In the course of this year I plan to survey the following topics, focusing deeply of topics that interest my students and myself. We will cover material through readings from Biology by Campbell and Reece and through class discussions. During the first lesson I plan to assess the students' knowledge of biological concepts in order to determine how I will approach the year. If the students are familiar with many concepts, I may choose to focus on a few interesting topics that they have not deeply covered in their high school courses. If prior knowledge is limited, we will spend most of the time going over a large body of AP class material as well as topics included in the IB and MIT curricula. Throughout the year, assignments will consists of readings from the text and online articles. One or two brief presentations will be required. Using sample and released AP tests we will gauge our progress. Tests are for practice, but also for me to see what topics I will need to focus on reviewing for the AP exam. Students will be responsible for learning some information on their own, but I will make class time for explanations and answering questions.

AP Themes include:

1. Science as a process,

2.Evolution,

3.Energy Transfer,

4.Continuity and change,

5.Relationship of Structure to Function,

6. Regulation,

7. Interdependence in Nature, 8. Science, technology, and society.

COURSE INTRODUCTION

*Goals

*Class format

*Input from students

*Assess the understanding of biological principles of the class

  1. MOLECULES AND CELLS
  2. Chemistry Review
  3. *CHON
  4. *Elements and Isotopes
  5. *Water
  6. *Chemistry of Life
  7. *Chemical Groups
  8. *Bonding
  9. Energy and Life
  10. *Metabolism
  11. *Gibbs free energy
  12. *Anabolism vs. catabolism
  13. *Coupled reactions, activation energy
  14. Macromolecules
  15. *Carbohydrates
  16. *Lipids
  17. *Proteins (and Enzymes)
  18. *Nucleic acids overview
  19. Cells
  20. *Smallest unit of life (characteristics of cells)
  21. *Structure and function
  22. *Membranes
  23. *Organelles (presentations)
  24. *Transport and communication
  25. Cellular Respiration
  26. *Fermentation
  27. Photosynthesis
  1. HEREDITY AND EVOLUTION
  2. DNA as Genetic Material
  3. *History of experimental discoveries
  4. *Structure and replication
  5. *DNA/RNA comparisons
  6. *Genetic organization (eukaryotes)
  7. *Transcription
  8. *Translation
  9. *Bacterial genetics
  10. *Genetics regulation
  11. *Viral genetics
  12. *Biotechnology
  13. *Genomics
  14. Cell Cycle
  15. *Mitosis
  16. *Meiosis
  1. *Biodiversity
  2. *Mutation
  3. *Cancer, chromosomal abnormalities, genetic diseases
  4. Mendel and Classical Genetics
  5. *Inheritance patterns
  6. *Peas and flies
  7. Nonmendelian Patterns
  8. Natural Selection
  9. *Origin of and Conditions for Life (primeval earth, protobionts, ribozymes, RNA, micelles, endosymbiont, euk. vs. pro.)
  10. *Review alternate ideas for origin of life (Intelligent Design, Creation Myths, Panspermia)
  11. *Darwin, Malthus, Lamarck, etc.
  12. *Darwin frames theory of evolution by Natural Selection
  13. *Nature of the change (gradual vs. punctuated equilibrium)
  1. HEREDITY AND EVOLUTION/ORGANISMS AND POPULATIONS
  2. Population Genetics
  3. *Neodarwinism (Mendel+Natural Selection)
  4. *Speciation
  5. *Hardy/Weinberg Equilibrium
  6. *Genetic diseases (Sickle cell anemia, Tay Sachs, etc.)
  7. Human Evolution
  8. *Taxonomy example
  9. Ontology recapitulates phylogeny
  10. *Survey diversity of life
  11. *AP topics on phylogeny and phylogenetic trees
  12. *Taxonomy and classifications
  13. *Eukaryotes vs. prokaryotes (review of all comparisons to date)
  14. *Evolutionary relationships
  15. ORGANISMS AND POPULATIONS
  16. Plants
  17. *Structure
  18. *Transport
  19. *Integrate photosynthesis
  20. *Taxonomy example
  21. *Reproduction
  22. Ecology
  23. *Communities and Ecosystems
  24. *Global warming
  25. *Acid precipitation
  26. *Vocabulary
  27. *Energy transfer
  28. *Trophic levels
  29. *Population dynamics
  1. Physiology:
  2. Organization of organ systems (cell, tissue, organ, system)
  3. *Detailed structure and function of organs associated with each of the following:
  4. *Digestion
  5. *Circulation (Heart rate lab to bring in components of scientific method)
  6. *Gas exchange
  7. *Homeostasis
  8. *Excretion
  9. *Exocrine system
  10. Immune System
  11. *Pathogens
  12. *Viral Infections
  13. *Bacteria
  14. *Prions (discovery, transmission)
  15. *AIDS
  16. *Vaccination (smallpox)
  17. *Treatment drugs (pathogenic weaknesses)
  18. Nerves
  19. *Structure
  20. *Functions
  21. *Chemical messages (action potential and polarization)
  22. Endocrine and Hormones
  23. *pituitary, hypothalamus
  24. *sex hormones
  25. *menstrual cycle
  26. *adrenaline
  27. Reproduction
  28. *Structure
  29. *Biodiversity
  30. *Egg and sperm structure
  31. *Oogenesis and spermatogenesis
  32. *Physical occurences of menstrual cycle
  33. *Fertilization
  34. *Development
  35. Movement
  36. *Muscles
  37. *Cartilage
  38. *Bones
  39. Sensory Organs