MACON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
School-wide Syllabus Outline
Course Title:
Biology
Course Teacher:
Mrs. Laura F. Smith
Teacher Contact Information:
478-472-8579 ext. 5106
The School’s Contact Information:
478-472-8579 ext. 5106
Fax: 478-6206
Rationale for the Course
This course will focus on the inquiry–based approach in science. The inquiry-based approach enhances the learning of science because it incorporates hands-on, project-based techniques, and differentiated instructions. The inquiry-based model allows students to learn through questioning, reasoning, and explanation of interactions within their own environments. Engaging in inquiry lessons, students gain deeper understanding about the scientific concepts being presented and are able to recall and explain scientific phenomena based on investigative evidence. Students are able to apply concepts learned to real-life occurrences.
Course Description:
The Biology curriculum is designed to continue student investigations of the life sciences that began in grades K-8 and provides students the necessary skills to be proficient in biology. This curriculum includes more abstract concepts such as the interdependence of organisms, the relationship of matter, energy, and organization in living systems, the ecological conditions, the behavior of organisms, and biological evolution. Students will investigate biological concepts through experience in laboratories and field work using the processes of inquiry.
Tentative list of Learning Objectives:
The student will be able to:
1. Explain the role of cell organelles for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, including the cell membrane, in maintaining homeostasis and cell reproduction.
2. Explain how enzymes function as catalysts.
3. Identify the function of the four major macromolecules (i.e., carbohydrates, proteins,
lipids, nucleic acids).
4. Explain the impact of water on life processes (i.e., osmosis, diffusion).
5. Distinguish between DNA and RNA.
6. Explain the role of DNA in storing and transmitting cellular information.
7. Using Mendel’s laws, explain the role of meiosis in reproductive variability.
8. Describe the relationships between changes in DNA and potential appearance of new traits including
· Alterations during replication.
· Insertions
· Deletions
· Substitutions
· Mutagenic factors that can alter DNA.
· High energy radiation (x-rays and ultraviolet)
· Chemical
· Compare the advantages of sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction in different situations.
9. Examine the use of DNA technology in forensics, medicine, and agriculture.
10. Explain the cycling of energy through the processes of photosynthesis and respiration.
11. Compare how structures and function vary between the six kingdoms (archaebacteria, eubacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals).
12. Examine the evolutionary basis of modern classification systems.
13. Compare and contrast viruses with living organisms.
14. Investigate the relationships among organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes.
15. Explain the flow of matter and energy through ecosystems by
· Arranging components of a food chain according to energy flow.
· comparing the quantity of energy in the steps of an energy pyramid.
· Explaining the need for cycling of major nutrients (C, O, H, N, P).
16. Relate environmental conditions to successional changes in ecosystems.
17. Assess and explain human activities that influence and modify the environment such as global warming, population growth, pesticide use, and water and power consumption.
18. Relate plant adaptations, including tropisms, to the ability to survive stressful environmental conditions.
19. Relate animal adaptations, including behaviors, to the ability to survive stressful environmental conditions.
20. Trace the history of the theory.
21. Explain the history of life in terms of biodiversity, ancestry, and the rates of evolution.
22. Explain how fossil and biochemical evidence support the theory.
23. Relate natural selection to changes in organisms.
24. Recognize the role of evolution to biological resistance (pesticide and antibiotic resistance).
Course Delivery Method:
This class instructional model is standard-based. Standard-based instruction reflects the application of building a strong based vocabulary, critical thinking processes, student-centered activities, laboratory enhancement, performance-based assessments, deeper questioning, intensive discussions and limited teacher-led instruction. The instruction will be presented and supported by using differentiated instruction, co-taught applications, interactions, collaborative and cooperative learning opportunities as well as real-world discussions.
List of Literature That Student Must Read:
Science News Magazine Articles
Current Science Magazine Articles
Materials Needed For This Course:
3 Ring binder (5 tab dividers) or Spiral Notebook (5 Subject)
Composition Notebook (lab)
Pencils
Paper
Index cards
Coloring pencils / pens
Pocket dictionary
Highlighters
Tape/ Glue Sticks
Textbooks will be used in class.
Expected Classroom Behavior:
Generally, all teachers expect the following behaviors from all students in the classroom. Each teacher may add to or modify these expectations to make the classroom more effective.
· Be on time. (Students must be in their desks before the tardy bell rings.)
· Be prepared for class activities (Have books, homework, pen/pencil and paper).
· Keep inappropriate remarks, hands and objects to oneself.
· Respect yourself, other students, and teachers.
· Follow the rules of the school and classroom.
Content Standards to be Explored and Mastered:
Tentative pacing guide table for the course:
Curriculum Framework, Assessment Monitoring and Pacing Guide
Goal: To improve instructional practices (standard-based), student-focused learning and engagement for higher order thinking as well as assessing mastery learning.
Subject: Biology (1st Semester) Content Area: Science
Time Frame / August / August-October / November / December / JanuaryNumber of Days / 10 (5) / 50 / 15 / 15 / 15(30)
Unit Topic / Scientific Processes / Cells / Genetics / Heredity / Simple and Complex Organisms
Standards / ScSh1-ScSh9 / SB1 / SB2 / SB2 / SB 3
Key Terms / Scientific Method, Hypothesis, Data, Conclusion, Dimensional Analysis, Equipment Apparatus / Cell Membrane, Nucleus, Cytoplasm, Eukaryote, Prokaryote, Cell Wall, Homeostasis, Active Transport, Passive Transport, Cell Cycle, Cell Reproduction, Carbohydrates, Nucleic Acids, Lipids, Proteins, Macromolecules / DNA, RNA, Nitrogenous –base, Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, Thymine, Phosphate, Pyrimidine, Purines, DNA polymerase, Helicase, Mutation, Replication
Start codon, Stop codon, Translation, Transcription, / Genes, Traits, Allele, Recessive, Dominant, Co-dominant, Heterozygous, Homozygous, Punnett Square, F1 generation, F2 generation, Genotype, Phenotype, Dihybrid Cross, Monohybrid cross / Asexual reproduction, Sexual Reproduction, Heterotroph, Autotroph, Uni-cellular, multi-cellular, Eubacteria, Archeabacteria, Protist, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia, Viruses
Real-life Application/
Persuasive Writing / Design a project using the steps of the scientific method.
Bi-weekly Articles, Laboratory Exercises / Make a model of a plant or animal cell. Differentiate between prokaryote and a eukaryote cell. Bi-weekly Articles, Laboratory Exercises / Construct a DNA model and label its parts.
Bi-weekly Articles, Laboratory Exercises / Use the Punnett Square to predict outcomes for..monohybrid and dihybrid crosses.
Bi-weekly Articles, Laboratory Exercises / Reports on diseases, cause, symptoms, duration, how they spread and treatment
Bi-weekly Articles, Laboratory Exercises
Big Ideas / SCIENTIFIC METHOD / Molecules of Life / Genetics / Heredity / Classification System
Essential Questions / See Unit Plan / See Unit Plan / See Unit Plan / See Unit Plan / See Unit Plan
Type of Formative Assessment and tentative dates / Written Assessment, Weekly Formal / Written Assessment, Weekly Formal / Written Assessment, Weekly Formal / Written Assessment, Weekly Formal / Written Assessment, Weekly Formal
Date/Type of Tentative Summative Assessment / One Pre-Test at the beginning of the Standard
One EXAM per unit at the end of the unit / One per unit One Pre-Test at the beginning of the Standard
One EXAM per unit at the end of the unit / One Pre-Test at the beginning of the Standard
One EXAM per unit at the end of the unit / One Pre-Test at the beginning of the Standard
One EXAM per unit at the end of the unit / One Pre-Test at the beginning of the Standard
One EXAM per unit at the end of the unit
Curriculum Framework, Assessment Monitoring and Pacing Guide
Goal: To improve instructional practices (standard-based), student-focused learning and engagement for higher order thinking as well as assessing mastery learning.
Subject: Biology (2nd Semester) Content Area: Science
Time Frame / February / March / April- May / EOCT / May –EOCT-Final ExamNumber of Days / 15(30) / 20(30) / 20(30) / 20
Unit Topic / Simple and Complex Organism / Ecology / Evolution /
R
/R
Standards / SB3 / SB4 / SB5 / E / EKey Terms / Vertebrate, Invertebrate, Bilateral Symmetry, Radial Symmetry, Vascular, Nonvascular Plant, Seedless Plant, Seed Plant, Trophism, Photosynthesis, Cellular Reproduction / Flow of matter and energy, Ecosystems, Adaptations, Biomes, 10% Law, Consumers, Producers, Decomposers, Scavengers, Succession, Omnivore, Carnivore, herbivore, Global Warming, Green house effect, Pollution, 3 R’s / Radioactive Dating, Fossil, Adaptation, Natural Selection, Genetic Drift, Mimicry, Homologous structures, Analogous structures, Vestigial Structures, Fitness / V / V
Real-life Application/
Persuasive Writing / Identify the parts of a leaf and locate and identify the parts of a flower
Bi-weekly Articles, Laboratory Exercises / Construct a food web and identify the consumers, producers as well as their diets (i.e. carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore).
Bi-weekly Articles, Laboratory Exercises / Have students to look on-line at a museum site to find photos of a whale, elephant, etc. and compare the skull and leg bones of these animals.
Bi-weekly Articles, Laboratory Exercises / I
E
W
FOR EOCT
(4th-6th)
SPRING BREAK
(22nd –29th) / I
E
W
FOR FINAL EXAM
(13th – 20st)
Big Ideas / Organisms and Classification / Ecosystems / Natural Selection, Evolution, Biodiversity, Historical evidence
Essential Questions / See Unit Plan / See Unit Plan / See Unit Plan / See Unit Plan / See Unit Plan
Type of Formative Assessment and tentative dates / Written Assessment, Weekly Formal / Written Assessment, Weekly Formal / Written Assessment, Weekly Formal / Written Assessment, Weekly Formal / Written Assessment, Weekly Formal
Date/Type of Tentative Summative Assessment / One Pre-Test at the beginning of the Standard
One EXAM per unit at the end of the unit / One Pre-Test at the beginning of the Standard
One EXAM per unit at the end of the unit / One Pre-Test at the beginning of the Standard
One EXAM per unit at the end of the unit / One Pre-Test at the beginning of the Standard
One EXAM per unit at the end of the unit / One Pre-Test at the beginning of the Standard
One EXAM per unit at the end of the unit
Grading Procedures
A pretest will be given at the beginning of each Unit to establish a baseline to gauge the level of improvement from the posttest such as teacher-made assessment, EOCT/GHSGT results, performance project or final exam. This data will be used to assess the gains of each student (50 to 100 questions based on Bloom’s Taxonomy and/or use of a rubric as a checklist to guide the learning process)
Semester Assessments
Quizzes and Unit Tests-daily or weekly
These assessments can be in the form of tests, labs, homework, daily participation, reports, notebooks or weekly quizzes.
(1) Final Exam (exemption possible with a class average of 92 before exam)
(2) Performance Projects and/or Research Paper
Remember that the student must meet all the requirements as stated in the handbook.
Progress Report Averages
The averages for progress reports at the 4th week mark should be calculated on quizzes, tests and other posted grades and dividing by the number of grades posted. The weight of the assessment should be based on a major test, performance project or research paper and should be applied twice in the averaging process.
Example:
Daily = 45%
Unit Tests = 55%
Semester Grade
To calculate the average for the semester, add the grades for both nine weeks to the final exam grade and divide by 3.
Example: Nine Weeks Average ≈ 33%
Nine Weeks Average ≈ 33%
Final Exam ≈ 33%
End of the Course (EOCT) = 15% of the final grade if applicable
Summative Assessment Possible Formats
Each summative assessment will be weighted and calculated accordingly with, laboratory activities, homework, and daily articles or weekly assignments to present to the student, parent and administration to document the level of mastery of the content under study. Summative assessments could be constructed in written format using the school-wide testing construct procedures (with a study guide), performance-based projects (with a guiding rubric), research paper (with a guiding rubric), persuasive essays (with a guiding rubric), comparative essays (with a guiding rubric), extended-lab study (with a lab checklist), power-point presentation (with a rubric) or oral presentation (with a rubric).
Formative Assessments Application of the Classroom
The purpose of formative assessments is to help guide the teaching and learning process in order that the students may be assessed on each standard explored for a significant level of cognitive development to support mastery learning. A formative assessment is an evaluation tool used to guide and monitor the progress of student learning during instruction. Its purpose is to provide continuous feedback to both the student and the teacher concerning learning successes and failures. Formative assessments diagnose skill and knowledge gaps, measure progress, and evaluate instruction. Teachers use formative assessments to determine what concepts require more teaching and what teaching techniques require modification. Educators use results of these assessments to improve student performance. Formative assessments would not necessarily be used for grading purposes. Examples include, but are not limited to pre/post tests, portfolios, benchmark assessments, quizzes, teacher observations, teacher/student conferencing, teacher commentary and feedback.
Georgia Department of Education 2007
Most asked questions about this subject:
1. What will it take to earn an “A” for this class?
In order to earn an A students will have to do well on all required class work, homework, laboratory activities, class participation, assignments and projects. They will have to perform well on test, quizzes, final exam and EOCT (if required).
2. How much homework will I have each week?
Homework will be minimal except to study written or prepared notes daily.
3. Will I earn a grade for doing my homework?
Credits will e given for homework through check style, quiz, or a review. Also homework is a good practice for tests as well.
4. Can I earn extra credit for this class?