AP Biology Syllabus
Course Outline:
Welcome to Mrs. Marshall’s AP Biology class. This is a rigorous course whose goal is to prepare students for the pursuit of college-level classwork as well as gain the opportunity for college credit. The exam will be given on Monday, May 14th 2018. This course is an introductory college-level biology course. Through inquiry-based learning and exploration, students will gain the knowledge and skills that are necessary to become successful on a college-ready level. In the Advanced Placement curriculum, there are four “Big Ideas” that are the focus of learning:
- Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life (15-17%).
- Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain homeostasis (28-32%)
- Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes (27-31%)
- Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these interactions possess complex properties (20-29%).
There are also seven “Science Practices” that are mandated by the curriculum. Although they may not necessarily be covered in consecutive order, they are as follows:
- Science Practice 1: The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.
- Science Practice 2: The student can use mathematics appropriately.
- Science Practice 3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.
- Science Practice 4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question.
- Science Practice 5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
- Science Practice 6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
- Science Practice 7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and across domains.
Lastly, it is required that twenty-five percent of instructional and/or classroom time be devoted to hands-on laboratory work that emphasizes inquiry-based investigations. Students must be able to ask questions, make observations, create predictions, design experiments, analyze data, and construct conclusions in collaboration with other students.
Materials:
Colored pencils Five-star composition Notebook
3-ring binder (at least 2 inches) Index cards
Looseleaf paper Pencils/pens
Glue sticks
Grading Policy:
Grades will be based on laboratory work, assignments, participation, quizzes, tests, and projects. First semester of the course is called “Biology 2 Honors” and will receive an honors weighted credit to GPA averages and second semester of the course called “AP Biology” will receive an AP weighted credit to GPA averages. The percentages of weight are as follows:
Tests/Exams……..…70%
Quizzes/Labs/Assignments……....30%
The grading weights for the entire semester will be as follows:
1st quarter average……..40%
2nd quarter average……..40%
Semester exam……..20%
Contact Information
I am available at any time during the semester for questions or scheduling meetings. My contact information is as follows:
Email:
Phone: 336-731-8431
Syllabus
Unit 1 Science as a Process (4 days)
Readings
● Ch. 1
Lecture Topics
● Elements of a Scientific Experiment
● Introduction of eight major biological themes
● Taxonomic Scheme for Homo sapiens
● Introduction to Domains and Kingdom Groupings
● Characteristics of organisms in five kingdoms
Labs
● Designing an experiment using termite behavior in response to papermate ink
Activities
● Designing an experiment free response exercise AP Essay #3 1997
Big Idea 4: Cellular Processes: Energy and Communication and Essential Knowledge (4.a.1) (4.a.2) (1.d.1) (4.b.1) (4.c.1)
Unit 2 Chemistry of Life (1.5 week)
Readings
● Ch 3-5
Lecture Topics
● Types of chemical bonding and their importance in biological molecules
● Water’s polarity and hydrogen bonds
● Water’s unusual characteristics and their effect on the evolution of living things
● Carbon’s versatility in building compounds
● Functional groups in biological compounds
● Condensation and hydrolysis of polymers
● Overview of carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins
● Roles of biological compounds in human diets
Labs
● Buffering Capabilities of Biological Materials (apples, water, egg whites, mushrooms, etc)
● Testing Foods for sugar, protein, lipids, and starch
Activities
● Building carbon molecules with models
● Drawing condensation and hydrolysis of amino acids
● Drawing and recognizing functional groups
Big Idea 2: Cellular Processes: Energy and Communication and Essential Knowledge (1.b.1), (3.a.2)
Unit 3 Cells (3.5 weeks)
Readings
● Ch 6, 7, 12
Lecture Topics
● Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
● Differences in cells from 5 kingdoms
● Cell structures and relation to their functions
● Cell membrane structure and its relation to its function
● Active and Passive Transport
● Cell cycle
● Negative Feedback’s role in controlling the cell cycle
● Cancer and loss of control of the cell cycle
Labs
● Microscopic comparison of cells from animals, plants, and monerans.
● Microscopic measurements of plasmolysis of red onion cell
● Dialysis of sugar solutions (Investigation 4/ AP Lab 1)
● Osmolarity of Potato Core Lab (Investigation 4/AP Lab1)
● Mitosis Lab (AP Lab 3)
Activities
● Osmosis Problems
● Internet research and short report on classification and treatment of cancer
Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis. Essential Knowledge (4.b.1)
Unit 4 Bioenergetics (3 Weeks)
Readings
● Ch 8-10
Lecture Topics
● Catabolic vs. Anabolic Reactions
● ATP use and production
● How enzymes lower activation energy
● Environmental Effects on Enzymes
● Glycolysis
● Aerobic Respiration
● Fermentation
● Chemiosmosis and its role in respiration and photosynthesis
● Mitochondria and Chloroplast structure and how they relate to their functions.
● Light Dependent Reactions
● Light Independent Reactions
Labs
● Enzyme Catalysis (Investigation 13/AP Lab 2). This lab has been adapted to use a Vernier gas pressure probewear. Potato catalase was substituted for liver catalase.
● Measuring Respiration Rates in Peas. (Investigation 6AP Lab5) This lab has been adapted to use a Vernier CO2 probe.
● Chromatography of ivy, magnolia, and collards (AP Lab 4)
● Investigation 5 Photosynthesis with leaf discs
Activities
● Demonstration of fermentation with yeast and sugar
Big Idea 3: Living Systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life processes and essential knowledge (4.c.2)
Unit 5 Heredity (2.75 weeks)
Readings
● Ch 13-15
Lecture Topics
● Stages of Meiosis and how they maintain a standard chromosome number for a species
● Life cycles of animals, plants, and funguses
● Mendel’s Laws and the Rules of Probability
● Human Genetic Disorders
● Sutton’s work on chromosomal theory
● Sex-linkage in drosophila
Labs
● Genetics of organisms. This lab is an adaptation of the AP lab and uses Wisconsin Fast Plants (AP Lab 7)
● Chi square analysis of Drosophila using Flylab computer program (AP Lab 7)
● Crossing Over in Meiosis using Sordaria lab (AP Lab 3)
Activities
● Genetic problems involving different patterns of inheritance
● Drawing pedigrees
● Blood typing problems
● Sex-linkage problems in drosophila
Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life processes
Unit 6 Molecular Genetics (4.5 Weeks)
Readings
● Ch 16-21
Lecture Topics
● History of Discovery of DNA
● DNA and RNA structure and function
● How mis-production of proteins creates point and chromosomal mutations
● Bacterial and viral genomes and replication
● Transformation, conjugations, transduction
● Control of prokaryotic genomes using lac and trp operons
● Mechanism of control for eukaryotes
● How cancer develops
● How biotechnology produces pharmaceuticals and agriculture products
● Transgenic bacteria, plants, and animals
● Use of PCR and gel electrophoresis
● Gene therapy
● Therapeutic vs. reproductive clones (societal issues)
● Cloning by nuclear transplantation
● Cell development patterns in plants and animals
● Stem cell research (societal issues)
Labs
● Antibiotic Resistance in E. coli bacteria
● Bacterial Transformation using pBlu plasmid (Investigation 8/AP Lab 6)
● Gel Electrophoresis of Lambda DNA (Investigation 9/AP Lab 6)
Activities
● Building DNA models from kits
● Translation of DNA Activity (DNA sentences)
● Secret of Photo 51 video (Rosalind Franklin)
● DNA The Secret of Life DVD
● Building Recombinant Paper Plasmids
Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
Unit 7 Evolution (2 weeks)
Readings
● Ch 22-26
● “The Selfish Gene” and “Why Big Fierce Animals are Rare” from The Nature of Life
Lecture Topics
● Historical Features of Darwin’s Work and Natural Selection
● Hardy Weinberg Problems
● Causes of Microevolution
● Types of Speciation
● Phylogeny and Systematics
● Early Earth and Origin of Life
Labs
● Investigation 1: Artificial Selection
● Mating Game Lab (Investigation 2 /AP Lab 8 Population and Genetics)
● Construction of Phylogentic Trees
● Investigation 3: Comparing DNA Sequences
Activities
● Bird Beaks and Feet Adaptation Exercise
● Charles Darwin Biography Video
● Life on Galapagos Islands Video
● Hardy Weinberg Problems
● Case Study on the Species of Red Wolves and their re-introduction into NC
● Ultimate Journey Video
Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life processes
Unit 8 Cell Signaling and Communication
Readings
● Ch 11
Lecture Topics
● External signals
● Reception, Transduction, Response
● Role of Kinases in cell division
Big Idea 2 Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
Unit 9 Plant Function and Response to Internal Signals (1 week)
Readings
● 38 &39
Lecture Topics
● Asexual vs. Sexual Reproduction
● Transpiration
● Plant Hormones and their effects on growth and flowering
● Evolution of Plant Adaptations
Labs
● Flower Dissection
● Seed Dissection
● Transpiration ( Investigation 11/AP Lab 9)
Activities
● Video Sexual Encounters of the Floral Kind
● Demonstration Cloning of Sweet Potatoes
Big Idea 2:Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
Unit 10 Animal Form and Function (1 week)
Readings
● 40
Lecture Topics
● Temperature regulation
● Lactation in mammals
● Diabetes
● Dehydration
Big Idea 2:Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis. Essential Knowledge (3.e.2) (2.c.2) (2.d.4)
Unit 11 Immune System, Nervous System, Sensory and Motor Systems
Readings
● 40, 43, 48, 50
Lecture Topics
● Physiological responses to toxic substances
● Vertebrate Immune systems
● Acetylcholine, epinephrine, dopamine, etc
● Vision, hearing, muscle movement
Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life processes
Unit 12 Animal Behavior (3 days)
Readings
● Ch 51
Lecture Topics
● Innate vs. Types of Learned Behavior
● Behavior and its role as an evolutionary adaptation
Lab
● Investigation 12: Fruit Fly Behavior
● Animal Behavior (AP Lab 10) using Tenebrio and a Choice Chamber
Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties. Essential Knowledge (2.d.3)
Unit 13 Ecology ( 2 weeks)
Readings
● Ch 50-55
● “Silent Spring” Selection by Rachel Carson The Nature of Life
Lecture Topics
● Communities and Ecosystems
● Life Histories
● Population Limiting Factors
● Nutrient Cycling
● Primary and Secondary Production
● Biomagnification
● Symbiosis
● Conservation and Biodiversity (societal and environmental concerns)
Labs
● Investigation 10: Energy Dynamics
● Dissolved Oxygen and Primary Productivity Lab (AP Lab 12)
Activities
● Comparison of Growth Curves for Organisms with different life histories
● Living Together Video
● Building Complex Food Webs using Inspiration Software