AP Biology Syllabus 2018-2019

AP Biology Syllabus 2018-2019

Instructor: Ms. Samantha Weeks

Room: 4-323

E-mail:

Tutoring: Before school or during lunch (I am typically not available after school due to coaching)

Textbook: Campbell- Biology In Focus AP Edition (2nd Edition)

Materials:

• Textbook- Campbell Biology In Focus AP Edition (2nd Edition)
• Lab Notebook (spiral or composition)
• Bogie Binder w/ tabs (sections: notes/chapter questions, assignments, lab reports)
• Pen, Pencil, Paper, Highlighters
• USB Flash drive (easiest way to turn in work)
• 3 or 5 subject notebook is SUGGESTED for your reading notes- will discuss in class further

Additional/ Supplemental Websites used:

Bocaciega.org: dates and course infomation

Masteringbiology.com : assignments, assignment submission, study prep (website is linked to our textbook)

weeksbiology.com : additional classroom materials and follow up from lectures as well as assignments

Edpuzzle.com: videos and assignments presented and used as formative assessments, please note that although students information is required when creating an account, only I can see this information and it remains private to the public.

Turnitin.com : used for work submission

Course Content:

In AP Biology, the emphasis is on the students making connections between the big ideas within the AP Biology Curriculum Framework. AP Biology is a rigorous and demanding course, which is the equivalent of an introductory college Biology course and it is designed to prepare the students for the AP Biology Exam at the end of the course.

Content will be covered in more depth and greater expectations will be placed on interpretation and analysis of information than previous biology courses. In addition, statistical analysis of data and modeling of concepts will be expected. A significant amount of studying must be completed at home to allow time for discussion, labs, and inquiry during class time. The College Board has redesigned the curriculum starting in the 2013 school year, and although the amount of material has been reduced, the emphasis on scientific thinking and analytical thinking has increased. The new AP Biology curriculum encompasses 4 ‘Big Ideas’, with Essential Knowledge and Process Skills that support each one. The 4 ‘Big Ideas’ are list below and will be studied and discussed as they relate to one another, meaning they will not be studied or focused on in isolation. Although we will cover all topics over the course of the year, ideas may not be presented in this exact order.

Big Idea 1: Evolution – the process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life

Big Idea 2: Cellular Processes (Energy and Communication) – Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow.

Big Idea 3: Genetics and Information Transfer – living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes

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

A more in depth look at course curriculum and break down of the 4 ‘Big Ideas’ will be presented and discussed over the first week of class.

Class Format:

Lectures/Presentations/Videos: Lectures and presentations are crucial for understanding of scientific concepts, but they will NOT be the focus of this course. Large concepts, processes and ideas will be covered during lecture and will likely contain multiple chapters. Students will be responsible for reviewing these chapters/topicsPRIOR to the class lecture in order to make the most of our time in class. Lectures will also be followed by videos or simulations to deeper student understanding. Lectures and presentations will often lead into class discussion or group discussion to clarify understanding and scientific thinking.

Labs: Labs will constitute at least 25% of the course work. We will complete 8-10 inquiry based labs and/or activities aligned with the AP curriculum. To harness the full experience of an inquiry based lab, students will often be asked to design their own experimental procedures. Pre/Post lab work will be completed outside of class as most labs will require a significant amount of class time. Students will keep a laboratory notebook, just as they would in a college lab course, and be responsible for pre-lab questions and write ups followed by a formal lab report. Formal lab reports will be turned in following each lab. Lab notebooks will be kept as part of college board policy as it is possible for universities to require these be presented in addition to a qualifying AP score.

Homework: It can be expected that students will have homework following each class meeting. If there is not a specific task or assignment, it is understood that students need to spend time outside of class reviewing material. As BCHS is on block scheduling, it simulates the typical college schedule- meaning students have more than one evening to accomplish this work. It is also understood that AP Biology is not the only course that students need to spend time and focus on, however constant review of material and time management are key to success in any advanced course.

Assignments and Grades:

All work will fall into two categories. Assignments will be given a point value based on the type of assignment.

Supporting work (45%) Assessments (55%)

-Notebook (15%)-Pop Quizzes

-Classwork-Quizzes

-Participation-Unit Tests

-Lab Reports

-Projects

Grading Scale

90-100 A / 60-69.5 D
80-89.5 B / 0-59.5 F
70-79.5 C

Exams

Students are required to take the first semester exam for AP, IB or AICE courses.

An AP, IB or AICE exam will be taken in lieu of a teacher developed final (semester 2) exam in those designated courses. In such case, the student must still attend his or her regular subject area classes for structured activities and/or projects until the end of the grading period.

In the event that the student does not sit for the AP, IB, or AICE exams accompanying the coursework during the school year, a final exam grade of zero (0) will be entered. For AP, IB, or AICE exams administered after the last day of the school year, final grade for the course will be determined within one day of the exam date.

*** Please note an additional contract page regarding the acknowledgement and timeline of the AP exam can be found at the end of this syllabus. This contract will be sent out again to be signed an additional time near the end of the first quarter. If at any time the student is concerned about their standing or progress in the course they are to contact Ms. Weeks immediately so a plan can be made to better assist the student so they are successful in this course.

Classroom Expectations and Behavior:

All EXPECTATIONS will be thoroughly presented and discussed on the first day of class. These expectations are set in place to ensure we have a productive, exciting, and collaborative year with each other while accomplishing classroom and personal goals.

• Be present both physically and mentally. Committing to an AP course means committing to putting forth your best effort in order to ensure you get as much out of this experience as possible, preparing yourself for higher education in the following years. You must be in class in order to accomplish this task.
• Be prepared. As a college level course, we must make the most out of our class time together. Tasks and assignments assigned outside of the class must be completed outside of the class. In order to facilitate class discussions and reduce lecture time in favor of labs and knowledge enhancing activities, you must complete homework and remaining classwork prior to coming to class.
• Study on your own in addition to class. College courses are intended for students to spend 3 hours of independent work in addition to each hour spent in the classroom. Often you will be asked to review material prior to class to ensure a more meaningful and beneficial lecture/discussion/activity.
• Be thorough. You will always be required to communicate your ideas, thoughts, and answers as adult, college level students. This means complete sentences and paragraphs. We will not cut corners.
• Give your best, always. Although success on the AP exam is a goal of this course, our biggest goal is to prepare you for life after high school, higher education, success in the real world, as well as knowledge and understanding in the fields of science and biology.
• RESPECT everyone around you as well as his or her belongings. Anything less will NOTbe accepted.
• Electronics are to be on silent and kept away at all times. (Unless warranted and permitted by instructor) Charging of electronics is not permitted in class- I will not be responsible for these materials being left unattended.
• Participate and be engaged. Science is collaborative- enjoy working with each other and sharing ideas while maintaining appropriate behavior.
• Stay in your area when directed AND take care of your area and equipment.

** School wide Tardy Policy is in place.

Absent/Late Work:

• Late work will NOT be accepted.
• AP Biology Labs often cannot be made up or duplicated outside of the classroom. Missing a lab will result in a zero for any unexcused absence.
• Take responsibility for yourself and your absence. You are responsible for retrieving all make up work and completing it in a timely fashion. If you are aware of an absence ahead of time, plan accordingly.

Per school board policy: students have the same number of days that they were absent to make up the work.

***Additional Materials:

The BCHS has worked to provide students with as much material, in addition to a textbook, as possible. However some of test prep/practice/review books may only be a class set, meaning they cannot be taken home or written in. Below is a list of books we are likely to reference and use for practice for the AP exam. Some students may want to purchase their own copies so they can use/mark/highlight/review with them as they like.

Biozone AP Bio 1 & 2 (yellow and green covers) ~$29 each on Amazon

Barrons AP Bio 5th Ed. ~ $13 on Amazon

McGraw Hill 5 Steps to a 5 AP Bio 2018 ~$15 on Amazon

Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns. I look forward to an exciting and productive year.

~Ms. Samantha

Boca Ciega High School Advanced Placement Exam Acknowledgement Contract 2018-19

Congratulations on rising to the challenge of taking an Advanced Placement (AP course). By taking an AP course you are setting your path to college and you have an opportunity to earn college credit at no expense. We know you will work hard and, as a result, you have the potential to be very successful in this course!

Students who take an AP course should be aware of several important pieces of information as outlined below:

1. Students are required to take the Semester 1 exam for a yearlong AP course.
2. Students are required to sit for the AP exam and do not take a teacher created final exam.
3. School Board policy requires that students who do not sit for the AP exam are assigned an F as their final exam grade.
4. Beginning with the 2018-19 school year the AP Exam Fee structure is changing. These changes cannot be found on the AP Central site because they are unique to the schools involved in the AP Resources Pilot. These changes will take effect worldwide in 2019-20 and will be posted on AP Central at that time. The exam fees are as follows:
5. The cost of each AP Exam is $94, except for Capstone courses which are $142. Assuming a student meets their requirement to sit for the AP exam, this expense is paid by Pinellas County Schools.
6. AP Exams ordering deadline is November 9, 2018. Orders cancelled after November 9, 2018and before March 1, 2019 will incur a $40 cancellation feethat must be paid by the student. This fee must be paid before a student drops an AP class.
7. AP Exams cancellation deadline is March 1, 2019. After March 1, 2019, the full exam fee ($94 or $142) will be charged to a student who does not sit for his/her AP exam.

It is important to us to know that you have received this information early in the school year. We want you to be committed to being successful in this course and to understand that your commitment includes taking the AP exam. Students who are invested from the beginning of the year have much higher success rates in these courses.

Please complete the signature lines below and mark your calendar now for your exams in May to avoid any scheduling conflicts. Your completed form should be returned to any of your respective AP teacher.

AP Course / AP Exam Date / AP Exam Time

Student Signature: Student Name: ______

Parent Signature:Date:

AP Teacher Signature:______

AP BIOLOGY PARENT/STUDENT CONTRACT 2018-2019

The purpose of the AP Biology Parent/Student Contract is to provide information to parents and students and to facilitate students’ success in an academically challenging course. Thoroughly read the syllabus and the list of expectations below, and then sign the form at the bottom confirming your understanding and commitment to AP Biology.

Expectations of AP Biology students:

1. I recognize that participation in AP Biology requires me to:

a. Demonstrate increased student independence

b. Take on a high degree of responsibility

c. Meet higher standards than other high school classes

2. I understand that AP Biology is the equivalent of a college level biology course and therefore, requires the same amount of work as a college level biology course (approximately 3 hours of independent study for each hour of class).

3. I understand that late work will NOT be accepted. All assignments will be completed and ready to turn in BEFORE I get to class.

4. I understand that between labs, lectures and reviews, there is really no way to make up a missed class lab, therefore, it is essential that I attend every class and am prepared to participate.

a. Students will complete an alternate assignment for missed labs

b. Missed tests will be made up the day the student returns to class

c. If a student must be absent due to illness or family emergency, the student is responsible for making up work within the accepted time frame (one day per day absent)

5. I understand that in order to cover everything that may appear on the AP Biology National Exam, this course must proceed at a rapid pace.

6. I recognize that the material covered in AP Biology is extremely challenging. I also recognize that while my grade in this course and the score I receive on the AP exam matter, the amount and quality of knowledge I take from this class to college is most important.

7. I recognize that I am responsible for my own learning and success in class, not my parents, teacher, advisor, or friends. I will advocate for myself if I have concerns about my grade or need help with content.

8. I understand that lab safety is of extreme importance and I will abide by all safety rules. I realize that if I am not following procedures I may be removed from the lab and receive a zero with no opportunity to make it up. I also understand that I will be held financially responsible for broken equipment and promise to work with caution.

******************************************************************************

AP BIOLOGY PARENT/STUDENT CONTRACT 2018-2019

I have read, understand, and will abide by the student expectations and the lab safety contract. I have read the course syllabus and confirm my commitment to this class. I understand the summer assignment and will complete all work by the due dates.

Student name ______(printed)

Student signature______Date: ______

Parent signature______Date : ______