June 8, 2015
Hello AP Biology Students!
Hooray! You have enrolled in AP Biology. We will study many of the same topics that
you learned about in first year biology, but in greater detail. Our topics of study will
include: biological molecules, cell structure and function, membranes, enzymes and
metabolism, respiration and photosynthesis, nucleic acids and protein synthesis,
genetics, evolution, ecology, and selected animal and plant systems. It will be a fun
journey.
It is always a challenge to complete the AP Biology coursework before testing season
begins in May. Therefore, I have decided to ask you to complete a summer assignment
to help you get ready for our busy year in AP Bio.
The summer assignment includes reading and annotating chapter 2 of our textbook,
and completing questions related to the reading. The chapter reviews basic concepts in
chemistry, as well as the structure and properties of water. Reviewing this content will
support our study of biology and help us get off to a quick start in the fall. The summer
assignment should take you about 1 to 1 ½ hours a day for 4 days. I don’t suggest
trying to do it all in one day. I guarantee that will make your brain hurt!
The due date and deadline for summer work will be Wednesday, September 2.
This is a mandatory formative assessment. There will be a summative assessment
of the chapter on Wednesday, September 9, 2015.
If you have any questions about the summer assignment, you can email me at
Virginia_J_Folsom@mcpsmd.org. I am looking forward to getting to know each of you.
Have a good summer.
Sincerely,
Dr. Folsom
Note: If I miss you before the end of school, or if you lose your copy of the
textbook chapter, you can email me with your mailing address and I will arrange
for a copy to be sent to you by USPS mail.
Virginia_J_Folsom@mcpsmd.org