AP Biology Summer 2015 Assignment
AP Biology is a course designed to offer you a solid foundation for an introductory collegelevel biology course. As part of a college course, you will be required to put in time outside
of the classroom to ensure you fully understand the material. Also, since we will be
covering the entire textbook (divided into 9 units), it is essential for you to review the basic
biological and chemical principles over the summer so we can begin learning on the first
day of school. This assignment will cover all of unit 1.
Your assignment will be due on the first day of school, and there will be a test covering this
material within the first week. The test will consist of multiple choice, short answer, and
essay questions.
For each of the chapters listed below, you will be required to take notes (notes should be
typed or neatly written – you may not share notes with other students). You will also need
to answer the concept checks (in blue boxes, one for each section) and the chapter
review (including the “Self-Quiz”, “Evolution Connection”, “Scientific Inquiry”, and
“Science, Technology, and Society”).
For the concept check questions, please type/neatly write the question as well as your
answer using complete sentences. For multiple choice answers, include your letter choice
as well as the answer. The extended response answers (“Evolution Connection”, “Scientific
Inquiry”, and “Science, Technology, and Society”) need to be in complete sentences – you do
not need to include the question for the extended response answers. While the answers are
provided in the back of the book, it is to your benefit to use this as a resource and check
your work only after you have completed a chapter.
Ch. 1 – Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life (pg. 1-27)
Ch. 2 – The Chemical Context of Life (pg. 30-45)
Ch. 3 – Water and the Fitness of the Environment (pg. 46 -57)
Ch. 4 – Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life (pg. 58-67)
Ch. 5 – The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules (pg. 68-91)
When completing this assignment, be sure to label each section (“notes”, “concept checks”,
“chapter summary”). Keep each chapter separate and properly labeled.
Finally, for this course you will be required to purchase an AP Biology review workbook
that will be used throughout the year (you can choose which review book you would like to
use). You will also be required to purchase a lab notebook.