Unit 1: The Scale and Scope of Biology
Date
Class session
August 26
Thursday
August 27
Friday
August 30
Monday
Introduction:
Lab:
Introduction:
Natural selection:
Research components:
Lab:
Biological research:
Reading/whiteboard:
The science of Biology, course themes, materials required
Planting to set up Van Helmont’s experiment
Expectations, procedures, grades
Variation, overproduction, limited resources, competition
Qualitative, quantitative, IV/DV, inference, observation
Plant measurements
Correlational, controlled, cohort, case, field studies
Identifying types of bio research and research components
Statistics:
Lab:
Analysis:
Tightness of data (SEM)
Correlational (r-values)
Controlled experiements (p-values)
Plant measurement
Statistics work on Excel with plant growth data
Whiteboard:
Presentations of conclusions on plant lab
Sept 1
Tuesday
Sept 2
Wednesday
Sept 3
Thursday
Sept 4
Friday
Sept 6
Monday
Sept 7
Tuesday
Sept 8
Wednesday
10 o’clock
Sept 9
Thursday
Sept 11
Friday
Homework
NO SCHOOL
Group work:
Levels of organization
Lecture:
Emergent properties
Demonstration:
Microscopes
Microscope work with plants
Group work:
Lab:
Unit 1 Test
Patterns in Biology
Compost set up
Obtain materials for course
Syllabus + safety contract
signatures
Unit 2: The Chemistry of Biology
Sept 13-17
Guided reading (chemistry, thermodynamics)
Equilibrium and homeostasis
Cell membrane
Passive transport
Potato lab and demos
Sept 20-24
Protein structure and amino acids (functional groups)
10 o’clock start
Protein folding
Fri assembly
Enzyme structure and function
ATP
Paperase
Sept 27-Oct 1
Inquiry enzyme lab
Applications
Unit Test on Friday
Unit 3: Energy Cycles
Oct 4-8
Ecosystems, food chains/webs
10 o’clock start
Energy pyramids
Homecoming
Populations
assembly on Fri
Limiting factors
Oct 12-15
Photosynthesis (connect to intro plant lab)
Columbus day
Electron transport chain
Spinach demo
DPIP lab
Van Helmunt’s lab
Oct 18-22
Respiration
10 o’clock start
Calories in food = energy
Digestion
Unit Test on Friday
Oct 25-29
Unit Test
End of quarter
Application work or reading of articles (cancer, aging, XTC + overheating, etc…)
Friday Quarter Exam
Unit 4: Information
Nov 1-5
Central dogma (genesproteinscharacteristics)
Early dismissal Structure of DNA (nucleotides, DNA molecule, chromosomes, genomes)
Thursday
(parent
conferences)
Nov 8-12
DNA Structure: H-bonds, covalent bonds, base pairing
10 o’clock
DNA Replication: Purpose
start
Steps
Enzymes
Nov 15-19
Biotechnology: DNA sequencing
Parent
DNA fingerprinting
visitation day
PCR
Wed
Labs/Demo:
PCR - thermocycler
Hall of Fame
Electrophoresis/DNA fingerprinting
assembly
Thurs
Nov 22, 23, 24 Unit 4 Test
Early dismissal
Wed
Fly eyes article
Watson-Crick 1954
article
PBS DVD: DNA
mini-series
Unit 5: Machinery
Nov 29-Dec 3
Review Protein structure:
10 o’clock start
Amino acids, peptide bond, functional groups, dehydration rxs, primary, secondary, tertiary,
quaternary)
Protein folding demo/lab
Transcription
Manipulative or worksheet?
Dec 6-10
Translation
Mutations
Regulation
Dec 13-17
Formative quiz
Thurs
Article/connections to research
assembly
Unit test
Unit 6, part I: Genetics
Jan 3-7
Jan 10-14
Jan 18-20
Mon = MLK
Fri = Institute
Meiosis
Fertilization
Project work
Project work
Wed: Quarter exam
Thurs: Review of quarter exams
Fri:
Study hall for semester exams
Semester Exams
Unit 6, part II: Genetics
Jan 24-28
Plant seeds/get plants for next unit’s lab
Tues extended Review Meiosis
2nd period
Variation due to Meiosis:
10 o’clock start
Homologous chromosomes
Karyotypes
Crossing over
Independent assortment
Random fertilization
Mutations
Formative quiz
Jan 31-Feb 4
Mendelian genetics and Punnett squares
Post-Mendelian genetics
Feb 7-11
Application problems
Spirit Week
Pedigrees
Fri assembly
Unit 6 Exam
Unit 7: Organism as community
Feb 14-18
1. Start plant hormone lab
10 o’clock start
Cell communication: Receptors, signal transduction, hormones
2. Emergent properties
Embryology basics
3. Plant basics
4. DVD: The Seedy-Side of Plant
5. Mitosis
Feb 22-24
1. Review
Mon = holiday
Mitosis lab
Fri = Institute
2. Surface area lab
Plant hormone lab conclusion and stats
3. Formative quiz
Feb 28March 4
1.
2.
3.
4.
March 7 – 11
10 o’clock start
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Unit 8: Evolution, part I
March 14-18
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
March 21-25
1.
Fri early
2.
dismissal
3.
End of quarter
4.
5.
April 4-8
April 11-15
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
Embryology and plant development: Migration, secretion of substrates for pathways
Embryology and plant development: Contraction, polarity, contract inhibition
Quiz/DVD
Aging, cancer, cell death
Hox genes, transposons
Formative quiz
Stem cells, cloning and differentiation
Stem cells, cloning and differentiation
Review
Unit Exam
DVD or something
History and the people: Lyell, Wallace, Lamark, Malthus, Hutton
Natural selection tenants
DVD: Galapagos Islands
Practice activity
Evidence of evolution
Lab divisions: Biochemistry and Comparative Anatomy
Whiteboarding to share lab findings
Review
Quarter exam
DVD
Review
Hox genes, transposons
Symbiosis
Review activity
DVD
Review
Unit exam
April 18-21
Fri no school
April 25-29
Wed early
dismissal
Thur PSAE
Fri assembly
Week
1
2
3
4
Content
Intro to the course and related materials
Intro to the science and the study of Biology
Basics of Natural Selection
Connections to chemistry
Emergent properties
Levels of organization
Patterns work
Experimentation and statistics in Biology
Unit 1 Exam
Forces between atoms and molecules
Equilibrium, difusions, osmosis
Homeostasis
The cell membrane
Thermodynamics in biological systems
Protein structure, amino acids
Enzymes and their functioning
ATP
Other information
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Enzymatic labs
Unit 2 Exam
Carbon’s role in biology
Chemical cycling in ecosystems
Energy and energy in ecosystems
Photosynthesis
DPIP lab
Plant cell structure
Photosynthesis-transpiration balance
Transpiration lab
Cellular respiration
Role of mitochondria in cellular functions (aging, cancer, etc.)
Population and limiting factors
Unit 3 Exam
End of 1st Quarter
Project work
Central dogma – is it still dogma?
Structure of nucleic acids/DNA/RNA – compare to amino acids/proteins
Bonding related to function
DNA replication and control mechanisms
PCR, Southern blots, DNA fingerprinting, gene sequencing, karyotyping
Lab work
Project work
RNA transcription and control mechanisms
Protein translation and control mechanisms
Northern and Western blots
Genetic Engineering Labs
Unit 4 Exam
Connect variation back to Natural Selection and populations
Meiosis
Ways in which genetic variation can be achieved
Mendelian genetics and Punnett Squares
Post-Mendelian genetics and pedigree charts
Unit 6 Exam
Project work
End of First Semester
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
Cell communication and signal pathways
Hox genes
Role of cellular communication and signal pathways in embryology and aging
Mitosis in growth and development
Differentiation of cells and specialization
Mitosis, cancer and apoptosis
Stem cells, cloning and research applications
Plant cell communication
Plant growth and development
Unit 7 Exam
Project work
How science uses terms
Review of Natural Selection
Factors and knowledge contributing to Darwin’s ideas
Evidence for evolution
Characteristics of Life
Viruses
Theories on the Origin of Life
Timeline of Life on Earth – connect to environmental and genetic factors
Taxonomy of animals
Taxonomy of plants
Plant structures
Unit 8 Exam
Project work
Micro and macroevolution
Speciation and mechanisms that lead to speciation
Hardy Weinberg
Sexual selection
Project work
Unit 9 Exam
Project work
Feedback loops
Operons
Chemotaxis
Enzymatic regulation
Feedback in the human body
Diseases and applications
Review
Final Exam