North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
Title Page
LEA Name: Randolph County Schools
LEA Code: 760-
School:
Course Name: Honors Biology
Course Code:
Teacher’s Name:
Electronic submission of this portfolio certifies that honors level course portfolios for each
teacher within the LEA have been reviewed using the North Carolina Honors Level Course
Implementation Guide and Rubric and that this portfolio has been selected to represent the
level of teaching and learning for this honors course across the LEA.
As part of the NCDPI Honors Course Portfolio Review, if you are submitting copyrighted
material or material that has a user license, ensure that you have obtained the appropriate
permissions to share this information.
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
I. Curriculum Content
1. Teacher rationale for curriculum content considering vertical alignment for advanced learners
(intentional reflection & philosophy)
2. Standards and objectives - how will the required standards and clarifying objectives be taught
with extensions beyond the standard level for advanced learners?
Bio 2.1 Analyze the interdependence of living organisms within their environments.
Bio 2.1.2 Analyze the survival and reproductive success of organisms in terms of behavioral, structural, and
reproductive adaptations (honors extensions to include specific behavioral adaptations including circadian
rhythms, fight or flight response, as well as a study in comparative anatomy; to include specific biomes and the
organisms that are adapted to living in those environments).
Bio 2.1.4 Explain why ecosystems can be relatively stable over hundreds or thousands of years, even though
populations may fluctuate (emphasizing availability of food, availability of shelter, number of predators and
disease). Honors extension to include primary and secondary succession and differentiation between densitydependent and density-independent factors
Bio 1.1 Understand the relationship between the structures and functions of cells and their
organelles.
Bio 1.1.1 Summarize the structure and function of organelles in eukaryotic cells (including the nucleus,
plasma membrane, cell wall, mitochondria, vacuoles, chloroplasts, and ribosomes) and ways that these
organelles interact with each other to perform the function of the cell. (Honors extension to include cell
surface area to volume; to include the structure and function of lysosomes, vesicles, cytoskeleton, golgi
apparatus, centrioles, and endoplasmic reticulum; to include the contributions of specific scientists to the
knowledge and understanding of the cell: Leeuwenhoek, Schleiden, Schwann, Virchow, Hooke)
Bio 1.2.1 Explain how homeostasis is maintained in the cell and within an organism in various
environments (including temperature and pH). (Honors extensions to include endocytosis and
exocytosis, hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic solutions
Bio 1.2.2 Analyze how cells grow and reproduce in terms of interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis (Honors
extension to include the specific enzymes involved in replication).
Bio 3.1 Explain how traits are determined by the structure and function of DNA.
Bio 3.1.2 Explain how DNA and RNA code for proteins and determine traits (honors extension to include
the specific mutations of Tay-Sachs disease, muscular dystrophy, achondroplasia, polydactyly, albinism;
assessment to include informational brochure on those specific mutations and their effects).
Bio 3.2 Understand how the environment, and/or the interaction of alleles, influences the
expression of genetic traits.
Bio 3.2.2 Predict offspring ratios based on a variety of inheritance patterns (including dominance, codominance, incomplete dominance, multiple alleles, and sex-linked traits) Honors extension to include
dihybrid crosses and test crosses as well as specific scientists’ contributions to our knowledge of
genetics: Mendel, Thomas Hunt Morgan, Meselsen-Stahl
Bio 3.2.3 Explain how the environment can influence the expression of genetic traits (Honors extension
to include Tay Sachs and the Founder Effect).
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North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
Bio 3.4 Explain the theory of evolution by natural selection as a mechanism for how species
change over time.
Bio 3.4.1 Explain how fossil, biochemical, and anatomical evidence support the theory of evolution
(honors extension to include the historical perspective on the theory of evolution beginning with
abiogenesis including specific scientists)
Bio 3.4.2 Explain how natural selection influences the changes in species over time (honors extension to
include gene pool, gene flow, genetic drift).
Bio 3.5 Analyze how classification systems are developed based upon speciation
Bio 3.5.2 Analyze the classification of organisms according to their evolutionary relationships (including
dichotomous keys and phylogenetic trees). Honors extension to include cladograms
Bio 4.2 Analyze the relationships between biochemical processes and energy use in the cell.
Bio 4.2.1 Analyze photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms of how energy is stored, released,
and transferred within and between these systems (Honors extensions to include specific components
of metabolism including light dependent, chemiosmosis, and light-independent reactions
Glycolysis, Krebs cycle, and ETC).
Bio 4.2.2 Explain ways that organisms use released energy for maintaining homeostasis (Honors
extensions to include hydrolysis and condensation reaction).
3. Curriculum Plan (pacing guides, course syllabus, scope & sequence, curriculum maps, etc.)
[Insert text here to briefly identify file attachments (i.e. Pacing Guide, Course Syllabus, etc.).]
[Insert the name of a file attachment with the following naming convention:
“LEACode_CourseCode_TeacherLastName_Section#.file#” where the section indicates the component
of the Honors Portfolio.]
Examples:
1. For Mr. Smith’s Biology Portfolio in Pitt County, the course syllabus would be named “740_33205_Smith_I.3.1”
2. Mrs. Mitchell’s English IV Portfolio pacing guide in Buncombe County would be named “110_10245_Mitchell_I.3.1”
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North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
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North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
II. Instructional Materials and Methods
1. Teacher rationale for instructional materials and methods for advanced learners
[Insert text here.]
2. Instructional materials and methods (instructional resources, methods, strategies, equipment,
and technology)
[Insert text here.]
3. Sample units, lesson(s), and assignments indicating connections to real-world skills, context and
use of higher level critical thinking skills and creativity for advanced learners
[Insert text here to briefly identify file attachments (i.e. Sample Lesson 1, 2, 3, etc.).]
[Insert names of file attachments with the following naming convention:
LEACode_CourseCode_TeacherLastName_Section#.file# where the section indicates the component of
the Honors Portfolio.]
Examples:
1. For Mr. Smith’s Biology Portfolio in Pitt County, Sample lesson #1 the file would be named “740_33205_Smith_II.3.1”
2. Mrs. Mitchell’s English IV Portfolio Sample lesson #2 in Buncombe County would be named “110_10245_Mitchell_II.3.2”
4. Student work samples
[Insert text here to briefly identify file attachments (i.e. Student work samples 1, 2, 3, etc.).]
[Insert names of file attachments with the following naming convention:
“LEACode_CourseCode_TeacherLastName_Section#.file#” where the section indicates the component
of the Honors Portfolio.]
Examples:
1. For Mr. Smith’s Biology Honors Portfolio in Pitt County, student work sample #1 the file would be named
“740_33205_Smith_II.4.1”
2. Mrs. Mitchell’s English IV Honors Portfolio student work sample #2 in Buncombe County would be named
“110_10245_Mitchell_II.4.2”
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North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
III. Assessment
1. Teacher rationale for assessment practices for advanced learners
[Insert text here.]
2. Assessment practices (grading practices, use of rubrics and/or scoring guides, use of formative
and summative assessment)
[Insert text here.]
3. Assessment samples (pre-assessment, description of formative assessment, and summative
assessment)
[Insert text here to briefly identify file attachments (i.e. Pre-assessment samples 1, Formative
Assessment sample 2, Summative Assessment sample 3, etc.).]
[Insert names of file attachments with the following naming convention:
“LEACode_CourseCode_TeacherLastName_Section#.file#” where the section indicates the component
of the Honors Portfolio.]
Examples:
1. For Mr. Smith’s Biology Honors Portfolio in Pitt County, assessment sample #1 the file would be named
“740_33205_Smith_III.3.1”
2. Mrs. Mitchell’s English IV Honors Portfolio assessment sample #2 in Buncombe County would be named
“110_10245_Mitchell_III.3.2”
4. Student work assessment samples
[Insert text here to briefly identify file attachments (i.e. Pre-assessment work sample 1, Formative
Assessment work sample 2, Summative Assessment work sample 3, etc.).]
[Insert names of file attachments with the following naming convention:
“LEACode_CourseCode_TeacherLastName_Section#.file#” where the section indicates the component
of the Honors Portfolio.]
Examples:
1. For Mr. Smith’s Biology Honors Portfolio in Pitt County, student work assessment sample #1 the file would be named
“740_33205_Smith_III.4.1”
2. Mrs. Mitchell’s English IV Honors Portfolio student work assessment sample #2 in Buncombe County would be named
“110_10245_Mitchell_III.4.2”
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