Making a Useful Review Sheet
Review or summary study sheets are classic study instruments for students in biology. There is
so much information that must be assimilated that weeding out the irrelevant and emphasizing
core information is essential. Study sheets help you organize material in meaningful ways that
are personalized and unique to the way you think. Concept maps are graphical review sheets that
also can be very useful. You can earn up to 8 points for submitting a detailed, organized
review sheet just before you take a major lecture exam in this class. It must be submitted
within 1 minutes of the start of class to be considered for extra credit. If you fear you might not
make it to class in time when it is due, you are always welcome to turn it in early.
A good review sheet has:
 A title at the top with the date and your name
 Comprehensive coverage of all information covered on upcoming exam
 Information drawn from notes, labs, handouts, textbooks, relevant assignments and
homework (especially graded and returned to you)
 Compartmentalization of topics, lectures, and ideas using blank space, borders, color-coding,
etc.
 Logical placement of subjects (chronological, hierarchical) based on how you think
 Organized by bullets, numbering, indentations, color-coding, linking lines, etc.
 Titles of each section that indicate the subject or lecture in that section
 Detailed information at the level which you are required to know
 Highlighted personal problem areas or concepts that you have trouble remembering
 Examples of how to solve problems (and formulas) if relevant
 Little or no exact questions written out from a study test or quiz; be general
 Neat and clean handwriting, big enough to read, straight lines
 Labeled diagrams, lists, charts if relevant
Example of a portion of Review Sheet
Review Sheet for Exam I (Bio 160) 10/15/09- Eric Stavney
Species name is Genus + species adjective
Biology as a Science
Unique Prop Living Things
 Highly ordered and complex
 Made of 1 or more cells
 Adapts and evolves as a population
 Uses energy to maintain order
 Grows by adding on new parts using energy
 Responds to environment using energy
 Reproduces by passing DNA to offspring
 Regulates internal environment (homeostasis)
Levels of Complexity - Emergent properties at
each level
Atomic>molecular>organelle>cellular>tissue>or
gan> organ system> organism> population >
community > ecosystem/ biome > biosphere
Classification/Categorizing Life in hierarchical
categories
3 Domains: Eubacteria (soil, water, disease
bacteria),
Archaea (extreme environ. bact.), Eukarya
(plants, animals, protists, fungi).
Taxon groupings: Domain>Kingdom >Phylum
>Class >Order>Family>
Genus>Species
Evolutionary Theory - pervades all of science
1. Variation in a population
2. More organisms born than can survive
3. Competition between organisms
4. Differential survival based on traits
5. Reproduction largely from survivors or good
competitors
6. Adaptive traits become more common in
subsequent generations (descent with
modification)
Scientific Method used to objectively gather and
weigh evidence: 4 Steps
1. Observations (can use microscope, etc.)
2. Hypotheses (tentative, predictive, and testable
statements)
 Formed by inductive reasoning
 Includes 2 variables: indept., dependent
 Eg. The bigger the X, the lighter the Y; size is
indpt.; color is dept. variables
3. Experimentation (multiple trials and
controlled (constant) variables
4. Conclusion (Eval. hypos based on data)
 Formed by deductive reasoning
 Can only support or reject hypos
Well-tested hypos become theories (gen'l models
for how things work