Biology A Syllabus
Mrs. Willis, Fall 2009
Description of Course:
Welcome to Biology! In this class, you will learn all about the various concepts of biology, the study of life. This is a year-long class required by the state to graduate from high school. During the first semester, we will study two major concepts: cellular biology and genetics. We will also be performing many lab experiments on your way to discovering these ideas.
California State Standards:
1. Cell Biology: The fundamental life processes of plants and animals depend on a variety of chemical reactions that occur in specialized areas of an organism’s cells.
2. Genetics: Mutation and sexual reproduction lead to genetic variation in a population.
3. Genetics: A multicellular organism develops from a single zygote, and its phenotype depends on its genotype, which is established at fertilization.
4. Genetics: Genes are a set of instructions encoded in the DNA sequence of each organism that specify the sequence of amino acids in proteins characteristic of that organism.
5. Genetics: The genetic composition of cells can be altered by incorporation of exogenous DNA into the cells.
Grade Assessment:
Tests and Quizzes: 33 %
Homework: 33 %
Classwork and Labs: 33 %
Grade Ranges:
89-100 % = A 79-88 % = B 69-78 % = C 55-68 % = D 54% or below = F
If your grade falls between two grades, I will determine which grade you shall receive by your participation in class.
Classroom Policies:
-Please, keep all food and drinks, except for water, outside the classroom.
-You will need a lab folder for this class. In this folder, the class syllabus will be stored, as well as all lecture notes, homework assignments and laboratory activities.
-Please remain in your seats unless given permission to move out of them. We will be working in lab stations, and movement causes accidents.
-Bathroom breaks will be permitted. However, ask to go during appropriate times, such as during break or when you are done with your activity. Inappropriate times would be during lecture or when lab instruction is occurring. You only receive 2 bathroom breaks per semester. If you have breaks left at the end of the semester, you will receive extra credit.
-No electronic devices in class. They will be confiscated and given to the dean of discipline.
-Try to attend as many classes as possible. The more you attend and participate, the more you will succeed in AP Environmental Science. Also, quizzes will be given every week.
-If you miss a class, the assignment or make up work will be due the following day you return. You can always find out what you missed by asking a friend in the class, asking me before or after class, or checking the class website. Please, try to refrain from asking me during class. Late work is not accepted.
-No electronic devices in class. They will be confiscated and given to the dean of discipline.
-Any cheating in the class will be reported to the dean as well as receiving a zero on the assignment.
-Last but not least, be respectful to all members of the class, including myself.
Class Website and Tutoring:
-Our class website is www.willisscience.com . At this website you can access:
· Homework assignments and Class Activities
· Grades (updated bi-monthly)
· Supplemental Material and Reviews
· Class Syllabus
· State Standards
-Please, take advantage of this website. If you are sick, finding out what you missed is a click away! If you need to contact me, my email is .
-Tutoring is available! I am free anytime during lunch or nutrition in A9. To ensure that I will be there, tell me before you are coming.
Outline of The Course:
Concept
/Week Number
/ Standard (s)Introductions,Scientific Method, Lab Standards / 1 / 1
Intro to Cells and Chemical Compounds / 2 and 3 / 1a, c, e, h, j
Proteins and Enzymes / 4 / 1 b
Photosynthesis, Glycolysis, and Respiration / 5 and 6 / 1 f, g
Intro to DNA, RNA transcription,and translation / 7, 8, and 9 / 1 d, h; 5 a, b, c, e; 4a, b, c
Cell Growth and Division and mitosis / 10 / 3
Intro to Genes and Mendel / 11 / 2
Mendels 2 Laws and Punnett squares / 12 / 3 a, b, 2g
Meiosis / 13 / 2 a, b, d, e, f
Gene Linkage, Crossing Over, Sex Linkage / 14 / 3 a, 2 f
Mutations / 15 / 2
Gene Interactions / 16 / 3a
Human Traits and sex-linked inheritance / 17 / 3a
**Note** This is a rough overview of the course. The concepts we are covering will not vary. However, the week number may differ if I feel we need to spend more or less time on a subject. Also, a week is given at the end of the semester for intense review and the final.
Mrs. Willis Lab Write Up Information
Labs will be given on a regular basis in AP Environmental Science. They will be stored inside your little black lab notebooks.
· Title Section-includes your name, the title of the lab, the date, and your class period. (1 pt)
· Purpose: A written statement of what the purpose is (may copy from the lab) (1 pt)
· Hypothesis: Write down what you think will happen in the lab. (Ex: if I do this, then I believe this will happen). (1 pt)
· Procedure: Summarize and include a diagram of the set up (1 pt)
· Data: All of the data and observations from each step of the experiment. Data tables and graphs should be included in this section. Data graphs and tables can be glued into the lab report. (2 pts)
· Conclusion: Discuss your data and results in this section. What conclusions can be drawn from the experiment? What can you say about what happened in the lab? This is your chance to briefly summarize the results of the lab in YOUR OWN WORDS, and discuss any implications of your results. (3 pts)
· Analysis/Extension: Often, in a lab, I add a couple questions to see if you can go beyond what was asked. Answer these questions in complete sentences. You do not need to write down the question. (1 pt)
-The completed lab will be turned in to me at the end of the experiment. The lab will be graded on a 10-point lab rubric attached to this handbook.
Conclusion Prompt
1st Paragraph: Analyze your data.
Some questions to answer:
-Restate briefly what you did.
-What did you observe?
-What does your observations and data mean?
-Are you observations valid? Any errors?
2nd Paragraph: Comparison.
Some questions to answer:
-How did your data compare within your group?
-How did your data compare within the class? (This might require asking a neighboring group what they observed.)
3rd Paragraph: Knowledge Learned.
-What did you learn from this lab? Please, make sure to tie in the knowledge gained in the lab to previous knowledge acquired in the classroom lecture setting.
California Biology Standards:
Cell Biology
1. The fundamental life processes of plants and animals depend on a variety of chemical reactions that occur in specialized areas of the organism's cells. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know cells are enclosed within semipermeable membranes that regulate their interaction with their surroundings.
b. Students know enzymes are proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions without altering the reaction equilibrium and the activities of enzymes depend on the temperature, ionic conditions, and the pH of the surroundings.
c. Students know how prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells (including those from plants and animals), and viruses differ in complexity and general structure.
d. Students know the central dogma of molecular biology outlines the flow of information from transcription of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the nucleus to translation of proteins on ribosomes in the cytoplasm.
e. Students know the role of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus in the secretion of proteins.
f. Students know usable energy is captured from sunlight by chloroplasts and is stored through the synthesis of sugar from carbon dioxide.
g. Students know the role of the mitochondria in making stored chemical-bond energy available to cells by completing the breakdown of glucose to carbon dioxide.
h. Students know most macromolecules (polysaccharides, nucleic acids, proteins, lipids) in cells and organisms are synthesized from a small collection of simple precursors.
i.* Students know how chemiosmotic gradients in the mitochondria and chloroplast store energy for ATP production.
j* Students know how eukaryotic cells are given shape and internal organization by a cytoskeleton or cell wall or both.
Genetics
2. Mutation and sexual reproduction lead to genetic variation in a population. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know meiosis is an early step in sexual reproduction in which the pairs of chromosomes separate and segregate randomly during cell division to produce gametes containing one chromosome of each type.
b. Students know only certain cells in a multicellular organism undergo meiosis.
c. Students know how random chromosome segregation explains the probability that a particular allele will be in a gamete.
d. Students know new combinations of alleles may be generated in a zygote through the fusion of male and female gametes (fertilization).
e. Students know why approximately half of an individual's DNA sequence comes from each parent.
f. Students know the role of chromosomes in determining an individual's sex.
g. Students know how to predict possible combinations of alleles in a zygote from the genetic makeup of the parents.
3. A multicellular organism develops from a single zygote, and its phenotype depends on its genotype, which is established at fertilization. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know how to predict the probable outcome of phenotypes in a genetic cross from the genotypes of the parents and mode of inheritance (autosomal or X-linked, dominant or recessive).
b. Students know the genetic basis for Mendel's laws of segregation and independent assortment.
c.* Students know how to predict the probable mode of inheritance from a pedigree diagram showing phenotypes.
d.* Students know how to use data on frequency of recombination at meiosis to estimate genetic distances between loci and to interpret genetic maps of chromosomes.
4. Genes are a set of instructions encoded in the DNA sequence of each organism that specify the sequence of amino acids in proteins characteristic of that organism. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know the general pathway by which ribosomes synthesize proteins, using tRNAs to translate genetic information in mRNA.
b. Students know how to apply the genetic coding rules to predict the sequence of amino acids from a sequence of codons in RNA.
c. Students know how mutations in the DNA sequence of a gene may or may not affect the expression of the gene or the sequence of amino acids in an encoded protein.
d. Students know specialization of cells in multicellular organisms is usually due to different patterns of gene expression rather than to differences of the genes themselves.
e. Students know proteins can differ from one another in the number and sequence of amino acids.
f.* Students know why proteins having different amino acid sequences typically have different shapes and chemical properties.
5. The genetic composition of cells can be altered by incorporation of exogenous DNA into the cells. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know the general structures and functions of DNA, RNA, and protein.
b. Students know how to apply base-pairing rules to explain precise copying of DNA during semiconservative replication and transcription of information from DNA into mRNA.
c. Students know how genetic engineering (biotechnology) is used to produce novel biomedical and agricultural products.
d.* Students know how basic DNA technology (restriction digestion by endonucleases, gel electrophoresis, ligation, and transformation) is used to construct recombinant DNA molecules.
e.* Students know how exogenous DNA can be inserted into bacterial cells to alter their genetic makeup and support expression of new protein products.
LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTDowntown Magnets High School
Business/Fashion Careers/Electronic Information
1081 West Temple Street Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA 90012Telephone Number: (213) 481-0371 Fax Number: (213) 482-0792 / David L. Brewer
Superintendent of SchoolsRichard Alonzo
Superintendent, Local District 4
Dr. Annick Draghi
Principal
Dear Parents:
Welcome to Biology! My name is Amber Willis and I am your son/daughter’s Biology teacher. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I am currently enrolled in the graduate program at Cal State Northridge. This is my ninth year teaching at Downtown Magnets High School, and I am looking forward to another great year.
The state requires all high school students to take Biology. There are five components to the class: cellular biology, genetics, evolution, ecology, and human physiology. The first two parts will be covered in the first semester, while the latter will be held for the second semester.
The grade breakdown for the class is as follows: 89-100 % = A, 79-88 % = B, 69-78 % = C, 55-68 % = D, and 55 % and lower = F. Students will be graded on tests, labs, homework, and class work. Homework will be given every night.
As an aid for parents, I have created a class website: www.willisscience.com. This website can be accessed to check for homework assignments as well as class activities and lectures. Grades and attendance will also be posted on a bi-monthly basis. Please, feel free to use the website with your son/daughter as much as possible.
If you have any questions or comments about the class, please email me at . My conference period is during 1st period. Also, if you would like to volunteer in the classroom or in the school, contact me for the arrangements. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Amber Willis
(213) 481-0371 ext. 5172
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___ I have read Mrs. Willis' class information letter and understand that there is a website with which I can monitor my child's progress in class.
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Signature of Parent Date Name of Student