AP Biology Syllabus 2012-2013
Teacher: Mr. Bowman
Room: 504
Phone Number: (703) 957-4300
Email Address: ray.bowman@lcps.org
Office Hours: Throughout the course, there may be times when you would like to meet with me outside
of class. I will try to schedule conferencing time during class and during Eagle’s Connect time. However, if
we cannot meet during these times you will need to make an appointment for before or after school.
Students: All students need an opportunity to experience science as a process and not just learn biology as a
collection of unrelated facts. This means that the course should emphasize how scientists use their observations
and readings to ask questions that can lead to new experiments. These experiments build on the work of others
and eventually lead to additional evidence on different topics. This investigative process will be used throughout
this AP Biology course. It is important for students to become excited with discovery as they ask and answer
their own questions about natural/biological phenomena that they see, read about, or experience in the
laboratory and field. In addition, it is critical that students connect new concepts with what they know, with each
connection they help themselves build a solid framework of biological knowledge and scientific know-how. This
framework will help students to enter their future, prepared for whatever may lie ahead of them.
Textbook: Raven and Johnson, Biology, 6th Edition. McGraw-Hill,
2002.
Course Organization
This course is structured around the four big ideas and the enduring understand- ings identified in the
Curriculum Framework. All essential knowledge will be taught and all learning objectives will be addressed
through this curriculum. The course will focus on inquiry-based laboratory work and the use of the seven
science practices in both lab and non-lab activities.
The four Big ideas are:
Big idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
Big idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce
and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
Big idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life
processes.
Big idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex
properties.
Students will be given a copy of the big ideas and enduring understandings to self-monitor mastery of these
major organizing tools. The big ideas and enduring understandings will also be posted in the room. As
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connections are made across big ideas, a line will join the related enduring understandings, visually building a
web of relatedness as the course progresses. The learning objectives will be used as a guide to build the rest of
the class discussions, not as a checklist to be marked off through the year, but as a way to help students learn a
focused amount of biological content with the use of specific scientific process skills. Skills will be practiced
every day, not necessarily all skills every day, but each day at least one skill will be used to introduce the
biological content students study.
Course Materials: You will need the following items EVERY day:
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2” 3-ring binder (or larger)
Duplicating lab notebook (available for purchase through FHS)
1 subject notebook
Pen (black or blue) AND Pencil (with eraser)
You will be required to keep a binder in this class. Students will maintain a laboratory notebook and a
portfolio (binder/journal) throughout the course. In addition to the laboratory notebook, students will
communicate to others in formats such as group presentations, PowerPoint presentations, poster sessions, and
written reports. Communication tools are not only for the laboratory experiences, but represent examples of the
collaboration, reflection, and articulation seen in the course as a whole. Students will use this collection of their
work over time and reflect on the changes they can see in the quality or substance of their work through the year
as they prepare to move into college courses and research experiences in the future. A key feature in the portfolio
will be the requirement for student self-reflection in terms of the science practice skills that they have developed
throughout the year.
Assignments:
Your quarter grade will be calculated by points earned from class activities/assignments, labs, quizzes, tests,
projects and group work. The following is the weight each type of assignment will carry for your overall grade.
Practice (Formative) (Class assignments/ Homework/Some portions of labs)
Summative Assessments (Tests /Projects/Labs)
Total
0%
100%
100% per Quarter
Your grade depends entirely on your performance on Summative Assessments. I will be VERY clear
about which category assignment fall under. Students are expected to complete all assignments, regardless of
point value.
Periodically throughout the quarter you will have the opportunity to check your grades via interim reports. The
grading scale is as follows:
A = 100-90
B = 89-80
C = 79-70
D = 69-60
F = 59 and below
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Additional Information:
BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT RETAKE POLICY
 It is possible to get up to 100% credit on any retaken assessment.
 The following are pre-requisites for any retake:
o No incomplete assignments associated with the standards found on the target assessment
o A rationale for why the assessment needs to be retaken (as assigned by the teacher)
o Evidence of the student’s attempt to reach mastery by completing an extension assignment
at the discretion of the teacher. These may include but are not limited to:

Concept maps

Chapter outlines

Drawing/Diagrams
 Student must be re-assessed on all standards found on original assessment. Format of the retake
is determined by the teacher.
 Limited to one retaken assessment per week
 Every retake requires additional evidence (as determined by the teacher)
 2 weeks prior to the end of the quarter, no retakes allowed
 Retake sessions will occur during set days and times. To participate, a retake request form must
be submitted no less than 48 hours prior to the retake session.
This policy allows the student to demonstrate they have learned specific content even after the related
assessment has been taken for the first time. This prevents one or two bad grades from “ruining” the
overall course grade. This does NOT, however, allow for the student to improve their grade without
completing the coursework assigned by the teacher.
Do as you are asked and you will have every opportunity to succeed!
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CLASSROOM PROCEDURES
Please keep in mind that while you are in Biology class, you are also within the walls of Freedom High School.
Not only are there policies within this room to follow, there are policies for the school and county. These
policies will also be enforced while in class. Please refer to your agenda book for these policies.
Use your time between classes and your lunch to take care of your business (restroom, drink of water). I expect
you to be on time to class every day. Should you be tardy, you will receive a warning the first time. If you are
tardy a second time, you will be issued a pass to attend after school detention. If you do not attend after
school detention, you will be referred to administration. (This is FHS policy).
Finally…please keep our room clean and neat.. It is your responsibility to clean up after yourself, throw trash
away in the trashcan or recycling bin when appropriate, put items back where you found them and contribute
positively to the condition of the room. If you see trash on the floor, you should throw it away…even if you
didn’t put it there. If the class ends and this responsibility has not been taken care of, NO ONE will leave until
it has been. Be the more mature person!
CLASSROOM POLICIES
1. Respect the school, the teachers and substitutes, peers, their property, and most importantly yourself!

Sit up in your chair and do not put your head on the desk. If I have to ask you more than
once to sit up, you will stand.
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Raise your hand to speak in class. Repeated interrupting of others will result in removal from
the classroom.
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Ask before leaving your seat. Refusal to obey this rule will lose you your seat.
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Not respecting others is the fastest way to lose their respect for you
2. Be on-time to class. When the bell has finished ringing, you must be inside the classroom.
 1st tardy = warning
 2nd tardy = 1 after-school detention
 3rd tardy = office referral / parent phone-call
3. Safety procedures must be followed as directed. This is in compliance with the safety contract that
will be signed by both you and your parents. Failure to follow any rule will result in removal from
class/lab and a zero for that assignment.
4. Keep a positive attitude!
Anything stated above is subject to change or revision at the discretion of Mr. Bowman
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Mr. Bowman’s Biology Class – Student/Parent Information Sheet
A Day Classes Due: ______________________
B Day Classes Due: _____________________
Parents/Guardians: Please fill out the information requested. Should you have any questions or
concerns, please write them below or email me at ray.bowman@lcsp.org . Thank you for your time. I
look forward to working with you and your student.
“We have read the information about how class is to be conducted for
Mr. Bowman’s Biology Class. We understand what is required so that the student can
succeed. We (the student and parent/guardian) understand that I (the student) will be
held responsible for my own behavior and schoolwork.”
Student’s Name (print): _____________________________________________________________________
Student’s Signature: __________________________________________________Date: _________________
Student E-mail (print neatly) : _______________________________________________________________
Parent/ Guardian’s Name (print): ______________________________________________________________
Parent/ Guardian’s Signature: ___________________________________________Date: ________________
Parent E-mail (print neatly): _________________________________________________________________
Home Phone(s): ____________________________________________________________________________
Work Phone(s): ____________________________________________________________________________
Cell Phone (s): _____________________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________________
(Over, please!)
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1. What time(s) are best for me to call you? _____________________________________________________
2. What is the BEST way for me to contact you? (circle ALL that apply)
Home Phone
Work Phone
Cell Phone
U.S. Mail
Email
3. Is there anything specific you would like for me to be aware of regarding your child?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Mr. Bowman has my permission to discuss grades (letters and percentages) over email any time during the
school year. (Parents, please initial one.)
_______YES (initial)
_______NO (initial)
Please return this to Mr. Bowman the 2nd day of class. Thank you!
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