AP Biology Course Syllabus
Mrs. Dawn Sasek/ Mrs. Amy Bertrand
2016-17 School Year
Included in this packet: Syllabus, Lab Safety Agreement, Contract, Framework/Text
Course Prerequisites:
Successful Completion of Honors Chemistry, Physics with a grade of B or better.
Course Credit:
Students will receive extra credit on transcripts (Grade Scale of 5) for successful completion of AP Biology with a grade of C or better provided the College Board AP Exam is taken in the spring. Students experiencing financial hardship may qualify for fee waivers, but must contact the PPS office as soon as possible. Students who do not take the AP Exam will not receive the extra grade credit. AP students do not receive a grade bump in their course grade for scoring well on the CRT Exam.
AP Exam College Credit:
Colleges vary in what score they will accept for credit. Generally a student needs to score at least a 4 for credit, but some schools will accept a 3. Check with the schools you are applying to for details.
AP Exam:
Test Date: Monday, May 8 @ 8:00am. The 2017 exam will be a the new format adopted in 2013 to account for the new curriculum. Test setup will be discussed during the school year.
Course Description:
AP Biology is a rigorous and demanding course, which is the equivalent of an introductory college biology 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 this school year, and although the amount of material has been reduced, the emphasis on scientific thinking and analytical thinking has increased. The course will be structured differently due to the changes to allow more class time for labs and discussions. The new AP Biology curriculum encompasses 4 “Big Ideas” with Essential Knowledge and process skills that support each one.
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
Class Expectations:
Ø Come to class prepared- in order to facilitate class discussions and reduce lecture time in favor of labs and knowledge enhancing activities, you must complete all required assignments. AP assignments are not “busy work” they are designed to help you learn difficult material.
Ø Come to class! The work we will be doing during class cannot be replicated at home, labs in particular. You have committed to an advanced class and that requires your presence in the classroom. Missed labs cannot be made up and will receive a score of zero.
Ø Study at home- the convention for college courses is 3 hours of independent study for each hour of class. In order to have productive class discussions you must review the material at home.
Ø No whining! This is a college level course. It will be challenging. It will require a significant amount of time outside of class. IF you don’t like biology, this is not the class for you.
Ø Yes, you have to write in complete sentences. Yes you have to show your work. Yes, you have to write out your procedures, data tables, and label graphs. Yes you are expected to show a higher level of understanding on ALL of your assignments. NO, you may not write in Cell Phone “text” Language.
Ø Read and Sign the contract and lab safety agreement.
Class Policies:
1. Bags and jackets will be stored in your locker; please don’t bring them to class.
2. Cell phones and other electronics must be turned off and stored out of sight during class. Refer to the district handbook for all school related policies. Turn off your phone and turn on your brain.
3. Food and Drink are prohibited in working science labs; we follow the same procedures here. Take care of your metabolic needs before school, during break, or during your lunch.
4. Late work will not be accepted. No exceptions, No excuses.
5. Do not throw away any classwork. You will need ALL this material to review for tests and mistakes can happen when grades are recorded.
6. Cheating in any form is unacceptable. This includes, but is not limited to: copying homework, copying lab analysis answers, plagiarizing written assignments, copying test answers, use of electronics to find test answers. If copying occurs all people involved will receive a ZERO on the assignment and a referral. You are in class to learn and succeed on the AP Exam. Cheating DOES NOT help you learn.
7. You are responsible for your lab station and area. Keep it clean and organized to make lab breakdown easier at the end of class.
Grading:
Grades will be assigned based on straight percentage. Grades are as follows (100-90=A, 89-80=B, 79-70=C, 69-60=D, 59 and below =E) Grades are broken down into the following categories:
40% -Tests and Quizzes 15% – Homework/Readings/Articles 35% Labs and Classwork
Material Requirements:
1. Textbook-Campbell’s AP Biology: 9e Edition ISBN-10:0131375040
2. 3 Ring binder – sections for notes, homework, tests/quizzes, and labs (2-3”)
3. Pens, (blue or black), pencils, colored pencils, calculator
4. AP Biology Study workbooks, such as Barron’s, Peterson’s or the Princeton Review, are highly recommended. Make sure you get one that is aligned to the new 2013 curriculum. Anything published before 2012 will not help you prepare for the new exam. (this is optional).
5. Calculator, log functions.
Labs:
Labs will constitute at least 40% of the course work. The new curriculum includes more emphasis on inquiry based labs, which means you will design your own experimental procedures for a significant number of labs. In order to have as authentic a lab experience as possible, you will keep a lab notebook (Section of your binder) to record procedures and observations during labs. All labs will be typed or written in pen. In scientific work, lab notebooks are considered legal documents and all information must be accessible. Formal lab write ups will be completed for each lab. You will turn in the formal write up, but keep your lab notebook. Lab notebooks will be reviewed for a grade twice each semester.
Homework:
Homework should be completed every night. Usually it will consist of reading assignments, viewing lectures (Kahn Academy, Bozeman Biology) taking notes, finishing labs. Even if a formal assignment is not given, you are expected to spend time reviewing content each night. AP Biology is a challenging class and can’t be just “picked up” during class time. You need to invest the time outside of class to be successful in class.
EXAM/Quizzes:
We will have unit tests at the end of each unit (Larger units may be split up into 2 smaller tests) which will consist of multiple choice and free response. Quizzes will mainly cover lab activities; the goal is to stress the importance of lab activities in the free response section of the AP Exam. Tests are a large part of your grade (similar to a college course) and it is important that you prepare for them. Staying current with lessons and assignments throughout the semester will help you on your tests. Exams are very challenging, and as such, will be curved according to the instructor’s guidelines.
Absences:
AP Courses are fast paced and cover a significant amount of content each day, particularly on lab and test days. It is extremely important that you attend class every day. Absences for school activities will not be approved. If you are absent for excused reasons see your instructor to find out the assignments you have missed and find the notes from you classmates.
Participation:
Always be prepared for class so you can fully participate. The goal this year is to promote more discussion and small group analysis of information, more lab time, and less lecture time. For this to work, you must be committed to completing the work required outside of class, and to actively participate during class time.
Safety Contract:
Purpose
Science is a hands-on laboratory class. You will be doing many laboratory activities that require the use of hazardous chemicals. Safety in the science classroom is the #1 priority for students, teachers, and parents. To ensure a safe science classroom, a list of rules has been developed and provided to you in this student safety contract. These rules must be followed at all times! Two copies of the contract are provided. Both you and a parent or guardian must sign one copy before you can participate in any laboratory activity. The second copy is to be kept in your science notebook as a constant reminder of the safety rules.
General Guidelines
1. Conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all times in the laboratory.
§ Never fool around in the lab.
· Horseplay, practical jokes, and pranks are dangerous and prohibited.
· Do not run, jump, or throw anything in the lab.
· Think before you act.
2. Follow all written and verbal instructions carefully and immediately. If you do not understand a direction or part of a procedure, ask the instructor before proceeding.
3. Never work in a laboratory without an instructor present in the room.
4. Do not touch any equipment, chemicals, or other materials in the laboratory area until you are instructed to do so.
5. Students are never permitted in the science storage or preparation areas unless given specific permission by their instructor.
6. Never remove any chemicals or other materials from the laboratory without the express permission of the instructor.
7. Do not eat food, drink beverages, or chew gum in the laboratory. Any open food or beverage may be confiscated. Do not use laboratory glassware as containers for food or beverages. Do not put any laboratory equipment or materials in your mouth for any reason.
8. Perform only those experiments authorized by the instructor. Never do anything in the lab that is not part of a laboratory procedure or approved by your instructor. Carefully follow all instructions, both written and oral. Unauthorized experiments are prohibited.
9. Be prepared for your work in the laboratory. Read all procedures thoroughly before entering the lab and be sure that you understand both the goals and procedure of the experiment.
10. Observe good housekeeping practices. Work areas should be kept clean and tidy at all times. Only materials needed for the lab should be out on the tables, and everything else should be put out of the way. Clean up spills immediately.
11. Keep aisles clear. Push chairs under the desks when not in use.
12. Know the locations and operating procedures of all safety equipment including first aid kit, eyewash station, safety shower, fire extinguisher, and fire blanket. Know where the fire alarm and exits are located.
13. Be alert and proceed with caution at all times in the laboratory. Notify the instructor immediately of any unsafe conditions you observe.
14. Dispose of all waste materials properly. Never mix chemicals in sink drains.
15. Sinks are to be used only for water and those solutions designated by the instructor.
16. All insoluble materials (such as solid chemicals, metals, matches, filter paper, paper towels, tissues, and oily liquids) are to be disposed of in the proper waste containers (trash can or special designated container if so instructed)—not in the sinks.
17. Labels and equipment instructions must be read carefully and understood before use. Set up and use the prescribed apparatus as directed. If you do not understand how to use a piece of equipment, ask the instructor for help.
18. Keep hands away from face, eyes, mouth, and body while using chemicals. Wash your hands with soap and water after performing all experiments.
19. Clean and wipe dry all work surfaces (including sinks) and apparatus at the end of the experiment. Return equipment clean and in working order to the proper location.
20. Experiments must be personally monitored at all times. You will be assigned a laboratory station at which to work. Do not wander around the room, distract other students, or interfere with the laboratory experiments of others.
21. Know what to do if there is a fire alarm during a laboratory period. Close all containers; turn off gas valves, microscopes, and any other electrical equipment.
22. Handle all living organisms used in a laboratory activity in a humane manner. Preserved biological materials are to be treated with respect and disposed of properly.
23. When using knives and sharp instruments, always carry with the tips pointing down and away.
24. Grasp sharp instruments only by the handles. Always cut away from your body and never try to catch falling sharp instruments.