Course Title
Faculty Member
Faculty email:
Tutoring hours
Advanced Placement Biology
Dr. Cindy Vindman
Cindy.Vindman@bisd.net
Tue/Wed 7:45-8:15 room C18 BHSMC
Mon Wed 3:25-3:45 room 108 BHSN
Course Overview
AP Biology is a rigorous course designed to transition high school students to a college level educational
experience. The course is structured around four big ideas: 1) The process of evolution drives the diversity
and unity of life; 2) Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to
reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis; 3) Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to
information essential to life processes; and 4) Biological systems interact, and these systems and their
interactions possess complex properties. These themes serve as common threads that are repeated
throughout the course to allow students multiple opportunities to connect the enduring understandings and
essential knowledge within each Big Idea to the other big ideas. In addition, the course will include
advanced level inquiry based laboratory exercises as recommended by the College Board. Additional
exercises will be included to allow a thorough development of science process skills in preparation to take
the College Board’s AP Biology Exam for potential college credit.
Investigative Laboratory Component
The course is also structured around inquiry in the lab and the use of the seven science practices throughout
the course. Laboratory experiences will make up a minimum of 25% of instructional time. The 53 days are
devoted directly to lab experience out of 174 instructional days, which equals 31% of the time. Students
will be regularly engaged in student-directed inquiry based laboratory investigations and conduct 11 of the
AP Biology Investigative Labs recommended by the College Board. This will allow them to conduct at
least two inquiry-based labs per big idea. Additionally, students perform frequent, short investigations
within a hands-on, discovery-based environment to enhance their understanding of the enduring
understandings and essential knowledge within each big idea and to allow further application of the seven
science practices.
Communication Skills and Lab Reporting
Students will prepare and maintain an on-going lab notebook reflecting data collected during the lab
portion of the course. Students are expected to create graphical representations of data and to communicate
the findings for their investigations through 4 -6 formal lab reports. The formal lab reports are expected to
include background information, purpose, hypothesis, materials, methods, recorded data in tables, graphs of
data and formal conclusions. The labs schedule for formal lab write up are indicated in the schedules for
each 9 weeks. For six additional AP Biology Investigative Labs, students will also prepare graphical
summaries including written conclusion statements, journaling and oral presentations of mini-posters.
Students will be expected to prepare written summaries, text, and topical articles throughout the units of
instruction.
Required Course Materials and Supplies



Composition notebook
3 ringed binder with college ruled paper.
Students will be provided the text “Biology in Focus” AP edition
Grading Policies
Minor Grades 25% Major Grade 75%
Major Grades include Formal Lab Reports, Investigational Lab Products and Unit tests.
Minor Grades include homework, case studies and other in class assignments
Retakes & Re-dos of Assignments
Students will be allowed to redo an assignment or retake an examination for which the student originally
made a failing grade up to five days after the grade has been posted.
Make-Up Work due to Absences
Students will receive the number of days the student was absent to complete and submit make-up work.
If you are absent the class period before a test, you are still expected to test with the class unless there are
extenuating circumstances. You are also expected to turn in long-term projects on the due date, even if
absent the period before.
Progress Reports
Progress reports will be issued every three weeks to every student. Pre-AP and AP courses will provide a
minimum of 6 minor and 3 major grades in a 9-week grading period.
Schedule
At the beginning of each 9 weeks you will be provided with a schedule that outlines the topics to be
covered. This schedule includes the dates for the unit tests. Please be mindful of this schedule as you
consider your other obligations.
Peer Study Groups
I strongly encourage you to create peer study groups outside of class. I am available to help with the
development of your study strategies. Small group review and reiteration of course material are powerful
strategy that I hope you will continue during your post-secondary education.
Grading
period
1st 9 weeks
Unit Topic
With Enduring
Understandings
(EU)
Biochemistry
EU 2A, 4A, 4B
Approximate
Number of Days
And Test Date
14 days
Test Date: 9/15
Reading: Ch. 1-4
1st 9 weeks
Cells
EU 2A, 2B, 2E, 3D, 4
11 days
Test Date: 9/29
Focal Lab Activities
(Bold = AP Investigative
Lab)
Related Case
Studies
Lab: Enzyme
Activity
(4 days)
Biochemistry Lab (1
day)
Lab: Diffusion and
Osmosis
(4 days)
Oh what a
difference a
Carbon can make
Lab: Cellular
Respiration (3
days)*with lab report
reqrd
Lab: Photosynthesis
(3 days) * lab report
reqrd
The mystery of
the seven deaths
Osmosis is
serious business
Reading Ch 4 & 5
1st 9 weeks
Cellular Respiration
EU 2A
8 days
Test date: 10/9
Reading Ch 6 &7
Photosynthesis
EU 2A
7 days
Test Date: 10/20
Reading Ch 8
DNA
EU 3A
nd
2 9 weeks
Reading Ch 13
DNA
EU 3A
3 days
Lab: Restriction
Enzyme Analysis of
DNA (2 days)
4 days
test Date: TBD
Lab: Restriction
Enzyme Analysis of
DNA (2 days)
Classic experiments in
Molecular Biology