AP Biology Summer Assignment 2012-2013
Mrs. K. Thurman
E-mail: kthurman@pasco.k12.fl.us
Welcome!
I am excited you have decided to join me in taking on the challenging, but rewarding journey, into Advanced
Placement (AP) Biology.
This will be my first year teaching this course, and for many of you, your first experience with an AP class. It
is designed as an equivalent to two semesters of college level biology, for biology majors. The course has
also just undergone a revision and this will be the first year for this new course and newly designed exam.
So, it will be a year of many firsts!
There is a significant amount of content to cover in a relatively short amount of time. Therefore, it is
important to start preparing for this course during the summer. Below is a list of your summer assignments
and their corresponding descriptions and due dates.
Assignment #1: Do this by June 30th.
Send me an e-mail using my e-mail above. I will be checking my e-mail throughout the summer.
Here is the information you need to provide in the e-mail:
 E-mail Subject Line: AP Biology 12-13
 Body of e-mail: Your full name (& nickname that you go by if you have one)
o Who was your last science teacher? What class? What grade did you earn?
o What other science classes have you taken?
o Are planning to take AP Stats next year (2012-2013)? What about other AP classes?
o Do you have a job? Will you continue to work over the school year?
o Tell me about your family. Pets. Hobbies…
o What extracurricular activities are you involved in? Will you have time devote your best effort
to preparing your assignments for this class?
o What type of technology do you have access to? Do you have a computer, with Internet and
printer? Do you have a smartphone? Do you have an iPad?
o What do you plan to major in when you get to college? Why would you like to pursue this
career path?
Assignment #2: Do this by June 30th.
 Join my AP Biology – Edmodo group.
Website: edmodo.com
Group Name: Thurman’s AP Biology 2012-2013
Group code: azp4fc
 Sign-in as student and create a profile.
 We will be using this throughout the year and you may submit assignment #3 to this page.
Assignment #3: Due on the first day of school (August 20th, 2012)
Part 1:
 Choose 1 out of the following books and read prior to the first day of school.
 Complete a 2-3-page summary of the book, discussing key ideas and include a personal reflection of
this book.
 The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
 Your Inner Fish by Dr. Neil Shubin
 Survival of the Sickest by Dr. Sharon Moalem
 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Part 2:
 Choose another book from this list, or you may choose another biology-focused, non-fiction book
based on something that interests you (Example: Evolution, cloning, bioethics, a particular
species…).
 If choosing one different from the list above, it MUST be pre-approved by me first. E-mail me the title
and author of the book prior to completing the assignment.
 Repeat the same report as you did for the first book.
**Summaries must be typed, font 10-12, double-spaced. Submit via edmodo or e-mail. Be prepared to
share and/or be quizzed on your readings during the first week of school.**
Assignment #4: Due on the first day of school (August 20th, 2012)
Adapted from K. Foglia and Lesley Kirkley: I would like you to start getting familiar with
some of the large amount of vocabulary you will encounter this year. To do so, I want you
to choose 20 random words from the list below. Define each word and take a picture that
serves as a representation of that word. Each picture needs to be one that you take yourself
(to prove this, choose 1 item that appears in every picture you take, such as a personal
object like a phone, sunglasses, stuffed animal…). You may use an analogy for the word if it
is too difficult to obtain a picture (for mitochondria…you can use a power plant).
Place the picture into a PowerPoint presentation, with each word and picture having its
own slide. As we cover the words in class, I will try to incorporate your slides into my
lessons when I can. Burn to a CD or bring in on flash-drive. Do not e-mail.
This can be a great chance to show off your creativity. Have fun and use your imagination.
I hope you enjoy your summer and I look forward to getting to know you. Please let me
know if you have any questions regarding the assignments.
~Mrs. Thurman
BIOLOGY COLLECTION TERMS
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adaptation of an animal
adaptation of a plant
abscisic acid
actin
amniotic egg
amylase
angiosperm
animal that has a segmented body
annelid
anther & filament of stamen
arthropod
archaebacteria
autotroph
auxin producing area of a plant
basidiomycete
Batesian mimicry
biological magnification
bryophyte
C 4 plant
Calvin cycle
carbohydrate – fibrous
cambium
cellulose
chitin
chlorophyta
cnidarian
coelomate
conifer leaf
commensalism
connective tissue
cuticle layer of a plant
deciduous leaf
deuterostome
dicot plant with flower & leaf
diploid chromosome number
echinoderm
ectotherm
endosperm
endotherm
enzyme
epithelial tissue
ethylene
eubacteria
eukaryote
exoskeleton
fermentation
flower ovary
frond
fruit – dry with seed
fruit – fleshy with seed
gametophyte
gastropod
genetically modified organism
gibberellins
glycogen
gymnosperm cone
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6
haploid chromosome number
heartwood
hermaphrodite
insect
K-strategist
keratin
leaf – gymnosperm
lepidoptera
lichen
lignin
lipid used for energy storage
littoral zone organism
long-day plant
meristem
modified leaf of a plant
modified root of a plant
modified stem of a plant
monocot plant with flower & leaf
muscle fiber – striated
mutualism
mycelium
mycorrhizae
myosin
nematode
niche
nymph stage of an insect
parasite
parenchyma cells
phloem
pine cone – female
platyhelminthes
pollen
pollinator
porifera
prokaryote
protein – fibrous
protein – globular
protostome
pteridophyte
r-strategist
radial symmetry
rhizome
scale from animal with two-chambered heart
spore
sporophyte
stem – herbaceous
stem – woody
stigma & style of carpel
tendril of a plant
thorn of a plant
unicellular organism
vascular plant tissue
xerophyte
xylem