Hello! I know that we are all ready to begin our summer vacation, but I am so excited
about our AP Biology class and I want to make sure that we make the most of our
time. AP Biology is a rigorous, challenging college-level course that will require a lot
of your time, focus, and perseverance. But, it will be fun getting to know each other as
we discover the depths of biological concepts and conquer new academic heights. Most
importantly, we will set our sails to overcome the challenge of the AP Biology test in
May 2016. It’s gonna’ be tough…but nothing ever worth fighting for or keeping ever
came easy, folks. I’m so thrilled about this next year. It looks as though we’ll have the
perfect class size and I bet you are all an incredible group. So, get this AP Biology
summer assignment done and I’ll see ya on the first day of school . 
Sincerely,
Miss Butler
Assignment #1: Get to know “the BiG ideas” as you read Survival of the Sickest!
A.P. Biology is an in depth inquiry-based study of four Big Ideas:
 Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life
 Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to
maintain dynamic homeostasis
 Big idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life processes
 Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties
Within each Big Idea are several Enduring Understandings which are delineated further into numerous Essential
Knowledge concepts. The new organization of the curriculum provides students explicit benchmarks in the
understanding of biology as a systematic science. This book addresses the 4 Big Ideas in a personal and
intriguing nonfiction platform.
1. Get the book “Survival of the Sickest” by Dr. Sharon Moalem. (Amazon.com has some for cheap!)
2. Choose passages from the book that demonstrate TWO (2) different Enduring Understandings per Big Ideas.
Since there are 4 Big Ideas, you must choose 8 different passages (2/Big Idea) for 8 different Enduring
Understandings. Please see the charts below for an explanation of the 4 Big Ideas, 17 Enduring Understandings,
and 55 Essential Knowledges.
3. Explain how each passage relates to the Enduring Understandings and the Big Ideas.
4. Upon return to school you will complete an in class on-demand essay using your book and the work
completed in this packet. Pages 2-5 will also be collected for a grade.
Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
Passage 1: ____________________________________________________________________
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Enduring Understanding (Number and Letter): ______
Explanation: __________________________________________________________________
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Passage 2: ____________________________________________________________________
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Enduring Understanding (Number and Letter): ______
Explanation: __________________________________________________________________
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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.
Passage 1: ____________________________________________________________________
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Enduring Understanding (Number and Letter): ______
Explanation: __________________________________________________________________
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Passage 2: ____________________________________________________________________
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Enduring Understanding (Number and Letter): ______
Explanation: __________________________________________________________________
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Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential
to life processes.
Passage 1: ____________________________________________________________________
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Enduring Understanding (Number and Letter): ______
Explanation: __________________________________________________________________
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Passage 2: ____________________________________________________________________
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Enduring Understanding (Number and Letter): ______
Explanation: __________________________________________________________________
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Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess
complex properties.
Passage 1: ____________________________________________________________________
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Enduring Understanding (Number and Letter): ______
Explanation: __________________________________________________________________
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Passage 2: ____________________________________________________________________
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Enduring Understanding (Number and Letter): ______
Explanation: __________________________________________________________________
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Assignment #2: rekindle prior knowledge by getting in the book and doinG rG’s!
The chemistry covered in this course, according to the College Board, is now considered prior knowledge. Read
the first 3 chapters of the Campbell textbook and complete the corresponding reading guides. There will be a
biochemistry test covering the first 3 chapters of our textbook at the end of the first week in class. (I will only
do a very quick review the first couple of days!) The test may consist of multiple choice questions along with
free response questions from past AP Biology exams.
Assignment #3: LinCs VoCaBuLary Cards…knowinG the terms is haLf the BattLe!
Create vocabulary cards for the terms from chapters 1-3. You only have to do the ones that are highlighted on the sheet.
The other terms are from your previous biology class and are therefore considered prior knowledge. I would highly advise
that you review these terms and make sure that you know them as well. If these terms seem unfamiliar to you, I would
encourage you to also make note cards for them. Vocabulary will be embedded in every quiz and test…so you must know
them! The lincs strategy is a research-based strategy that has shown positive results for university students. You’re
welcome. 
assiGnment #4: BioLoGy PrefiXes, suffiXes, and root words…memoriZe & aPPLy!
Throughout this course there will be tons of new science vocabulary! If you know these word parts, the new science
terminology will be MUCH easier to understand and remember! If you know the terminology, the concepts will be easier
to understand! Actually, Medical Terminology was one of my FAVORITE courses in college!  *You don’t have to
make vocabulary cards or do any written work with this list. Just learn it! There will be a quiz on this list on the first day
of school! (*If it helps you to make vocab cards, then do it! Perhaps using an online help like Quizlet.com will help!
Either way, the learning is up to you…you got this! )
So, in a nutshell…here’s what’s due on the 1st day of school:
 You have read Survival of the Sickest and are ready to write about it!
o You completed the written work described above (big idea passages; you’ll be able to use
your work when you do the in-class writing assignment)
 You have read Chapters 1-3 in the Campbell’s AP Biology 8th edition Textbook
o You completed the Reading Guides for each chapter (aka-RG’s)
o You completed LINCS strategy vocabulary cards for the terms highlighted for each
chapter
 To Do LINCS strategy vocabulary …
 Get 3x5 Index Cards
 On the front side of the index card…write the TERM and draw a PICTURE
that relates to the term (it can be creative)
 On the backside of the index card…write the DEFINITION on top. Then
skip a few lines and write a “fill-in-the-blank” SENTENCE which applies the
term to a concept (don’t rewrite the definition; use a ‘blank space’ where the
term goes in the sentence so you can use these cards to study!)
 You have reviewed the list of Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words and are ready for a quiz!
HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER! GET THIS AP BIOLOGY WORK DONE, BUT REMEMBER TO
ENJOY YOUR TIME OFF, TOO!!! I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL IN AUGUST!