AP Biology
Unit 1: Introduction to AP Biology
“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
BIG IDEA(S):
1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes.
4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interaction possess complex properties.
Lesson
Objectives
(The student will be able to…)
Introduction to  discuss the expectations of the teacher and the
Class
student this year in AP Biology
 read & sign the syllabus
 organize his/her AP Biology Notebook
 complete the “Getting to Know You” activity
 view the “Introductory” vodcast
 demonstrate an understanding of “The Nature of
Science”
Laboratory
Safety
 identify various safety concerns
 explain why several pictures represents a safety
concern
References
Required Activities
 course syllabus
 Introductory
vodcast
 “AP Biology
Notebook”
handout
 syllabus read & signed by the
student and the parent
 organize your AP Biology
notebook
 “Getting to Know You”
activity
 view “Introductory” vodcast
 “The Nature of Science”
activity
 laboratory safety
contract
 Laboratory Safety
vodcast
 “Laboratory Safety” vodcast
 two laboratory safety
contracts read & signed by
student and parent
 “Recognizing Laboratory
Safety” activity
 Laboratory Safety Quiz –
MUST PASS with 100%
Due and
Weight
Completed
Dates
4
4
Equipment
Review
Studying Life
 identify various laboratory equipment
 identify how various laboratory equipment
functions
 previous
knowledge
 group members
 “Identifying Laboratory
Equipment” activity
 Equipment Quiz – MUST PASS
with 90%
4





 Textbook
chapters 1.1, 1.2,
and 1.3
 Vodcast 1.1
 “Studying Life” notes
 “Living or Not Living – That is
the Question” activity
 Studying Life Quiz – MUST
PASS with 80%
4
 Textbook
chapters 1.3 and
1.4
 Vodcast 1.2
 “The Scientific
Method” handout
 “Laboratory
Report Format”
handout
 “The Scientific Process” notes
 “Using Graphing Skills”
activity
 “Scientific Measurements”
activity
 “Scientific Bubbles” lab with
lab report
 The Scientific Process Quiz –
MUST PASS with 80%
8






The Scientific
Process
define Science
state the goals of Science
define Biology
define evolution
identify the properties of life (characteristics of
living things)
distinguish between the levels of biological
organization
give an example of an emergent property
define reductionism and systems biology
identify the central themes of biology
distinguish between eukaryotes and prokaryotes
distinguish between the three domains of life
 identify the components in the scientific process
 describe the steps of the scientific process
 distinguish between quantitative and qualitative
data
 distinguish between a theory and a hypothesis
 analyze and create various types of graphs
 discuss the importance of a universal system of
measurement
 define the metric system
 perform a scientific experiment
 write a laboratory report
Chapter
Review/
Assessment
 demonstrate understanding of the content
covered in UNIT 1
 Unit 1 Assessment – MUST
 See above
PASS with 80%
references
 Be able to answer
the “Objectives”
from the Studying
Life and The
Scientific Process
lessons
Science Practices:
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 this AP Biology 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.
 THIS UNIT MUST REMAIN IN YOUR BINDER ALL YEAR – DO NOT THROW OUT ANY PAGES FROM THIS UNIT – YOU WILL USE THEM AS
REFERENCES ALL YEAR
TBD