AP BIOLOGY Syllabus 2015 - 2016

Course Overview

Prerequisites
Description
Required Materials
Grading Policy
Grading Scale
Grade Breakdown
Homework
Expectations
Obtaining Help
LabWork
Lab Notebook
Expectations
Investigation Rubric
Description of Units
Lab Topics

Course Overview
Prerequisites
The willingness to learn biological concepts beyond the normal Grade 9 biology level; the
discipline and dedication needed to study for more hours and to conduct more experiments,
the responsibility needed for a greater degree of student lead learning, as well as the tenacity
needed to persevere to the end are required social traits. AP Biology will at times integrate
numerous areas of Knowledge, some of which may have varying degrees of relationship to
Biology . Pre class reading assignments are crucial, fundamental and essential.

Description
The class will take a functional and investigative approach. Physiology as a consequence of
anatomy will be emphasized; using the Socratic method, other lectures, experimentations,
online researches, as well as student presentations, readings and drawings. Extra school
mentoring by current active science professionals will be sought for each student. A biology
notebook is necessary as well as crayons, pencils and erasers. The notebook will become a
Biology Journal and can be presented to Colleges as an AP Biology portfolio of the
students work in the future. A folder or three ring binder is an acceptable alternative but the
student should seriously consider their ability to protect each page of work if the folder if this
option is chosen. The teacher will check on its contents periodically with at least two days
notice. A copy of the unit plan for each unit must be kept in front of that units work, in the
Journal and each objective will be checked off as it is covered through the year. All class work
will be kept in the journals by the student and in chronological order.

The Units are as follows;

Unit 1. The Chemistry of life.
Unit 2. The Cell
Unit 3. Genetics
Unit 4. Evolution will be skipped in the interest of time.
Unit 5. The Biological Diversity
Unit 6. Plant Form and Function
Unit 7. Animal Form and Function
Unit 8. Ecology

**************************************************************************************************
Laboratory investigations focused on developing critical thinking and reasoning skills, along with
traditional classroom work (i.e. quizzes & exams), and a regular dose of fun (aka homework),
will be the primary assessment tool used during the year.

Required materials
Item
Textbook

Description
Tenth Edition
CAMPBELL

BIOLOGY
By
REECE,URRY,CAIN,WASSERMAN
MINORSKY and JACKSON
3 3-ring binder + 7 dividers

Large 3-ring binder with 7 sections labeled:

- Class syllabus
- Objectives and reading assignments/unit
- Classroom Discussion & Activities
- Lab Reports
- Quizzes
- Exams
This binder will contain material for the whole
year and will be kept at home. Mr. Passley
will ask students to bring this binder in once
per month to check for completeness.

1 3-ring binder + 7 dividers

Small 3-ring binder with 7 sections labeled:

- Objectives and reading assignments/unit
- Classroom Discussion & Activities /Notes.
- Grade Sheet
- Lab Reports
- Quizzes
- Exams
This binder will contain material for the
current unit and will be brought to class every
day. Binder checks will be performed once
every two weeks.

Lab Notebook

A4 notebook
Used by student ito record Labs exclusively.
A folder is an alternative for responsible
students. and with permission.

Class Notebook

A4 notebook
Used by student ito record Class notes and
drawings,to record assignments and
deadlines

Other items

- Several erasers

- Several #2 pencils
- Several black pens
- Colored pencil set
- Printing paper for drawing and labelling
- 30cm ruler
Table 1: Required Materials for AP Biology

Grading Policy
Grading Scale
Grade

Numerical equivalent (%)

94.00 - 100

A-

90.00 - 93.99

B+

89.99 - 87.00

86.99 - 83.00

B-

82.99 - 880.00

C+

79.99 - 77.00

76.99 - 73.00

C-

72.99 - 70.00

D+

69.99 - 67.00

66.99 - 63.00

D-

62.99 - 60.00

<59
Table 2: Grading Scale for AP Biology

Grade Breakdown

Activity

% of grade

Description

Homework

15

Each homework assignment

will be graded by Mr. Passley

for, correctness,
completeness, and
timeliness.
Late assignments will be
accepted but the overall
grade will be docked 25% for
each calendar day late.
Classwork

10

Classroom activities
(excluding labs), and
organizational skills (binder
checks) will be assessed by
Mr. Passley.
Effort and correctness will be
the primary concerns for
these items.

Lab work

30

Laboratories will comprise a

significant portion of the
students learning experience
and will be assessed and or
facilitated as well as graded
by Mr. Passley.

Quizzes
and
Tests

10

Quizzes will include free

response questions that
closely resemble questions
available to students in AP
exam.

Examinations

35

Exams will be comprised of

free response and multiple
choice questions, which
closely resemble the new
College Board AP Biology
test design.

Table 3: Grading Breakdown for AP Biology

Homework
Expectations
Reading forms the major portion of the students homework. It is not an accident. Reading of the
assigned/appropriate sections before lectures/discussions is strongly recommended. Reading is
necessary to cement the major ideas from classes, experiments and other learning activities

into a coherent and integrated whole. Every unit has an assigned and mandatory reading
assignment. Other types of homework will also be given which will enhance the students
learning while facilitating priceless feedback.

Obtaining Help
By appointment, Mr. Passley will be available during tutorial time Monday and Wednesday from
2.40pm to 3:00pm. He is willing to work with any student until 4:50 pm with prior arrangement.
Such student or students shall be responsible for coordinating their transportation and securing
parents permission.

Lab Notebook
Students will record all laboratory investigations in their Lab Notebook, an A4 notebook using
a pen or pencil. Incorrect entries can be noted as such with an accompanying reason, but
regardless of the reason they will become part of the permanent record. Typical entries in the
Lab Notebook will be:
- Lab Title
- Lab Overview
- Date of laboratory observations
- Laboratory observations (data collection)
- Observation notes

Expectations
Laboratory investigations will be used to stimulate student engagement with the physical world
in a team based environment. Experimentation, making initial expectations and arguments,
analyzing observations, problems solving, and presentation of these elements in an organized
report, will be some of the skills exercised and sharpened in the Biology lab. Students will be
expected to actively participate with other team members during all phases of each
investigation.
A typical lab investigation and report will be comprised of the following elements and the
following rubric will be used to assess student performance:

Cover page, date,

title, graphic, and
neatness

Far below
Expectations 1 - 2
points

Below Expectations
3 - 4 points

Meets or Exceeds
Expectations
5 points

Cover page not included,

or missing a significant
amount of the required
data
The lab report fails to

Cover page is missing

appropriate information.
The font is not
appropriate.
The lab report fails to

The cover page contains

all the appropriate
information. The Font
used is professional and
appropriate. See attached

meet two or more of the

expectations for neatness,
organization, title and
date, experiment #,

meet one of the

expectations for neatness,
organization, title and
date.

sample.
1. The lab report is typed.
2. The sections are in
correct order, clearly
labeled, and presented in a
professional manner
3. No
spelling/grammatical
errors in the report
4. Pages are numbered
and stapled together.

Purpose

Purpose is missing, or is
only loosely related to the
lab being performed.

The Purpose addresses the

procedural aspects of the
lab, but does not
accurately summarize the
theoretical foundation of
the experiment.

Purpose accurately
describes the theory that is
intended to be reinforced
by performing the lab, and
is linked to some kind of
hypothesis

Procedure

Procedure is missing
altogether, missing
important steps, or is
wrong.

Procedure is a mostly
copied directly from the
lab description, with little
attempt at brevity. Or the
procedure lacks sufficient
content.

Procedure is a brief
summary of each of the
steps taken in completing
the lab. It is NOT an
exhaustive description
containing minute detail.
Has enough detail for the
experiment to be done by
someone else, and is
unique

Experimental Data

The student has copies or

makes up data after the
lab, The data section is
missing, or fails to meet 2
or 3 of the expectations.

The lab report fails to

meet one or two of the of
the Data section.

1. All data from

experiments is included
2. Data is neatly organized
(in tables if appropriate),
and is easy to interpret.
3. All data is correct with
regard to significant
figures and labels.

Calculations and
graphs

The student omits graphs

or calculations, or makes
significant errors to
making the
graphs/calculations
incomprehensible

The student makes 3 to 5

errors in graphing,
labeling, calculations, and
significant figures.

The report includes all of

the required graphs and all
calculations (with correct
labels, descriptions,
significant figures, etc)

Conclusions

Conclusion is missing, or
is in conflict with the
students experimental
results.

Conclusion is present, and

does not conflict with the
students experimental
findings, but fails to
address the theoretical
basis for the lab.

The Conclusion succinctly

describes what can be
concluded from the
experimental results. It
is aligned with a wellwritten statement of

Purpose at the beginning

of the lab.

Discussion of Theory

Discussion of theory is
missing, or does not
adequately address both of
the expectations for this
section.

Discussion of theory is
present, but fails to
correctly address one of
the two expectations of
this section.

1. Addresses the theory

demonstrated by the lab
2. Explains how the
calculations do/do not
support the theory and
fulfill the purpose of the
lab

Error Analysis

The report fails to meet

multiple expectations for
error analysis. Or the error
analysis section is
omitted.

The report fails to meet all

the expectations for error
analysis. The error is
given as personal
observation rather than
quantitative values.

1. Relative error, if
appropriate, has been
calculated.
2. Specific sources of
experimental error are
addressed.
3. Write-up analyzes the
effect of errors on the
magnitude of calculated
quantities.

Total

40 points

Description of Units
TEACHER: WILBERT
PASSLEY
AP Biology
ISG Jubail, SA

Text: CAMPBELL 10
Edn
UNITS 1: THE
CHEMISTRY OF LIFE

THE CHEMISTRY OF LIFE

Assigned Reading

The Chemical Context of Life

Chap. 2, page 28

Water and Life

Chap. 3, page 44

Carbon and Molecular Diversity of

Life

Chap. 4, page 56

The Structure and Function of Large

Biological Molecules

Chap. 5, page 66

A tour of the Cell

Chap. 6, page 93

Membrane Structure and Function

Chap. 7, page 124

An Introduction to Metabolism

Chap. 8, page 141

Cellular Respiration and

Fermentation

Chap. 9, page 162

Photosynthesis

Chap. 10, page 185

Cell Communication

Chap. 11, page 210

The Cell Cycle

Chap. 12, page 232

UNIT 2: THE CELL

UNIT 3:

GENETICS
Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycle

Chap. 13, page 252

Mendel and the Gene Idea

Chap. 14, page 267

The Chromosomal Basis of

Inheritance

Chap. 15, page 292

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Chap. 16, page 312

Gene Expression: From Gene to

Protein

Chap. 17, page 333

Regulation of Gene Expression

Chap. 18, page 360

Viruses

Chap. 19, page 392

DNA Tools and Biotechnology

Chap. 20, page 408

Genomes and Their Evolution

UNIT 4:

UNIT 5:

UNIT 6:

Chap. 21, page 436

MECHANISM OF EVOLUTION
Descent with Modification: A
Darwinian View of Life

Chap. 22, page 462

The Evolution of Populations

Chap. 23, page 480

The Origin of Species

Chap. 24, page 500

The History of Life on Earth

Chap. 25, page 519

THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY

OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Chap. 26, page 547

Bacteria and Archaea

Chap. 27, page 567

Protists

Chap. 28, page 587

Plant Diversity I: How Plants

Colonized Land

Chap. 29, page 612

Plant Diversity ll: The Evolution of

Seed Plants

Chap. 30, page 630

Fungi

Chap. 31, page 648

An Overview of Animal Diversity

Chap. 32, page 667

An Introduction of Invertebrates

Chap. 33, page 680

The Origin and Evolution of

Vertebrates

Chap. 34, page 712

PLANT FORM AND FUNCTION

Plant Structure, Growth, and
Development

Chap. 35, page 752

Resource Acquisition and Transport

in Vascular Plants

Chap. 36, page 778

UNIT 7:

UNIT 8:

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Chap. 37, page 799

Angiosperm Reproduction and

Biotechnology

Chap. 38, page 815

Plants Responses to Internal and

External Signals

Chap. 39, page 836

ANIMAL FORM AND FUNCTION

Basic Principles of Animal Form and
Function

Chap. 40, page 867

Animal Nutrition

Chap. 41, page 892

Circulation and Gas Exchange

Chap. 42, page 915

The Immune System

Chap. 43, page 946

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Chap. 44, page 971

Hormones and the Endocrine

System

Chap 45, page 993

Animal Reproduction

Chap, 46, page 1013

Animal Development

Chap. 47, page 1037

Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

Chap. 48, page 1061

Nervous Systems

Chap. 49, page 1079

Sensory and Motor Mechanism

Chap. 50, page 1101

Animal Behavior

Chap. 51, page 1133

ECOLOGY
An Introduction to Ecology and the
Biosphere

Chap. 52, page 1158

Population Ecology

Chap. 53, page 1184

Community Ecology

Chap. 54, page 1208

Ecosystems and Restoration

Chap. 55, page 1232

Ecology
Conservation Biology and Global
Change

AP BIOLOGY LABS:
Lab 1:
Lab 2:
Lab 3 :
Lab 4:
Lab 5:
Lab 6:
Lab 7:
Lab 7:
Lab 9:
Lab 10:
Lab11:
Lab 12:

Diffusion and Osmosis

Enzyme catalysis - Catalase
Mitosis and Meiosis
Plants Pigments and Photosynthesis
Respiration
Molecular Biology
Organsmic Genetics
Population Genetics
Transpiration
Circulatory Physiology
Animal Physiology
Dissolved Oxygen

Chap. 56, page 1257