IB Biology
Ms. Fargo
Class website www.lhsibbiology.wikispaces.com
Room S331
rfargo@lps.org
Note to Parents:
As you are aware, science courses taken at the IB level are very different than other science courses offered within the
Lincoln Public School system. The reading level of the textbook and the level of rigor for this class is very high. For this
particular course (and other IB science courses) your student will need to view ‘studying’ a little differently. Your student
may not have homework in the traditional sense where they have something to physically hand in. Homework will include
reading their textbook, reviewing their notes, studying their vocabulary.
Students who do the best in this course do not cram. They dedicate time (20-30 minutes) to biology every night, regardless
if there is a physical assignment to hand in. The reading material is very dense and therefore should be tackled in short
periods of time (20-30 minutes at a time). I recommend that students read ONE to TWO sections of a chapter a night. They
need to read for understanding. If they read a section and don’t understand/remember what they read, then they need to
take a break and go back and re-read the section.
RULES
Be Respectful
• Treat students and staff with respect. All learners are welcome in this room.
• Be an active listener. This will help you be successful in class.
• Stay on task.
• Students are expected to take notes in their science notebook.
Be Responsible
• Be in your seat when the bell rings at the beginning of class.
• Be prepared and on time for class. School tardy policy will be followed.
• Stay in your seat until the bell rings at the end of the period.
• Have your planner/ID on you at all times
• Drinks with lids are allowed in this room at the desk areas only. No food in the room.
• No bags, jackets or purses are allowed on the desktops.
• Put away all headphones, cell phones, hats, etc. Cell phones should be off and out of sight
Be Safe
• Keep personal boundaries.
• We will have an additional Science Safety Contract. It is required by the district that this
filled out and turned in prior to your working in the laboratory
area.
contract be appropriately
GRADING
1. 20% of your grade will be based on formative assessments (homework, CFUs - check for understanding, labs, etc.).
80% of your grade will be based on summative assessments (Quizzes, tests and notebooks).
2. Late Work: assignments and labs are considered late if they are not turned in at the beginning of the period (unless
otherwise stated)
The science department has a ‘no late work’ policy. I give students ample time to complete all assignments. I do
not make it a habit of giving assignments and requiring that they are due the next day.
3. Make-up work: Whenever you miss class, it is your responsibility to get the make-up work that you missed. Please
check the class wiki for the daily posting of what we do in class. See me if needed at an appropriate time. An
appropriate time is not at the beginning of class when I am trying to transition from one class to the next. Use your
problem solving skills FIRST.
Problem solving—What did we do in class the day I was absent?
1) Check class wiki.
2) Ask students in the class.
3) Ask my teacher during work time what we did if others cannot answer my question or if you
need a worksheet.
- If your absence is a truancy, you can only receive a maximum of 60% on your paper turned in. (This includes
tests and quizzes)
- Make-up tests, quizzes and CFUs must be taken within two days of the test date. Make-up tests will be given
before school, at lunch or after school in the ARC room. ARC is not a ‘punishment’, it is a place that allows students
to get caught up. You need to schedule an "appointment" with me for make up work.
- I do not allow "retests” on summative grades!!!
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT PROCEDURES
The science department as a whole is requiring the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Attend class on time with your assigned materials.
Maintain a planner which included your weekly assignments.
Have a binder which includes your notes, class work and materials.
Have your class work completed in a timely fashion.
Attend study-time sessions when assigned by your teacher.
CLASSROOM PROCEDURES
1. Be prepared for class…
- your covered book
- pencil
-your science 3-ring binder
**Organize your notebook by chapter as they are discussed in class.
**Keep all assignments, homework, notes, handouts, and lab work in your notebook.
**Do not throw anything away. Not even at the end of semester 1.
**Everything you do goes in your notebook.
-colored pencils are optional, but great for diagrams
2. Use the restroom/get drinks before class. No passes will be given the first or last 10 minutes of class.
3. You will be counted tardy if you are not in your assigned seat when the bell rings.
4. No talking during tests or quizzes. If you are talking I will assume you are cheating and you will receive a zero
for that test or quiz.
5. Students will stay in their seats until the bell rings.
How to be Successful in This Class
1. Be in class physically and mentally (pay attention!!).
2. Bring materials to class.
3. Read all assigned sections when they are assigned.
4. Take notes and review these notes!!
5. Ask questions and be involved in classroom discussions that are on topic.
6. Do recommended homework and reading assignments…even if it will not be graded!!!!! It is
practice for the test!!!
7. Check the wiki frequently to use the links that supplement what we are covering in class!!!
Student Name (Print): __________________________________________________________________________________________
Student Signature: ___________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________
Parent Signature: ___________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________
Chapters covered in 1st semester Diff Biology:
Ecology:
How do living things interact with each other & their environment?
Chapter 2
Principles of Ecology
2.1 Organisms and Their Relationships
2.2 Flow of Energy in an Ecosystem
2.3 Cycling of Matter
Chapter 3
Communities, Biomes and
Ecosystems
3.1 Community Ecology
(we will not be doing 3.2 and 3.3)
Chapter 4
Population Biology
4.1 Population Dynamics
4.2 Human Population
Chapter 5
Biodiversity & Conservation
5.1 Biodiversity
5.2 Threats to Biodiversity
5.3 Conserving Biodiversity
Cells
Chapter 6
Chemistry in Biology
6.2 just the Enzyme stuff
6.4 The Building Blocks of Life
Chapter 7
Cellular Structure and
Function
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
Cell Discovery and Theory
The Plasma Membrane
Structures and Organelles
Cellular Transport
Chapter 8
Cellular Energy
8.1 How Organisms Obtain Energy
8.2 Photosynthesis
8.3 Cellular Respiration
The textbook used in this class will be Biology, published by Glencoe Science (the “zebra book”). The
textbook is online with many additional resources at http://glencoe.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0078802849/student_view0/ There is a link to this page on the class blog, which you can
access through the LHS web site.
Units and Chapters covered in 2nd semester Diff. Biology:
GENETICS
Chapter 9
Cellular Reproduction
Chapter 10
Sexual Reproduction and Genetics
Chapter 11
9.1 Cellular Growth
9.2 Mitosis and Cytokinesis
9.3 Cell Cycle Regulation
10.1 Meiosis
10.2 Mendelian Genetics
10.3 Gene Linkage and Polyploidy
Complex Inheritance and Human Heredity
11.1 Basic Patterns of Human Heredity
11.2 Complex Patterns of Inheritance
11.3 Chromosomes and Human Heredity
Chapter 12
Molecular Genetics
Chapter 13
Genetics and Biotechnology
12.1 DNA:
12.2
12.3
12.4
The Genetic Material
Replication of DNA
DNA, RNA and Protein
Gene Regulation and Mutation
EVOLUTION
Chapter 15
Chapter 17
Chapter 31
Evolution
Organizing Life’s Diversity
Animal Behavior
15.1 Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
15.2 Evidence of Evolution
15.3 Shaping Evolutionary Theory
17.1 The History of Classification
17.2 Modern Classification
17.3 Domains and Kingdoms
31.1 Basic Behaviors
31.2 Ecological Behaviors
There will be a CRT for both of these units as well as chapter tests.
The textbook used in this class will be Biology, published by Glencoe Science (the “zebra book”). The
textbook is online with many additional resources at http://glencoe.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0078802849/student_view0/ There is a link to this page on the class blog, which you can
access through the LHS web site.
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