AP Biology Syllabus
2013-2014
Mrs. Hamsher
STHS: HTTP://WWW.HANNASD.ORG//DOMAIN/527
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EMAIL: mhamsher@hannasd.org
SCHOOL PHONE: 717-657-5117
REMIND 101: TEXT @hamsherAP TO 484-778-4067 TO GET CLASS REMINDER TEXTS
Welcome to Advanced Placement Biology!
Thank you for embarking on this challenging and rewarding road of discovery with me. AP Biology
is a very demanding, fast-paced and intense college level class. The topics are challenging and for
most people require a big investment in time and thought. Enrolling in AP Biology means that you
are ready to undertake the challenge of learning new study habits as well as new ideas. To succeed
in AP Biology, students must be highly motivated to learn. Reading requirements for the course are
rigorous and require a daily commitment in order to stay caught up in the class. The learning curve
in the first few months will be steep but well worth the climb. Make sure you are able to prioritize
your time and put in the time required for this class. Your success in and enjoyment of this class
will directly reflect the amount of energy and dedication you invest. Together with a lot of hard
work we can all have a fun and successful year in AP Biology. My classroom is always open to you as
a quiet place to study before or after school. I am looking forward to an exciting year of uncovering
new ideas about the world around us.
Advance Placement Biology places an emphasis on making connections between the four big ideas
within the AP Biology Curriculum Framework. The two main goals of AP Biology are to help students
develop a conceptual framework for modern biology and an appreciation of science as a process.
Philosophy
My AP Biology course is designed to actively engage students in the process of science through
class assignments and discussions which lead to discoveries through inquiry based laboratory
experiments. The class is the equivalent of an introductory college level biology course, and it is
designed to prepare students for the AP Biology Exam. I believe the study of biology is important
for everyone to further our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Through new
discoveries, biology is an ever changing course that allows the student to see how the acquisition of
this knowledge can influence future generations. To emphasize this, journal articles and at least
two scientific “novels” will be used to expose students to present day hypotheses and experimental
investigations. Students will be held to high expectations and mature responsibilities just like a
college freshman taking Introduction to Biology including nightly readings and videos.
Communication
Due to the difficult nature of this course it is extremely important that you be proactive about your
learning and your grade. As high school seniors and juniors it is imperative that you learn to speakup and voice your concerns about any class. I am always available before or after school or during
my prep period (appointment needed) to meet with you to work through any difficulties you have.
Please take advantage of this before you are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or completely lost.
Help is always available to those who ask for it.
AP Biology Big Ideas
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.
Objectives
1. Use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific
problems.
2. Use mathematics appropriately to solve problems and analyze experimental data.
3. Engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking and guide investigations.
4. Plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question.
5. Perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence
6. Work with scientific explanations and theories
7. Connect and relate knowledge across various concepts and domains.
Textbook/Materials & Reference Materials
Biology in Focus - AP Biology Edition - Campbell
AP Biology Edition - Campbell & Reece (8th Edition)
2” 3-ring notebook
3 Marble Hardback composition books (1 quad lined (for lab) and 2 regular)
College Board Website for AP Biology – www.collegeboard.org/ap/biology
On-line textbook – www.masteringbiology.com (student access code: SSNAST-WHIFF-RABIC-CLIMB-STAIRTIRES)
Grading
Unit Tests & Free Response Essays- 40%, Labs & Projects – 30%, Chapter quizzes, classwork,
homework, other – 30% (may be adjusted for 4th marking period, advanced notice will be given)
Late Work
Assignments are due at the beginning of the period. Late work will be reduced by 20% for every day
it’s late. No assignments will be accepted past a week late. It is your responsibility to get work and
make it up after you are absent.
Extra Credit
No extra credit will be given per district administration.
Exams
2-3 times each marking period, approximately every 3-4 weeks, a comprehensive exam will be given
which will be 60 multiple choice questions, 2 grid-in questions and 2 free response essays. These
exams will be cumulative in nature. After the first exam, each exam will cover 90 percent new
material, and 10 percent will cover material previously tested. The sixth exam of the year will be
given as the “mid-term exam” and will be a practice AP test (60 m.c. 6 grid-in & 6 FRQs). Exams will
sometimes take two periods and time will be limited just as on the AP Biology Exam.



Mid-term exam grade will be calculated by averaging the first and second marking period grades together.
Students who do not take the AP Exam in May will be required to take a comprehensive final exam that will be
composed of 65 multiple choice questions, 6 grid-in math connection questions, and 6 free response questions,
it will mirror the format of the AP Exam. This examination will constitute ten per cent of the overall grade.
Students that take an AP examination and have a cumulative average of C or better, at the time of AP
examination registration, may opt out of taking the final examination. Exam corrections
Students may make corrections to the multiple choice section of exams (not quizzes) to earn ½ point
back for each question addressed. For every question (all or nothing) answered incorrectly students
must fill out an exam correction form in which they explain in detail why their answer selection was
incorrect and why the correct answer is correct. These corrections must be completed within one
week of test date and ONLY after the student has attended After Hours Tutoring to improve
performance deficiencies.
Quizzes
On average, two quizzes will be given per chapter. Quizzes may vary in format depending on the
topic being covered. The first quiz will evaluate your comprehension of your reading assignment
(open note) and the second will be to help us evaluate areas of weakness that need to be addressed
before the unit exams. If quizzes are not mastered additional assignments may be used to address
areas of weakness.
Lab & Lab Reports
Science is a process and Biology is no exception. The laboratory experience is extremely important
in the AP Biology course and is used to emphasize that biology involves development and testing of
a hypothesis, collection, analysis, and presentation of data, and a clear discussion of results. To
ensure the lab component of the course is met, on average, two out of every four days is devoted to
laboratory work. Students are required to come in to the laboratory prepared and ready to complete
the day’s procedure. To ensure this, students will often be required to complete a pre-lab
assignment that could include a virtual lab from the Lab Bench website, pre-lab questions, or
experimental design components.
Students will be required to utilize various methods to convey the results of our lab experiments.
These will include, but are not limited to, formal lab reports, brief lab reports, lab mini-posters and
analysis questions. A formal lab report will include: title, introduction/background information,
purpose, hypothesis, procedure, data/results, analysis, question and conclusion. Students work in
groups to complete lab procedures, but are responsible for turning in individual lab reports.
Students are encouraged to produce a high quality report and are given a week from the conclusion
of the lab to submit their report.
Homework & Readings
Homework will take many forms and is designed to help with student understanding of the current
unit being studied. Not all assignments will be collected for a grade but rather used for the
development of class discussions or other activities. Homework assignments for each unit include,
but are not necessarily limited to, the following; nightly reading & chapter outlines, completion of
Major Themes Concept Maps, justify why the answers to the “self-quiz” multiple-choice section at the
end of each assigned chapter are correct, answering the “evolution connection” question at the end
of each assigned chapter, web activities, and answering free-response questions which are related to
the unit. Students will also frequently be asked to watch videos, podcasts, and use the on-line
textbook resources on the current topic to build on assigned readings.
Reading the text, as assigned in class, is extremely important for success in this course. There is not
enough time to discuss all the information you are responsible for learning during class time so it is
expected that you will acquire much of this by a careful and consistent reading of the textbook.
Class time will be spent on more difficult concepts, specific questions you have as a result of text
reading or class discussion and lab work. Students are expected to read assigned textbook
reading ahead of lectures to prepare for class discussion and activities. Students will be
required to keep notes in their interactive notebooks on their reading assignments and videos.
Reading guides may be assigned if students struggle with comprehension of material.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS:
1. Come to class prepared to learn each day. This means you have done any required reading of
textbook chapters or lab handouts, and brought all required materials.
2. Come to class alert and ready to ask questions about the topics being covered.
3. Allocate at least one hour daily to study for this course. During this hour, read and take notes
about the text. Write questions about concepts you don’t understand to ask in class the next period.
Review any notes taken during class the day they are taken.
4. Be sure to study in a quiet location, free from as many distractions as possible.
5. Form study groups with 2-3 others in your class. Larger groups are unproductive.
6. When taking notes, don’t write everything you hear being said! Write down key words and
concepts. Listen for catch phrases like “this is important” or “remember this.”
7. When you are truly struggling with a concept, come in for tutoring. I am here to help!
8. Enjoy the experience…biology is a fabulous topic, and we will learn so much this year!
Welcome back, and I hope our year is a successful one!
Mrs. Hamsher
2013 – 2014 Course Outline
All items in the following course outline are subject to additions or deletions as needed.
Days
Essential Questions
Required Reading/videos
Possible
Activities/Materials
Science as a Process

5 days
(additional
days for
exp
design)

How is scientific knowledge
generated and validated?
What is science? How do we
know what to believe in
science??
Pre-requisite Reading
Ch 1-2
Administrative/Paperwork
“Ants that Count” video
Book selection
Mastering biology
BILL set-up :Biology
Interactive Learning Log
Introduction to Inquiry:
Carpet Stain experimental
design lab
8/268/30
-Experimental Design
FRQ Practice
AP Pre-test of Prior
Knowledge
Unit 1 – Biochemistry
(4 weeks)

20 days
(additional
days may
be
necessary
for exp.
design)


9/3 –
10/1

How are biological
molecules necessary for
organisms to grow, to
reproduce, and to maintain
organization?
How do the subcomponents
of biological molecules
determine the properties of
that molecule?
In what ways do DNA and
RNA molecules have
similarities and differences
that define their function?
Molecule Model kits
Ch 3: “Water and the
Fitness of the
Environment”
Properties of Water Lab
Water FRQ
Ch 5: “The Structure and
Function of
Macromolecules”
Carbon Cycle GO/poster
Macromolecule Lab
Ch 8: “An Introduction to
Metabolism
Toothpickase Activity
Ch 41: “Animal Nutrition”
Enzyme Catalyst Lab
Protein FRQ
What interactions between
molecules affect their
structure and function?
Unit 2 - Cells
3
1/2
weeks
Campbell and Reece

16 days
(additional
days may
be
necessary
for exp.
design)


10/210/25



How do conserved cellular
processes support the idea
that all organisms are linked
by lines of descent from
common ancestry?
How do cells create and
maintain internal
environments that are
different from their external
environments?
How do structure and
function of subcellular
components and their
interactions provide
essential cellular processes?
How do cells maintain
dynamic homeostasis by the
movement of molecules
across membranes?
How are external signals
converted into cellular
responses?
How do cells communicate,
transmit, and receive
chemical signals, and how
does signal transmission
within and between cells
mediate gene expression
and cell function?
Diffusion & Osmosis Lab
-S/A & Cell Size
Ch 6: “A Tour of the Cell”
Cell Membrane Model
Ch 27: “Prokaryotes”
Cell Organelle Campaign
CH 7: “Membrane
Structure and Function.
MP3 Tutor/ BioFlix
Ch 42: “Circulation and
Gas Exchange”
Eukaryote/Prokaryote
FRQ
Ch 44: “Osmoregulation
and Excretion”
Cell Membrane FRQ
Cell Transport FRQ
Ch 11: “Cell
Communication”
Ch 45: “Hormones and
the Endocrine System”
Ch 48: “Neurons,
Synapses, and Signaling”
Ch 39: “Plant Responses
to Internal and External
Signals”
Web
X-2 Theme Park Ride
“The Inside Story of Cell
Communication”
“An Example of Cell
Communication: The
Fight or Flight Response”
(video)
Dropping Signals – web
activity
G-protein model
Shh: Silencing the
Hedgehog Pathway –
inquiry-based case study
Unit 3 – Cell Processes: Energy & Cell Cycle
3
15 days
(additional
days may
be
necessary
for exp.
design)


How do biological systems
utilize free energy to grow,
to reproduce, and to
maintain homeostasis?
How do organisms capture,
use, and store free energy?
1/2
weeks
Ch 8: “Introduction to
Metabolism”
Bean Brew – inquirybased case study
Ch 9: “Cellular
Respiration:
Harvesting Chemical
Energy”
Respiration vs.
Photosynthesis Venn
Diagram
Cell Respiration Lab
Ch 10: “Photosynthesis,”
Photosynthesis Lab
10/2811/26
Ch 12: “The Cell Cycle”
Fermentation Lab
Ch 13: “Meiosis and
Sexual Life Cycles”
Respiration &
Photosynthesis Journal
Ch 38: “Angiosperm
Reproduction”
The Immortal Life of
Henrietta Lack (book)
Ch 46: “Animal
Reproduction”
“But I’m Too Young! A
Case Study of Ovarian
Cancer”
Mitosis & Meiosis Lab
Unit 4 – Heredity: From Gene to Protein
8 weeks

39 days
(additional
days may
be
necessary
for exp.
design)


12/3 –
1/31


How do living systems
store, retrieve, and
transmit genetic
information critical to life
processes?
How does the expression
of genetic material control
cell products which, in
turn, determine the
metabolism and nature of
the cell?
What is the relationship
between changes in
genotype and phenotype
and evolution?
How can humans use
genetic engineering
techniques to manipulate
genetic information?
What are ethical issues
raised by the application of
these techniques?
Ch 14: “Mendel and
the Gene Idea”
Ch 15: “The
Chromosomal Basis of
Inheritance”
Ch 16: “The Molecular
Basis of Inheritance”
Ch 17: “From Gene to
Protein”
Punnett Square Problems
Discovery of DNA Scientist
Prezi
Gene to Protein Paper
Simulation
Bacterial Transformation Lab
Restriction Enzyme Lab
DNA analysis Lab
Ch 18: “Regulation of
Gene Expression”
Biotechnology Project
Ch 19: “Viruses”
M&M Chi-Square Lab
Ch 20: “Biotechnology”
DNA model
Ch 21: “Genomes and
Their Evolution”
DNA/ Protein Synthesis FRQ
Transformation FRQ
Unit 5 – Evolution
5 weeks
24 days

(additional
days may
be

necessary
for exp.
design)
2/3 – 3/7

How does evolution by
natural selection drive the
diversity and unity of life?
What scientific evidence
from many disciplines,
including mathematics,
supports models about the
origin of life on Earth and
biological evolution?
How can phylogenetic trees
and cladograms be used to
graphically model
evolutionary history among
species?
Ch 22: “Descent with
Artificial Selection Lab– fast
Modification: A
plants
Darwinian View of Life”
Hardy-Weinberg
Ch 23: “Evolution of
mathematical modeling lab
Populations”
Comparing DNA sequences
Ch 24: “The Origin of
lab
Species”
Speciation Web Activity
Ch 25:The History of
Life on Earth”
Rock pocket mouse case
study
Ch 26:“Phylogeny and
the Tree of Life”
Tree Thinking Investigative
case study
Ch 29: “ How Plants
Colonized Land”
“GEOLogic: The Big Five Mass
Extinctions” web activity
Ch 30: “The Evolution
of Seed Plants”
Ch 32: “An
Introduction to Animal
Diversity”
Ch 47: “Animal
Development”
Unit 6 – Biodiversity & Ecology
6 weeks
42 days

(additional
days may
be

necessary
for exp.
design)
3/104/18

How are growth and
homeostasis of a biological
system influenced by the
system’s environment?
Ch 52: “An
Introduction to
Ecology and the
Biosphere”
How do interactions among
living systems and with
their environment result in
the movement of matter
and energy?
Ch 53: “Population
Ecology”
How do interactions
between and within
populations influence
patterns of species
distribution and
abundance?
Ch 55: “Ecosystems”
Animal Behavior Lab
Dissolved Oxygen Lab
Biome Magazine Project
Ch 54: “Community
Ecology”
Energy Dynamics Lab
Transpiration Lab
Life video series clips
Ch 39: “Plant
Responses to Internal
and External Signals”
Ch 40: “Basic
Principles of Animal

How does human activity
affect the biodiversity of
ecosystems?
Form and Function”
Ch 43: “The Immune
System”
Ch 51: “Animal
Behavior”
3 days
(however
review
questions
&
activities
will be
done
starting in
April)
Review for AP Exam
Exam Monday- May 12, 2014
Year End Project TBA