ADVANCED PLACEMENT BIOLOGY SYLLABUS (2011-2012)
Mr. Mark Stephansky
Room: 202; Office: 205E
E-mail: mark.stephansky@whrsd.org
School Phone: (781) 618-7441
Office Hours: Before school, after school, and during seminar
Course Web Site: http://www.whrsd.org/stephansky
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course follows the guidelines created by the College Board. It is designed to be equivalent to a college
level introductory course. Successful completion of the AP Biology exam can lead to either introductory biology credit or elective
credit depending on the requirements of the college a student is attending.
COURSE OBJECTIVE: AP biology students will demonstrate the ability to use specific skills and processes, appropriate scientific
terminology, and major biological concepts to explain the uniqueness and interdependence of living organisms, their interactions
with the environment, and the continuation of life on Earth.
TEXTBOOKS:
Campbell, N. A. and Reece, J. B., Biology, Edition 7, Benjamin Cummings Publishers (2005) ISBN
RECOMMENDED PURCHASE: Pack, P. E. Biology AP Test Preparation, Cliff’s Notes, 3rd Edition (2007)
You will each have a textbook checked out to you. You are responsible for your own book’s care. In addition to the text,
supplemental reading materials will be given periodically.
SUPPLIES: Large 3 ring notebook w/dividers for Notes, Guided Readings, and Labs; scientific calculator.
LOGISTICS: This class meets for one period every day for the entire school year. Class periods will be composed of lecture, labs,
quizzes, and exams. A premium will be put on both labs and essay composition. Each exam will have at least one detailed essay, and
many quizzes will be in-class or take-home essays.
I expect all of those who enroll in AP Biology to prepare for and take the Advanced Placement Biology exam. This class has a very
special dynamic when we are all working towards the same goal. If you are not looking for an academic challenge at the highest
level, you should consider taking a different course.
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(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
20% Homework and
Classwork
Assignments
25% Laboratory
assignments and
reports
20% Quizzes and
Essays
35% Tests
Individual assignments include “Reading Guides” from the Campbell text along with supplemental
readings and essays. Students will be required to turn in “Reading Guides” on a regular basis; this
will insure they are keeping up with required reading. Other reading assignments and essays will
be assigned periodically throughout the year.
Part of the college board requirements for AP Biology is a series of 12 labs; students will complete
these labs along with the worksheets/ lab reports that will be assigned along with them. In
addition to the required 12, other labs and laboratory-based activities will also be assigned.
Quizzes will be given periodically to assess learning.
Exams will follow after every unit and at the semester.
Grading, Grades, Cheating, Exams, Homework....
This year in my class, I will be practicing a form of Mastery Teaching. In Mastery Teaching, students are allowed to master the
content at their own pace.
Students are allowed to hand in lab reports, projects, and other assignments after the due date. However, for each day an
assignment is late, twenty percent of the total points will be deducted from the grade earned. After five school days, or one school
week, the late assignment will no longer be accepted and recorded as a zero.
If a student earns a grade on an assignment that s/he feels is unsatisfactory, the student has the option of fixing the assignment on
a separate sheet of paper and stapling the correction to the old assignment, and handing the assignment in for possible full credit.
The student will always receive the higher grade. The deadline for re-doing an assignment is the deadline for late assignments, or
one school week after the original due date. I do make some exceptions, however. If a student earns a 90% on an assignment, s/he
cannot re-do the assignment for a higher grade. I do not allow corrections on textbook guided reading assignments, extra credit
assignments, and quizzes (other assignments might be added during the year).
If a student earns a 50% or greater on an exam, then that exam may be corrected. The exam must be corrected within a brief
window of time (usually for 4 days following the original exam). It will be the responsibility of the student to make assignment
corrections. I will not remind any student when her/his impending corrections are due. This policy is a privilege, not a right. The
purpose of making exam corrections is for you to relearn the material that you have not mastered yet. Short-cutting this process
defeats the purpose of this policy. Violations will result in a loss of the privilege. (See also below)
Up to date grades will be posted on Infinite Campus. Students are responsible for checking his/her grade for accuracy. I am not
perfect, and I have been known to make mistakes. If a student finds a mistake in her/his grade, s/he is expected to see me in a civil
manner and point out my mistake. I will correct the mistake and the correction will be posted.
With my Mastery Teaching, I am angered and frustrated when students attempt to cheat. If a student cheats, s/he will be caught. If
students copy each other, everyone involved will receive a zero. If I feel that the assignments are copied, all parties will have to
civilly defend themselves. I hope that I will not have to deal with cheaters. However, if cheating seems to be the norm, I will rescind
my Mastery Teaching policy. (I also consider the following cheating: students using notes, exams, quizzes and laboratories of
students who have taken my class in prior years. Do not ask an old student to ‘borrow their old Biology material).
There will be a time when students are allowed to use a ‘'legal cheatsheet.’ When exams are announced, students can write on both
sides of a 3-inch by 5-inch index card. There can be no typing, taping, gluing, stapling, or adhering of anything on the card. Students
are expected to complete his/her own card. Sharing or selling of the Exam Card is not allowed and will be treated as an attempt to
cheat. Students who cheat on an exam will receive a zero on the exam with no chance of retaking the exam.
Due dates, for assignments, are recorded on the classroom calendar, which is located on the class web site and at the front of the
room. Students need to make sure that their calendar matches my calendar. Nothing is ever written in stone, and assignments are
moved from time to time. I try to keep my website up to date, however, the best source of due dates is the classroom calendar.
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(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)
Homework and other work to be graded must be placed into my “yellow-folder” (3-ring binder). Work to be passed in should never
be placed on the front desk. It is the responsibility of the student to hand in the homework before the tardy bell sounds.
If a student needs help, I will be available and happy to help before and after school as well as during the seminar period. It is my
dream that every student in all of my classes earn an A. In my class, student motivation is the only limiting factor in student success.
If you have any questions please feel free to call me at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School (781-618-7441), email me
(mark.stephansky@whrsd.org), or visit me in the science office Rm 205E. For notes, book reading assignments, and due dates,
please visit my website: http://www.whrsd.org/stephansky
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS:
AP Biology provides students with an experience equivalent to a college level biology course. There are extensive reading
assignments that the student must complete in order to be successful. Supplementary readings in the form of journal articles, and
supplementary texts are also required. In addition students are expected to complete assigned laboratory activities and any other
supplementary assignments given throughout the course. At all times students are expected to follow classroom and school rules,
behave in a responsible and mature manner, and conduct themselves with honor and integrity. Students are expected to do their
own work. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. (Please also see above)
ATTENDANCE AND CLASS PARTICIPATION:
This class will move at a very fast pace, and between labs, lectures and reviews, there is really no way to make up a missed class or
most of the labs. It is, therefore, essential you attend every class and lab and be prepared to participate.
PROVISIONS FOR EXTRA HELP AND MAKEUP:
Students who are absent from class are responsible to pick up make-up work or stay after school or during seminar to finish missed
assignments. Students should schedule make-up work immediately upon their return from an absence. It also may be helpful to
form a student study group. Students should find a group of friends in class and exchange phone numbers and or email. This way on
the occasion they miss a class they can contact them and find out what was missed in class that day.
STUDY SUGGESTIONS:
 Focus in class – paying attention in class can save you hours of studying outside of class.
 This is a college level course and the class will be handled as such, you will be graded primarily on tests and labs and you
will be expected to monitor and analyze your own learning.
 Biology is different from other introductory courses in terms of the amount of vocabulary involved to get a basic
understanding of the science. You must study some every day. Waiting to review your notes until just before the exam is a
bad idea. Staying on top of the material will help you develop a deeper understanding and keep the material from seeming
overwhelming and confusing.
 There are Guided Reading and Must Know Sheets, tutorial activities (online and on your CD) for each topic – these are both
highly useful; be sure you make use of them and bring any questions you have to class.
 Make use of ALL online resources, especially the Campbell Biology Ed.7 site/CD
 Come in for help or get help from a classmate as soon as you have trouble with a concept. You need to be an advocate for
your own learning. Consider forming a study group, even if it’s only with one other person.
 Keep an organized lab notebook and organized notes.
 Your syllabus is your best friend in this class – check it frequently and use it to plan your studying – you always have
homework in AP Bio, if nothing else, start reading ahead.
 After a quiz or test take time to figure out why you missed questions – think about whether you misread the question or
needed to study more. If you needed to study more, do it right away – the concepts build on each other AND you will MORE
THAN LIKELY be having comprehensive exams at the end of each trimester. And, of course, remember you are always
working toward your AP exam on Monday, May 14, 2012.
 Make sure you do your labs carefully and completely and that you understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
Labs are an important part of your preparation for the AP exam, especially for the essay questions.
 Make up labs immediately – biology lab materials usually have a short shelf life – you can’t do a lab if the organisms are no
longer fresh, no longer alive, or are no longer in the right stage of their life.
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(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)
MAJOR THEMES IN THE COURSE:
The AP Biology Development Committee has identified eight major themes that recur throughout the course:
I. Science as a Process – Science is a way of knowing. It can involve a discovery process using inductive reasoning, or it can be a
process of hypothesis testing.
Example: The theory of evolution was developed based on observation and experimentation.
II.
Evolution – Evolution is the biological change of organisms that occurs over time and is driven by the process of natural
selection. Evolution accounts for the diversity of life on Earth.
Example: Widespread use of antibiotics has selected for antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria.
III. Energy Transfer – Energy is the capacity to do work. All living organisms are active (living) because of their abilities to link
energy reactions to the biochemical reactions that take place within their cells.
Example: The energy of sunlight, along with carbon dioxide and water, allows plant cells to make organic materials, synthesize
chemical energy molecules, and ultimately release oxygen to the environment.
IV. Continuity and Change – All species tend to maintain themselves from generation to generation using the same genetic code.
However, there are genetic mechanisms that lead to change over time, or evolution.
Example: Mitosis consistently replicates cells in an organism; meiosis (and hence sexual reproduction: results in genetic
variability.
V. Relationship of Structure to Function – The structural levels from molecules to organisms ensure successful functioning in all
living organisms and living systems.
Example: Aerodynamics of a bird’s wing permits flight.
VI. Regulation – Everything from cells to organisms to ecosystems is in a state of dynamic balance that must be controlled by
positive or negative feedback mechanisms.
Example: Body temperature is regulated by the brain via feedback mechanisms.
VII. Interdependence in Nature – Living organisms rarely exist alone in nature.
Example: Microscopic organisms can live in a symbiotic relationship in the intestinal tract of another organism; the host provides
shelter and nutrients, and the microorganisms digest the food.
VIII. Science, Technology, and Society – Scientific research often leads to technological advances that can have positive and/or
negative impacts upon society as a whole.
Example: Biotechnology has allowed the development of genetically modified plants.
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(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)
AP Biology Course Schedule 2011-2012
Mark Stephansky • Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Text: Campbell & Reece. Biology (7th Edition)
First Trimester Topics
Unit 1 – Science as a Process
Animal Behavior, Populations, Communities, Ecosystems and
Conservation
Chapters
1
Approximate Time
3 Days
Unit 2 – Chemistry of Life
Chemistry of Life, Water, Carbon and & Organic Molecules
2-5
11 Days
50-55
14 Days
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The Three Subatomic particles and their significance
The types of bonds, how they form and their relative
strengths
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The importance of hydrogen bonding to the properties
of water.
Four unique properties of water, and how each
contributes to life on Earth.
How to interpret the pH scale.
The importance of buffers in biological systems.
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The properties of carbon that make it so important.
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The role of dehydration synthesis in the formation of
organic compounds and hydrolysis in the digestion of
organic compounds.
How to recognize the four biologically important
organic compounds (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins,
and nucleic acids) by their structural formulas.
The cellular functions of all four organic compounds.
The four structural levels that proteins can go through
to reach their final shape (conformation) and the
denaturing impact that heat and pH can have on
protein structure.
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Unit 2 – Ecology
Animal Behavior, Populations, Communities, Ecosystems and
Conservation
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The role of abiotic factors in the formation of biomes.
Features of freshwater and marine biomes.
Major terrestrial biomes and their characteristics.
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The difference between a kinesis and a taxis.
Various forms of animal communication.
The role of altruism and inclusive fitness in kin
selection.
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How density, dispersion, and demographics can
describe a population.
The difference between exponential and logistic
models of population growth.
How density-dependent and density-independent
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Labs/Activities
Seed Germination
Lab
Scientific
Measurements
Carbon and
Organic
Molecules, Water
Lab
AP #1 Diffusion &
Osmosis
Tests*
AP #11 Animal
Behavior Lab
Predator/Prey
Relationships
Population
Estimation
AP #12 Dissolved
Oxygen Lab
Biome Ads
Test 2
10/12/11
Test 1
9/21/11
(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)
factors can control population growth.
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The difference between a fundamental niche and a
realized niche.
The role of competitive exclusion in interspecific
competition.
The symbiotic relationships of parasitism, mutualism,
and commensalism.
The impact of keystone species on community
structure.
The difference between primary and secondary
succession.
How energy flows through the ecosystem by
understanding the terms in bold that relate to food
chains and food webs.
The difference between gross primary productivity and
net primary productivity.
The carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles.
Unit 4 – The Cell
Tour of the Cell, Cell Membrane, Osmoregulation and Excretory
System, Nervous System
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6, 7,44, 48
18 Days
Surface Area Lab
Organelle Oral
Presentations
Animal vs. Plant
Cell Lab
Test 3
11/07/11
8, 9
8 Days
AP #2 Enzymes
Paperase Lab
Protein Shape Lab
Gelatin Lab
AP #5 Respiration
Test 4
11/22/11
The difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic
cells.
The structure and function of organelles common to
plant and animal cells.
The structure and function of organelles found only in
the plant cells or only in animal cells.
Why membranes are selectively permeable.
The role of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates
in membranes.
How water will move if a cell is placed in an isotonic,
hypertonic, or hypotonic solution.
How electrochemical gradients are formed
Three categories of nitrogenous waste, which animal
groups produce each, and why.
The components of a nephron, and what occurs in
each region.
How hormones affects water balance by acting on the
nephron.
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The anatomy of a neuron.
The mechanisms of impulse transmission in a neuron.
The process that leads to release of neurotransmitter,
and what happens at the synapse.
Unit 5 – Enzymes and Metabolism (Cellular Respiration)
Enzymes, ATP, Cellular Respiration
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The key role of ATP in energy coupling.
That enzymes work by lowering the energy of
activation.
The catalytic cycle of an enzyme that results in the
production of a final product.
The factors that influence the efficiency of enzymes.
6 of 11
(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)

The difference between fermentation and cellular
respiration.
 The role of glycolysis in oxidizing glucose to two
molecules of pyruvate.
 The process that brings pyruvate from the cytorol into
the mitochondria and introduces in into the citric acid
cycle.
 How the precess of chemiosmosis utilizes the
electrons from NADH and FADH2 to produce ATP.
Second Trimester Topics
Unit 6 – Energy Transformations
Enzymes, Photosynthesis, Animal Nutrition, Circulation and Gas
Exchange
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Chapters
10, 41, 42
Approximate Time
14 Days
Labs/Activities
AP #4
Photosynthesis
AP #10
Physiology of
Circulatory
System
Tests*
Test 5
12/16/11
12-15, 4547
22 Days
AP #3 Mitosis &
Meiosis
AP #7 Genetics of
Organisms
Test 6
1/27/12
How photosystems convert solar energy to chemical
energy.
How linear electron flow in the light reactions result in
the formation of ATP, NADPH, and O2.
How chemiosmosios generates ATP in the light
reactions.
How the Calvin cycle uses the energy molecules of the
light reactions to produce G3P.
The metabolic adaptions of C4 and CAM plants to
arid, dry regions.
The major compartments of alimentary canal—oral
cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestines,
and large intestines—an their contributions to animal
nutrition.
The major digestive glands—salivary glands, pancreas,
liver, and gallbladder—and their contributions to
animal nutrition.
The general scheme of chemical digestion of
carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and nucleic acids.

The circulatory vessels, heart chambers, and route of
mammalian circulation.
 How RBCs demonstrate the relationship of structure
to function.
 The pathway a molecule of oxygen takes from the air
until it is picked up by the hemoglobin of a red blood
cell.
Unit 7 – Continuity and Change
Heredity, Animal Reproduction and Development
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The structure of the replicated chromosome.
The stages of mitosis.
The role of kinases and cyclin in the regulation of the
cell cycle.

The difference between asexual and sexual
reproduction.
The role of meiosis and fertilization in sexually
reproducing organisms.
The importance of homologous chromosomes to
meiosis.
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7 of 11
(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)
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How the chromosome number is reduced from
diploid to haploid through stages of meiosis.
Three important differences between mitosis and
meiosis.
The importance of crossing over, independent
assortment, and random fertilization to increasing
genetic variability.
Terms associated with genetics problems: P, F1, F2,
dominant, recessive, homozygous, phenotypic, and
genotypic.
How to derive the proper gametes when working a
genetics problem.
The difference between an allele and a gene.
How to read a pedigree.
How the chromosome theory of inheritance connects
the physical movement of chromosomes in meiosis to
Mendel’s laws of inheritance.
The unique pattern of inheritance in sex-linked genes.
How alteration of chromosome number of structurally
altered chromosomes (deletions, duplications, etc.) can
cause genetic disorders.
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Two ways hormones affect target organs.
The secretion of both positive and negative feedback
in the regulation of homeostasis by hormones.
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The hormonal control of the menstrual cycle.
How oogenesis spermatogenesis differ.

What occurs in cleavage, gastrulation, and
organogenesis.
Two structures derived from each germ layer.
The events that occur when a sperm contacts an egg.
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Unit 8 – Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
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16-21
The structure of DNA.
The major steps of replication.
The difference between replication, transcription, and
translation.
How DNA is packaged into a chromosome.
The key terms gene expression, transcription, and
translation.
How to explain the process of transcription.
How eukaryotic cells modify RNA after transcription.
The steps of translation.
How point mutations can change the amino acid
sequence of a protein.
13 Days
AP #6 Molecular
Biology
Protein Synthesis
and Words
Mutation Sheet
Protein Synthesis,
Mutation and
Shape Lab
Test 7
2/17/12
The functions of the three parts of an operon.
The role of repressor genes in operons.
The impact of DNA methylation and histone
acetylation on gene expression.
The role of oncogene, proto-oncogenes, and tumor
8 of 11
(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)
suppressor genes in cancer.
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The components of a virus.
The differences between lytic and lysogenic cycles.
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The terminology of biotechnology.
The steps in gene cloning with special attention to the
biotechnology tools that make cloning possible.
The key ideas that make PCR possible
How gel electrophoresis can be used to separate DNA
fragments or protein molecules.
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Unit 9 – Evolution
Darwin, Processes, Phylogeny/Systematics and Plant
Diversity/Evolution
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22-25
13 Days
Radioactive
Dating Lab
Variation Lab
Natural Selection
Lab
Evolution with
Teddy
AP #8 Population
Genetics
Test 8
3/16/12
Chapters
22-25
Approximate Time
4 Days
Labs/Activities
Tests*
Test 8
3/16/12
How Lamarck’s view of the mechanism of evolution
differed from Darwin’s.
Several examples of evidence for evolution.
The difference between structures that are
homologous and those that are analogous, and how
this relates to evolution.
The role of adaptations, variation, time, reproductive
success, and heritability in evolution.
How mutation and sexual reproduction each produce
genetic variation.
The conditions of Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.
How to use the Hardy-Weinberg equation to calculate
allelic frequencies and to test whether a population is
evolving.
The difference between microevolution.
The biological concept of species.
Prezygotic and postzygotic barriers that maintain
reproductive isolation in natural populations.
How allopathic and sympatric speciation are similar and
different.
How an autopolyploid or an allopolyploid chromosomal
change can lead to sympatric speciation.
How punctuated equilibrium and gradualism describe
two different tempos of speciation.

The age of the earth and when prokaryotic and
eukaryotic life emerged.
 Characteristics of the early planet and its atmosphere.
 How Miller and Urey tested the Oparin-Haldane
hypothesis and what they learned.
 Methods used to date fossils and rocks.
 How continental drift can explain the current
distribution of species.
Third Trimester Topics
Unit 9 – Evolution – contd.
Darwin, Processes, Phylogeny/Systematics and Plant
Diversity/Evolution
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(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)
Unit 10 – Tree of Life & Biodiversity
Evolutionary History of Biodiversity Prokaryotes/Viruses,
Protists, Fungi & Plants
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26-34
The taxonomic categories and how they indicate
relatedness
How systematics is used to develop phylogenetic tress.
The three domains of life including their similarities
and their differences.
The key ways in which prokaryotes differ from
eukaryotes with respect to genome, membrane-bound
organelles, size, and reproductions.
Mechanisms that contribute to genetic diversity in
prokaryotes, including transformation, conjugation,
transduction, and mutations.
Test 9
4/05/12
Why land plants are thought to have evolved from
green algae.
Some of the disadvantages and advantages of life on
land.
That plants have unique life cycle termed alternation of
generations with a gametophyte generation and
sporophyte generation.
The role of antheridia and archegonia in gametophytes.
The major characteristics of bryophytes.
The major characteristics of seedless vascular plants.
Key adaptations to life on land unique to seed plants.
The evolutionary significance of seeds and pollen.
The role of flowers and fruits in angiosperm
reproduction.
The role of stamens and carpels in angiosperm
reproduction.
The characteristics of fungi.
Important ecological roles of fungi in mycorrhizal
associations, and as decomposers and parasitic plant
pathogens.
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The characteristics of animals.
The stages of animal development.
How to sort the animal phyla based on symmetry,
development of a body cavity, and the fate of the
blastopore.

The traits from Figure 32.11 which are used to divide
the animals into groups.
Examples and unique traits from each phylum
discussed.
The evolution of systems for gas exchange, respiration,
excretion, circulation, and nervous control.
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
Virus Pamphlet
Virus Model
Bacteria Lab
Petri dish
observation
Gram Stain
Antibiotic disc
Mouthwash Lab
Bread Mold Lab
Fungus Lab
Protista is no longer considered a kingdom. This
probably contradicts what you learned in your
introductory biology class.
How chloroplasts and mitochondria evolved through
endosymbiosis.
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10 Days
(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)
Unit 11 – Plant Evolution Structure and Function
Evolutionary History of Plants
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35-39
10 Days
The function of xylem and phloem tissue.
The specific functions of tracheids, vessels, sieve-tube
elements, and companion cells.
The correlation between primary growth and apical
meristems versus secondary growth and lateral
meristems.
The role of passive transport, active transport, and
cotransport in plant transport.
The role of diffusion, active transport, and bulk flow in
the movement of water and nutrients in plants.
How the transpiration cohesion-tension mechanism
explains water movement in plants.
How pressure flow explains translocation.
Plant Slide Lab
Twig
Identification Lab
Plant Project
Seed Dispersal
Activity Plant
Hormone Lab
Graphing
AP #9
Transpiration
Test 10
5/2/12
The difference between macronutrients and
micronutrients.
The importance of mutualistic relationships between
plant roots and the bacteria and fungi that grow in the
rhizosphere.
Examples of nonmutualistic nutritional adaptations in
plants.
The process of double fertilization, a unique feature
and angiosperms.
The relationship between seed and fruit.
The structure and functions of all parts of the flower.
The three steps to signal transduction pathway.
The role of auxins in plants.
The survival benefits of phototropism and
gravitropism.
How photoperiodism determines when flowering
occurs.
Review
6 Days
School Days from Start of School until AP Biology Exam: 154
School Days from Start of School until start of AP Biology Exam review: 148
Date of AP Biology Exam: Monday, May 14, 2012
*The Classroom calendar takes precedence.
11 of 11
(Adapted from Wartski, Sharp & Fazio)