Robert E. Lee High School

AP Biology Syllabus David Howard Robert E. Lee High School Tyler, Texas Course Overview

AP Biology at Robert E. Lee High School is designed to offer students a foundation in College Level Biology and to prepare them for the AP Biology Exam. Emphasis is placed on students making connections between big ideas within the entire curriculum of Biology. The scientific process plays a major role in the AP Biology course because all discoveries in Biology stem from an inquiry about the living world.

Instructional Context

I teach AP Biology to juniors and seniors. I will meet with each class for 46 minutes every day.

Instructional Resources

Mader, Windelspecht Biology AP Edition Eleventh Edition (2010)

Campbell, Neil and Reece, Jane B. Biology, Eigth Edition (2008)

AP Biology Investigative Labs: An Inquiry Based Approach, The College Board, 2012

Released AP Biology MC and Free Response Questions

Teaching Strategy

The AP Biology course is structured around 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.

The course will consist of class discussions, classroom assignments, out of class assignments and laboratory experiences to ensure that students get maximum exposure to various aspects of Biological topics. The lab component of the course will consist of at least 25% of instructional time with two or more labs accompanying each of the Big Ideas in the AP Biology curriculum. The students will be responsible for recording work in lab reports and scientific journals kept and updated throughout the year. Science Practices will be Major components of each unit within the course as students will demonstrate each Science Practice multiple times throughout the course.

Science Practices (SP) 1. The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems. 2. The student can use mathematics appropriately. 3. The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course. 4. The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question. 5. The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence. 6. The student can work with scientific explanations and theories. 7. The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts and representations in and across domains.

Students will be responsible for researching and reading 2 journal articles each six weeks that reflect at least one of the Big Ideas in the AP Biology Curriculum. Each article will be accompanied by an abstract written by the student and a student reaction paper to the topics discussed in the articles. (Abstract/React Assignment)

Units of Instruction

Unit 1 – Introduction to Biology and Biochemistry (Big Idea 1, 2)

 Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection

 Inquiry Based learning

 Basic Chemistry

 Properties of Water

 Organic Chemistry

 Enzymes

Activities:

1. Darwin Walk – class tour of specimens from multiple animal and plant phyla to allow students to make inference and looks for similarities and difference between groups present. (SP 3,5,6)(BI 1)

2. Check Activity – (SP5) 3. Models of Biomolecules – (SP1) (BI 4)

4. Enzyme Structure Activity and Models – (SP1) (BI 2)

5. Enzyme Lab – Guided Lab with students designing a procedure to test the impact of various factors on the rate of enzyme activity (Catalase). Students will be able to use various probe ware and other classroom materials as needed. (SP 2,3,4,5) (BI 2)

Unit 2 – Cell Form and Function (Big Idea 1, 2, 3, 4)

 Cell Structure

 Prokaryotic / Eukaryotic

 Organelle form and function

 Cell Membranes

 Osmosis/Diffusion

 Endo/Exocytosis

 Cell Communication

 Body Systems for Function

 Nervous System

 Muscular System

Activities:

1. Classroom Modeling Activity – Students will use various classroom material to model and illustrate membrane structure and function. (SP1, SP6, SP7) (BI 3)

2. Osmosis Lab – Students will design a lab to test various aspects of osmosis in potato cells. (SP2, SP3,SP4, SP5) (BI 3)

3. Nervous System Dominos – Students will use dominos to demonstrate and model the function of Nervous System communication and Synapses.(SP1, SP6) (BI 4)

4. Muscular System Modeling – Students will use classroom material to develop a functional model of a sarcomere to illustrate muscular functioning. (SP1) (BI 4)

Unit 3 – Cell Energy and Related Processes (Big Idea 1, 2, 3, 4)  Laws of Energy Transformation

 Cellular Respiration

 Harvesting chemical energy : Glycolysis, Citric Acid Cycle, Oxidative Phosphorylation and Fermentation

 Related Body Systems

 Digestion

 Gas Exchange

 Circulation

 Photosynthesis

 Light Dependant reactions and Calvin Cycle

 Evolution of Alternative mechanisms for Carbon Fixation

 Plant Homeostasis and Transport

 Bulk Flow, Transpiration, Cohesion tension theory

Activities:

1. Cellular Respiration Lab – Students will design a lab using available probes and other classroom materials to test the impact of various factors on the rate of respiration. (SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5) (BI 2, 3)

2. Cardiovascular Lab – Inquiry Lab to investigate the impact of activities (Exercise, Standing, Sitting, Laying Down) on the cardiovascular system in humans. Students will use hear rate monitors and sphygmomanometers to collect data. (SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5) (BI 2, 3, 4)

3. Photosynthesis Lab – Guided lab for students to test the impact of light intensity on

the rate of photosynthesis. Equipment available will consist on CO2 , O2 probes and gas pressure probes. (SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5) (BI 2, 3)

Unit 4 – Cell Cycle and Reproduction (Big Idea 1, 2, 3, 4)

 Cell Cycle

 DNA Structure and Replication

 Mitosis  Regulation and Cancer

 Meiosis

 Phases

 Evolutionary importance

 Reproduction

Activities:

1. DNA Modeling and Replication Activity – Students will assemble various DNA models and use them to illustrate the process of replication. Each model must be an accurate depiction of the steps of the process including enzyme functions. (SP1) (BI 3)

2. Cell Cycle Illustrations – Students will create accurate models of illustrations of the

cell cycle that must include stages, regulatory features and G0. (SP1,7) (BI 1,2,4)

Unit 5 – Genetics and Protein Production (Big Idea 1, 2, 3)

 Protein Synthesis

 Gene Regulation

 Biotechnology

 Genetics

Activities:

1. X2 Lab – students will analyze data from various specimens to calculate values appropriate for biological research. (SP 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) (BI 1, 3)

Unit 6 – Evolution and Phylogeny (Big Idea 1, 3, 4)

 Darwinian View of Life (Natural Selection)

 Evolution of a Population

 Speciation

 History of Life

 Phylogeny (Tree of Life)  Bacteria and Archae

Activities:

1. Wisconsin Fast Plant Inquiry Lab – Students will design a lab to select for certain traits to illustrate the power of selection. (SP 2, 3, 5, 6, 7) (B1 1)

2. Hardy-Weinberg Lab –

Unit 7 – Organism Diversity (Big Idea 1, 2, 3, 4)

 Evolutionary Trends in Plants and Animals

 Plant Life Cycles

 Hormones

 Tropisms

 Endocrine System

 Feedback Mechanisms (positive and negative)

 Kidney Function

 Immune System

 Structure and Function of the Brain

Activities:

1. Cladogram Activity – Students will construct and interpret various cladorgams using Biological and Non-Biological examples (modes of transportation). Various models developed will be presented to the class.(SP1, SP6) (BI 1, 4)

Unit 8 – Ecology (Big Idea 1, 2, 3, 4)

 Animal Behavior

 Interactions between organisms and environment

 Population Ecology

 Community Ecology  Ecosystems

 Energy Flow

 Nutrient Cycles

 Conservation Biology and Global Change

Activities:

1. Biome Model - Students will create a model for a specific biome. Models will be presented and described to the class. The model will illustrate understanding of major components of biome structure. (SP1) (BI 2, 4)

2. Dissolved Oxygen Lab – Inquiry Lab to test the impact of environmental factors on dissolved oxygen concentration. Students will have access to various water sources including stream (moving and stationary water), pond and tap. Data collection can consist of dissolved oxygen probes and kits to allow students options for data collection. (SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5) (B1 4)