AP Biology Syllabus 2013 - 2014
An Introduction
Welcome to AP Biology! First of all I would like to say how very impressed I am that
you have chosen to take this course. Although the payoff is well worth it, AP Biology does have
the reputation of being one of the more challenging AP courses. With the right work ethic and
attitude, however, I know you will be successful and find the experience quite rewarding.
Advanced Placement Biology is designed to be the equivalent of a 2 semester,
introductory, college biology course. The AP Biology Curriculum Framework involves four
major themes but considers a wide range of topics that are important in 21st century biology.
Because of this, and in order to prepare students to successfully take the Biology AP exam at the
end of the year, our class has a significant lecture component. In addition, twelve AP Biology
labs and a number of other investigations, many of them allowing for considerable student
directed inquiry, allow students to practice scientific thinking and apply and work with biological
principles. Many AP Bio teachers feel each hour of class time should be matched by 1 ½ hours
of study outside of class. Whether this will be true for you depends on a number of different
things, but the point remains that AP Biology asks for a serious commitment from students.
But, as mentioned above, this commitment can have many rewards. Your knowledge of
biology and appreciation for the living world around you will be greatly enhanced. Additional
advantages are the following…
 This class will facilitate your transition to any competitive university program. Your
participation will help you develop effective mental habits, cognitive abilities and professional
skills that will benefit you in the future.
 Success on the AP exam will allow most students to earn some type of college credit, sparing
the expense and effort in the future and allowing you to move on to more advanced work.
 Doing well in this class will increase the probability of acceptance at many universities, since
success demonstrates the ability to handle challenging college-level work.
Course Goals
1. To allow students to develop their skills within a challenging college-level, introductory
biology course. Students are expected to perform at the level of first- year, ambitious and
motivated college students.
2. To prepare students well for the AP exam by exposing them to necessary content and helping
them develop effective thinking and learning strategies, and expository essay writing skills.
Students are encouraged to take the AP exam.
3. To help students develop a sophisticated conceptual framework for modern biology and,
through study and labs, help students gain an appreciation for science as an ongoing,
investigative process.
Textbook and Reading
Campbell, Neil A. and J. Reece. Biology, Sixth Edition 2002 (soon to be 9th addition, 2011)
Students are expected to work extensively with the textbook and other support materials,
including AP exam prep books. Students are expected to complete preparatory reading and
writing assignments by the assigned deadlines.
Course Pacing
This course is designed to cover many of the textbook’s 55 chapters in 33 weeks. The course
also must include significant time for creative discussion, investigation of current events in
biology, lab work, writing practice, and other activities. As such, we proceed at a pace that is
considerably more accelerated than probably most, if not all of the classes that you have
experienced in high school. Ultimately, students are expected to be actively responsible for their
own learning. This involves focused work in class, commitment of adequate time at home and
possibly attendance at review sessions outside of class.
Labs
A significant portion of time in class will involve experimental investigation and other
activities, including 12 specific labs required by the College Board. Some of the labs will be
directed entirely by given instructions, but most have significant aspects that allow students to
design their own investigation. Students will be expected to keep a neat lab journal, and grades on
lab work will form a significant portion of your final grade.
Grading
The following list details the approximate percentages of points available for each type of
graded activities. Students are required to invest significant study time outside of class.
Tests/Final Exam/Quizzes
45%
Lab Participation/Journal
25%
Written Work
20%
Homework
10%
Grades are scaled in the traditional manner (100 – 90% = A, etc.; 59% or less = F). The class
grade is not tied to the grade on the AP exam.
Expectations of the Student
Students are expected to take a professional approach to class. Students will be punctual and
prepared. Students are responsible for making up work missed due to absences. Safety comes first
in the lab. Each student participates during class, and with a positive attitude. We strive to create
a positive, professional learning environment that is respectful and welcoming for all students.
Because success on the AP exam and in class requires that the student understand and know a
great deal of content that is only briefly covered during class discussion, homework is generally
reserved for focused study of that content. Students are expected to read the textbook chapters for
each section before the section is discussed in class. Students are expected to complete the written
portion of the guided reading assignments, or take detailed outlined notes of the reading
assignments, in a timely manner.
Each AP student can, and I’m sure will be successful. But sometimes overlapping
commitments, particularly complex course content, or other concerns can be somewhat
overwhelming. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you. Of course this
extends to all students, all of the time, about anything.
Course Outline
Semester 1
Dates given below are approximate and will be reviewed and updated regularly with students.
Not all out of class work is listed.
WEEK 1
(August 8 – 16)
Introduction to AP Biology and the 4 Big Ideas
AP Lab #12 An Investigation of Fruit Fly Behavior – What factors trigger a response?
Notes #1 Behavioral Biology (Chapter 51)
A Review of the Controlled Experiment
A Look at Free Response Questions
Review Ch 2 The Chemical Context of Life
Due 8/14
Read 4 Big Ideas; comment on areas of interest
Due 8/16
Reading Guide Chapter 51 Behavioral Biology
Due 8/20
RG Ch 3Water and Life
WEEK 2
(August 19 – 23)
Notes #2 Waterworld; Acids and Bases and Their Relevance in Biology (Ch 3)
Lab – Analytic Chromatography
Due 8/26
RG Ch 4 Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life
Ch 5 the Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules
Due 8/30
RG Ch 7 A Tour of the Cell
WEEK 3
(August 26 – August 30)
Notes #3 Carbon, Functional Groups and Macromolecules
Activity - Molecular models – Biochemical reactions, functional groups, macromolecules
Notes #4 A Tour of the Cell
Activity - The Compound Light Microscope and Cells
Due 9/5
RG Ch 6 Introduction to Metabolism
Due 9/11
RG Ch 8Membrane Structure and Function
WEEK 4 and 5
(September 3 – September 13)
Labor Day 9/2
9/3 Quiz #1 Chapter 2 and Notes #1 - 4
Notes #5 Introduction to Metabolism
Lab – Developing Growing Parameters for Wisconsin Fast Plants (Lab #1)
AP Lab #13 Enzyme Activity
Notes #6 Cell Membrane Structure and Function
Due 9/19
RG Ch 9 Cellular Respiration
WEEK 6
(September 16 – September 20)
9/16, 9/17
Test #1
Notes #1 – 5, All Labs, etc.
Notes #7 Cellular Respiration and Fermentation
Wisconsin Fast Plants
Due 9/26
RG Ch10 Photosynthesis
WEEK 7
(September 23 – September 27)
AP Lab #4 Diffusion and Osmosis
Wisconsin Fast Plants
Due 10/4
RG Ch 11 Cell Communication
WEEK 8
(September 30 – October 4)
AP Lab #6 Cell Respiration
Wisconsin Fast Plants
Notes #8 Photosynthesis
Due 10/11
RG Ch 12 The Cell Cycle
WEEK 9
(October 7 – October 11)
Notes #9 Cell Communication
Wisconsin Fast Plants - conclude part 1
Due 10/23
RG Ch 13 Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles
WEEK 10 (October 21 – October 25)
Break 10/14 – 10/18
Notes #10 The Cell Cycle and Mitosis; Oncogenes and Cancer
AP Lab #5 Photosynthesis
Due 10/30
RG Ch 14 Mendel and the Gene Idea
WEEK 11 (October 28 – November 1)
Semester Review; A Closer Look at the AP Exam
Notes #11 Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles
AP Lab #7 Cell Division: Mitosis and Meiosis
Due 11/12
RG Ch 15 The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
WEEK 12 (November 4 – November 8)
11/4, 11/5
Test #2
Notes #6 – 11, All Labs, etc.
Notes #12 Mendel and an Introduction to Genetics
Due 11/13
RG Ch 16 The Molecular Basis of Inheritance
WEEK 13 (November 12 – November 15)
Veteran’s day 11/11
Notes #13 The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
Activity – Statistics and Biology
Due 11/20
RG Ch 17 From Gene to Protein
WEEK 14 (November 18 – November 22)
Notes #14 DNA: From Gene to Protein
AP Lab #9 Biotechnology: Restriction Enzyme Analysis of DNA
Due 11/26
RG Ch 18 Regulation of Gene Expression
WEEK 15 (November 25 – November 27)
Thanksgiving 11/28, 29
Notes #15 Regulation of Gene Expression
Due 12/4
RG Ch 19 Viruses
WEEK 16 (December 2 – December 6)
Notes #16 Viruses and Viral Genetics; Infectious Disease
WEEK 17 (December 9 – December 13)
12/9, 11/10
Test #3
Finals Review
Notes #12 – 16, All Labs, etc.
WEEK 18 (December 16 – December 19)
Finals Week
Fall
Semester 2
The agenda presented above for semester 1 is an ambitious schedule. As planned it requires students to
work at a challenging pace. Working hard, we have a chance of sticking to this schedule. But even with the
best of work ethics and intentions, we sometimes do not reach our goal. One reason for this is that many of
our labs call for student exploration (“inquiry”), which requires some degree of flexibility in regard to how
the labs proceed. Other happenings, such as open ended discussions, current events, senior assemblies and
so forth, also sometimes leave us behind schedule. As such a detailed agenda of semester 2 will not be
available until we see where we will end up at the end of semester 1. Below are listed the major topics that
will be considered during semester 2 and the major labs.
Topics
Natural Selection and Evolution
The History of Life
A Survey of the Major Kingdoms of Life
Regulation of Behavior in Plants
Animal Form and Function
The Nervous, Endocrine and Immune Systems
Population and Community Ecology
Conservation Ecology
Activities and Labs
Protein Electrophoresis
Statistics and Biology (continued)
Crossing Over in Sordaria
End of Year Field Trip
AP Labs
#1 Artificial Selection (multiple weeks)
#2 Mathematical Modeling: Hardy-Weinberg
#3 Comparing DNA Sequences to Understand Evolutionary Relationships with BLAST
#8 Biotechnology: Bacterial Transformation
#11 Transpiration