June 12, 2014
Dear Honors Biology Student and Parents,
Hello! We are pleased that you have chosen to take Honors Biology next year. There are
TWO summer homework assignments that you will need to complete prior to the first day of
class. As an Honors student, you must complete “Outreach Hours” each quarter during the
school year, including 9 hours of biology related activities during the summer. That is really
just one hour a week! Students will write a paper describing their activities and how they relate
to Biology. You will need to fill in the attached chart with the date, description, and signature for
each activity. The second assignment is to read a biography about a researcher in the field of
genetics, biotechnology, or another field of Biology. Then, complete the researcher email
assignment as a way for you to report out what you have learned. BOTH assignments will be due
by the first day of school, September 2nd. (If you would like to hand in the assignment before
September 2nd, you can email them to either of us or mail it to AHS. However, please bring a
hard copy of both assignments the first day of school in case the originals did not make it to us.)
If you do not have signatures for all 9 hours or do not complete BOTH assignments,
then you will be removed from the Honors level. You will be placed in Earth Science if you
are a freshman or in Biology A if you are a sophomore. If, during the year, you fail to live
up to your Honors agreement, you will be removed from the Honors level at that time. We
have also attached a handout that lists many ideas for the types of activities that could be
completed. (The list is only a starting point for your biology explorations.) Plus, we have also
included a book list for the biography assignment. You should think of these assignments as an
opportunity to explore different topics or activities in the Biology related field that interests you.
Many opportunities and challenges await you in Honors Biology. They may include labs in
which you control the variables, or book reports or article summaries “from the front lines of
science!” Written lab reports will be an important part of your grade this year. If you are
interested in competing in the NH Science Fair this year or the FFA competitions as a Junior or
Senior, please talk with Mrs. Dunn about this at the start of the school year. Be sure that your
math matches the biology requirements. You should be taking Geometry or Algebra II while
taking biology since chemistry the following year requires that you have taken or be taking
Algebra II. If you drop from Geometry to Algebra I over the summer or early in the fall, you will
be removed from Honors Biology as well.
We enjoy teaching biology because it is the study of life. Topics will range from cell
structure and chemical make-up to the way organisms composed of cells interact with the
environment. Some additional topics may include cell reproduction, DNA structure and
replication, evolution, biotechnology, microbiology, and genetics. Do not panic! Even though
Biology may seem complex at times, we hope that you will be fascinated by this topic and how it
applies to your life, rather than just about memorizing the facts. We are looking forward to
seeing you in the fall.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Dunn (mdunn@sau81.org)
Ms. Sabean (rsabean@sau81.org)