**AP Biology**
Course Syllabus
Course Description
AP Biology is a course is designed for students that have a
strong interest in, or desire to pursue a career in the sciences.
The AP Biology course is designed to offer students topics that
are covered in a freshman Biology course at the university level.
Students accepting the challenge of an advanced placement
course will be REQUIRED to actively participate in all lectures
and laboratory activities that are conducted during the year. Due
to the length of time required in lab, some labs may be held
before school, after school, and / or on weekends and
attendance is MANDATORY!
Student Requirement
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. Exams generally cover 3-4 chapters in the text and will be
administered approximately every 2 weeks, depending on the
content covered and the number of labs covered during the unit.
Required Materials
-
Textbook: Mader, Sylvia S. Biology. Blacklick, OH: McGraw-Hill. 9th edition 2007
AP Laboratory Manual – 1997 or 2001 edition [you may purchase online if you wish to write in book]
180 pg. spiral bound notebook
Carbon copy sheets [to be used for class work duplication]
Graph paper, plastic sheet protectors
Ink pen, pencil, eraser, scientific calculator, white board marker
AP Biology Test Preparation Booklet, various publishers
Evaluation / Grading of student work
Laboratory Experiences
Students will work individually or in small groups. Students will be required to write laboratory evaluations/reports consistent
with teacher defined criteria. Grades assigned laboratory reports will constitute a large percent of the students’ grade.
Examinations
Students will be administered unit examinations, various practical examinations, and a semester final examination.
Examinations will include essay questions. Grades received will constitute the major proportion of the students’ grade.
Supplementary Materials
Students will be given a wide range of support materials. These are designed to aid students in their mastery of the subject
matter and will secondarily influence their grade.
Students will submit a research paper following a strictly prescribed form and presentation format. This assignment will constitute a
portion of the students’ grade.
Class Notebook
Students will be expected to maintain a notebook in which class notes, assignments and materials are kept. Student
organization will be noted.
Laboratory Performance
Students will be observed and evaluated in their ability to execute safety procedures and the proper use of equipment, skill in
lab and dissection technique.
Participation – all students are required to participate in class daily. Participation points will be awarded.
Homework 1 – On Lecture days:

1 page review/ summary of the text covered on that lecture day.
Handwritten, carbon copy duplicate – 50 pts
2 - Assigned night before labs:
Create a lab flow chart and statement of background & purpose of lab.
Front side of page – flow chart
Back side of page – 1 paragraph statement of lab purpose & background
Purpose & background – no less than 6 sentences including an explanation of concepts necessary to
understand lab and statement of what you are expected to learn during this lab.



3 - Post Lab :
Answer any / all analysis questions. Place at end of lab report.
Compose handwritten lab report including:
- 50 pts
A. background [abstract] written before lab
B. purpose, problem, hypothesis
C. Procedure. Materials [can be excerpt from lab]
D. data & written observations
E. analysis & conclusion
Course grades are calculated on a weighted scale [stated below] and administered according to the following standards:
A 95 – 100, A- 90 – 94
Homework – 10 %
B+ 87 – 89, B 83 – 86, B- 80 – 82
Class work, Quizzes – 5%
C+ 77 – 79, C 73 – 76, C- 70 – 72
D+ 67 – 69, D 63 – 66, D- 60 – 62
Tests – 50%
F 59 and below
Participation / Attendance – 5%
Final Exam – 10%
Lab write ups, Lab exams, Major projects – 20%
II.
COURSE OUTLINE
Strategies
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
Lecture – Focus on unifying themes of evolution, the importance of each
concept with regards to ecosystem function. Explanations at the basic level
lead the students to macroscopic conclusions
Discussion – Teacher led & Student Led discussion
Laboratory Activities – All Labs require use of the Scientific process for
successful completion.
Demonstration- Teacher led
Visual Aids – Overhead projector, DVD, Video
Internet & Library Research Computer Assisted Instruction – CD ROM presentations, Virtual Labs
Guest Speakers - Santa Ana Zoo
Field Studies – Santa Ana Zoo, On Campus Field, Insect Collections
Additionally, field studies are used to support student learning that all
components in nature are interdependent and make connections to the use of
science, technology and society for solutions to threats to the natural balance
of each system.
Field studies integrate the observation and discussion of organism and
molecular structure as a basis for function individually, or as part of a system.
Assessments are all Content based, including multiple choice & Free Response
Questions. All modeled after AP College Board Released Exams.
K.
Duration
Tutorial & Review - 30 minutes, 4 days a week tutorial time is built in to the
school schedule for the students to use for lab data collection, review for
exams and data analysis.
 Approximately 30% of instructional time is dedicated to Lab activity days, not including
days designated to Lab data analysis and discussion.
 Lab materials are supplied by school for students to construct required lab devices.
 Students participate in several field studies requiring them to step outside of the lab and
use the scientific process. See labs section below for details
 After completion of these studies they compose a formal lab report.
 Formal Lab reports require the following elements :
 Abstract / background introduction, problem, hypothesis, procedure, data collection &
analysis, Conclusion. All data is required to be placed in a graph and an accompanying
written graphical analysis is required.
 Additionally students participate in Molecular Biology Lab through Amgen Corporation
that allows them 2 weeks utilizing cutting edge biotechnology.
 Students are assigned lab groups periodically. Lab Groups consist of 4 students per
group. They are then required to delegate lab responsibilities and produce a community
product exemplifying scientific publication.
 Individual research and field study is required during the school year. This is evaluated
by student led instruction presentations.
*********************************************************************************************************
a. Definition of life
b. Organization of Biosphere
c. Organization of living things
d. Science as an Inquiry Process
1 week
Readings
Ch 1 Textbook
Classwork / Activities
Labs
Writing about graphs
Learning & repetition Maze Lab
Graphing skills lab
Science process lab – “Quicker pickerupper”
Formal Lab Report exemplifying mastery of
Scientific Inquiry Process
Lab Component
**************************************************
A Overview of Life, Science Process
Assessment
Unit 1
Molecules and cells
1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Biological chemistry
Review of atoms, molecules, bonding, pH, water
Carbon, functional groups
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
Chemical reactions, free-energy changes, equilibrium
Enzymes: coenzymes, cofactors, rates of activity, regulation
2.
Cells
a.
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
b.
Plant and animal cells
c.
Structure and function of cell membranes
d.
Structure and function of organelles, sub-cellular components of motility,
cytoskeleton
e.
Cell cycle: mitosis, cytokinesis
3.
a.
b.
c.
Energy transformations
ATP, energy transfer, coupled reactions, chemiosis
C and C photosynthesis
Glycolysis, fermentation, aerobic respiration
Duration
4 weeks
Readings
Chapters 2-8 in textbook
Classwork / Activities
Chapter Summary 1 page
Writing about graphics: Describing Enzyme
& Biochemical diagrams
Online Chapter Quizzes
Reviewing the Chapter Questions from Text
Labs
AP Lab 1 – Diffusion and Osmosis
AP Lab 2 – Enzyme Catalysis
AP Lab 4 – Plant pigments and
Photosynthesis
AP Lab 5 – Cell Respiration
Assessment
Multiple Choice – 3 exams, 4 Free
Response Questions
 Biological chemistry
 Cells
 Energy transformations
Unit 2
Genetics
1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Molecular genetics
DNA; structure and replication
Eukaryotic chromosomal structure, nucleosomes, transposable elements
RNA; transcription RNA editing, translation
Regulation of gene expression
Mutations
Recombinant DNA, DNA cloning, hybridization, DNA sequencing
DNA and RNA viruses
2.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Heredity
Meiosis
Mendel’s laws, probability
Inheritance patterns: chromosomes, genes, alleles; interactions
Human genetic defects
Chi Squared analysis
Duration
6 weeks
Readings
Chapter 9-15 in textbook
Amgen – Bruce Wallace Biotechnology
Manual
Internet research – Chi Square definition
Classwork / Activities
Online Quiz for each chapter
Chapter summary – 1 page
NIH Nature of Caner Activity
Meiosis vs. Mitosis Video
Human Life Cycle Reading & Worksheets
Biotechnology Pre & Post Lab Worksheets
Practice Problems – Chi Square & Hardy
Weinberg equilibrium
NIH Publication - Human Genetics,
Karyotyping, Chromosomal Mapping &
Pedigrees “Tracing genetic disorders”
AP Lab 3 – Mitosis and Meiosis
Molecular Biology & Biotechnology ‘AmgenBruce Wallace Lab’ - 5 daysincludes cloning, PCR, electrophoresis,
bacterial transformation and protein
purification.
Chi Squared- M&M Lab- evaluation of lab
hypothesis and result
AP Lab 7 – Statistical Analysis Section,
Using Chi Square
AP Lab 8 – Population Genetics and
Evolution
Labs
Assessments
Unit 3
Evolution
Formal Lab Report – Biotechnology
2 – multiple choice & Essay exams
3.
Evolution
a.
Origin of life
b.
Evidence for evolution
c.
Natural selection
d.
Hardy-Weinberg principle, factors influencing allelic frequencies
e.
Speciation: isolating mechanisms, allopatry, sympatry, adaptive radiation
f.
Patterns of evolution, gradualism, punctuated equilibrium
g. Taxonomy, phylogenetic trees, systematics and classification systems
Duration
3 weeks
Readings
Chapter 17 – 20 Textbook
Origin of Life readings – PBS Publication
PBS Origin of Life ‘Evolution’ Video
demonstrations, labs and classroom
activities
Evidence for evolution timeline construction
Examination & classification of Fossils
Examination of Biogeographical Evidence
for evolution & speciation
Radioactive Dating
Classwork / Activities
Labs
Assessment
Unit 4
Microbiology and Evolution
2 multiple choice exams, 4 Free Response
Questions
Principles of taxonomy and systematics, phylogeny, Domain & Kingdom system
Survey of Bacteria, protista and fungi
Duration
2 weeks
Readings
Chapter 21 – 23 textbook
Classwork / Activities
Classification Lab Stations
Design a plankton Lab activity
Bacteria Microscope Survey
Fungi & Protist Survey
Fungi Growth & Reproduction Lab
Labs
Assessment
Lab Practical – Identification & discussion of
microbiology significance, cladogram
construction
Multiple Choice Exam, 2 Free Response
questions
Unit 5
Plants
Evolution, structure, function
a.
Diversity; classification, phylogeny, adaptations to land; alternation of generations
in moss, fern pine and flowering plants
b.
Structure and physiology of vascular plants
c.
Seed formation, germination, growth in seed plants
d.
Hormonal regulation of plant growth
e.
Plant responses to stimuli: tropisms, photo-periodicity
Duration
4 weeks
Readings
Chapters 24-28
Classwork / Activities
Plant Book Construction
Plant tissues video
Plant structure & function video
Labs
AP Lab 9 – Transpiration
Tracking plant growth & tissue identification
Flower dissection
Root dissection
Transpiration tissue – microscope lab
Assessment
Multiple Choice Exam , 2 Free Response
Questions
Formal Lab Report
a. Diversity; classification, phylogeny, survey of acoelomate, pseudocoelomate, protostome
and deuterostome phyla
b. Structure and function of tissues, organic and systems (emphasis on vertebrates),
homeostasis, immune response
c. Gametogenesis, fertilization, embryogeny, development
d. Behavior
5 weeks
Unit 6
Animals
Evolution, classification, comparative
biology & Physiology
Duration
Readings
Chapter 29 – 44 Textbook
NIH Published Materials – Brain
Classwork / Activities
Affect of Drugs on the Brain – NIH
ADAM CD ROM – Video Instruction
Hormone – Negative Feedback Activity
Field trip to Chiropractic College – Human
Physiology & development Guest Lecturers
Microscope Lab – Tissue types
AP Lab 10 – Physiology of the Circulatory
System
AP Lab 12 Dissolved Oxygen and Aquatic
Primary Poductivity
Muscle Type Lab – Tissues & Function
Labs
Bone structure & function – skeleton lab
Assessment
Unit 7
Animal Behavior & Ecology
Duration
Readings
Classwork / Activities
Labs
Assessment
Unit 8
Famous Scientists
Duration
Readings
Classwork / Activities
Assessment
Multiple Choice Exam , 2 Free Response
Questions
a.Population dynamics, biotic potential, limiting factors
b. Ecosystem and community dynamics: energy flow, productivity, species interactions,
succession, biomes, biodiversity
c. Biogeochemical cycle
d. Conservation biology, biodiversity and extinction
4 weeks
Chapter 45 – 50 in textbook
Guest Lecture at Zoo
Independent research on Environmental
Issue & proposal of viable solutions to the
issue
Animal & Human Behavior Field Study
Human Population Study, Professional
Presentation [ Holt – Environmental Science
Text]
Formal Lab Report – Animal Behavior
6 Multiple Choice Exams, 3 Free Response
Questions
Conservation Biology Powerpoint
presentations
Significant Contributions of Scientists to the following concepts:
DNA
Cell Theory
Plant structure & Function
Molecular Biology & Biotechnology
Evolution
History of Life on Earth
1 week
Research using whole text , Library, internet
search
Independent Group research
Group Power point presentations – Student
Led Instruction
Multiple Choice Exam