Dr. Suzanne Fenstemaker
Room 40
Email: sfenstemaker@whrhs.org
Voice mail: (908) 647-4800, ext. 2705
Class Website: http://www.whrhs.org/sfenstemaker - go to AP Bio Page; always check here
BEFORE emailing me to ask about
Announcements, assignment due dates and weekly plans
Any handouts from class available electronically
Required reading and any supplemental material we have
- Extra help/Make up work: after school M, T, TH (W if no teacher meeting). Before school by appointment only. I have lab every day, so lunch time is not a good bet.
- Textbook: BRAND NEW!! Principles of Life , by Hillis, Sadava, Heller and Price. This is an ebook and you will have access to it companion webportal with supporting material. Become one with this book, you’ll pretty much be reading it cover to cover.
New Course Format:
In case you haven’t heard, the College Board has revamped the AP Biology Course to be more inquiry based. The content is organized around four “Big Ideas” as follow:
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Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
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Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
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Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life processes.
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Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties.
A number of “enduring understandings” relate these big ideas to the various topics we will cover and provide the framework for exploring these topics.
As a result we’ve revamped how this course will run to better suit what the College Board
Expects. What does this mean for you?
Old course
Class time Mostly lecture, some in class assignments, supplemental videos and internet related reinforcement assignments
New course
Time to clarify student misunderstandings of reading assignments
Group “jig saws” to digest material read about for HW.
In class work will be collected at the end of class and returned if appropriate for completion the next day.

Labs Defined protocols and experiments.
You follow the steps and collect the data that we tell you to and then summarize what it means.
Homework Lab analyses, reading to supplement lectures, occasional project or extension article, studying for tests and quizzes covering mostly lectures and some labs
Grades Tests 40%
Lab Reports (take home) 30%
Quizzes 20%
HW/Webassigns (take home) 10%
Presentation of a question that you design an experiment to test.
Each group will address a different facet of the question.
Planning, set up and execution will be done by you and take place over at least 2 lab periods
Lab analyses will be done independently in class.
Nightly reading assignments with student’s preferred method of analysis (outline, notes, concept map)
Lack of preparation for daily quiz/assignment will cost you the grade for that day
Tests 40%
Lab design/analyses (in class) 30%
Quizzes 15%
Classwork/reading quizzes 15%
Things to notice:
Little to no graded work will be done outside of the classroom.
The daily quizzes/group work will require you keep up. If you are not prepared to contribute, your grade will suffer.
The AP Test:
The AP Biology test is optional for those students who wish to take it. The AP test has NO BEARING on your class grade. It does not exempt you from anything nor grant you any special privileges.
Generally students who maintain a C+ or higher average in class score a 4 or 5 on the AP test.
You are the first class to take the new test based on the new course. The new test is formatted as follows:
Section 1 (50%) 63 multiple choice; 6 quantitative fill in questions (yes… math!)
Section 2 (50%) free response – 2 long and 6 short questions
Simple 4 function calculators allowed; formula sheet provided
After the AP test:
This class does not end after the AP test. You will promptly begin a comprehensive project with tests and quizzes, culminating in your final exam project. ALL STUDENTS,
INCLUDING SENIORS, must complete a final project. THERE ARE NO EXEMPTIONS.
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Expectations and Rules of the Classroom
1.
Be on time to class. Unless you have spoken to me about a long walk, I expect everyone in the room by the time the bell rings. Bring lunch on lab days as you will not be allowed to leave to buy food .
1st late = warning; pass.)
2 nd Late = detention; 3 rd = ROM (for lates without a
2.
No food or drink in the class except water. A clean eating area will be provided on lab days.
3.
No cell phones, iPods or other audio visual devices are allowed. If detected, they will be confiscated. During tests/quizzes it will be assumed you were using them to cheat.
4.
Absences from this class should be strictly avoided. There are no “days off.” If you are absent, check in with a classmate and check the website for assignments. Worksheets will usually be posted there for download. Email/see me the day you return to make arrangements to make up what you missed.
5.
If you are absent for a test, quiz or lab , expect to make it up the next day REGARDLESS OF
WHETHER OR NOT CLASS MEETS. All missed tests/quizzes/labs must be made up within one week for credit. After 1 week the grade becomes a zero. All labs must be made up.
6.
Tests and Quizzes will be based on reading and topics explored in class. If it was assigned as reading it is fair game.
Quizzes cover less material, but in as much depth as a test.
7.
This course will require you to go beyond memorizing the information and move into analysis and synthesis. On a test or quiz, you may be presented with new situations that you didn’t read about and you will be asked to use what you know to solve the problem. The same skills will be asked of you on the AP test at the end of the year.
8.
Cheating : If you are found to be cheating, you and any cheating partner(s) will receive zeros for the assignment. You will not be allowed to make up the assignment and your parents will be notified for a conference. Subsequent cheating will be dealt by the administration. In any cheating scenario BOTH parties are responsible for the incident. Cheating is defined as any attempt to gain an unfair advantage over other students. Unacceptable practices include, but are not limited to copying (any assignment), plagiarizing (including cutting and pasting from websites), looking at another student’s quiz or test and ALLOWING someone to copy your assignment.
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