AP Biology Summer Work (2015-2016)
Welcome to AP Biology. According to my class list, you are registered to take AP Biology next year and that’s why
you are receiving this letter. Don’t worry. This may look a lot worse than it is. I just wanted to get you all the
information you’ll need and address some common questions before we go on summer break. If you have any
questions, please feel free to stop by my room and talk with me. I look forward to working with you during the next
school year. I hope you have a wonderful summer break!
I know what you are thinking….why a summer assignment?
AP Biology is a vigorous, yet manageable and rewarding class. In order to meet the demands of the curriculum it is
necessary for you to complete some work before you come back in August. The College Board Objectives outline
for AP Biology is broad and deep. We have the months of September-April to complete the curriculum (hopefully
much of April is saved for review) prior to AP testing in May. In order to cover the entire curriculum we must dive
into our learning during the summer months.
What are you required to do?
Part #1
First, I would like to know who you are & how to get a hold of you so your first assignment is to send me an
email. Yup….that’s it! Your first AP Biology grade will be sending me an email…if only all of the grades were
this easy! Here is what I would like you to email me at dbridgewater@trsd.net
Subject Line: AP Biology 15-16
Body:
What do you hope to accomplish/gain?
logy?
Don’t worry! There is no right or wrong answer….be honest so that I can figure out the best way to help you
next year!
Part #2: Vocabulary Photography Component
Listed below are ~ hundred important terms in the AP Biology curriculum. You must select 50 of these terms to
use in your summer work. The first 25 will be due on the first day of class and the second 25 will be due exactly
two weeks from the first day of class. Read the due dates at least three times so that there are no excuses or
confusion as to when the words are due.
You will need to take an ORIGINAL PICTURE of an example of the vocabulary word and describe how your
image fits the definition of the vocabulary term and the function or use that item in nature. In order for the
picture to be original, you must place an item that you own like a picture of yourself, cell phone, ring, or your
own face beside that of the picture. It should also include the date that the picture was taken. You may choose
any of the words below for your 50 pictures. You may turn them in as a PowerPoint presentation or in a
scrapbook form, but not just posted in a notebook. The point of this is to expose you to a number of the
different topics that we will be covering over the year and get you thinking (and to have a visual dictionary of
some of the more difficult terms especially now that they are often used as background information and not
directly covered.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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7.
8.
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35.
36.
adaptation of an animal
adaptation of a plant
abscisic acid
actin
amniotic egg
amylase
angiosperm
animal that has a segmented
body
annelid
anther & filament of stamen
arthropod
archaebacteria
autotrophs
auxin producing area of a
plant
basidiomycete
batesian mimicry
biological magnification
bryophyte
C 4 plant
Calvin cycle
carbohydrate – fibrous
cambium
cellulose
chitin
chlorophyta
cnidarian
coelomate
conifer leaf
commensalism
connective tissue
cuticle layer of a plant
deciduous leaf
deuterosome
dicot plant with flower & leaf
diploid chromosome number
echinoderm
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
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71.
72.
ectotherm(ic)
endosperm
endotherm(ic)
enzyme
epithelial tissue
ethylene
eubacteria
eukaryote
exoskeleton
fermentation
flower ovary
frond
fruit – dry with seed
fruit – fleshy with seed
gametophyte
gastropod
genetically modified
organism
gibberellins
glycogen
haploid chromosome number
hermaphrodite
insect
K-strategist
keratin
leaf – gymnosperm
lichen
lignin
lipid used for energy storage
littoral zone organism
long-day plant
meristem
modified leaf of a plant
modified root of a plant
modified stem of a plant
monocot plant with flower &
leaf
muscle fiber – striated
73.
74.
75.
76.
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81.
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83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
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90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
mutualism
mycelium
mycorrhizae
myosin
nematode
niche
parasite
parenchyma cells
phloem
pine cone – female
platyhelminthes
pollen
pollinator
porifera
prokaryote
protein – fibrous
protein – globular
protosome
pteridophyte
r-strategist
radial symmetry
rhizome
scale from an animal with
two-chambered heart
96. spore
97. sporophyte
98. stem – herbaceous
99. stem – woody
100.
stigma & style of
carpel
101.
tendril of a plant
102.
thorn of a plant
103.
unicellular organism
104.
vascular plant tissue
105.
xerophytes
106.
xylem
Part #3…AP Central
You should also peruse the AP Central website and read the course description to learn about the topics we will
cover in AP Biology. There is also a description of the format of the AP Biology Exam.
AP Central
Go to http://apcentral.collegeboard.com
Under AP courses and exams on the left choose course home pages
o Go to the biology home page
o Read over the course description (the first bullet down), the curriculum is also helpful
Part #4…Work load and websites to sign up to
To be successful you will be required to spend approximately one hour per night on AP Biology (roughly the same
as other AP classes). This is non-negotiable, if you feel that your extracurricular hobbies will interfere with this then
consider carefully whether you will be able to cope.
We will sign up for class websites and e-text sites in the beginning of the new school year.
Part #5….Last One
Please get all of the materials you will need for next year ready for the first day of school, as we will be starting right
away.
Here is what will be needed to be successful in my AP Biology class: (Please let me know as soon as possible via email or
in private if you need assistance obtaining any of these or any of the course supplies throughout the year.)
-ring binder just for AP Biology
o DFQ’S (daily focus questions)
o Handouts to keep all year
o Reading guides
o Lecture notes
o Worksheets and review sheets
o Required Labs
o Other
for vocab (we have online electronic vocab software so this is extra if you want it)
of various sizes and/or colors.
may also want to invest in a review guide for the class. We used 5 Steps to a 5 this past year and
everyone seemed to like it. We will be using it toward the end of the year for review. (Make sure that it is
designed for the new curriculum, old guides from past students or family members will not be appropriate).
(The earlier you get and use one of these the more helpful it will be, many of the study timetables start
months in advance of the exam.)