AP Biology Syllabus
2014-2015
Instructor: Mrs. Gina Smearsoll
Email: gina.smearsoll@cincinnatichristian.org
Psalm 24:1-2 “The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in
it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.”
Course Overview
The course is designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college-level biology course. The
course is structured around the AP Biology Curriculum Framework and as such will facilitate
learning about the major concepts in biology and their connections. This will be accomplished by
focusing on the four big ideas, enduring understandings, and science practices outlined in the
framework.
Science should be learned through a facilitative process of discovery and inquiry. For this reason,
students will be actively engaged in the process of experiencing science through activities, lab
investigations, discussions, journal readings, and problem-solving of real-world investigative
cases. By developing critical thinking skills and the tools necessary to connect concepts, students
will be knowledgeable about biological principles and they will be prepared to integrate their
biological knowledge with the process of experimental investigation.
Units of Study
 Chemistry of Life
 Genetics
 Cells and Cell Processes
 Evolution
 Form and Function: Maintaining Homeostasis
 Interactions, Biodiversity, and Ecology
Instructional Resources
Reece, Jane, et al. Campbell Biology. 9th Ed. San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings,
2011.
AP Test Prep Workbook for Campbell Biology- Revised for New Edition. San Francisco: Pearson
Benjamin Cummings, 2012.
AP Biology Investigative Labs: an Inquiry Based Approach. The College Board, 2012.
Waterman, Margaret, and Ethel Stanley. Biological Inquiry: A Workbook of Investigative Cases.
3rd ed. San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings, 2011.
Melville, Johnathan M., Donald L. Volz and Michael Collins, Investigating Biology Through
Inquiry, 2012, Vernier Software and Technology.
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www.MasteringBiology.com (Website that accompanies textbook and provides tutorials,
multimedia sources, and activities to enhance instruction.)
Extra Interest Reading:
Johnson, Phillip. Darwin on Trial. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2010.
Moalem, Sharon, and Jonathan Prince. Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers
Why We Need Disease. New York: William Morrow, 2007.
Preston, Richard. The Hot Zone. New York: Random House, 1994.
Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown, 2010.
Movies:
Contagion. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. California: Warner Bros. Entertainment. DVD.
2012.
Gattaca. Directed by Andrew Niccol. California: Columbia TriStar Home Video, 1998. DVD.
Assessment:
 Grades are determined by dividing points earned by total points available.
 Each chapter will vary on the point distribution depending on the number of labs for that
unit. Points are generally distributed per chapter as follows:
 Lab Investigations
100-250 points
 Homework Assignments 30-50 points
 Reflection Journals
30-50 points
 In-Class Activities
50-100 points
 Quizzes
20-30 points
 Chapter Test
100 points
 All assignments will lose 50% of possible point value if submitted late. Assignments
submitted more than one class day late will receive a grade of zero.
 There will be no extra credit or making up of grades. What has been lost in 10 weeks of the
course cannot be made up in one week.
Communication Policies:
 Homework will be posted on Haiku by Monday morning of each week.
 Grades will be posted on Haiku weekly.
 Instructor can be contacted via email. All emails will be returned within 24 hours.
 A conference can be scheduled at any time. Contact the instructor to make arrangements.
Absence Policies:
 Following an excused absence, it is the student’s responsibility to find out what he/she
missed and the homework assigned.
 Students missing a test or quiz must make arrangements for a makeup during study hall or
after school within 3 days upon return.
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

Students missing a lab exercise must make arrangements to make up the lab. (if possible)
If students know about an absence in advance due to a school event (ex: school play, sports),
they are still responsible for the work and homework assigned that day. There is no
extension given due to school-sponsored events.
Course Organization
AP Biology is structured around the four big ideas (evolution, energy processes, information, and
interactions) and the enduring understandings within those big ideas as identified in the
Curriculum Framework. The course will teach the essential knowledge as described within the
enduring understandings and all learning objectives will be addresses. The big ideas are
interrelated and will not be taught in isolation. The enduring understandings will be connected to
those from other big ideas wherever possible to identify conceptual relationships.
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.
Investigative Lab Component
Laboratory investigations will make up a minimum of 25% of instructional time. Students will
conduct a minimum of eight inquiry-based investigations (two per big idea). Additional lab and
supplementary activities will be used to increase student understanding of concepts and allow
students to practice investigative skills. All seven science practice skills will be used by students
on a regular basis in labs as well as supplemental activities.
Students will maintain a written record of investigations, in the form of a lab notebook, including
the development of a hypothesis, organization of collected data, analysis of observations and
data, and discussion of results. By keeping a lab notebook, students will have opportunities to
develop written and graphical communication skills and summarize scientific investigations.
Reflection Journal
Students will maintain a writing journal to reflect on reading assignments and authentic learning
experiences. These journal writings should show a connection between prior knowledge and new
knowledge.
Units of Instruction
Each of the six units of instruction will utilize multiple readings, including textbook reading,
journal articles, and online resources. Each unit will also include inquiry-based lab investigations
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and activities. There will be a real-world case study involved in each unit which will allow
students the opportunity to connect biological and scientific knowledge to major social issues.
During each unit, students will also be provided an opportunity to develop communication skills
through lab reports, summaries of literature and real scientific investigations. This will require
students to use written communication skills, verbal communication skills, and visual and
graphical presentations. Visual and graphical presentations will include both hard paper-copy
presentations and virtual presentations using computers.
Unit One: Chemistry of Life
Textbook Chapters:
2. The Chemical Context of Life (quick review)
3. Water and Life
4. Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life
5. The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules
Inquiry-Based Lab Investigations:
 Investigating Protein Content
 Investigation #5: Experiments with Protein: The Bradford Assay, Investigating
Biology Through Inquiry, 2012, Vernier Software and Technology.
 Got Protein? Investigation, kit from Bio-Rad Laboratories
Essential Questions:
1. Why must organisms exchange matter with the environment to grow, reproduce, and
maintain organization?
2. How do living organisms depend on the unique properties of water?
3. What determines the properties of a biological molecule?
4. How do variations in molecular units provide cells with a wider range of functions?
5. How do interactions between molecules affect their structure and function?
Unit Two: Genetics
Textbook Chapters:
12. The Cell Cycle
13. Meiosis and the Sexual Life Cycles
14. Mendel and the Gene Idea
15. The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
16. The Molecular Basis of Inheritance (16.1, 16.2 only)
17. From Gene to Protein
18. Regulation of Gene Expression (18.1, 18.2, 18.3, 18.4 only)
19. Viruses (19.1, 19.2 only)
20. Biotechnology (20.1, 20.2 only)
21. Genomes and their Evolution (21.2, 21.5 only)
Inquiry-Based Lab Investigations:
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1. Investigation #8: Biotechnology Lab: pGLO Bacterial Transformation, AP Biology
Investigative Labs: an Inquiry Based Approach, 2012, The College Board, kit from
Bio-Rad Laboratories
2. Investigation #9: Biotechnology: Restriction Enzyme Analysis of DNA, AP Biology
Investigative Labs: an Inquiry Based Approach, 2012, The College Board, kit from
Bio-Rad Laboratories
Essential Questions:
1. How do mitosis and meiosis differ?
2. What are the processes biological systems have to increase genetic variation?
3. How is Mendel’s inheritance model useful? What are its limitations?
4. What are the ethical, social, and medical issues surrounding human genetic disorders?
5. How is phenotype dependent on genotype? Is phenotype only dependent on
genotype?
6. How is gene expression regulated?
7. How are proteins created from the DNA nucleotide sequence? How can one small
error in this process cause such destruction?
8. How do cellular and molecular mechanisms affect expression of genetic information?
9. How can genetic variation be introduced in organisms?
Unit Three: Cells and Cell Processes
Textbook Chapters:
6. A Tour of the Cell (6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5 only)
7. Membrane Structure and Function
8. An Introduction to Metabolism
9. Cellular Respiration and Fermentation (9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5 only)
10. Photosynthesis (10.1, 10.2, 10.3 only)
11. Cell Communication (11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4 only)
Inquiry-Based Lab Investigations:
1. Diffusion and Osmosis
 Investigation #4, Procedure 1: Surface Area and Cell Size, AP Biology
Investigative Labs: an Inquiry Based Approach, 2012, The College Board.
 Osmosis and Diffusion Lab Activity, Ward’s Natural Science
2. Investigation #4: Chemistry of Membranes, Investigating Biology Through Inquiry,
2012, Vernier Software and Technology.
3. Investigation #11: Fermentation with Yeast, Investigating Biology Through Inquiry,
2012, Vernier Software and Technology.
4. Investigation #12: Photosynthesis by Chloroplasts, Investigating Biology Through
Inquiry, 2012, Vernier Software and Technology.
5. Enzyme Action
 Investigation #6b: Testing Catalase Activity, Investigating Biology Through
Inquiry, 2012, Vernier Software and Technology.
 Biofuel Enzyme Investigation, kit from Bio-Rad Laboratories
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Essential Questions:
1. How does cell shape and size affect the overall rate of nutrient intake and rate of waste
elimination?
2. What are the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
3. How do interactions between subcellular structures, which are specialized, provide
essential functions?
4. How does cell membrane structure affect movement of molecules across the
membrane?
5. Why is free energy required for living systems?
6. How do changes in free energy availability affect organisms, populations, and
ecosystems?
7. What factors influence enzyme activity?
8. How do autotrophs capture free energy in the environment and use that energy to
power the production of organic molecules?
9. How is the process of fermentation important for the production of energy?
10. How are the steps of cellular respiration dependent on one another?
11. What are the three primary ways cell communicate with one another and which
anatomical system is responsible for each?
12. How do signal transduction pathways link reception with cellular response?
Unit Four: Evolution
Textbook Chapters:
22. Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life (22.2, 22.3 only)
23. The Evolution of Populations
24. The Origin of Species
25. The History of Life on Earth (25.1, 25.2, 25.3, 25.4, 25.5 only)
26. Phylogeny and the Tree of Life (26.1, 26.2, 26.3, 26.6 only)
Inquiry-Based Lab Investigations:
1. Investigation #2: Mathematical Modeling, Hardy-Weinberg AP Biology Investigative
Labs: an Inquiry Based Approach, 2012, The College Board
2. Investigation #3: Comparing DNA Sequences to Understand Evolutionary
Relationships with BLAST, AP Biology Investigative Labs: an Inquiry Based
Approach, 2012, The College Board
Essential Questions:
1. How does natural selection act on phenotypic variations in populations?
2. How and why do organisms evolve (change over time)?
3. How can speciation occur? How is this related to gene frequency?
4. What are some of the hypotheses about the origin of life on Earth and what evidence
is used to support each?
5. How does lack of genetic diversity affect the ability of an organism to stay extant?
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Unit Five: Form and Function: Maintaining Homeostasis
Textbook Chapters:
36. Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants (36.3 only)
39. Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals (39.1, 39.2, 39.3, 39.5 only)
40. Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function
43. The Immune System
45. Hormones and the Endocrine System (45.1, 45.2 only)
48. Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling
49. Nervous System (49.2 only)
51. Animal Behavior
Inquiry-Based Lab Investigations:
1. Investigation #13: Transpiration of Plants, Investigating Biology Through Inquiry,
2012, Vernier Software and Technology.
2. ELISA Immuno Explorer Lab from BioRad.
Essential Questions:
1. What is the relationship between metabolic rate per unit body mass and the size of
multicellular organisms?
2. How do positive and negative feedback mechanisms work? (Include an example of
each.)
3. How are biological systems affected by disruptions to their dynamic homeostasis?
4. How do organisms respond to changes in their external environments?
5. How do cells communicate with one another?
6. What is the function of an animal’s nervous system?
Unit Six: Interactions, Biodiversity, and Ecology
Textbook Chapters:
51: Animal Behavior
52. An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere (52.2, 52.3 only)
53. Population Ecology
54. Community Ecology
55. Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology
56. Conservation Biology and Global Change (56.1, 56.4 only)
Inquiry-Based Lab Investigations:
 Animal Behavior Lab, c. Elegans Behavior Kit from BioRad.
Essential Questions:
1. How do individual organisms respond to and communicate information?
2. How is homeostasis influenced by changes in a system’s environment?
3. How do changes in a community’s populations affect the community?
4. How do changes of matter or energy availability affect communities?
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5. How does species diversity within an ecosystem influence ecosystem stability?
6. What are the consequences of human actions on both local and global ecosystems
(give an example for each)?
Application of Science Practices
Students apply the seven science practices through the inquiry-based laboratory investigations.
Science Practices (SP)
1. The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and
solve scientific problems.
2. The student can use mathematics appropriately.
3. The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations
within the context of the AP course.
4. The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular
scientific question.
5. The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
6. The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
7. The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts and
representations in and across domains.
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