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Ap Bio Syllabus - Leuschen - Updated
Ap Bio Syllabus - Leuschen - Updated
INSTRUCTOR
INFORMATION:
Email:
mleusche@usd497.org
Website:
www.freestatescience.weebly.com
Office:
Room
418
Telephone:
785-832-6050
th
3 ring notebook w/dividers, scientific calculator, USB drive, current email address
NOTE:
You
should
check
with
the
college
or
university
you
hope
to
attend
for
their
policies
related
to
AP
exam
credit.
Policies
vary
from
school
to
school
and
are
subject
to
change
over
time.
Although
it
is
not
mandatory,
it
is
my
expectation
that
ALL
students
enrolled
in
AP
Biology
to
PREPARE
for
and
TAKE
the
AP
exam.
This
is
a
challenging,
college
level
course
that
will
be
rewarding
when
we
all
work
together
as
a
team
toward
a
common
goal!
Advanced
Placement
Biology
Content
This
course
in
AP
Biology
is
structured
around
the
four
Big
Ideas,
the
Enduring
Understandings
within
the
big
Ideas,
and
the
Essential
Knowledge
within
the
Enduring
Understandings.
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
posses
complex
properties.
The
above
topics
are
integrated
throughout
the
course
with
the
goal
of
developing
students
who
think
like
modern
biologists.
Students
will
do
the
following:
Perform
at
least
10
inquiry
AP
labs
(or
modified
versions
of
them)
plus
additional
labs
to
develop
technical
and
critical
thinking
skills
and
to
reinforce
the
biological
concepts
learned.
(Lab
component
will
represent
25%
of
students
time.)
At
the
end
of
each
lab
students
will
produce
a
lab
product
to
communicate
their
results
and
conclusions.
Several
labs
will
require
lab
reports
in
a
formal
format.
Other
lab
products
may
include:
o Scientific
posters
o PowerPoint
presentations
o Performance
assessment
o Forum-style
presentation
o Question/response
assessment
o Open-format
creative
product
Augment
textbook
with
outside
readings
including
material
from
current
journals
and
newspaper
articles.
The
readings
will
be
used
as
the
basis
for
writing
assignments
and
class
discussions
related
to
current
applications
of
biology
(technological,
medical,
agricultural,
etc.)
and
the
societal
and
ethical
issues
engendered
by
the
uses
of
biological
knowledge
and
technologies.
These
will
include
assorted
readings
during
the
year
from
Science,
Nature,
and
Scientific
American.
Develop
a
conceptual
framework
of
modern
biology
with
an
understanding
of
the
overarching
principle
of
evolution
as
the
foundation
for
modern
biological
principles
and
models.
A
word
regarding
AP
lab
design
Starting
in
the
fall
of
2012
the
College
Board
implemented
a
significant
redesign
of
the
AP
Biology
curriculum.
Their
focus
is
promoting
inquiry
in
the
laboratory
and
problem-solving
and
application
of
science
concepts
in
novel
situations.
More
than
ever
before,
success
in
the
course
(and
on
the
exam
in
May)
will
require
using
the
course
material
in
context
rather
than
simple
memorization.
To
reflect
this
change,
the
course
will
focus
on
development
of
the
following
seven
science
practices:
The
student
can
use
representations
and
models
to
communicate
scientific
phenomena
and
solve
scientific
problems.
First
Semester
Unit
0
Introduction
to
AP
Biology
o
Course expectations
Class work
Lab work
Independent work / preparing for the exam
Unit
1
Biochemistry
o
o
o
Properties of Water
Macromolecules
Enzymes
Unit
3
Energetics
o
o
General Metabolism
Cellular Respiration
Nervous
System
Immune
System
Endocrine
System
Cell Division
Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
Mutation
Main
Chapters
1
Introduction
to
AP
Biology
3
Water
Key
Labs
Diffusion
and
Osmosis
Lab
(AP)
Catalase
Enzyme
Lab
(AP)
Student
Designed
Inquiry
o
o
o
Molecular
Signaling
Nervous
System
or
Immune
System
Photosynthesis
(AP)
Cellular
Respiration
(AP)
Fermentation
Second
Semester
Unit
6
Inheritance
and
Expression
o
o
o
Patterns of Inheritance
DNA Structure & the Central Dogma
Biotechnology
Unit
7
Evolution
o
o
o
Mechanisms of Microevolution
Patterns of Macroevolution
Evidence for Evolution
Unit
9
Ecology
o
o
o
Energy Flow
Organismal Interactions
Animal Behavior
Lab Reviews
Content Review
Technique Practice
Main
Chapters
16
Molecular
Basis
of
Heredity
17
From
Gene
to
Protein
18
Regulation
of
Gene
Expression
20
Biotechnology
19
Viruses
(self-study)
22
Descent
with
Modification
23
Evolution
of
Populations
24
Origin
of
Species
25
History
of
Life
on
Earth
26
Phylogeny
and
the
Tree
of
Life
27
Bacteria
and
Archaea
29
Plant
Diversity
I
30
Plant
Diversity
II
32
Overview
of
Animal
Diversity
52
Introduction
to
Ecology
53
Population
Ecology
54
Community
Ecology
55
Ecosystems
51
Animal
Behavior
(self-study)
AP
Exam
Cliff
Notes
AP
Exam
May
2016
Key Labs
Halobacterium
Lab
Transpiration
Lab
(AP)
COURSE
PLANNER:
PACING:
Expect
to
have
weekly
quizzes
and
unit
tests
every
couple
weeks.
You
will
have
reading
assignments
AND
will
be
required
to
read
and
understand
labs
BEFORE
the
material
is
done
in
class.
Your
success
in
class
will
be
dependent
upon
doing
these
assignments
AND
any
written
assignments
AND
coming
to
class
fully
prepared.
In
class
we
will
focus
on
doing
labs
and
activities
which
clarify
difficult
concepts.
We
will
NOT
spend
time
lecturing
on
concepts
you
can
easily
learn
on
your
own.
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS:
Grades
will
be
determined
as
follows:
Grading
Criteria:
A
=
90%
-
100%
B
=
80%
-
89%
C
=
70%
-
79%
D
=
60%
-
69%
F
=
0%
-
59%
Final
grades
will
be
determined
by
the
total
number
of
points
earned
by
the
student
divided
by
the
total
number
of
points
possible.
Daily
work
(attendance,
participation,
notes
and/or
observations,
lab
sheets
and
other
in
class
work,
homework
assignments)
will
count
in
your
final
grade
as
well
as
exam
and
quiz
scores.
In
case
of
illness
or
emergency,
tests
may
be
made
up
at
the
discretion
of
the
instructor
within
the
usual
school
district
guidelines.
A
final
note
regarding
grades:
Throughout
the
course
assignments
may
receive
grade
adjustments,
most
often
exams.
Other
assignments
may
afford
extra
credit
opportunities
when
exemplary
products
are
submitted.
There
will
also
be
one
or
two
opportunities
for
extra
credit
tasks,
such
as
extra
lab
work,
readings,
or
field
experiences.
However,
these
extra
credit
opportunities
will
come
when
there
are
opportunities
for
deepening
understanding
and
enhancing
learning.
Extra
credit
will
NOT
be
offered
at
the
end
of
each
semester.
Further,
the
calculated
grades
will
stand
as
the
transcript
grades
as
they
appear
in
the
grade
book.
INFORMATION
ON
STUDENT
ACCESS
AND
ACADEMIC
DISHONESTY:
Academic
dishonesty
on
a
test
or
any
assignment
will
result
in
no
credit
for
the
test
or
assignment
involved.
Students
are
expected
to
turn
in
unique
work
that
is
100%
their
own
unless
otherwise
explicitly
instructed
beforehand.
All
persons
who
knowingly
participate
in
dishonest
behavior
are
equally
guilty
and
may
be
dealt
with
in
the
same
manner.
ATTENDANCE
AND
CLASS
PARTICIPATION:
Because
class
sessions
will
introduce
new
material,
allow
time
for
questions,
include
performance
of
labs
with
highly
perishable
materials/organisms,
and
include
special
instructions,
there
is
really
no
way
to
fully
make
up
a
missed
class
or
most
of
the
labs.
It
is,
therefore,
essential
that
the
student
make
a
conscientious
effort
to
attend
every
class
and
be
prepared
to
participate.
Attendance
will
be
taken
at
each
class
session.
EQUITY
OF
ACCESS:
Lawrence
Free
State
High
School
and
the
College
Board
believe
strongly
in
making
the
AP
experience
available
to
all
students
who
are
motivated
to
participate.
If
financial
or
other
concerns
are
presenting
a
barrier
to
taking
part
in
AP
Biology
or
taking
the
AP
exam
in
May,
please
talk
with
Mrs.
Leuschen
about
how
the
school
can
help.
STUDY
SUGGESTIONS:
Focus
in
class
paying
attention
in
class
can
save
you
hours
of
studying
outside
of
class.
This
is
a
college
level
course
and
the
class
will
be
handled
as
such.
You
will
be
graded
primarily
on
tests
and
labs
and
you
will
be
expected
to
monitor
and
analyze
your
own
learning.
Biology
is
different
from
other
introductory
courses
in
terms
of
the
amount
of
vocabulary
involved
to
get
a
basic
understanding
of
the
science.
You
must
study
some
every
day.
Waiting
to
review
your
notes
until
just
before
the
exam
is
a
bad
idea.
Staying
on
top
of
the
material
will
help
you
develop
a
deeper
understanding
and
keep
the
material
from
feeling
overwhelming
and
confusing.
There
are
study
guides
and
tutorial
activities
for
each
topic
these
are
both
highly
useful;
be
sure
you
make
use
of
them
bring
any
questions
you
have
to
class.
Come
in
for
help
or
get
help
from
a
classmate
as
soon
as
you
have
trouble
with
a
concept.
You
need
to
be
an
advocate
for
your
own
learning.
Consider
forming
a
study
group,
even
if
its
only
with
one
other
person.
Your
syllabus
is
your
best
friend
in
this
class
check
it
frequently
and
use
it
to
plan
your
studying
you
always
have
homework
in
AP
Bio.
Text
reading
and
Mastering
Biology
content
IS
HOMEWORK.
After
a
quiz
or
test
take
time
to
figure
out
why
you
missed
questions
think
about
whether
you
misread
the
question
or
needed
to
study
more.
If
you
needed
to
study
more,
do
it
right
away
the
concepts
build
on
each
other
AND
you
will
be
having
comprehensive
exams
at
the
end
of
both
semesters.
And,
of
course,
remember
you
are
th
always
working
toward
your
AP
exam
on
May
9 ,
2016.
Make
sure
you
do
your
labs
carefully
and
completely
and
that
you
understand
what
youre
doing
and
why
youre
doing
it.
Labs
are
a
CRITICAL
part
of
your
preparation
for
the
AP
exam.
Make
up
labs
immediately
biology
lab
materials
usually
have
a
short
shelf
life
you
cant
do
a
lab
if
the
organisms
are
no
longer
fresh,
no
longer
alive,
or
are
no
longer
in
the
right
stage
of
their
life.
Any
labs
that
have
materials
expire
will
become
dry
labs.
Any
activities
that
are
not
made
up
will
be
assigned
zero
credit.