My AP Biology Syllabus 2015 2016

Osbourn Park Advanced Placement (AP) Biology Syllabus 2015-2016 Instructor: Kate Krouse E-mail: [email protected] School Phone: (703) 365-6500

EXPECTATIONS:

AP Biology is a rigorous course designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college level biology course. A great deal of material will be introduced in a very short time. Students should expect to have their previous knowledge of biology stretched well beyond what was required in previous courses. AP Biology will emphasize the conceptual frameworks of modern biology and evolution as the foundation of those concepts. In this course we will focus not just on things we know about living systems, but also how scientists came to this knowledge and use it practically. We are going to explore biological science as an evolving body of knowledge. Have FUN!

TEXTBOOK:

We will be using two online textbooks, Boundless Biology and Openstax College Biology, the links to which are posted on my web page.

MY WEB PAGE

I prefer to use a Wiki page rather than my School Fusion page. Therefore, to access information regarding the course schedule, assignments, and helpful videos/animations, please visit the following web address: http://msottolinibiology.wikispaces.com/AP+Biology+2015-2016 . You will receive a student-specific username and password to log-in to the page. Please share your log-in information with your parents only. If you are absent from class, please make sure to check the schedule on the Wiki page. Because all course materials are provided for you on this page, YOU are responsible for getting caught up after an absence. I will not seek you out to let you know what you have missed. There is also a crate located at the back of the classroom with all handouts given in class.

SUPPLIES:

- 3 ring binder with loose leaf paper (In place of loose leaf paper, you can have a separate notebook with perforated pages that can be removed) -4 function calculator (You can buy one at the dollar store! I will show you examples in class!)

GRADING CRITERIA:

Your total grade will include three categories: tests / projects, quizzes (aka Daily Biology Assessments or DBA’s), and unit work (lab write ups, practice long response questions, practice data analysis activities, etc.). The percentage weighting for each category in the grade book is listed in the chart below. Letter Grades : A = 90% - 100% Category Weighting B+ = 87-89% Tests / Projects 40% B = 80% - 86% Quizzes (DBA’s) 25% C+ = 77-79% C = 70% - 76% Unit Work 35% D+ = 67-69% D = 60% - 66% F = 0% - 59 ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS:

Tests: Exams will include multiple choice questions, calculation / data analysis questions, short response questions, and long response questions.

Quizzes: You will be given “Daily Biology Assessments” at the beginning of every class with approximately five multiple choice questions to assess your understanding of the unit notes.

Unit Work: Unit work includes all notes questions, video worksheets, labs, practice long response questions, data analysis activities, unit packets, etc. for a particular unit of study.

CLASSROOM POLICIES/PROCEDURES

Tardies:

You will be considered tardy if you are not in the classroom when the bell rings. If you come into class tardy for any reason, please bring your pass to the teacher desk so that I can make necessary changes in the attendance system.

End of Class:

You are expected to stay in your seat until the bell rings at the end of class. Do not pack up your materials until one minute before the bell rings.

Hall Passes:

Please try to make bathroom/drinking fountain/locker trips as infrequent as possible. As responsible young adults, you have an unlimited number of hall passes in this class. There will be a container with signed hall passes at the back of the room. Before leaving the classroom, you should follow the steps given below. 1) Fill out the information required on the hall pass itself (ex: name, date, time, destination) 2) Fill out the same information on the clipboard log. (This is 100% necessary. I need to be able to locate you at all times. However, it becomes disruptive if you raise your hand and ask to use a hall pass, so I am not requiring you to ask me, so long as you accept the responsibility to sign yourself out on the class log. The one time when I would like you to ask me prior to leaving is if you have to go to the nurse’s office. This is for safety reasons.) 3) Understand that you are responsible for all information presented during class. Additionally, all students must follow the school’s 10/10 rule.

Cell Phones:

You will be assigned a slot in my phone organizer and will be required to turn in your phone at the beginning of each period. If your phone is not in the organizer and I catch you using it (FOR ANY REASON), it will be confiscated and set to the main office for a parent to pick up after school. Occasionally, you will be allowed to use your phones as timers or for research purposes.

Food and Drink:

There will be no food or drink allowed in the classroom on lab days. On all other class days, I allow UNDISRUPTIVE food and drink. This is a privilege that will be taken away for the entire class if eating and drinking becomes distracting. Late Work (Due to Absence):

 All unit work must be turned in on or before the day you complete the unit test.  If you miss the following amounts of days (given in a bulleted list below), you will have 3-4 possible make-up days on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school before the final deadline. See sample make-up schedules below! -If you miss the day of the test -If you miss the class day before the test but are present on the day of the test (Note: In this situation, you do have the option to take the test on the original test day, so long as you are prepared for it.)  Note: If you are taking a make-up test, the test will be completely short answer format but will assess the same content as the original test.  Absent students are responsible for obtaining make-up work from the copy crate or the Wiki page and turning in their work on the appropriate revised due date. In the event of a prolonged absence from school, you may contact me via email, and I will do my best to provide a personalized “catch-up” plan for you.

Sample test days and make-up deadlines

Original Test Day Possible Make-Up Days Final Deadline for Taking the Test Monday of the first week Tuesday of the first week, Thursday of the second week Thursday of the first week, Tuesday of the second week, Thursday of the second week Tuesday of the first week Thursday of the first week, Thursday of the second week Tuesday of the second week, Thursday of the second week Wednesday of the first week Thursday of the first week, Thursday of the second week Tuesday of the second week, Thursday of the second week Thursday of the first week Tuesday of the second week, Tuesday of the third week Thursday of the second week, Tuesday of the third week Friday of the first week Tuesday of the second week, Tuesday of the third week Thursday of the second week, Tuesday of the third week

Please turn in all make-up work from your absence on the day you take the unit test. Make-up work must be handed to me personally (not put in the turn-in tray).

Late Work (Due to Reasons Other than Absence):

I will not accept any work after the day you take the corresponding unit test. If you turn in an assignment after the day you take the unit test, this assignment will receive zero credit.

Make-Up Quizzes/Tests/Labs:

 If you miss the day of a test, you will make up the test after school. If you are making up work with another teacher before making up my test, you must let me know by 2:30 so that I do not leave before you show up. I will be staying until 3:30 (no later).  If you miss a quiz (DBA), you can take it any time on or before the day you take the unit test. You must ask me specifically for the DBA, and you must hand it to me personally when it is complete.  There will be NO RETAKES for DBA’s or Unit Tests. However, each unit test multiple choice grade will be broken down into individual topics, so your score for an individual topic on the unit test can replace a lower grade on the corresponding DBA from that unit.  Make-up labs are usually not offered due to the nature of perishable lab materials and lab requirements. You are still required to obtain data from missed labs from classmates and complete any laboratory assignments.

Binder Organization:

Students are responsible for organizing their binders themselves. I would suggest either placing every assignment in chronological order or having sections for different assignment types (ex: notes, DBA’s, unit work). Remember, being well organized cuts down significantly on the time you spend trying to locate specific class materials.

Response to Misbehavior:

Students are expected to be respectful and prepared at all times. If a student breaks one of the class rules, the teacher will decide upon appropriate disciplinary measures. These may include (but are not limited to) extra work, sentences, seat change, after-school detention, and administrative referral.

EXTRA HELP:

Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you have about this course and the material that we cover at any point throughout the year. Encourage your parents to contact me as well if they have concerns or comments that they would like to share. If you ever need extra help with the material, please feel free to come in after school on my available days. (Note: My email address and the school phone number are given at the top of the first page)

COLLEGE BOARD CURRICULUM:

The College Board AP Biology course is organized around four big ideas. Each unit of study connects back to one or more of the 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.

Throughout the course, students are also expected to master seven science practices listed by the College Board. Laboratory and lecture course experiences will help students to develop the skills inherent to these practices.  Science Practice 1: The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.  Science Practice 2: The student can use mathematics appropriately.  Science Practice 3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.  Science Practice 4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question.  Science Practice 5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.  Science Practice 6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.  Science Practice 7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts and representations in and across domains.

COURSE PLANNER:

The course will be divided into the following 14 units. Throughout the year, connections between the units will be emphasized. Unit # Unit Name Unit # Unit Name 1 Microevolution 7 Photosynthesis 2 Macroevolution 8 Cell Division 3 Ecology 9 Cell Signaling 4 Biochemistry 10 Classical Genetics 5 Cell Structure and Transport 11 Molecular Genetics 6 Enzymes and Cell Respiration 12 Gene Regulation and Biotechnology 13 Organism Form and Function