.
Required Labs: AP Lab Enzyme Catalysis,
Osmosis/Plasmolysis Lab
Additional labs: Toothpickase
Macromolecules Lab
Monomers of Macromolecules
Pineapple Enzymes
Enzyme Lab
Macro molecules lab
Unhappy meal
The Cell: Structure and Function and Energetics (21 Days)
Focus Topics
• Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
• Membranes
• Subcellular Organization
• Cell Cycle and Its Regulation
• Coupled Reactions
• Fermentation and Cellular Respiration
• Photosynthesis
Learning Objectives
2.5 The student is able to construct explanations of the mechanisms and structural features of cells that
allow organisms to capture, store or use free energy.
2.6 The student is able to use calculated surface area-to-volume ratios to predict which cell[s] might
eliminate wastes or procure nutrients faster by diffusion.
2.7 Students will be able to explain how cell size and shape affect the overall rate of nutrient intake and
the rate of waste elimination. [See SP 6.2]
2.8 The student is able to justify the selection of data regarding the types of molecules that an animal,
plat or bacterium will take up as necessary building blocks and excrete as waste products. [See SP 1.4,
3.1]
2.10 The student is able to use representations and models to pose scientific questions about the
properties of cell membranes and selective permeability based on molecular structure. [See SP 1.4,3.1]
2.11 The student is able to construct models that connect the movement of molecules across
membranes with membrane structure and function
2.12 The student is able to use representations and models to analyze situaations or solve problems
qualitatively and quantitatively to investigate whether dynamic homeostasis is maintained by the active
movement of molecules across membranes.
2.13 The student is able to explain how internal membranes and organelles contribute to cell funtions.
[See SP 6.2]
2.14 The student is able to use representations and models to describe differences in prokaryotic and
eukaryotic.
2.15 The student can justify a claim made about the effect[s] on a biological system at the molecular,
physiological or organismal level when given a scenario in which one or more components within a
negative regulatory system is altered. [See SP 6.1]
3.33 The student is able to use representation(s) and appropriate models to describe features of a cell
signaling pathway.
3.34 The student is able to construct explanations of cell communication through cell-to-cell direct
contact or through chemical signaling. [See SP 6.2]
3.35 The student is able to create representation(s) that depict how cell-to-cell communication occurs
by direct contact or from a distance through chemical signaling.
3.36 The student is able to describe a model that expresses the key elements of signal transduction
pathways by which a signal is converted to a cellular response.
3.37 The student is able to justify claims based on scientific evidence that changes in signal transduction
pathways can alter cellular response. [See SP 1.5]
3.38 The student is able to describe a model that expresses key elements to show how change in signal
transduction can alter cellular response. [See SP 1.5]
3.39 The student is able to construct an explanation of how certain drugs affect signal reception and,
consequently, signal transduction pathways.
4.4 The student is able to make a prediction about the interactions of subcellular organelles. [See SP 6.4]
4.5 The student is able to construct explanations based on scientific evidence as to how interactions of
subcellular structures provide essential functions. [See SP 6.2]
4.6 The student is able to use representations and models to analyze situations qualitatively to describe
how interactions of subcellular structures, which possess specialized functions, provide essential
functions.
4.7 The student is able to refine representations to illustrate how interactions between external stimuli
and gene expression result in specialization of cells, tissues and organs.
4.8 The student is able to evaluate scientific questions concerning organisms that exhibit complex
properties due to the interaction of their constituent parts.
Skills
• Compare/Contrast bacteria and animal cells; Phylogeny of cells
• Active and Passive Transport with membrane components
• Organelle structure and function in plant and animal cells
• Relate the cell cycle and surface area to volume ratio of the cell
• Make relationships among anabolic and catabolic reactions, endergonic and
exergonic reactions, catabolism and anabolism, and equations of cellular
respiration and photosynthesis
• Compare/Contrast photosynthesis and cellular respiration ( including reactants,
products, coenzymes, energy transference, intermediate compounds, cellular
organelles involved, heterotrophs, and autotrophs)
• Describe the relationship of plant pigments to the visible spectrum and
wavelength, and the importance to photosynthesis
• Learn the structure of the leaf and its importance in the photosynthetic process
• Relate fermentation to cellular respiration, using equations for both, relationships
to cellular structures, and citing organisms that use each and explanations for
this
• Recall the phylogeny of energy as it was used and converted as organism evolved
Required Foundation: you must do one of the following: Biozone pages, Bozeman
Biology Videos, Reading Guides or Power Points for chapters 6-12.
Required Labs: AP Cellular Respiration Lab
AP Lab Diffusion and Osmosis
AP Energy Dynamics
Additional labs: Alcoholic Fermentation
Fun with Fomites
Plant Pigment Chromatography
Carrot Lab
Pond Water Protists
Osmosis/Plasmolysis Lab
Red onion Lab
Required report: Effects and history of tattoos, including the cellular impacts,
chemicals, history and cultural aspects.
Plant Anatomy and Physiology (15 Days)
Focus Topics
• Reproduction, Growth, and Development
• Structural, Physiological, and Behavioral Adaptations
• Response of the Environment
Learning Objectives
2.5 The student is able to construct explanations of the mechanisms and structural features of cells that
allow organisms to capture, store or use free energy.
2.6 The student is able to use calculated surface area-to-volume ratios to predict which cell[s] might
eliminate wastes or procure nutrients faster by diffusion.
2.7 Students will be able to explain how cell size and shape affect the overall rate of nutrient intake and
the rate of waste elimination. [See SP 6.2]
2.8 The student is able to justify the selection of data regarding the types of molecules that an animal,
plat or bacterium will take up as necessary building blocks and excrete as waste products. [See SP 1.4,
3.1]
2.16 The student is able to connect how organisms use negative feedback to maintain their internal
environments. [See SP 5.3]
2.17 The student is able to evaluate data that show the effect[s] of changes in concentrations of key
molecules on negative feedback mechanisms. [See SP 5.3]
2.18 The student can make predictions about how organisms use negative feedback mechanism to
maintain their internal environments.
2.19 The student is able to make predictions about how positive feedback mechanisms amplify activities
and processes in organism based on scientific theories and models. [See SP 6.4]
4.17 The student is able to analyze data to identify how molecular interactions affect structure and
function.
4.22 The student is able to construct explanations based on evidence of how variation in molecular units
provides cells with a wider range of functions.
4.23 The student is able to construct explanations of the influence of environmental factors on the
phenotype of an organism. [See SP 6.2]
Skills
• Compare/Contrast the alternation of generations in the life cycles of mosses,
ferns, pines, and flowering plants
• Relate the differences in life cycles to the phylogeny of plants
• List and describe the adaptations needed for plants to live as terrestrial organisms
• Make clear the differences between monocots and dicots, including stem growth
• Illuminate the important functions of leaves and flowers, using their anatomy
• Explain at least 2 behavioral adaptations in stems, flowers, roots, and leaves that
aid plants in the struggle to survive
• Illustrate the coevolution of plants and pollinators
• Interpret behavior in plants through hormones and environmental influences
• Relate plant hormones to technology (commercial applications)
Required Foundations: you must do one of the following: Biozone pages, Bozeman
Biology Videos, Reading Guides or Power Points for chapters 29-31 and 35-39.
Required Labs: AP Leaf Disc Assay
Additional labs: Seed germination Investigation
Leaf Wet Mount
Hunt for Glucose
Germination Inhibitors
Pollen tube growth
How do plants get their food?
Photosynthesis and Chemiosmosis
Plant Pigments and Photosynthesis
Genetics (35 Days)
Focus Topics
• RNA and DNA Structure and Function
• Gene Regulation
• Mutation
• Viral Structure and Replication
• Nucleic Acid Technology and Applications
• Meiosis and Gametogenesis
• Eukaryotic Chromosomes
• Inheritance Patterns
Learning Objectives
1.1 The student is able to make predictions about the effects of genetic drift, migration and artificial
selection on the genetic makeup of a population.
1.2 The student is able to convert a data set from a table of numbers that reflect a change in the genetic
makeup of a population over time and to apply mathematical methods and conceptual
understandings to investigate the cause(s) and effect(s) of this change.
1.3 The student is able to evaluate evidence provided by data to qualitatively and quantitatively
investigate the role of natural selection in evolution.
1.4 The student is able to apply mathematical methods to data from a real or simulated population to
predict what will happen to the population to predict what will happen to the population in the
future.
4.22 he student is able to construct explanations based on evidence of how variation in molecular units
provides cells with a wider range of functions.
4.23 he student is able to construct explanations of the influence of environmental factors on the
phenotype of an organism. [See SP 6.2]
4.24 The student is able to predict the effects of a change in an environmental factor on the genotypic of
the phenotype.
4.25 The student is able to use evidence to justify a claim that a variety of phenotypic responses to a
single environmental factor can result from different genotypes within the population. [See SP 6.1]
3.1 The student is able to construct scientific explanations that use the structures and mechanisms of
DNA and, in some cases, that RNA are the primary sources of heritable information.
3.2 The student is able to justify the selection of data from historical investigations that support the
claim that DNA is the source of heritable information. [See SP 4.1]
3.3 The student is able to describe representations and models that illustrate how genetic information is
copied for transmission between generations. [See SP 1.2]
3.4 The student is able to describe representations and models that illustrate how genetic information is
translated into polypeptides. [See SP 1.2]
3.5 The student can justify the claim that humans can manipulate heritable information by identifying at
least two commonly used technologies.
3.6 The student can predict how a change in a specific DNA or RNA sequence can result in changes in
gene expression.
3.7 The student can make predictions about natural phenomena occurring during the cell cycle. [See SP
6.4]
3.8 The student can describe the events that occur in the cell cycle. [See SP 1.2]
3.9 The student is able to construct an explanation, using visual representations or narratives, as to how
DNA in chromosomes is transmitted to the next generation via mitosis, or meiosis followed by
fertilization. [See SP 6.2]
3.10 The student is able to represent the connection between meiosis and increased genetic diversity
necessary for evolution. [See SP 7.1]
3.11 The student is able to evaluate evidence provided by data sets to support the claim that heritable
information is passed from one generation to another generation through mitosis, or meiosis followed
by fertilization of meiosis to the passage of traits from parent to offspring. [See SP 1.1, 7.2]
3.12 The student is able to construct a representation that connects the process of meiosis to the
passage of traits from parent to offspring. [See SP 1.1, 7.2]
3.13 The student is able to pose questions about ethical, social or medical issues surrounding human
genetic disorders. [See SP 3.1]
3.14 The student is able to apply mathematical routines to determine Mendelian patterns of inheritance
provided by data sets.
3.15 The student is able to explain deviations from Mendel’s model of the inheritance of traits. [See SP
6.5]
3.16 The student is able to explain how the inheritance patterns of many traits cannot be accounted for
by Mendelian genetics. [See SP 6.3]
3.17 The student is able to describe representations of an appropriate example of inheritance patterns
that cannot be explained by Mendel’s model of inheritance of traits.
3.18 The student is able to describe the connection between the regulation of gene expression and
observed differences between different kinds of organisms. [See SP 7.1]
3.19 The student is able to describe the connection between the regulation of gene expression and
observed differences between individuals in a population. [See SP 7.1]
3.20 The student is able to explain how the regulation of gene expression is essential for the processes
and structures that support efficient cell function. [See SP 6.2]
3.21 The student can use representations to describe how gene regulation influences cell products and
function, expression, including how this process can affect protein production. [See SP 6.2]
3.23 The student can use representations to describe mechanisms of regulation of gene expression.
3.24 The student is able to predict how a change in genotype, when expressed as a phenotype, provides
a variation that can be subject to natural selection. [See SP 6.4, 7.2]
3.25 The student can create a visual representation to illustrate how changes in DNA nucleotide
sequence can result in a change in the polypeptide produced. [See SP 1.1]
3.26 The student is able to explain the connection between genetic variations in organisms and
phenotypic variations in populations.
Skills
• Relate the history of DNA
• Compare/Contrast DNA and RNA structure and function
• Explain processes of transcription and translation, including regulators involved
• Compare base mutations to chromosomal mutations and explain these mutations
• Interpret the idea that DNA is the code of life and point out how this relates to
evolution
• Elucidate DNA technology and interpret the uses for this technology
• Relate meiosis to gametogenesis with product differences noted
• Recognize eukaryotic DNA as it relates to the cell cycle
• Explain the genetic diseases that relate to faulty meiotic processes and
chromosomes
• Make predictions about many types of inheritance patterns, using Mendelian and
Non-Mendelian Genetics with Punnett squares
• Describe how the human genome is related to current technology (Human
Genome Project, Cloning, Gene Therapy, and Genetic Testing and Counseling)
Required Foundations: you must do one of the following: Biozone pages, Bozeman
Biology Videos, Reading Guides or Power Points for chapters 13-18 and 20-21.
Required Labs: M&M Chi Square
AP Colony Transformation
AP Population Genetics
AP Lab Hardy-Weinberg
AP DNA sequence Comparison
AP Restriction Enzyme Analysis
End of First Semester
Second Semester
Evolution (10 Days)
Focus Topics
• Early Evolution of Life
• Evidence for Evolution
• Mechanisms of Evolution
• Evolutionary Patterns
• Survey of the diversity of life
• Phylogenetic Classification
• Evolutionary Relationships
Learning Objectives
1.5 The student is able to evaluate evidence provided by data from many scientific disciplines that
support biological evolution.
1.6 The student is able to refine evidence based on data from many scientific disciplines that support
biological evolution.
1.7 The student is able to design a plan to answer scientific questions regarding how organisms have
changed over time using information from morphology, biochemistry and geology.
1.8 The student is able to connect scientific evidence from many scientific disciplines to support the
modern concept of evolution.
1.9 The student is able to construct and/or justify mathematical models, diagrams or simulations that
represent processes of biological evolution.
1.10 The student is able to pose scientific questions that correctly identify essential properties of
shared, core life processes that provide insights into the history of life on Earth [See SP 3.1]
1.11 The student is able to describe specific examples of conserved core biological processes and
features shared by all domains or within one domain of life, and how these shared conserve core
processes and features support the concept of common ancestry for all organisms. [See SP 7.2]
1.12 The student is able to justify the scientific claim that organisms share many conserved core
processes and features that evolved and are widely distributed among organisms today.
1.13 The student is able to pose scientific questions about a group of organisms whose relatedness is
described by a phylogenetic tree or cladograms in order to (1) identify shared characteristics, (2)
make inferences about the evolutionary history of the group, and (3) identify character data that
could extend or improve the phylogenetic tree. [See SP 3.1]
1.14 The student is able to evaluate evidence provided by data set in conjunction with a phylogenetic
tree or simple cladogram to determine evolutionary history and speciation. [See SP 5.3]
1.15 The student is able to create a phylogenetic tree or simple cladogram that correctly represents
evolutionary history and speciation from a provided data set.
1.16 The student is able to analyze data related to questions of speciation and extinction throughout
the Earth’s history. [See SP 5.1]
1.17 The student is able to design a plan for collecting data to investigate the scientific claim that
speciation and extinction have occurred throughout Earth’s history.
1.24 The student is able to describe speciation in an isolated population and connect it to change in
gene frequency, change in environment, natural selection and/or genetic drift.
1.25 The student is able to describe a model that represents evolution within a population. [See SP 1.2]
1.26 The student is able to evaluate given data sets that illustrate evolution as an ongoing process.
1.27 The student is able to describe a scientific hypothesis about the origin of life on Earth. [See SP 1.2]
1.28 The student is able to evaluate scientific questions based on hypothesis about the origin of life on
Earth. [See SP 6.5]
1.29 The student is able to describe the reasons for revisions of scientific hypotheses of the origin of life
on Earth. [See SP 6.3]
1.30 The student is able to evaluate scientific hypotheses about the origin of life on Earth. [See SP 6.5]
1.31 The student is able to evaluate the accuracy and legitimacy of data to answer scientific questions
about the origin of life on Earth.
1.18 The student is able to evaluate data-based evidence that describes evolutionary changes in the
genetic makeup of population over time.
1.19 The student is able to connect evolutionary changes in population over time to a change in the
environment.
1.20 The student is able to use data from mathematical models based on the Hardy-Weinberg
equilibrium to analyze genetic drift and the effects of selection in the evolution of specific
populations.
1.21 The student is able to justify data from mathematical models based on Hardy-Weinberg
equilibrium to analyze genetic drift and the effects of selection in the evolution of specific
populations.
2.38 The student is able to analyze data to support the claim that response to information and
communication of information affect natural selection. [See SP 5.1]
3.17 The student is able to describe representations of an appropriate example of inheritance patterns
that cannot be explained by Mendel’s model of inheritance of traits.
3.18 The student is able to describe the connection between the regulation of gene expression and
observed differences between different kinds of organisms. [See SP 7.1]
3.19 The student is able to describe the connection between the regulation of gene expression and
observed differences between individuals in a population. [See SP 7.1]
3.20 The student is able to explain how the regulation of gene expression is essential for the processes
and structures that support efficient cell function. [See SP 6.2]
3.21 The student can use representations to describe how gene regulation influences cell products and
function, expression, including how this process can affect protein production. [See SP 6.2]
3.23 The student can use representations to describe mechanisms of regulation of gene expression.
3.24 The student is able to predict how a change in genotype, when expressed as a phenotype, provides
a variation that can be subject to natural selection. [See SP 6.4, 7.2]
3.25 The student can create a visual representation to illustrate how changes in DNA nucleotide
sequence can result in a change in the polypeptide produced. [See SP 1.1]
3.26 The student is able to explain the connection between genetic variations in organisms and
phenotypic variations in populations.
Skills
• Relate conditions on early earth to hypotheses about cell development and early
life
• Discern the differences in structural evidence for evolution and their inferences
for common ancestry and divergent and convergent evolution
• Reveal the importance of fossil records, vestigial structures, embryological,
chemical, biogeographical, and molecular evidences for evolution
• Site and explain the mechanisms of evolution, including genotype, phenotype,
and gene frequencies (Hardy-Weinberg Principle); microevolution (non-random
mating, mutations, genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection); speciation
(prezygotic and postzygotic barriers, allopatric and sympatric speciation; and
macroevolution (adaptive radiation and extinctions)
• Evolutionary Patterns
• Survey of the diversity of life
• Phylogenetic Classification
• Evolutionary Relationships
Required Foundations: you must do one of the following: Biozone pages, Bozeman
Biology Videos, Reading Guides or Power Points for chapters 26-31.
Required Labs: AP Lab Animal Behavior,
AP Lab Artificial Selection,
Animal Anatomy and Physiology (30 Days)
Focus Topics
• Reproduction, Growth, and Development
• Structural, Physiological, and Behavioral Adaptations
• Response to the Environment
Learning Objectives
2.2 The student is able to justify a scientific claim that free energy is required for living systems to
maintain organization, to grow or to reproduce, but that multiple strategies exist in different living
systems. [See SP 6.1]
2.16 The student is able to connect how organisms use negative feedback to maintain their internal
environments. [See SP 5.3]
2.17 The student is able to evaluate data that show the effect[s] of changes in concentrations of key
molecules on negative feedback mechanisms. [See SP 5.3]
2.18 The student can make predictions about how organisms use negative feedback mechanism to
maintain their internal environments.
2.19 The student is able to make predictions about how positive feedback mechanisms amplify activities
and processes in organism based on scientific theories and models. [See SP 6.4]
2.20 The student is able to justify that positive feedback mechanisms amplify responses in organisms.
2.25 The student can construct explanations based on scientific evidence that homeostatic mechanisms
reflect continuity due to common ancestry and/or divergence due to adaption in different
environments. [See SP 6.2]
2.26 The student is able to analyze data to identify phylogenetic patterns or relationships, showing that
homeostatic mechanisms reflect both continuity due to common ancestry and change due to evolution
in different environments.
2.27 The student is able to connect differences in the environment with the evolution of homeostatic
mechanisms.
2.28 The student is able to use representations or models to analyze quantitatively and qualitatively the
effects of disruptions to dynamic homeostasis in biological systems. [See SP 1.4]
2.29 The student can create representations and models to describe immune responses. [See SP 1.1,
1.2]
2.30 The student can create representations or models to describe nonspecific immune defenses in
plants and animals. [See SP 1.1, 1.2]
2.31 The student can connect concepts in and across domains to show that timing and coordination of
specific events are necessary for normal development in an organism and that these events are
regulated by multiple mechanisms.
2.32 The student is able to graph or diagram to analyze situations or solve problems (quantitatively or
qualitatively) that involve timing and coordination of events necessary for normal development in an
organism. [See SP 1.4]
2.33 The student is able to justify scientific claims with scientific evidence to show that timing and
coordination of several events are necessary for normal development in an organism and that these
events are regulated by multiple mechanisms. [See SP 6.1]
2.34 The student is able to describe the role of programmed cell death in development and
differentiation, the reuse of molecules, and the events involve regulation. [See SP 6.1]
2.35 The student is able to design a plan for collecting data to support the scientific claim that the timing
and coordination of physiological events involve regulation.
2.36 The student is able to justify scientific claims with evidence to show how timing and coordination of
physiological events involve regulation. [See SP 6.1]
2.37 The student is able to connect concepts that describe mechanisms that regulate the timing and
coordination of physiological events.
2.4 The student is able to use representations to pose scientific questions about what mechanisms and
structural features allow organisms to capture, store or use free energy.
2.39 The student is able to justify scientific claims, using evidence, to describe how timing and
coordination of behavioral events in organisms are regulated by several mechanisms. [See SP 6.1]
2.40 The student is able to connect concepts in and across domain(s) to predict how environmental
factors affect responses to information and change behavior.
3.40 The student is able to analyze data that indicate how organisms exchange information in response
to internal changes and external cues, and which can change behavior. [See SP 5.1]
3.41 The student is able to create a representation that describes how organisms exchange information
in response to internal changes and external cues, and which can result in changes in behavior. [See SP
1.1]
3.42 The student is able to describe how organisms exchange information is response to internal
changes or environmental cues.
3.43 The student is able to construct an explanation, based on scientific theories and models, about how
nervous systems detect external and internal signals, transmit and integrate information, and produce
responses. [See SP 6.2, 7.1]
3.44 The student is able to describe how nervous systems detect external and internal signals. [See SP
1.2]
3.45 The student is able to describe how nervous systems transmit information. [See SP 1.2]
3.46 The student is able to describe how the vertebrae brain integrates information to produce a
response. [See SP 1.2]
3.47 The student is able to create a visual representation of complex nervous systems to
describe/explain how these systems detect external and internal signals, transmit and integrate
information, and produce response. [See SP 1.1]
3.48 The student is able to create a visual representation to describe how nervous systems detect
external and internal signals. [See SP 1.1]
3.49 The student is able to create a visual representation to describe how nervous systems transmit
information. [See SP 1.1]
3.50 The student is able to create a visual representation to describe how the vertebrae brain integrates
information to produce a response.
4.9 The student is able to predict the effects of a change in component(s) of a biological system on the
functionality of an organism(s). [See SP 6.4]
4.10 The student is able to refine representations and models to illustrate bio complexity due to
interactions of the constituent parts.
Skills
• Establish the phylogeny of animals, using symmetry, presence of a coelom, and
animal examples
• Create a chart that includes the major animal phyla and the type of digestion,
circulatory, excretory, respiratory, nervous, muscular, and skeletal
organs/systems that are common to each
• A study of the following systems in the human body and the homeostatic and
adaptive roles they play: Muscular/Skeletal, Digestive, Circulatory, Excretory,
• Nervous, Immune and Endocrine
• Identify examples of innate and learned behavior that aid animals in their ability
to adapt to the environment
Required Foundations: Biozone pages, Bozeman Biology Videos, Reading Guides or
Power Points for chapters 32-34 and 40-51.
Required Labs: AP Lab Dissolved Oxygen and Aquatic Animal Adaptations
Ecology (20 Days)
Focus Topics
• Population Dynamics
• Communities and Ecosystems
• Global Issues
Learning Objectives
4.26 The student is able to use theories and models to make scientific claims and/or predictions about
the effects of variation within populations on survival and fitness.
4.27 The student is able to make scientific claims and predictions about how species diversity within an
ecosystem influences ecosystem stability.
4.18 The student is able to use representations and models to analyze how cooperative interactions
within organisms promote efficiency in the use of energy and mater.
4.19 The student is able to use data analysis to refine observations and measurements regarding the
effect of population interactions on patterns of species distribution and abundance.
4.20 The student is able to explain how the distribution of ecosystems changes over time by identifying
large-scale events that have resulted in these changes in the past. [See SP 6.3]
4.21 The student is able to predict consequences of human actions on both local and global ecosystems.
2.3 The student is able to predict how changes in free energy availability affect organisms, populations
and ecosystems.
2.21 The student is able to justify the selection of the kind of data needed to answer scientific questions
about the relevant mechanism that organisms use to respond to changes in their external environment.
2.22 The student is able to refine scientific models and questions about the effect of complex biotic and
abiotic interactions on all biological systems, from cells and organisms to populations, communities and
ecosystems. [See SP 1.3, 3.2]
2.23 The student is able to design a plan for collecting data to show that all biological systems [cells,
organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems] are affected by complex biotic and abiotic
interactions. [See SP 4.2, 7.2]
2.24 The student is able to analyze data to identify possible patterns and relationships between a biotic
or abiotic factor and biological system.[cells, organisms, populations, communities or ecosystems].
4.11 The student is able to justify the selection of the kind of data needed to answer scientific questions
about the interaction of populations within communities. [See SP 1.4, 4.1]
4.12 The student is able to apply mathematical routines to quantities that describe communities
composed of populations of organism that interact in complex ways. [See SP 2.2]
4.13 The student is able to predict the effects of a change in the community’s populations on the
community.
4.14 The student is able to apply mathematical routines to quantities that describe interactions among
living systems and their environment, which result in the movement of matter and energy. [See SP 2.2]
4.15 The student is able to use visual representations to analyze situations or solve problems
qualitatively to illustrate how interactions among living systems and with their environment result in the
movement of matter and energy. [See SP 1.4]
4.16 The student is able to predict the effects of a change of matter or energy availability on
communities.
Skills
• Define population density and dispersion, and describe the main types of
population dispersion
• Explain four factors that produce changes in population size
• Describe the differences and similarities between the J-shaped and S-shaped
growth curves, indicating populations examples for each
• Contrast density-dependent and density-independent factors and indicate their
influence on populations size, supporting this with examples
• Distinguish between r and K strategists and site examples of organisms who fit
neither category
• Summarize the history of human population growth
• Explain the differences in population characteristics for highly developed and
developing countries
• Define niche, habitat, competition, and symbiotic relationships, and succession
and how these interact to give structure and function to a community
• Describe the flow of energy and biological magnification through food webs and
chains
• Compare gross primary productivity and net primary productivity as they relate to
ecosystems
• Explain how the earth is a closed system, using four biogeochemical cycles in the
explanation
• Relate the affects of abiotic factors (solar radiation, atmosphere, ocean, climate,
and fire) on ecosystems
• Briefly describe the nine major biomes, including climate, soil, flora, and fauna
• Distinguish among threatened, endangered, and extinct species and the causes for
declining biological diversity
• Explain how humans are addressing the issue of declining biological diversity
• Review global issues like deforestation, global warming, and a declining
stratospheric ozone.
Required Foundations: Biozone pages, Bozeman Biology Videos, Reading Guides or
Power Points for chapters 52-56.
Required Labs: Dandelion Sampling
Belly Button Biodiversity
Population Age Structure Diagrams
AP EXAM REVIEW
Post Exam Investigations


Collection and classification of local Tardigrada, water bears.
Student inquiry projects.