AP Biology 2013/2014 Course Outline — Ms. Barth
Name__________________________________
Welcome to AP Biology!
Materials Used in this Course:
Biology 7th Edition, Campbell & Reece (2005) Pearson
AP Biology Investigative Labs: An Inquiry-Based Approach (2012), The College Board
AP Biology 1 Student Workbook, (2012), BIOZONE
(purchase is necessary)
AP Biology 2 Student Workbook (2012), BIOZONE
(purchase is necessary)
3-Ring Binder, Composition/Spiral Notebook, Dividing Tabs, Loose leaf paper
*Any additional reading or preparation material to supplement this course will be provided to you or will
be your responsibility to obtain outside of class (Web URLs will be provided)
What’s the Big Idea?!
Actually, there are four Big Ideas that cover the scope of AP Biology:
Big Idea 1: Evolution
The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life
Big Idea 2: Energy and Communication
Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to
maintain dynamic homeostasis
Big Idea 3: 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
Our units will usually relate to more than one Big Idea, plus background knowledge you are assumed to
have in math, biology, and science in general. We will constantly refer to the molecular, cellular,
ecological, behavioral, evolutionary, and genetic connections across each unit. The goal is to have an
understanding and appreciation for the system on a grand scale and also on a very small scale, and
every level of organization in between.
In this class, we are all about asking questions! Curiosity counts! Taking notes is vital and significant to
your learning, both for observations in the lab and for organizing your thoughts. This requires coming
prepared for class and ready to learn.
Unit Outline:
Unit
Activity
Introduction
Major Chapters
(selected concepts within)
Ch. 1
Mechanisms of Evolution
Ch. 22, 23, 24, 25
The Chemistry of Life
Ch. 2, 3, 4, 5
Cells and Cellular
Processes
Ch. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Lab: M&M
AP Lab 1: Artificial Selection
AP Lab 2: Hardy-Weinberg
AP Lab 3: BLAST Evolutionary Relationship
Cladograms
Create Geologic Timeline
PBS Evolution and Time
Lab: What are foods and beverages made of?
AP Lab 4: Diffusion and Osmosis
Lab: Fermentation
AP Lab 5: Photosynthesis
AP Lab 6: Cellular Respiration
Biodiversity and Ecology
Ch. 26, 29, 32, 33, 34, 50,
51, 52, 53
How Does Acid Precipitation Affect Trees?
AP Lab 10: Energy Dynamics
AP Lab 12: Fruit Fly Behavior
Great Animal Orchestra: Biophony
Genetics: Heredity
Ch. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
AP Lab 7: Mitosis & Meiosis
Gene to Protein
AP Lab 8: Bacterial Transformation
AP Lab 9: Restriction Enzyme Analysis of DNA
Lab: Cloned Carrot Cells
Plant Form and Function
Ch 35, 36, 37, 38, 39
AP Lab 11: Transpiration
Phototropism and Thigmotropism
Animal Form and Function Ch. 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45,
AP Lab 13: Liver Enzyme Activity
46, 47
Body Plan/Embryonic Development
Lab: Animal Dissection
*Units and concepts may not necessarily occur in this precise order
Required Notebook:
For the sake of your sanity (and mine), the method of organizing all the reading material, homework
assignments, handouts, returned quizzes and tests, and required lecture/lab notes is in the form of a 3ring binder with dividers and a spiral-bound or composition notebook. Your strategy for organizing
these many materials must be logical and make sense for you, because you will be graded on your
binder/notebook periodically as I check your organizing system and you can demonstrate that you have
kept and organized everything. When in doubt, keep it! Binder Checks are worth up to 20 points (and
those are really EASY points), so keep it tidy and you’ll thank me later 
Routines and Warm-Ups:
There will be a daily question set on the board that you will have 3-5 minutes to copy into your
notebooks. These questions will correspond to assigned reading from the previous class, and quiz
questions will usually be based on this information. We will also have class warm-up activities.
Assignments:
Assignments are usually due at least 3 days before the unit test. Assignments count towards 15% of
your quarterly grade, and don’t forget if they’re late they lose value!
Homework:
Unless otherwise specified, homework assignments tend to be due the day after they are assigned.
Homework counts as just 5% of your quarterly grade. This class is reading- and lab-intensive, so there
will be few homework assignments. This is so you will have more time to complete assigned reading,
pre-lab, and additional out-of-class preparations.
Participation:
Your participation includes being on time, respectful, involved in classroom discussion, on task during
class assignments, lecture, and lab activities, and making sure to keep your workspace clean (at your
desk and lab bench). Participation counts as 10% of your quarterly score.
Projects:
We have a number of projects each semester, most of which fall into two categories: current events and
lab-based evaluation projects. Projects make up 25% of the quarterly score.
*Current Events:
For each major unit you will be expected to locate a recent article describing research published in a
peer-reviewed scientific journal related to the topic that you are studying. This assignment must be
typed, in complete sentences, and submitted the day it is due. Part of the assignment grade is a brief
presentation to the class about the research and its relevance, so be prepared to discuss it! There will
be six Current Events, each worth 25 project points, and outlined expectations and a rubric will be
distributed.
*Project Posters/Presentations/Laboratory Write-Up:
Your laboratory-based evaluations will be either a mini-poster describing your research, a presentation
on PowerPoint for a questioning audience (peers, teacher, visitors), or a typed formal write-up. These
evaluations are each 100 points and there will be one for each of our inquiry-based labs. Groups will
rotate through these different evaluations, so that no more than two groups are presenting their work
in the same manner (for example, after the photosynthesis inquiry, two groups may do mini-posters,
one group will complete a formal write-up, and one group will present).
Quizzes:
In this class, we will frequently have pop quizzes following an assigned reading, but often you will know
about a quiz a couple days ahead of time so you can prepare. Quizzes are every unit, and count as 20%
of your quarterly score.
Tests:
Each unit ends with an assessment, and the questions may pertain to lecture, reading assignments, or
laboratory activities, so it is important to organize those materials, stay caught up and begin studying at
least a week before the test. Tests count as 25% of your quarterly grade.
Final Exams:
At the end of the first semester, your final exam will ask AP exam-type questions, which have multiple
choice and written elements. You will have 90 minutes to complete this exam, and it is designed to be
difficult to prepare you for the AP exam in the spring.
AP Biology Exam: 8:00 a.m. on Monday, May 14, 2012
The AP Biology Exam consists of two sections: multiple choice and free response. Both sections include
questions that assess students’ understanding of the big ideas, enduring understandings, and essential
knowledge and the ways in which this understanding can be applied through the science practices.
These may include questions on the following:
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the use of modeling to explain biological principles;
the use of mathematical processes to explain concepts;
the making of predictions and the justification of phenomena;
the implementation of experimental design; and
the manipulation and interpretation of data.
The exam is 3 hours long and includes both a 90-minute multiple-choice section and a 90-minute freeresponse section that begins with a mandatory 10-minute reading period. The multiple-choice section
accounts for half of the student’s exam grade, and the free-response section accounts for the other half.
The exam fee is $89, and can be reduced for those with financial need (must contact College Board).
Please see the College Board AP Central website for more information:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/Controller.jpf
The score received on your AP Biology Exam will also count as your Final Exam score, which is 20% of the
semester grade. This means your performance on the AP Exam does not determine whether you will
pass this course, unless your exam score is a 2 or 1. A score of 5 or 4 should receive college credit
(depending on which college you apply to), and a score of 3 will likely receive credit.