Ms. O’Reilly
Room 314
Email: Tara-Lynn.OReilly@sd41.bc.ca
Teaching is not a profession, it is a passion.
WELCOME TO BIOLOGY 12 Advanced Placement
Ever wonder how our cells communicate to each other, how hormones and proteins are created,
how genetic differences arise, or how we create energy? This is all a part of Biology 12 AP. I
am looking forward to sharing my enthusiasm and passion for Biology with you. My goal is to
encourage your curiosity and make each student a successful learner, because learning is
discovering something is possible.
Biology 12 AP is an exciting, thought provoking, and rewarding course. The content is enriched
from the regular Biology 12 with the addition of various Advanced Placement (AP) Biology
topics. Together we will explore subject matter emphasizing Cell Biology, Cell Processes and
Applications, Biochemistry, and Human Biology. Those students who wish to prepare for the AP
Biology exam in May will have access to further resources and materials, as necessary.
 Goals:
 To treat everyone with respect and dignity in and out of the classroom.
 To learn and practice scientific skills and techniques and engage in science experiments.
 To learn scientific ideas and discoveries and to determine how they are useful/apply what
you have learned to real life.
 To respect and practice safety procedures.
 To approach science in a hands-on and creative manner, be able to set up labs and
complete inquiry based assignments and perhaps most importantly, to ask questions
and engage in conversations.
 To gain more of an appreciation and enthusiasm for biology.
 Classroom Guidelines:
 Respect (yourself, others, the classroom, and learning)
 No food or drinks
 No iPods, MP3s or CD players (Discmans or walkmans if you are old school)
 No cell phone misuse (**No Texting**/No Angrybirds/No Drawsomething/CandyCrush)
 Homework and Assignment Policies:
 All labs and assignments are due at the BEGINNING of class. Labs will be due the next
time we day we have class (unless indicated otherwise). For example, lab conducted
Monday in class will be due Wednesday.
 Please check the class’ homework website located on the school’s homepage:
http://msoreilly.wordpress.com/
What is important is to keep learning, enjoy challenge and accept ambiguity.
-Martina Horner
 Lates and Absences:
Please make every effort to be on time; the beginning of each class is often the most important
providing instructions for the lesson as they prepare you for the upcoming assignments/tests.
 If you are absent for a class you must bring in a note/email from your parents or guardian
validating your absence. If you do not show me a note before our next class a phone call
home will be made. It is your responsibility to get the notes and information that you
missed.
 Please check our class’ homework website for assignments. This can be found on the
school’s homepage: http://msoreilly.wordpress.com/ (or on the school website)
 If you are away during a test, a note is required the following class. If your absence is
legitimate, you will write the test the week you return back to school. If you do not
provide a note you will receive a zero for that test, and a phone call home will be made
from you and I both.
 Cheating:
 Cheating and plagiarism are unacceptable. If you cheat, you will be given a zero on the
assignment or test, there will be a note on your permanent school record, and a phone call
home will be made immediately.
Materials To Bring Each Class:
Binder (with a lot of lined paper), textbooks, a pen and pencil, ruler and a calculator (when
necessary).
Textbooks:
1.)Campbell, Neil A., Jane B. Reece, and Lawerence G. Mitchell. Biology,
Ontario: Benjamin/Cummings-Addison Wesley Longmac Inc., 1999.
th
ed.
2.)Mader, Slyvia S. Inquiry into Life. 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000.
3.)Pack, P. Cliffs Advanced (AP) Placement Biology. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley
Publishing Inc., 2001.
Recommend purchasing: Golberg, D. (2013). Barron’s The Leader in Test Preparation AP
Biology. Cedarhurst, New York.
A Note on Labs:
This science course will provide students with the opportunity to perform laboratory dissections
involving preserved specimens. Students always have the choice to opt out of such activities, but
you may be required to complete an alternative learning activity (virtual lab, watch a video, or an
alternate task). Although, I want to emphasize the value of the hands-on experience, I completely
respect the right for students to choose and you will not be penalized for choosing the alternative
activity.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
-Aristotle
 Marks and Evaluation:
Tests and Quizzes:
Assignments:
-homework
-labs
-projects
-novel study
Research Paper:
60%
30%
10%
The year is divided into three terms, and our scores will be recorded
cumulatively. There will be a midyear exam to help you prepare for
the AP exam in May. This midyear will be worth 20% of your term
two grade. The date will be provided at least two weeks prior to the
test, and the date is something that we will decide on as a class
** Optional Tests:
-AP Biology Exam (May)
-University of Toronto National Biology Contest (May)
“I” Reports

Everyone will be given an individual report two weeks prior to the terms ending. This
will allow you to see how you are doing and a breakdown of your scores to date.
Grades for term marks will be assigned according to the following guidelines:
Letter Grades
Work Habits
A
86-100%
G:
B
C+
C
73-85%
67-72%
60-66%
C-
50-59%
Assignments well done and
turned in on time. Good conduct.
S:
Satisfactory work habits.
N:
Needs improvement.
Assignments not
complete or late.
Unsuitable conduct.
I
0-49%
*”I” means no credit is given for the course until the mark is raised.
Helpful Websites (also found on the homework site)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-biology
http://biology.about.com/od/apforstudents
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/maderinquiry/studpage.html
www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams/search
http://biocomp.utoronto.ca/
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/2117.html
Final Note:




The course has changed in the last few years and now focuses more on inquiry,
exploration and ability to interpret, analyze and apply data, graphs and lab scenarios
AND less on content and memorization. The exam can include Biology 11 content,
Biology 12 content and Biology 12 AP content. Although we have missed a few weeks
in September, I truly believe that together we will be successful and for those that choose
to write the AP exam we will try our best to compensate for lost time and ensure you are
successful on the exam. 
AP exams are subject to fee (~$120) and are written in May.
The exam is scored out of FIVE. Scores of FOUR or FIVE will make you eligible to
bypass first-year biology courses at most post-secondary institutions (some will accept
scores of THREE as well).
Last years’ students did very well and credit the course’s preparation, but more
importantly worked hard to achieve their desired goals.
Believe it or not, lack of excellence has nothing to do with talent, personality, conditions, or luck.
Excellence is always a choice. Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high
intention sincere effort, intelligent direct and skilful execution. It represents the wise choice
of many alternatives.
-Willa A. Foster
Biology 12: Course Outline
Part One (Mader/Cheetah Textbook)
Topic
Chapter from Mader Textbook
Cell Biology
-Cell Structure
-Cell Compounds
-Biological molecules/Chemistry
-DNA
-Chapter 3
-Chapter 2
-Chapter 2
-Chapter 23/24
**Campbell Textbook Ch. 2-6
Cell Processes and Applications
-Protein Synthesis
-Cellular Transport
-Enzymes
-Chapter 25
-Chapter 4
-Chapter 5
**Campbell Textbook Ch. 2-6
Human Biology
-Digestive System
-Cardiovascular System
-Respiratory System
-Nervous System
-Urinary System
-Reproductive System
-Lymphatic System
-Chapter 12
-Chapter 13
-Chapter 15
-Chapter 17
-Chapter 16
-Chapter 21
-Chapter 14
Biology 12 Advanced Placement: Course Outline
Part Two (Additional AP Course Content that will be on the AP Exam)
Topic
Chapter from
Campbell Textbook
The Cell
-Cellular Respiration
-Photosynthesis
-Cell Communication
-The Cell Cycle (Mitosis)
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Genetics
-Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles
-Mendel and the Gene Idea
-The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
-**The Molecular Basis of Inheritance
-**From Gene to Protein
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Mechanisms of Evolution
-Descent with Modification
-The Evolution of Populations
-The Origin of Species
-Tracing Phylogeny
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Ecology
-An Introduction to Ecology
and the Biosphere
-Population Ecology
-Community Ecology
-Ecosystems
-Conservation Biology
Chapter 50
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Additional Topics: Kingdom Fungi and Protista
I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand. If you study
to remember, you will forget. If you study to understand, you will remember.