Welcome to A.P. Biology!
Mr. Ryan Boylan
Bachelor of Science in Biology (University of Scranton 2003)
Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction (Bloomsburg University 2005)
Contact Information
*Email: rboylan@pennsburysd.org
*Voicemail: (215)949-6780 x80070
*Mail: Pennsbury High School West Campus
Attn: Ryan Boylan
608 S Olds Blvd
Fairless Hills, PA 19030
Advanced Placement (AP) Biology is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory biology course, usually
taken by biology majors during their first year of college.
Prerequisites for AP Biology
 Honors Chemistry I
Course Text
BIOLOGY Campbell (AP Edition) 9th Edition by Jane B. Reece et al ©2010
Primary Laboratory Manual
AP Biology Investigative Labs: An Inquiry-Based Approach (Student Manual)
Learning Approach
AP Biology is designed to move students beyond memorization to the point where they understand concepts and can
apply them in novel contexts. In this fashion, they will achieve long term mastery rather than just short term ability to
reiterate information.
Rigor of the Course
There is no way to effectively cover the multitude of material covered in AP Biology during class. My goal is to facilitate
your learning experience to the best of my abilities. Your goal should be taking on the responsibility of preparing yourself
for my exams and the AP Exam outside of class. Remember, this is basically a college course. You’ll get out what you
put in!
Tests and Quizzes
Tests and quizzes will represent the majority of your grade. Major tests will be announced in advance, but not all quizzes
may be announced. Many tests and quizzes are modeled after the format of the AP exam. There will always be a
multiple-choice section, and there may be an essay/short answer section, and possibly a quantitative analysis section.
Many of the multiple-choice questions require application of concepts and, in some cases, analysis and interpretation of
data. Successful completion of the essays also requires students to write detailed explanations of biological processes. In
addition, some of the essays require students to interpret data and design experiments to test hypotheses.
The Curriculum: Big Ideas and Science Practices
College Board has revised AP Biology around four Big Ideas and seven Science Practices. The Big Ideas allow for deeper
learning by increasing the coherence of the curriculum so that you develop an integrated understanding of the content. The
Science Practices, the activities professional scientists engage in on a daily basis, are used to provide opportunities for you
to engage in laboratory investigations where you will develop reasoning skills necessary for scientific inquiry. This will
deepen your learning of biology by providing you with opportunities to understand how biological knowledge is
constructed, refined, and revised.
The Big Ideas
Big Idea 1
The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
Big Idea 2
Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce
and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
Big Idea 3
Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life
processes.
Big Idea 4
Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex
properties.
Science Practices:
Science Practice 1: The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve
scientific problems.
Science Practice 2: The student can use mathematics appropriately.
Science Practice 3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within
the context of the AP course.
Science Practice 4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific
question.
Science Practice 5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
Science Practice 6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
Science Practice 7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts and
representations in and across domains.
The Laboratory
We will be completing many approved AP Biology labs during AP Biology, as well as many other proven labs and
activities. Many of these investigations are student-directed, inquiry-based labs. The emphasis on inquiry, reasoning, and
critical thinking will enable you to plan, direct, and integrate a range of science practices, such as designing experiments,
collecting data, and applying quantitative skills.
Nota Bene!
READING CAMPBELL is the key to success! Students are expected to read all material before it is discussed in class!
If we’re performing an experiment or working through problem sets, I assume you have already read through the material!
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Tentative Units of AP Biology (Semester 1)
UNIT
TITLE
READINGS / “AP LABS”
1
Life’s Origins and an Introduction to AP Biology
2
Chemistry and Water
3
4
5
Carbon and Organic Molecules
Cellular Structure and Function, Membranes, and
Transport
An Intro to Metabolism and Enzymes
Ch 1
LAB: Origin of Life
LAB: Animal Behavior
Ch 2, 3
LAB: Transpiration
Ch 4, 5
6
Cellular Respiration and Fermentation
7
Photosynthesis
8
9
Cell Communication
The Cell Cycle, Mitosis, and Meiosis
10
Mendelian Genetics, and The Chromosomal Basis of
Inheritance
11
DNA, The Molecular Basis of Inheritance
Ch 6, 7
LAB: Diffusion and Osmosis
Ch 8
LAB: Enzyme Activity
Ch 9
LAB: Cellular Respiration
Ch 10
LAB: Photosynthesis Discs
LAB: Plant Pigments & Photosynthesis
Ch 11
Ch 12, 13
LAB: Cell Division - Mitosis and Meiosis
Ch 14, 15
AP-Level problem sets will be completed.
Bio-Medical Ethics Topics will be discussed.
Ch 16
AP-Level problem sets will be completed.
Tentative Units of AP Biology (Semester 2)
UNIT
TITLE
READINGS / “AP LABS”
12
Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein
13
Regulation of Gene Expression
14
Biotechnology
15
Darwinian Evolution, The Evolution of Populations,
and Phylogeny
Ch 17
LAB: Comparing DNA Sequences To Understand
Evolutionary Relationships with BLAST
AP-Level problem sets will be completed.
Ch 18
AP-Level problem sets will be completed.
Start Research Paper
Ch 20
LAB: DNA Microarray
LAB: Biotechnology – Bacterial Transformation
LAB: Biotechnology – Restriction Enzyme Analysis of
DNA
AP-Level problem sets will be completed.
Ch 22, 23, 26
LAB: Population Genetics and Evolution with
Mathematical Modeling
Note* You should read through Chapter 25, much of
which was covered in the summer assignment.
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The Immune System
Ch 43
Learning to Read a Scientific Journal Article
Assignment
17
Neurons, Signaling, Sensory vs. Motor Mechanisms
Ch 48, 49, 50
We will be highlighting the most important concepts
from these chapters.
If taking the AP Exam, you should read over the main points of Chapters 19, 21, 27, and the Ecology Unit (52-56.)
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Grading
A weighted-percent system is the marking period grading policy for this class.
70% Tests & Quizzes
30% Labs, Summer Assignment, Etc.
There are four marking periods for this 36-week course. Each marking period is a separate grading period with
the assigned grade reflecting only that period’s scholastic achievements. Each marking grade constitutes 25%
of the final grade in AP Biology.
The fourth marking period grading is divided into assignments completed before the AP Exam, and
assignments completed after the AP Exam. The percentages for these two categories will be based on the
amount of class days before and after the exam.
Marking period and end-of-the-year grades are rounded to the nearest percent when assigning grades.
Letter grades are recorded with the following scale:
E.g.
A+
97 - 100
C+
77 - 79
A
93 - 96
C
73 - 76
A-
90 - 92
C-
70 - 72
B+
87 - 89
D+
67 - 69
B
83 - 86
D
63 - 66
B-
80 - 82
D-
60 - 62
F
50 - 59
FINAL GRADE IN AP BIOLOGY
Marking Period 1 = 84.3 (84%)
Marking Period 2 = 83.9 (84%)
(84 x 0.25) + (84 x 0.25) + (79 x 0.25) + (92 x 0.25) = 84.75
Final Grade = 85% (B)
Marking Period 3 = 79.3 (79%)
Marking Period 4 = 91.9 (92%)
84.9 (85) = B
If you’d like to review this syllabus, you can find it online on my district website. Simply visit the
district website at http://www.pennsbury.k12.pa.us/pennsbury/PHS . Click “Staff Pages - West” on
the left side of the page where you will find my information.
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Some Information on the AP BIOLOGY EXAM
May 9, 2016 (8:00 a.m.)
The AP Biology Exam consists of two sections: multiple choice and free response. Both sections
include questions that assess students’ understanding of the big ideas, enduring understandings,
and essential knowledge and the ways in which this understanding can be applied through the
science practices. These may include questions on the following:
• the
• the
• the
• the
• the
use of modeling to explain biological principles;
use of mathematical processes to explain concepts;
making of predictions and the justification of phenomena;
implementation of experimental design; and
manipulation and interpretation of data.
The exam is 3 hours long and includes both a 90-minute multiple choice section and a 90-minute
free-response section that begins with a mandatory 10-minute reading period. The multiple-choice
section accounts for half of the student’s exam grade, and the free-response section accounts for
the other half.
Section I, Part A, consists of 63 multiple-choice questions that represent the knowledge and
science practices outlined in the AP Biology Curriculum Framework that students should
understand and be able to apply. Part B includes 6 grid-in questions that require the integration of
science and mathematical skills. For the grid-in responses, students will need to calculate the
correct answer for each question and enter it in a grid in the grid-in section on their answer sheet,
as shown below.
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In Section II, students should use the mandatory reading period to read and review the questions
and begin planning their responses. This section contains two types of free-response questions
(short and long), and the student will have a total of 80 minutes to complete all of the questions.
Due to the increased emphasis on quantitative skills and application of mathematical methods in
the questions on both sections, students will be allowed to use simple four-function calculators
(with square root) on the entire exam (NOT SCIENTIFIC!). Students will also be supplied with a
formula list as part of their testing materials (see appendix).
Beginning with the May 2013 administration of the AP Biology Exam, multiple-choice questions will
contain four answer options, rather than five. This change will save students valuable time without
altering the rigor of the exam in any way. A student’s total score on the multiple-choice section is
based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are not deducted for incorrect
answers or unanswered questions.
GOOD LUCK!
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APPENDIX
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