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AP Biology Summer Assignment

Teacher: Mrs. Shannon eshannon@elkhart.k12.in.us

Welcome Biologists,
You are here because you have registered for AP Biology for the following school year. Due
to the large amount of material that needs to be covered during the year, a summer
reading/research assignment is essential. All AP Biology Classes across the country will be
embarking on their coursework over the summer. This summer assignment will help you
become familiar with different resources we will be using, introduce you to many of the
topics that we will visit this year, and help clear up material you may not remember from
General Biology. If you do not have access to a computer, no worries :) I will work with you
on options for handing in and looking for material.

The major purpose of this summer assignment is to introduce you to the wide spectrum of
modern biology and to familiarize you with the internet resources, become familiar with
vocabulary, and begin seeing connections between your coursework and the world around you.
At the beginning of the School Year you will receive your textbook and Guided Readers so
we will use the summer to begin using other resources to get started.

Part # 1 Introductory Letter Due July 1
st


Part #2- Digital Scavenger Hunt Due August 15
th


Part #3 Topic and Resource Review Due August 1st
th


Part #4- Class Materials Due August 13
th


Class Website:
http://mrsshannonbiology.weebly.com

Also, please register for Schoology and use the access code below to join the AP Biology Class.
http://schoology.com Access Code WBXFS-H8FZT
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Part 1: Introductory Letter

Draft an e-mail to us following these rules:

Use clearly written, full sentences. Do not abbreviate words like you are on AIM with a friend.
Use spell check! This is a professional communication like you would have with a college
professor, so lets practice for your rapidly nearing future

Address it to eshannon@elkhart.k12.in.us

Make the Subject: AP Bio: Introduction to <Insert Your Name Here> (Do not include the
quote marks or the brackets, just the words)

Begin the e-mail with a formal salutation, like Mrs. Shannon or Dear Ms. Shannon

Now introduce yourself (your name) and tell us a little bit about yourself, like:
What do you like to do (hobbies, sports, music, interests, etc.)?
Do you have a job?
Tell me a little bit about your family (Mom? Dad? Guardian? Siblings? Pets?) What do your
parents do for a living?

Was there anything that you liked about your earlier biology class?

What was the last book you read for fun?

What are you looking forward to the most in AP Biology?

What are you most anxious about in AP Biology?

End the e-mail with a formal closing: Cordially, Sincerely, Warm regards, etc. and add
your name as if you signed a letter.


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Part #2: Digital Biology Scavenger Hunt
Listed below are vocabulary terms you will be encountering in AP Biology.
You will need to take an ORIGINAL PICTURE of an example of the vocabulary word and
describe how your image fits the definition of the vocabulary term and the function or use
that item has in nature. It is better to be specific and detailed about your term and
associated picture than to give a blanket statement about the term. In order for the
picture to be an original, you must place an item that you own like a picture of yourself, cell
phone, ring, or your own face beside that of the picture. Though some pictures may be
applicable to more than one term, use a picture only once in your project.

You may turn them in as a Power Point Presentation or any other digital presentation tool
you many have such as Prezi. Please do not send to me as individual pictures. If you do not
have computer access or a digital camera/ cell phone, I will work with you on an alternative
option for delivery.

Examples: if the vocabulary word is an internal part to an organism such as tendon you
dont have to dissect your little brothers Achilles tendon and take a picture of it. A photo
of his heel, and what the tendon does would suffice, but you must apply the term to the
specimen you find and briefly explain in your document how this specimen represents the
term.

If you choose the term phloem, you could submit a photograph you have taken of a plant
leaf or a plant stem and then explain in your document what phloem is and specifically where
phloem is in your specimen.

Original pictures only! You cannot use an image from any publication or the web. You must
have taken the photo yourself.

Natural items only: Take a walk around your yard, neighborhood and town.
Dont spend any money: Research what the term means and in what organisms it can be
found and then go out and find one!

Again dont spend any money- use your cell phone camera, camera or borrow someones.










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GROUPINGS : 50 Points Each specimen in a category is worth 2 points and you may use 5
specimens for each category. Except where noted every specimen must be native to Indiana.
1. Different biomes (only 3 must be within Ohio)
2. Different types of carbohydrates
3. Different types of proteins
4. Evidence of different alleles for the same trait
5. Distinguishing characteristics between monocots & dicots (seeds)
6. Organisms in different kingdoms
7. Organisms in different animal phyla
8. Organisms in different plant divisions
9. Organisms of the same class but different orders
10. Organisms in same order but different family
11. Organisms in same genus but are different species
12. Organisms on different levels of the same food chain

INDIVIDUAL ITEMS (Pick 25, your choice): 50 Points Each specimen is worth 2 points
You may have up to 2 examples of each item; submitting more than 2 will not add any
additional points. These do not need to be native to Indiana.

1. animal adaptations
2. plant adaptations
3. altruistic behavior
4. amniotic egg
5. analagous structures
6. animal with a segmented body
7. anther & filament of stamen
8. archaebacteria
9. asexual reproduction
10. ATP
11. autotroph
12. auxin producing area of a plant
13. basidiomycete
14. Batesian mimicry
15. bilateral symmetry
16. biological magnification
16. biological magnification
17. C3, C4 or CAM plant
18. Calvin cycle
19. cambium
20. commensalism
21. connective tissue
22. cuticle layer of a plant
23. detritovore
24. dominant vs. recessive phenotype
25. ectotherm
26. endosperm
27. endotherm
28. enzyme
29. epithelial tissue
30. ethylene
31. eubacteria
32. eukaryote
33. exoskeleton
34. fermentation
35. flower ovary
36. frond
37. gametophyte
38. genetic variation population
39. genetically modified organism
40. gibberellins
41. glycogen
42. gymnosperm cone male or
female
43. gymnosperm leaf
44. hermaphrodite
45. heterotroph
46. homeostasis
47. homologous structures
48. introduced species
49. Krebs cycle (TCA cycle)
50. K-strategist
51. lichen
52. lipid used for energy storage
53. littoral zone organism
54. long-day plant
55. meristem
56. microbe
57. modified leaf of a plant
58. modified root of a plant
59. modified stem of a plant
60. Mullerian mimicry
61. mutualism
62. mycelium
63. mycorrhizae
64. niche
65. parasitism
66. parenchyma cells
67. phloem
68. pollen
69. pollinator
70. population
71. predation
72. prokaryote
73. r-strategist
74. radial symmetry
75. redox reaction
76. rhizome
77. seed dispersal (animal,
wind, water)
78. spore
79. sporophyte
80. stigma & style of carpel
81. succession
82. taxis
83. tendon
84. territorial behavior
85. trophic level
86. unicellular organism
87. vestigial structures
88. xylem

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Part #3- Topic and Resource Review
3A. Pick 2 topics from your previous biology course that you didnt quite understand or that you
struggled with. Go to youtube.com and search: bozemanbiology. He has very good explanations of all
biology topics; this will be a useful resource for you during the year. Bookmark his YouTube videos
so you can access them during the school year. Find two videos of the biology material you struggled
with last year and watch them.

1. Which video did you watch?
2. Did this help you understand the topic better?

Write a 1 paragraph explanation about the topic you watched and submit through the
appropriate Schoology Discussion Thread

***You will also need to comment on at least 1 other students response. Your comment
should either be constructive, ask a question, or answer a question posed.

3B. You should also peruse the AP Central website and read the course description to learn about
the topics we will cover in AP Biology. There is also a description of the AP Biology Exam.

-Go to http://apcentral.collegeboard.com

-Under AP courses and exam on the left choose course home pages. Go to biology home page

-Read over the course description

-Under AP courses and exams on the left choose exam questions. Go to biology

-Here you can review some information on the types of question on the exams and some of the
questions that have been asked in the past.

Submit through Schoology Discussion, which types of questions do you think you will struggle with
on this exam? Which type of questioning is different from those you have seen in the past?


Part#4 Lab Materials
Please get all the materials you will need for next year ready for the first day of school, as we will
be starting right away. Here is what you will need to be successful in our AP Biology class: (Please
let us know as soon as possible via email if you need any assistance obtaining any of these or any of
the course supplies throughout the year).
A 2 or 3-inch 3-ringed binder JUST FOR AP BIOLOGY
Dividers with tabs
3X5 note cards and ring for vocabulary
Bound (marble) graph composition book to be used as lab notebook.
2 or more different colored highlighters
Colored pencils