Download Course Syllabus

AP Biology Syllabus
David Howard
Robert E. Lee High School
Tyler, Texas
Course Overview
AP Biology at Robert E. Lee High School is designed to offer students a foundation in College
Level Biology and to prepare them for the AP Biology Exam. Emphasis is placed on students making
connections between big ideas within the entire curriculum of Biology. The scientific process plays a major
role in the AP Biology course because all discoveries in Biology stem from an inquiry about the living
world.
Instructional Context
I teach AP Biology to juniors and seniors. I will meet with each class for 46 minutes every day.
Instructional Resources
Mader, Windelspecht Biology AP Edition Eleventh Edition (2010)
Campbell, Neil and Reece, Jane B. Biology, Eigth Edition (2008)
AP Biology Investigative Labs: An Inquiry Based Approach, The College Board, 2012
Released AP Biology MC and Free Response Questions
Teaching Strategy
The AP Biology course is structured around four Big Ideas
Big idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
Big idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to
grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
Big idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information
essential to life processes.
Big idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions
possess complex properties.
The course will consist of class discussions, classroom assignments, out of class assignments and laboratory
experiences to ensure that students get maximum exposure to various aspects of Biological topics. The lab
component of the course will consist of at least 25% of instructional time with two or more labs
accompanying each of the Big Ideas in the AP Biology curriculum. The students will be responsible for
recording work in lab reports and scientific journals kept and updated throughout the year.
Science Practices will be Major components of each unit within the course as students will
demonstrate each Science Practice multiple times throughout the course.
Science Practices (SP)
1. The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific
phenomena and solve scientific problems.
2. The student can use mathematics appropriately.
3. The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide
investigations within the context of the AP course.
4. The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a
particular scientific question.
5. The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
6. The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
7. The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales,
concepts and representations in and across domains.
Students will be responsible for researching and reading 2 journal articles each six weeks that
reflect at least one of the Big Ideas in the AP Biology Curriculum. Each article will be accompanied by an
abstract written by the student and a student reaction paper to the topics discussed in the articles.
(Abstract/React Assignment)
Units of Instruction
Unit 1 – Introduction to Biology and Biochemistry (Big Idea 1, 2)
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Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection
Inquiry Based learning
Basic Chemistry
Properties of Water
Organic Chemistry
Enzymes
Activities:
1. Darwin Walk – class tour of specimens from multiple animal and plant phyla to allow
students to make inference and looks for similarities and difference between groups
present. (SP 3,5,6)(BI 1)
2. Check Activity – (SP5)
3. Models of Biomolecules – (SP1) (BI 4)
4. Enzyme Structure Activity and Models – (SP1) (BI 2)
5. Enzyme Lab – Guided Lab with students designing a procedure to test the impact of
various factors on the rate of enzyme activity (Catalase). Students will be able to use
various probe ware and other classroom materials as needed. (SP 2,3,4,5) (BI 2)
Unit 2 – Cell Form and Function (Big Idea 1, 2, 3, 4)
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Cell Structure
 Prokaryotic / Eukaryotic
 Organelle form and function
Cell Membranes
 Osmosis/Diffusion
 Endo/Exocytosis
 Cell Communication
Body Systems for Function
 Nervous System
 Muscular System
Activities:
1. Classroom Modeling Activity – Students will use various classroom material to model
and illustrate membrane structure and function. (SP1, SP6, SP7) (BI 3)
2. Osmosis Lab – Students will design a lab to test various aspects of osmosis in potato
cells. (SP2, SP3,SP4, SP5) (BI 3)
3. Nervous System Dominos – Students will use dominos to demonstrate and model the
function of Nervous System communication and Synapses.(SP1, SP6) (BI 4)
4. Muscular System Modeling – Students will use classroom material to develop a
functional model of a sarcomere to illustrate muscular functioning. (SP1) (BI 4)
Unit 3 – Cell Energy and Related Processes (Big Idea 1, 2, 3, 4)
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Laws of Energy Transformation
Cellular Respiration
 Harvesting chemical energy : Glycolysis, Citric Acid Cycle, Oxidative
Phosphorylation and Fermentation
Related Body Systems
 Digestion
 Gas Exchange
 Circulation
Photosynthesis
 Light Dependant reactions and Calvin Cycle
 Evolution of Alternative mechanisms for Carbon Fixation
Plant Homeostasis and Transport
 Bulk Flow, Transpiration, Cohesion tension theory
Activities:
1. Cellular Respiration Lab – Students will design a lab using available probes and other
classroom materials to test the impact of various factors on the rate of respiration. (SP2,
SP3, SP4, SP5) (BI 2, 3)
2. Cardiovascular Lab – Inquiry Lab to investigate the impact of activities (Exercise,
Standing, Sitting, Laying Down) on the cardiovascular system in humans. Students will
use hear rate monitors and sphygmomanometers to collect data. (SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5)
(BI 2, 3, 4)
3. Photosynthesis Lab – Guided lab for students to test the impact of light intensity on the
rate of photosynthesis. Equipment available will consist on CO2 , O2 probes and gas
pressure probes. (SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5) (BI 2, 3)
Unit 4 – Cell Cycle and Reproduction (Big Idea 1, 2, 3, 4)
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Cell Cycle
 DNA Structure and Replication
 Mitosis
 Regulation and Cancer
Meiosis
 Phases
 Evolutionary importance
Reproduction
Activities:
1. DNA Modeling and Replication Activity – Students will assemble various DNA models
and use them to illustrate the process of replication. Each model must be an accurate
depiction of the steps of the process including enzyme functions. (SP1) (BI 3)
2. Cell Cycle Illustrations – Students will create accurate models of illustrations of the cell
cycle that must include stages, regulatory features and G0. (SP1,7) (BI 1,2,4)
Unit 5 – Genetics and Protein Production (Big Idea 1, 2, 3)
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Activities:
Protein Synthesis
 Gene Regulation
 Biotechnology
Genetics
1. X2 Lab – students will analyze data from various specimens to calculate values
appropriate for biological research. (SP 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) (BI 1, 3)
Unit 6 – Evolution and Phylogeny (Big Idea 1, 3, 4)
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Darwinian View of Life (Natural Selection)
Evolution of a Population
Speciation
History of Life
Phylogeny (Tree of Life)
Bacteria and Archae
Activities:
1. Wisconsin Fast Plant Inquiry Lab – Students will design a lab to select for certain traits
to illustrate the power of selection. (SP 2, 3, 5, 6, 7) (B1 1)
2. Hardy-Weinberg Lab –
Unit 7 – Organism Diversity (Big Idea 1, 2, 3, 4)
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Evolutionary Trends in Plants and Animals
Plant Life Cycles
Hormones
 Tropisms
 Endocrine System
Feedback Mechanisms (positive and negative)
Kidney Function
Immune System
Structure and Function of the Brain
Activities:
1. Cladogram Activity – Students will construct and interpret various cladorgams using
Biological and Non-Biological examples (modes of transportation). Various models
developed will be presented to the class.(SP1, SP6) (BI 1, 4)
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Unit 8 – Ecology (Big Idea 1, 2, 3, 4)
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Animal Behavior
Interactions between organisms and environment
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Population Ecology
Community Ecology
Ecosystems
 Energy Flow
 Nutrient Cycles
Conservation Biology and Global Change
Activities:
1. Biome Model - Students will create a model for a specific biome. Models will be
presented and described to the class. The model will illustrate understanding of major
components of biome structure. (SP1) (BI 2, 4)
2. Dissolved Oxygen Lab – Inquiry Lab to test the impact of environmental factors on
dissolved oxygen concentration. Students will have access to various water sources
including stream (moving and stationary water), pond and tap. Data collection can
consist of dissolved oxygen probes and kits to allow students options for data collection.
(SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5) (B1 4)