Biology Honors Syllabus
Course Description:
Biology is the study of living things, their structure, life processes and interactions with their
environment. Students will gain an appreciation for their role in the global ecosystem and
understand the evolutionary forces that gave rise to the diversity of life on Earth. In these
contexts, students will study various aspects of life, from the molecular level all the way up to
the ecosystem level. The laboratory component of the course gives students experience in the
methods and instruments of modern biology. The Honors Biology course will cover the
structure, function and relatedness of living things, at a faster pace and in greater detail than
the College Prep course.
The honors program provides a foundation for those students interested in taking AP Biology in
high school. For this reason, expectations are high and the coursework is demanding. We will
be moving at a fast pace and go into great depth for each topic we will cover. The student is
expected to take responsibility for his or her own mastering the subject when accepting the
challenge of taking the honors level course.
One of the main goals of this class is to help students develop critical thinking and problemsolving skills as well as to encourage students to think “like a scientist,” asking questions rather
than just accepting facts and using the scientific method to answer these questions or solve a
problem. The lab component of this class will serve to foster these skills as students will be
expected to use the scientific method to design their own experiment to solve a given problem.
Supplies Required
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- A 3 ring binder with dividers
A notebook dedicated to labs, such as a composition notebook
- Paper, lined and graph
Expectations
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Students should come to class on time and prepared. Attendance and preparation is
vital to success in class.
Students are to participate in class and be respectful of others.
Homework is expected to be done every day and turned in on time. Homework is
meant to reinforce what is learned in class and prepare for the next day’s class. Late
homework will not be accepted.
In the case of absence, it is the students’ responsibility to see me to turn in homework
checked in their absence and to collect and make up any missed homework. Failing to
do so will result in loss of credit.
Students are to produce their own, original work. This means no plagiarism, no copying
work from other students and working independently unless otherwise permitted. Any
evidence of any of the above will result in loss of credit.
Skills Required
Organizational skills:
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Students are to keep an organized binder with papers kept in neat and chronological
order
Vocabulary words should be defined in a separate area of your binder. Index cards are
strongly recommended. A strong knowledge of the vocabulary terms in Biology is
extremely important in learning the subject.
Study skills:
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Tests and quizzes will be given frequently. There is a strong emphasis on assessment of
progress.
Vocabulary quizzes will be given frequently in order to keep up with the demands of this
course.
Lab skills:
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Students will participate in various labs throughout the year and they will learn the
value of lab work in science.
Biology is a lab course and lab investigations are a required component of Biology
honors. Students must be in lab on time in order to get the most out of it. When absent
with an excuse, it is the students’ responsibility to make up lab if and when it is possible.
Unexcused absences will result in loss of credit with no opportunity to make it up.
Students are expected to follow safety procedures as outlined in the lab safety contract.
Failure to do so will result in not being allowed to participate in lab.
Grading Procedure
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Grades are based on a point system. Grades are calculated by taking the points that are
earned and dividing by the total points available.
Evaluation is based on the following (Please note that point values are subject to
change):
Tests: 100-150 points each
Quizzes: 20-60 points each
Lab reports: 10-20 points
Homework checks: 5-10 points
Various projects: Point values to be determined
Text: Inquiry Into Life
Helpful Resources: ConnectPlus Internet suite
Contact Information:
Email: mlevine@glenridge.org
Phone: (973) 429-8300, ext. 2317
Note: Email is the easiest way to contact me and I will do my best to respond quickly to any
questions or concerns.
Course of Study
I.
Unit: Ecology
Readings:
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Textbook chapters 33-37
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Ecological interactions – biotic vs. abiotic
Behavior ecology – innate vs. learned and the role of natural selection
Population dynamics – growth and limitations/regulations
Communities and ecosystems – energy flow, nutrient cycles, relationships and
impact on evolution
Biomes – climate and its effects on representative species, adaptations
Human influences – positive and negative
Topics:
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Activities:
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Observe ecological succession in a pond water ecosystem and determine the effect of
changes in abiotic factors on the community.
Design an experiment to test the effects of acid rain and detergent on seed germination.
Study the growth characteristics of a yeast population.
Model the affect of various abiotic factors and pollution on Eagle populations.
Construct a model biome and describe characteristic climate and organisms and present
“Identify the Biome” review game
Create a food web using given lists of organisms
II. Unit: Biochemistry
Readings:
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Textbook: Chapter 2
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Basic chemistry – atoms, bonding, reactions,
Polarity of water and its importance to biological systems
Carbon’s role in the molecular diversity of life
Topics:
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Organic compounds – Form Fits Function in proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and
nucleic acids
Activities:
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Observe and distinguish physical and chemical changes.
Determine the pH of common materials and relate them to relative acidity/alkalinity.
Create an organizational chart to differentiate the four classes of organic compounds
Identify organic compounds in foods by standard laboratory tests and identify the
organic compound present in unknown solutions
Construct molecular models of organic compounds, modeling dehydration synthesis and
hydrolysis.
Test the effects of temperature and pH on the effectiveness of enzymes
III. Unit: Cell Structure and Function
Readings:
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Textbook: Chapters 3-8
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Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic cells – evolutionary connection
Cell structures/organelles and function – protein factory
The plasma membrane – Form Fits Function
Modes of cellular transport – passive vs. active
Mitosis and The Cell Cycle – significance of regulation
Meiosis – sources of variation and inheritance
Energy transformations – the roles of ATP, enzymes and redox reactions
Photosynthesis – the chloroplast, the reactions and energy flow
Cellular respiration – the mitochondria, aerobic vs. anaerobic respiration
Topics:
Activities:
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Prepare wet mount slides and conduct microscopic comparisons of plant and animal
cells and their structures.
Construct a model “plasma membrane” and observe the processes of osmosis and
diffusion
Design an experiment to test the permeability of plastic sandwich bags to various
solutes, such as iodine, starch and glucose.
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Using phenolphthalein agar or potatoes, observe the relationship between diffusion
efficiency and cell surface area.
Separate and identify plant pigments using paper chromatography.
Observe turgor and plasmolysis in plant cells with the aid of the microscope.
Design an experiment to measure and record the effect of variables on the rate of
photosynthesis using the spinach-leaf technique.
Measure the release of energy from monosaccharides as indicated by temperature
increase in a yeast culture.
Observe the process of mitosis in prepared slides of plant and animal cells.
Prepare and analyze slides of growing onion root tips to determine the relative amount
of time cells spend in each phase of the cell cycle.
Using yarn or bead “chromosomes,” model the processes of mitosis and meiosis and
compare the genetic makeup of the daughter cells to that of the original cell.
IV. Genetics
Readings:
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Textbook: Chapters 23-26
Teacher-selected journal articles
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Mendel and his experiments in heredity – Patterns of inheritance
Predicting genetic outcomes – Punnett squares, pedigree charts and karyotyping
Gene linkage and mapping
Mutations and chromosomal abnormalities – causes and results, evolutionary
significance
DNA structure – discovery, Form Fits Function and replication
Protein synthesis – transcription and translation
Regulation of gene expression – prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic
Biotechnology and its applications
o Recombinant DNA and GMO’s
o DNA fingerprinting
o Applications – industrial, medical, agricultural
o Bioinformatics
o Evolutionary significance
Topics:
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Development of an organism from the embryo– regulation, role of gene expression
and stem cells
Activities:
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Use Punnett Squares to predict the outcome of monohybrid and dihybrid crosses.
Use coins to simulate gametes and allelic segregation in one and two factor crosses.
Analyze and create gene maps based on cross-over frequencies
Extract DNA from common materials (kiwi, bacteria, strawberries, etc.).
Using paper and/or bead models, simulate the processes of DNA replication,
transcription and translation.
Prepare a karyotype and examine it for genetic defects.
Construct and interpret a human pedigree.
Solve a hypothetical mystery using simulated blood typing.
Complete web-based simulated lac operon activity.
Prepare a recombinant paper DNA plasmid using restriction enzymes to produce sticky
ends and DNA ligase to recombine the DNA fragments.
Carry out gel electrophoresis of dyes to separate the mixed colors.
Create a prezi presentation on the applications of DNA technology
Create a genetics portfolio of the student and family, following family inheritance of
various traits.
V. Unit: Evolution
Readings:
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Textbook: Chapter 27
Teacher-selected journal articles
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Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection and descent with modification
Evidence for evolution – molecular and morphological analyses
Microevolution – Hardy-Weinberg Laws of Genetic Equilibrium
Macroevolution and Speciation – role of isolating mechanisms, molecular changes
Phylogeny and systematics
Topics:
Activities:
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Construct a concept map outlining the formation of life on Earth and the early
evolutionary steps
Make “fossils” out of everyday items.
Determine evolutionary relationships among diverse organisms based on amino acid
sequence in hemoglobin and cytochrome c.
Prepare and observe coacervates and microspheres.
Research/Writing assignment: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”
Given a set of environmental conditions, create a fictitious organism and describe
the adaptations it has developed to survive in its environment
Predict and observe changes in allelic frequencies in model gene pools based on
selective pressures.
Use the Hardy-Weinberg equation to predict genotype and phenotype frequencies
in future generations of a given population.
Design and conduct an experiment to measure allelic frequencies of a plant
population and its evolution
Construct a phylogenetic tree based on genetic changes and divergences as
determined by chance selections
VI. Unit: Diversity of Life
Readings:
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Textbook: Select sections of chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 12, 14, and 15
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Basic characteristics and evolutionary history of bacteria, viruses, protists, fungi,
plants and animals
Primate evolution – from the earliest hominids to modern humans
Human systems – the digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory systems
Topics:
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Activities:
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View the presentation: “Walking with Cavemen” and answer question sets.
Research the mechanisms by which HIV and other human viruses infect cells.
Investigate the effectiveness of antibacterial soaps against common hand bacteria.
Microscopically examine and identify representative protists.
Examine mushrooms and bread mold using stereoscopes and microscopes.
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Dissect a variety of flowers and identify parts.
Create a pamphlet/brochure on the different types of plants
Dissection of a fetal pig, examining the digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory
systems.
Measure vital capacity of students’ lungs.
Observe prepared slides of blood cells.
Perform simulated blood typing.
Measure blood pressure and heart rates of students.