Honors Biology Course Outline and Pacing Guide
THEME: CELLS
STANDARD: SB1: Students will analyze the nature of the relationships between
structures and functions in living cells.
Discussion Topics
Readings
Cohesion of water
(SCSh 3)
1. Chemistry of Life (4-5 days)
U
N
I
T

1




Cohesion, adhesion, specific heat of water
and its importance to biological systems
(SB1.d)
Carbon’s role in the molecular diversity of
life (SB1.c)
Carbon-based molecules, their structures,
functions, building blocks and examples
(SB1.c)
Chemical reactions
Enzymes and their function as catalysts
(SB1.b)
Chapter 2
2
U
N
I
T









The development of the cell theory and its
components (SCSh7)
Cell organelles, their structures and
functions (SB1.a)
Cell membrane structure and function
(SB1.a)
Fluid mosaic model (SB1.a)
Passive and active transport mechanisms
and their role in homeostasis (SB1.a)
Endothermic and
exothermic reactions
(SCSh 2,3,4)
Investigating enzyme
reaction rates using
toothpickase
(SCSh 1,3,6)
Cell models (SCSh 1,4)
2. Cells (4-5 days)
U
N
I
T
Activity/Labs
Chapter 3
Selections from Robert
Hooke’s Micrographia
Diffusion
demonstrations
(SCSh 1,6)
Egg osmosis lab
(SCSh 2,3,4,5,6)
3. Cells and Energy (5-6 days)
Chapter 4
ATP models (SCSh 1,4)
Chemical energy and ATP (SB3.a)
Photosynthesis (SB3.a)
Cellular respiration (SB3.a)
Fermentation (SB3.a)
The Path of Carbon in
Photosynthesis by M.
Calvin and A.A. Benson
Stomata peels
(SCSH 2,3,4,5,8)
The Citric Acid Cycle by
Hans A. Krebs
3
Chromatography
(SCSh 1,2,3,4,5,6,8)
Yeast fermentation lab
and poster projects
(SCSh 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
4. Cell Growth and Division (3-4 days)
U
N
I
T
4






Stages of the cell cycle and the structures
involved in cell reproduction (SB1.a)
Mechanics of mitosis and cytokinesis
(SB1.a)
Cancer and regulation of cell cycle (SB2.d)
Advantages and disadvantages of asexual
and sexual reproduction (SB2.e)
Eukaryotes and multicellular life (SB3.b)
Stem cell research (SB3.b)
Chapter 5
Onion root tip mitosis
(SCSh 2,3,4,5,6,8)
THEME: GENETICS
STANDARD: SB2: Students will analyze how biological traits are
passed on to successive generations.
Discussion Topics
Readings
Activity/Labs
Chapter 6
Pop bead meiosis and
crossing over
(SCSh 1)
Corn genetics Lab
(SCSh 1,3,4,5)
5. Mendel and Meiosis (6-8 days)
U
N
I
T
5







Body cells, gametes, and chromosomes
(SB2)
The process of meiosis (SB1.a)
Hereditary patterns (SB2.c)
Traits, genes and alleles (SB2.c)
Traits and probabilities (SB2.c)
Crossing over and genetic variation (SB2.c)
Complex patterns of inheritance (SB2.c)
Chapter 7
Experiments in Plant
Hybridization by Gregor
Mendel
6. From DNA to Proteins (5-6 days)
U
N
I
T
6





DNA as genetic material (SCSh7)
Structure of DNA (SB2.b)
Replication, transcription, and translation
(SB2.a, SB2.b)
Regulation of gene expression (SB2.b)
Changes to DNA: mutations and the
appearance of new traits (SB2.d)
Chapter 8
Molecular structure of
nucleic acids by James
Watson and Francis
Crick
Virtual Karyotypes
(SCSh1)
Human traits lab
and poster projects
(SCSh 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
DNA extractions
(SCSh 1,2,3,4,5,6)
DNA models
(SCSh 1,4)
Virtual protein synthesis
(SCSh 1,4)

7. Molecular Genetics (5-6 days)
U
N
I
T
7



Manipulating DNA (SB2.f)
Copying DNA and DNA fingerprinting
(SB2.f)
Genetic engineering and technology in
forensics, medicine, and agriculture
(SB2.f)
Chapter 9
Virtual DNA
fingerprinting lab
(SCSh 1,3,5,8)
THEME: ORGANISMS
STANDARD: SB3: Students will derive the relationship between single-celled
and multi-celled organisms and the increasing complexity of systems.
Discussion Topics
Readings
Activity/Labs
Chapter 17
Using dichotomous keys
(SCSh 3,4,5,7)
15. Classification (4-6 days)
U
N
I
T
1
5




The Linnaean System of Classification
(SB3.b)
Classification based on evolutionary
relationships (cladograms) (SB3.c)
Molecular clocks (SB5.b, SB5.c)
Domains and Kingdoms (SB3.b)
Constructing
Cladograms
(SCSh 3,4,5,7)
16. Viruses (2-3 days)
U
N
I
T
1
6



Studying viruses and prokaryotes (SB3.d)
Viral structure and reproduction (SB3.d)
Viral diseases and their spread (SB3.d)
Chapter 18
Current Issues articles
Disease transmission
simulation
(SCSh 1,2,3,4,5,6,8)
*If time allows, we will
view the movie
“Contagion”
THEME: ECOLOGY
STANDARD: SB4: Students will assess the dependence of all organisms on one
another and the flow of energy and matter within their ecosystems.
Discussion Topics
U
N
I
T
1
1
U
N
I
T
1
2
Readings
Activity/Labs
Chapter 13
Constructing a food
web poster projects
(SCSh 1,3,5,8)
11. Principles of Ecology (4-6 days)




Ecologists study relationships (SB4.a)
Biotic and Abiotic factors (SB4.c)
Energy in ecosystems (SB4)
Food chains and food webs (SB4.b)
Cycling of matter (SB4.b)
Pyramid models (SB4.b)


12. Interactions in Ecosystems (4-5 days)




Habitat and niche (SB4.a)
Community interactions (SB4.a)
Population distributions and growth
patterns (SB4.a)
Ecological succession (SB4.c)
Selections from
Fundamentals of
Ecology by Eugene
Odum
Habitat vs. Niche Group
Activity
(SCSh 1,3)
Chapter 14
13. Ecology and Interactions (4-5 days)
U
N
I
T



Terrestrial biomes and aquatic ecosystems
(SB4.a)
Plant adaptations (SB4.e)
Animal adaptations and chemical and
mechanical defenses (SB4.e)
Webquest: cycling of
matter
(SCSh 1,6,7,9)
Chapter 15
Chapter 22.5
Chapter 27
1
3
A Yeast Population
Study
(SCSh 1,3,5,8)
Identifying biotic and
abiotic factors in
ecosystems
(SCSh 1,2,4,5,6)
Climatograms
(SCSh 1, 3,4,5,6,8)
Fetal Pig dissections
(after EOCT) (SCSh
1,2,4,6)
14. Human Impacts on Environment (3 days)
U
N
I
T
1
4


Human impact on air and water quality
and threats to biodiversity (SB4.d)
Conservation (SB4.d)
Chapter 16
Student selected
materials for research
projects
Human impact research
projects
(SCSh 1,3,4,5,6,8,9)
THEME: EVOLUTION
STANDARD: SB5: Students will evaluate the role of natural selection in the
development of the theory of evolution.
Discussion Topics
Readings
Activity/Labs
Chapter 10
Wooly Worm
Natural Selection Lab
with data posters
(SCSh 1,2,3,4,5,6,8)
Chapter 11
Hardy-Weinberg Lab
G.H. Hardy (1908) and
Hardy-Weinberg
Equilibrium by A.W.F.
Edwards
(SCSh 1,2,3,4,5,6,8)
Chapter 12.1, 12.4, 12.5
Evolutionary Changes in
Primates
8. Natural Selection (4-6 days)
U
N
I
T




8

Early ideas about evolution (SCSh7, SB5.a)
Darwin’s observations (SCSh7, SB5.a)
Theory of Natural Selection (SB5.a, SB5.d)
Evidence for evolution: geography, fossils,
embryology, anatomy (SB5.c)
Modern evolutionary biology (SB5.c)
9. Evolution of Populations (4-6 days)
U
N
I
T
9
U
N
I
T
1
0





Genetic variation within populations
(SB5.c, SB5.d)
Natural selection in populations (SB5.d)
Mechanisms of evolution
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (SB5.d)
Speciation and patterns of evolution
10. The History of Life (2 days)



Fossil record and geologic time scale
Radiation of multicellular life (SB5.b)
Evolution and the development of
pesticide and antibiotic resistance (SB5.e)
Chapter 18.6
(SCSh 1,3,4,5,6,8)