AP Biology Syllabus

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Curricular Requirements Page(s)

CR1 Students and teachers use recently published college-level biology textbook 2

CR2 The course is structured around the enduring understandings within the big ideas as described in the AP biology curriculum framework

3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17

CR3a Students connect the enduring understandings within the Big Idea 1 (the process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life) to at least one other big idea

7, 17, 18

CR3b Students connect the enduring understandings within the Big Idea 2 (biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, reproduce and maintain dynamic homeostasis) to at least one other big idea

6

CR3c Students connect the enduring understandings within the Big Idea 3 (living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes) to at least one other big idea

9, 11, 13

CR3d Students connect the enduring understandings within the Big Idea 4 (biological systems interact and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties) to at least one other big idea

11, 15

CR4a The course provides students with opportunities outside of laboratory investigations to meet learning objectives within Big Idea 1

17

CR4b The course provides students with opportunities outside of laboratory investigations to meet learning objectives within Big Idea 2

6, 7, 9

CR4c The course provides students with opportunities outside of laboratory investigations to meet learning objectives within Big Idea 3

8, 11, 12, 13

CR4d The course provides students with opportunities outside of laboratory investigations to meet learning objectives within Big Idea 4

9, 15, 17, 18

CR5 The course provides students with opportunities to connect their biological and scientific knowledge to major social issues to help them become scientifically literate citizens 1

5, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17

CR6 The student-directed laboratory investigations used throughout the course allow students to apply the seven science practices defined in the AP biology Curriculum Framework and include at least two lab experiences in each of the four big ideas

5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16

CR7 Students are provided the opportunity to engage investigative laboratory work integrated throughout the course for a minimum of 25 percent of instructional time

5

CR8 The course provides opportunities for students to develop and record evidence of their verbal, written and graphic communication skills through laboratory reports, summaries of literature or scientific investigations, and oral, written or graphic presentations

4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16

AP Biology Syllabus: Kurt Kristensen Hewitt Trussville High School Table of Contents

AP Biology Syllabus

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PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY I have been teaching AP Biology for 15 years and hope to continue teaching or being involved in AP biology for at

least another 10 years. I find the subject of biology to be one of the most fascinating fields of study due to the

enormity of new information and exciting discoveries that are made on an almost daily basis. The subject is always

new and I must continually read journals (Science, Science News, Discover, Audubon, Sierra among others), scan the

newspapers and watch many hours of NOVA and NATURE in order to keep up. I use many of these resources to

supplement my students’ reading and to show that biology is constantly evolving. I love biology and I try to convey

this spirit to my students. I was a wildlife biologist for the Wildlife Conservation Society before I entered the teaching

arena. This work, along with previous experiences and graduate school, allowed me to travel and work in Africa,

Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Alaska, Tibet and all over the intermountain west (i.e., Oregon, California, Nevada

and Arizona). These experiences have given me lots of ‘street credibility’ with my students and have provided many

humorous anecdotes to liven up my lectures.

In this light, I feel that the only way to learn biology is to do biology. Yes, there is a lot of reading, learning of new

words and skills, and sometimes a boring lecture or two, but the upside is the chance to explore how life works, to

push yourself academically and creatively in trying to solve how a particular piece of life works. To this end, I try to

involve the students in as much lab time as possible while still trying to cover the vast amounts of material in an

introductory college level biology course.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONTEXT Our school is on a 7 period (50 minutes/period) schedule with a modified Wednesday/Thursday block schedule (1.5

hours/class periods 1,3,5,7 Wednesday and periods 2,4,6 on Thursday). Currently I have a double block for my AP

biology class which means that I get to see my students for about 95 minutes 3 days (M,T,F) and 90 minutes on

Wednesday and Thursday for a total of 465 minutes/week. This allows me to do a lot of additional activities with my

students such as practicing FRQ responses, mini-labs, videos and to utilize our location on North America’s most

biologically diverse river – The Cahaba.

Instructional Resources Campbell, Neil A. and Jane Reece. Campbell Biology, 8th Edition, 2009, Pearson Benjamin Cummings. [CR1] Giffen, Cynthia and Heitz, Jean. Practicing Biology (to accompany Campbell- Reece Biology), 4th Edition, 2011, Pearson Benjamin Cummings. <www.campbellbiology.com> (The website to accompany the main text provides animations, investigations, PowerPoint and other audio-visual sources to enhance instruction) AP Biology Investigative Labs: an Inquiry Based Approach. Barron’s AP Biology 5th edition. Goldberg, Deborah T. 2015, Barron’s Educational Company

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Advanced Placement Biology Content My AP Biology course is a rigorous, college-level course structured around the four ‘big ideas’, the enduring understandings within the big ideas and the essential knowledge within the enduring understanding [CR2].

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 comple properties

Students are required to keep up with the extensive readings from the 8th edition of Biology, by Neil A. Campbell

and Jane B. Reese, conduct both standard and inquiry based labs, prepare formal lab reports, attend an all-day field

trip, and conduct a long-term, ecological team project. I cover all of the topics in the AP Biology Course Description

– biochemistry, cell structure and function, metabolism, molecular basis of inheritance, DNA technology, evolution,

microbiology, classification, plants and animal structure and physiology, animal behavior and ecology. In addition to

Campbell and Reese’s Biology, I have my students purchase (or have access to) Barron’s AP Biology 5th Edition, as it

provides sample questions, a quick overview of all the topics and practice AP exams. My students are required to

take the AP exam in order to get the extra GPA bump in their overall school GPA.

Student Evaluation

The lab component of the students grade is about 25% of their final grade. This includes both formal and informal lab write-ups (60% of Lab grade) participation and performance (40% of lab grade). Projects and presentations account for about 10% of the students grade while unit tests and quizzes account for about 60% of the students final grade. In addition, I offer some extra-credit activities: once a semester, a student may read a pre-approved book that covers some aspect of biology, attend a biology related seminar, conduct a pre-approved, independent biological experiment with a write-up, or write a research report on a biological topic of interest. The nature of the product (report, presentation, oral questioning) and grade depends on the individual situation and the topic/book chosen.

Assignment Points Percentage of Final Grade

Unit Exams and semester Exams 100 60

Homework 5 - 20 5

Labs 25 - 100 25

Projects 50 - 100 10

TESTS: Tests are generally a combination of AP style multiple choice, data interpretation, short answer and/or AP essay style questions (using the new 2013 format for questions). Students have 50 minutes to complete a typical test that consists of 15 multiple choice questions, 1 math question, 2 short free response questions and one long free-response style question (FRQ). I may include some diagram type questions (labeling, draw and label) in which case I will reduce the number of multiple choice questions or increase the amount of time to take the test. There WILL NOT be any extra allotted time for finishing a test without prior discussion with me or due to a counselor’s request.

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I usually give the students a choice of 2-3 essays and they know what the topics the questions will cover. For example I will tell my students that the essay question will cover the transport of materials across the cell membrane, or that they are to compare and contrast cell respiration and photosynthesis. I provide links on my website to the many sites that review AP essay questions and/or provide grading rubrics.

Daily Data-Set and Synthesis questions My students have access to all of the lecture notes and presentations via Live Binder and Google Classroom These are 1-2 page outlines that students must read before coming to class in order to get the most out of the topics being discussed. I include important the figure number of any important diagrams/artwork that are found in Campbell that students should also look at before class. Students must watch any assigned videos (usually 10-15 minutes long) before coming to class and be prepared to both ask and answer questions on the video topic covered. The beginning of most of my lectures starts with a ‘Data Set’ picture where I show a graph, a table of numbers or a picture that relates to the current lecture. Students then use the information presented to answer a 4-choice question. At the end of the lecture I usually have a “Synthesis” style question which covers the important topics that I had just lectured on. These are very similar to the “short answer” AP questions. Students are required to answer these questions in 4 sentences or less. Each of these mini-quizzes takes about 10 minutes of class time. (SP 1, 7)

Math Quizzes, FRQ’s I generally give at least two 15-20 point math quizzes per unit and one FRQ style question per unit as practice. Math quizzes cover all of the types of problems found in the new AP Biology exam. These are short quizzes and generally are completed, graded and reviewed in less than 15 minutes. (SP 2, 5)

The Investigative Laboratory Component The course is structured around inquiry in the lab and the use of the seven science practices throughout the course. The laboratory experience accounts for 30% of class time where they will be engaged in student-directed investigations [CR7]. We complete labs generally every two weeks with labs taking anywhere from one to three double period blocks to complete. My students use the virtual LabBench tool on the Campbell’s biology web site as a pre-lab exercise.

Students will conduct a minimum of eight inquiry-based investigations (two per big idea throughout the course). [CR6] Additional labs will be conducted to deepen students’ conceptual understanding and to reinforce the application of science practices within a hands-on, discovery based environment. All levels of inquiry will be used and all seven science practice skills will be used by students on a regular basis in formal labs. This is in addition to many 5-30 minute activities that we do in class outside of the laboratory.

The course will provide opportunities for students to develop, record, and communicate the results of their laboratory investigations using lab notebooks, formal written lab reports, mini-poster presentations and digital presentations (PowerPoint, Prezi, Video, pod cast and blog posts [CR 8].

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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.

Units of Instruction Introductory Unit: First Week and Introduction (class policies, setting up lab notebook 3 Classes) [CR2] Big ideas: 1, 2 Connected to enduring understandings:

1.A Change in the genetic makeup of a population over time is evolution. 2.A Growth, reproduction and maintenance of the organization of living systems require free energy and matter.

Chapters: 1. Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life 2. The Chemical Context of Life 3. Water and the Fitness of the Environment Introductory Unit Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics:

1. Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection 2. Inquiry as a way to learn science 3. Structure of Atoms 4. Emergent Properties of Water

Activities: 1. Assignment: Science Project (SP 2, 3, 4, 5)

Open inquiry of what factors play a role in seed germination

Research topic to formulate a question

Hypothesize

Design a controlled experiment to test the hypothesis (multiple trials)

Analyze data and make conclusions

Prepare a folder of the scientific work and prepare for a visual presentation

Students design a simple seed germination experiment to test what factors (light, moisture, temperature, abrasion of seed coat, etc) play a role in seed germination. All work is recorded in their lab notebooks .[CR6, CR7, CR8]

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Unit 1: Biochemistry and Introduction to the Cell (12 Classes) [CR2] Big ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4 Connected to enduring understandings:

1.D The origin of living systems is explained by natural processes. 2.A Growth, reproduction and maintenance of the organization of living systems require free energy and matter. 2.B Growth, reproduction and dynamic homeostasis require that cells create and maintain internal

environments that are different from their external environments. 3.A Heritable information provides for continuity of life. 4.A Interactions within biological systems lead to complex properties. 4.B Competition and cooperation are important aspects of biological systems. 4.C Naturally occurring diversity among and between components within biological systems affects interactions with the environment.

Chapters: 4. Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life 5. The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules 6. A Tour of the Cell 7. Membrane Structure and Function 40.1 Exchange with the environment 41.3,4 Digestive compartments – exchange across membranes 42.5,7 Gas exchange across membranes 44.3,4 Diffusion of solutes across specialized cells 54. Biogeochemical cycles (Water, Nitrogen and Phosphorous cycles) Unit 1 Overview of Lecture and Discussion topics:

1. The impact of carbon as the “backbone of life” 2. How monomers build polymers, including the roles of nucleic acids 3. Examples of organelles that are membrane bound to compartmentalize their functions 4. Membrane structure and function 5. Specialized organs allow for solute/gas exchange and homeostasis 6. Sources of water, nitrogen and phosphorous – biogeochemical cycles

Activities/Labs:

1. Practicing Biology, 4th Edition. a. Activity 4.1/5.1 “How can you identify organic macromolecules?” b. Activity 4.2/5.2 Test Your Understanding “Explain your reasoning as to the outcome of experiments

whose outcomes depend on the chemical characteristics of the four major types of macromolecules.” [CR3b] & [CR4b]

2. BUILD-A-MEMBRANE: <http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/> Cut, fold, and paste biological molecules to create a three-dimensional cell membrane with embedded proteins, followed by whole class discussion of membrane structure and function. (SP 1) Students complete animations and activities from Amazing Cells page of this website. [CR3b]

3. Diffusion and Osmosis Lab Inquiry. A demonstration using dialysis tubing (model) will allow students to make observations and to provide evidence for the diffusion of molecules; students set up an experiment regarding osmosis and concentration gradients after hypothesizing the outcome; data collection, calculations of percent change, graphing percent change in mass of dialysis bags of varying sucrose molarities placed in water, and analysis of the data will follow. All work will be kept in the laboratory research notebook. (SP 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) [CR3b,CR6, CR8]

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Unit 2: Cellular Energy and Related Processes (15 Classes) [CR2] Big ideas: 1, 2, 4 Connected to enduring understandings:

1.A Change in the genetic makeup of a population over time is evolution. 1.D The origin of living systems is explained by natural processes. 2.B Growth, reproduction and maintenance of the organization of living systems require free energy and matter. 4.A Interactions within biological systems lead to complex properties. 4.B Competition and cooperation are important biological systems.

Chapters: 8. An Introduction to Metabolism 9. Cellular Respiration 10. Photosynthesis 26.3 Prokaryotes changed the Earth’s environment 36.2,3 Water flow in plants 40.3 Bioenergetics 54.1-4 Energy flow & chemical cycling in environments, Carbon cycle, Primary production, Energy transfer Unit 2 Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics:

1. Metabolic pathways 2. Laws of Energy Transformation 3. How ATP powers cellular work 4. Enzyme structure and function 5. Harvesting chemical energy: glycolysis, citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation 6. Light reactions and the Calvin cycle 7. Evolution of alternative mechanism of carbon fixation 8. Energy transfer and chemical cycling in ecosystems

Activities: 1. From Practicing Biology, 3rd Edition (SP 1)

a. Activity 9.1 A Quick Review of Energy Transformations. b. Activity 9.2 Modeling cellular respiration: How can cells convert the energy in glucose to ATP. c. Activity 10.1 Modeling photosynthesis: How can cells use the sun’s energy to convert carbon

dioxide and water into glucose (10.1 Test Your Understanding) d. Activity 10.2 How do C3, C4, and CAM photosynthesis compare? (Connection of big idea #2 to

enduring understanding 1.A) [CR3a, CR4b] 2. THE EVOLUTION OF THE CELL: <http://learn.genetics.utah.edu> The endosymbiotic theory explains how

relatives of ancient bacteria ended up in modern-day cells. A whole class discussion is used to analyze the endosymbiotic theory, encouraging students to question how prokaryotes can carry on energy transfer processes without true membrane bound organelles. Students are given 5 minutes to write a conclusion to the discussion on a post-it note for posting on their way out of class. (SP 3, 6) [CR3b] & [CR4b]

Big idea #2 Laboratory Investigations: 1. Enzyme Laboratory: Students will be allowed to explore with the Vernier labquest system and a gas pressure

probe, learning how to set up timed experiment. Concepts related to enzyme structure and function will have been learned. In this inquiry-based investigation, students will design an experiment to test a variable on the rate of reaction of catalase with hydrogen peroxide. Appropriate materials will be available to them to test the variable of their choice and to explore to find answers to open ended questions that they have. Mini Posters will be prepared for presentations to the class of the outcome, including rate calculations and meaning of data as it relates to enzyme structure and function. (Supports big idea 2; SP 2, 3, 4, 5) [CR6]

http://www.nabt.org/blog/2010/05/04/mini-posters-authentic-peer-review-in-the-classroom/

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2. Photosynthesis Laboratory: Student-directed and inquiry based investigations about photosynthesis using

vernier probeware and spinach leaves. Students will present their findings using the ‘mini-poster’ format. (Supports big idea 2; SP 2, 3, 4) [CR6] & [CR8]

3. Pea Respiration Laboratory.Using knowledge of the process of cellular respiration and of how to set timed

experiments using the Vernier labquest and carbon dioxide probes, students will engage in the process of inquiry as they conduct an experiment to measure the rate of cell respiration in germinating peas at room temperature. Next, students will design a controlled experiment to answer a question of their choice that they asked while conducting the experiment at room temperature. Students will collect and determine cellular respiration rates and demonstrate an understanding of concepts involved by preparing a formal report on their laboratory research. (Supports big idea 2; SP 2, 3, 4, 5) [CR6] & [CR8]

Unit 3: Mitosis, Cell Communication, Cell Cycle (8 Classes) [CR2] Big ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4 Connected to enduring understandings:

2.E Many biological processes involved in growth, reproduction and dynamic homeostasis include temporal regulation and coordination

3.A Heritable information provides for continuity of life 3.B Expression of genetic information involves cellular and molecular mechanisms. 3.D Cells communicate by generating, transmitting and receiving chemical signals. 4.A Cell communication pathways have evolved from simpler systems

Chapters: 11.1-4 Cell Communication 12.1-3 The Cell Cycle & Mitosis 35.3,4 Plant growth 38.2 Plant embryo growth, cleavage Unit 3 Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics:

1. Evolution of cell signaling a. Reception, transduction, response b. Apoptosis

2. How mitosis produces genetically identical daughter cells a. Evolution of Mitosis

3. How the eukaryotic cell cycle is regulated by a molecular control system a. When things go wrong – Cancer and the loss of cell cycle controls

4. Cell division in the growth of plants and animals

Activities: 1. Pathways with Friends: <http://learn.genetics.utah.edu> Directed by instructional cards, students

kinesthetically model cell communication by acting as components in a cell signaling. Whole class discussion follows, assessing student understanding of cell communication.

a. http://teach.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/ 2. The Fight or Flight Response, How Cells communicate during the Fight or Flight Response (These animations

provide students with a model example of the concepts involved in cell signaling). (SP 1) [CR4c] a. http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cells/cellcom/

3. Practicing Biology, 4th Edition Activity 11.1 How are chemical signals translated into cellular responses? [CR4c]

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4. Modeling the Cell Cycle. Students construct a model of the cell cycle, explain and present the major events in a presentation. (SP 1) [CR4b]

Big idea # 3 Laboratory Investigations: Cell Division and Mitosis. Student s use onion root-tip images to determine the amount of time cells spend in each phase of the cell cycle and develop an appropriate graph to reveal data. Students then use Chi Square to analyze data. A write-up of this activity and outcomes, including calculations and analysis of data will be prepared in the laboratory research notebook. (Supports big idea 3; SP 2, 3, 4, 5) [CR6, CR8]

Unit 4: Nervous and Immune Systems (8 classes) [CR2] Big Ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4 Connected to enduring understandings:

1.B Organisms are linked by lines of descent from common ancestry. 2.A Growth, reproduction and maintenance of the organization of living systems require free energy and matter. 2.C Organisms use feedback mechanisms to regulate growth and reproduction, and to maintain dynamic

homeostasis. 2.D Growth and dynamic homeostasis of a biological system are influenced by changes in the system’s

environment. 2.E Many biological processes involved in growth, reproduction and dynamic homeostasis include

temporal regulation and coordination. 3.E Transmission of information results in changes within and between biological systems. 4.A Interactions within biological systems lead to complex properties.

Chapters: 48.1-4 Neuron structure and function, synapses, communication 49.1-4 Animal sensory systems, input, integration, response 49.6 How muscle contraction works 43.1-5 Immune System Unit 4 Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics:

1. Neuron structure and function a. Evolution of nervous systems b. Information processing

2. The Action Potential a. Neuronal communication at the synapse

3. Animal Sensory systems a. Stimuli preception response

4. Nerve-Muscle synapse muscle contraction a. Sliding filament theory

5. Immune system a. Innate b. Acquired

Activities: 1. Jumpin’ the Gap: <http://learn.genetics.utah.edu> Students act out communication at the neural level by

behaving as vesicles, neurotransmitters, receptors, secondary messengers and transporters. (SP 1, 7) [CR4d] 2. Practicing Biology, 4th Edition.

a. Activity 43.1 How does the immune system keep the body free of pathogens? b. Activity 48.2 How do neurons function to transmit information? [CR3c]

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Big idea # 3 Laboratory Investigations: Lab Investigation 12: Students will use meal worms (Tenebrio sp.) or fruit flies (Drosophila sp. ) . Students will design

their own experiments in addition to the light dark conditions that all students will do. Students will conduct a total

of three experiments:

1. Light vs. Dark

2. Student choice #1

3. Student choice #2

Possible “choices”

These should be logical choices for insects such as;

Acid (HCl 1M) vs. Base (NaOH 1M) on cotton balls

Sprite vs. Coke on cotton balls

Red vs. Blue colored construction paper

Vinegar vs. Sugar water on cotton balls

Lemon wedge vs. banana piece

Milk vs. Orange juice on cotton balls

Coffee vs. Tea on cotton balls

Students will describe their data using simple statistics (mean, median, mode), analyze their results for significance

using the Chi-square statistic and record their procedures, observations, analysis and findings in their laboratory

notebooks. ( SP 2, 3, 4, 5) [CR6, CR8]

Unit 5: Endocrine system and Organismal Development (7 Classes) [CR2] Big ideas: 2, 3, 4 Connected to enduring understandings: 2.A. Growth, reproduction, and maintaining organization of living systems require energy and matter. 2.C. Organisms use feedback mechanisms to regulate growth and maintain homeostasis. 2.D. Growth and homeostasis of a biological system are influenced by changes in the system’s environment. 2.E. Many biological processes involved in growth, reproduction, and homeostasis include temporal aspects 3.D Cells communicate by generating, transmitting, and receiving chemical signals. 4.A. Interactions within biological systems lead to complex properties. 4.C.2. Environmental factors influence the expression of the genotype in an organism. Chapters: 40.4,5 Maintaining internal environment – homeostasis, thermoregulation 45.1-5 Hormones and the endocrine system 38.1,2 Signal transduction in plants, Plant hormones 35.5 Growth, morphogenesis and differentiation in plants 39.1-5 Plant responses to internal and external signals 46.2,4 Gametogenesis, Hormonal control of human reproductive systems 32.1,3 Animal development Zygote Gastrula, body plans overview 47.1-3 Animal Development details and differentiation

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Unit 5 Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics: 1. Endocrine system – self study unit to be done over the December Holidays break 2. Modes of reproduction

a. Sexual vs. Asexual b. Reproduction in Bacteria and protists

3. Reproduction in Fungus and Plants 4. Reproduction in Males 5. Reproduction in Females 6. Embryology: fertilization birth

Unit 5 Activities

1. Hormone-pairs poster presentation: Students will research hormone pairs that work together in either a synergistic or antagonistic mode. Students will create a poster that illustrates: 1) release origin of hormones 2) target tissues 3) effect of hormones 4) if they are synergistic, antagonistic or not related 5) whether found in plants or animals. [CR1, CR3c, CR3d, CR4c, CR5, CR8]

2. Practicing Biology, 4th Edition. a. Activity 40.1 How does an organism’s structure help it maintain homeostasis? [CR3b, CR4b] b. Activity 46.1 How does the production of male and female gametes differ in human male and

females?

Unit 6A: Gene Activity and Biotechnology (13 Classes) [CR2] Big ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4 Connected to enduring understandings:

1.A Change in the genetic makeup of a population over time is evolution 2.C Organisms use feedback mechanisms to regulate growth and reproduction, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis. 2.E Many biological processes involved in growth, reproduction and dynamic homeostasis include temporal regulation and coordination. 3.A Heritable information provides for continuity of life. 3.B Expression of genetic information involves cellular and molecular mechanisms. 3.C The processing of genetic information is imperfect and is a source of genetic variation. 4.A Interactions within biological systems lead to complex properties.

Chapters: 16. The Molecular Basis of Inheritance 17. From Gene to Protein 18. Regulation of Gene Expression 19. Viruses 20. Biotechnology 21. Genomes and their Evolution

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Unit 6A Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics: 1. DNA is the genetic material (historical experiments, DNA structure and function, DNA replication) 2. Flow of genetic information (genetic code, role of other polymers, transcription, translation) 3. Mutations 4. Gene expression (operon systems in prokaryotes, eukaryotic gene expression) 5. Virus structure and activity 6. Restriction enzymes, plasmids, transformation 7. DNA technology (how gel electrophoresis works and applications of this technology) [CR5]

Activities:

1. Practicing Biology, 4th Edition. a. Activity 16.1 Is the hereditary material DNA or protein? b. Activity 16.2 How does DNA replicate? (modeling) c. Activity 17.1 Modeling transcription and translation: What processes produce RNA from DNA and

protein from MRNA (SP 1, 3, 4, 5, 6) [CR4c]

2. Model of an operon: Following lecture and discussion of structure and function of an operon system, materials are made available for students to create a model of an operon and demonstrate to their classmates. (SP 1, 6) [CR4c]

3. DNA and Histone Model <http://learn.genetics.utah.edu> A 3-D cut-and-paste model depicting how histone,

acetyl and methyl molecules control access to DNA and affect gene expression. (Connection of big idea 3 to enduring understanding 4.A; SP 1, 6) [CR4c]

4. Plasmid Mapping: A paper based activity where students have to map a plasmid based on DNA fragments

from a restriction enzyme digest. Students also have to calculate the length of fragments of a plasmid that has been digested by 1, 2, and 3 different restriction endonucleases. (SP 1, 2, 5) [CR4c]

Big idea # 3 Laboratory Investigations:

1. Biotechnology Lab 1: Transformation. Students will perform a transformation experiment in which they transform a bacterial cell to contain a plasmid containing a gene which can be expressed so as to produce protein products which make the cell “glow”. Students will then study the structure of the plasmid and make predictions regarding growth on various agar plates (LB plates, plates with ampicillin and arabinose added). They will then examine the bacterial growth afterwards and collect quantitative data. They will calculate transformation efficiency. Students will then plan a controlled experiment that they think would improve the transformation efficiency. The entire laboratory study will be documented in the laboratory research notebook. BioRad pGlo Transformation Lab (Supports big idea 3; SP 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) [CR6, CR8]

2. Students will use micro-techniques to restrict DNA, and using a marker DNA along with “crime scene” and

“suspect” DNA, predict which suspect matches the crime scene. Students will understand the principles of gel electrophoresis. Students will collect quantitative data by using the marker DNA results to graph data. They will utilize band migration distances and extrapolate band sizes by extrapolating from their graphs. The entire laboratory study will be documented in the laboratory research notebook. (Supports big idea 3; SP 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) [CR6, CR8]

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Unit 6B: Genetic Basis of Life (7 Classes) [CR2] Big ideas: 1, 3, 4 Connected to enduring understandings:

1.A Change in the genetic makeup of a population over time is evolution. 3.A Heritable information provides for continuity of life. 3.C The processing of genetic information is imperfect and is a source of genetic variation. 4.C Naturally occurring diversity among and between components within biological systems affects interactions with the environment.

Chapters: 13. Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles 14. Mendel and the Gene Idea 15. The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance Unit 6B Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics:

1. Genes are passed from parents to offspring by the inheritance of chromosomes 2. How meiosis reduces the number of chromosomes (diploid to haploid) 3. Evolutionary significance of genetic variation that results from sexual life cycles 4. Concepts of Mendelian genetics (laws of probability, inheritance patterns)

a. Pedigrees, sex-linkage, etc. 5. Genes are located along chromosomes (concepts of gene linkage, mapping distance between genes, causes

of genetic disorders) [CR5] Activities:

1. Knowing the % of each color in packages of M&M’s, as published by the packaging company, students will count the colors in packages and apply the null hypothesis concept and Chi Square calculations on the data. (SP 2) [CR4c]

2. Students will be given data from a Genetics of Drosophila laboratory involving three crosses of the fruit flies.

All of the observations will be given to them. They will develop a null hypothesis as to the mode of inheritance based on the data, and they will use the Chi Square statistical analysis to determine whether to accept or reject the hypothesis. (SP 2, 5) ) [CR3c]

3. Students will use a chromosome bead kit to simulate the process of meiosis and explain when haploidy

occurs. (SP 1) [CR3c] Laboratory Investigation:

1. Meiosis in Sordaria. Students analyze outcomes of Sordaria crosses, determine phenotypes due to crossover or non-crossover, and determine percent recombination and map units. They will compare their observations with the known map distance from gene to centromere. (SP 2, 5) [CR3c, CR4c]

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Unit 7: Ecology (17 Classes) [CR2] Big ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4 Connected to enduring understandings:

1.A Change in the genetic makeup of a population over time is evolution. 1.C Life continues to evolve within a changing environment. 2.A Growth, reproduction and maintenance of the organization of living systems require free energy and matter. 2.C Organisms use feedback mechanisms to regulate growth, reproduction and dynamic homeostasis. 2.D Growth and dynamic homeostasis of a biological system are influenced by changes in the system’s environment. 2.E Many biological processes involved in growth, reproduction and dynamic homeostasis include temporal regulation and coordination. 3.E Transmission of information results in changes within and between biological systems. 4.A Interactions within biological systems lead to complex properties. 4.B Competition and cooperation are important aspects of biological systems. 4.C Naturally occurring diversity among and between components within biological systems affects interactions with the environment.

Chapters: 50. Introduction to Ecology 51. Animal Behavior 52.2 Interactions between organisms and the environment limit the distribution of species. 53. Population Ecology 54. Community Ecology 55. Ecosystems 56. Conservation Biology and Global Change Unit 7 Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics:

1. Aspects of animal behavior 2. Aspects of biomes 3. Models describing population growth 4. Regulation of population growth 5. Community interactions 6. Species diversity and composition 7. Community biodiversity 8. Energy flow and chemical cycling in ecosystems 9. Primary productivity 10. Energy transfer between trophic levels

Laboratory Investigations

1. Review Meal worm Choice Experiment from unit 4 2. Dissolved Oxygen and Primary Productivity. Through guided inquiry, students will investigate how to

measure dissolved oxygen using the Winkler method (ex: How does temperature affect the dissolved oxygen concentration in samples of water?) Continuing, students will explore respiration and photosynthesis processes in samples of a Chlorella culture as they study gross and net primary productivity. Students will then be challenged to write and conduct a controlled experiment to test the

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effect of a variable on primary productivity. The study will involve hypothesizing, designing the experiment, data collection of dissolved oxygen concentrations, calculations of primary productivity, graphing and making a conclusion. The entire laboratory investigation will be written in the laboratory research notebook. (Supports big idea 4; SP 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) [CR3d, CR6, CR8]

3. Whole Plant Transpiration Lab. This is a modified version of AP lab 9A. Instead of using a photometer, the root ball of plants are bagged and the plants are massed on day one. Different student groups will place the exposed leaves of the plants in different ‘environments’ in order to see how transpiration is affected. Students will expose plants to constant ‘wind’ (fans), constant sun (lights), moist (under an inverted fish tank with bowls of water) and dark (closet). Plants will be massed daily to record loss of water via transpiration and compared to a control (normal room conditions). Students will record data daily in their lab notebooks and calculate average rate of water loss for each day. They will also prepare graphs and perform descriptive data analysis (mean, median. mode) and Chi-square analysis on the transformed data. (supports Big Idea 3 & 4; SP 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,) [CR3d, CR6, CR8]

Activities:

1. Students will create a poster of a chosen biome that demonstrates knowledge of biological processes and concepts across scales. Class presentations will demonstrate their knowledge of understanding. (Connects big idea 4 to enduring understanding 2.A; SP 7) [CR3d, CR4d & CR8]

2. Students will participate in a “10% Rule Relay Race” that models the flow of energy through trophic

levels and that approximately 10% of the available energy in one trophic level is passed on to the next with 90% being ‘lost’ as heat energy. Students will calculate energy transfer efficiency at the conclusion of this kinesthetic activity (SP 4, 5) [CR4d]

3. Provide students with a copy of an article entitled “Invasive Plant Suppresses the Growth of Native Tree

Seedlings by Disrupting Belowground Mutualisms”, by Kristina Stinson and others. Students will explore the research based study and analyze the data presented for its meaning. (SP 5) [CR4d] & [CR5]

4. Animated Investigation: How do Abiotic Factors Affect Distribution of Organisms? From:

<www.campbellbiology.com>, Chapter 52. Students will use a simple model for observing ecological impact that occurs when single abiotic factors are changed. By changing abiotic factors, data can be collected and analyzed. (Connection of big idea 2 to enduring understanding 4.A) [CR4d]

5. Population Pyramids: How will the age distribution of a country’s population affect the future development

of a that country? Using US government data from the census bureau’s website (http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/informationGateway.php) students will compare the age-structure pyramids of more developed, less developed and least developed countries in terms of work force, size of families, help for the elderly, education level, stability of the country, how women are viewed compared to men, food availability, and health care. This will take place in small groups first where students will conduct research on the internet in order to prepare posters to share in a 5-minute presentation to the class. (Connection to Big Idea 4 to enduring understanding 4A.5, SP 1, 4, 5, 7) [CR4d, CR5, CR8]

6. Animated Investigation: How Does the Fungus Pilobolus Succeed as a Decomposer? From: <www.campbellbiology.com>, Chapter 31. Students investigate this fungus as a decomposer, hypothesizing and collecting data in this animated investigation; they will study the adaptiveness of certain spore dispersal methods. (Connects big idea 4 to enduring understanding 1.A; SP 5, 6, 7) [CR4d]

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Unit 8 Evolution and Phylogeny (15 Classes) [CR2] Big ideas: 1, 3, 4 Connected to enduring understandings:

1.A Change in the genetic makeup of a population over time is evolution. 1.B Organisms are linked by lines of descent from common ancestry. 1.C Life continues to evolve within a changing environment. 1.D The origin of living systems is explained by natural processes. 3.A Heritable information provides for continuity of life. 3.C The processing of genetic information is imperfect and is a source of genetic variation. 4.C Naturally occurring diversity among and between components within biological systems affects

interactions with the environment. Chapters: 22. Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life 23. The Evolution of Populations 24. The Origin of Species 25. The History of Life on Earth 26. Phylogeny and the Tree of Life 27. Bacteria and Archae Unit 7 Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics:

1. How natural selection serves as a mechanism for evolution 2. Scientific evidence supporting evolution 3. Hardy-Weinberg concept 4. How allele frequencies can be altered in a population 5. Concepts of speciation 6. Origin of Life; Fossil Records 7. Events in the “history of life” (origin of single-celled and multicellular organisms; mass extinctions; adaptive

radiations) Big idea # 1 Laboratory Investigations:

1. After learning about and discussing experiments by Oparin, Miller and Urey, and others, students are guided through an inquiry in which they form coacervates by combining carbohydrate molecules with protein molecules as they vary pH. They observe the coacervates and collect quantitative data. Students then develop a question they would like to answer through experimentation about coacervate formation, and materials are made available as students design experiments to test the hypotheses they have made. The entire laboratory study will be documented in a laboratory research notebook. In addition, students will present their findings in a video format posted on Edmodo. Students will be required to comment on the findings of the various student groups. (SP 1, 3, 4, 5) [CR6] & [CR8]

2. Students will learn how to analyze cladograms and understand evolutionary relationships using the Basic

Local Alignment Sequencing Tool. Students will analyze morphological details about a newly discovered fossil, hypothesize as to the position of the fossil in a pre-constructed cladogram, then test the hypothesis using BLAST. Once students become comfortable, they will use the tool to answer questions of their choice regarding gene sequences. Alternatively, students can explore and discover using Cold Spring Harbor DNA Learning Lab: DNA Subway. (Supports big idea 1; SP1, 3, 4, 5) [CR6] & [CR8]

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Activities:

1. NOVA; PBS video: “What Darwin Never Knew.” This video will be utilized in conjunction with whole class discussions to take a look at Charles Darwin’s observations and conclusions and how modern day molecular biology is confirming what Darwin documented. (Connects big idea 1 to enduring understanding 3.C) [CR3c], [CR4a] & [CR5]

2. Constructing a Phylogenetic Tree Using DNA Sequence Data Simulation:

<http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/> Students exchange the “ancestral DNA” with random mutations over time and make divergences into different evolutionary lines. A phylogenetic tree is constructed. Then, in a second part, students construct a phylogenetic tree of another group based strictly on nucleotide sequences of present-day organisms. (SP 1, 4, 5) [CR4a]

3. Working with cladograms and phylogenetic trees: given groups of organisms and some of their distinguishing characteristics, students will construct a cladogram and properly interpret and analyze it in terms of how it shows common ancestry. (SP 1 ,3, 5) [CR4a] & [CR4d

1. Evolutionary Time: The Geologic Time String <http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE> The Time String involves the use of a string. The string is 4.6 meters long, and each millimeter on the string represents 1 million years. Knots tied at distinct locations along the string represent extinctions, beginning of Eras, and so forth, in the geologic time table. (SP 7) [CR4a]

2. Practicing Biology, 4th Edition. Activity 23.1 A Quick Review of Hardy-Weinberg Population Genetics.

Alternatively, present students with Hardy-Weinberg problems from a variety of resources. Students apply the Hardy-Weinberg equation to determine frequencies of phenotypes and alleles. (SP 2) [CR4a]

3. HHMI video: “Evolution” Students will view the lecture on artificial selection and a class discussion will

follow. [CR3a, CR4d] Unit 9 Diversity in the Biological World: Organism Form and Function (4 Classes) [CR2] Big ideas: 1, 2, 3, 4 Connected to enduring understandings: 1.A Change in the genetic makeup of a population over time is evolution. 1.B Organisms are linked by lines of descent from common ancestry. 2.A Growth, reproduction and maintenance of the organization of living systems require free energy and

matter. 2.C Organisms use feedback mechanisms to regulate growth and reproduction, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis. 2.D Growth and dynamic homeostasis of a biological system are influenced by changes in the system’s environment. 2.E Many biological processes involved in growth, reproduction and dynamic homeostasis include temporal regulation and coordination. 3.E Transmission of information results in changes within and between biological systems. 4.A Interactions within biological systems lead to complex properties. 4.B Competition and cooperation are important aspects of biological systems. Chapters: Students will be utilizing chapters 27-34 in order to complete a biodiversity project

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Unit 9 Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics: This section covers a broad survey of the diversity of life; specific topics will connect big ideas and enduring understandings. These last 4 classes serve as a ‘wrap-up’ to our year in AP biology. Students will have a “biodiversity project” that examines Evolutionary trends (endosymbiosis, adaptations that allowed plants to move from water to land, Reproductive adaptations of angiosperms, unique features of angiosperm life cycles and derived characters in animal groups) 2. Practicing Biology, 4th Edition.

1. Activity 29.3 How are the events in plant evolution related? [CR3a, CR4d] 2. Activity 32.1/33.1 What can we learn about the evolution of the animal kingdom by examining modern

invertebrates? [CR3a, CR4d] 3. Activity 34.1 What can we learn about the evolution of chordates by examining modern

chordates? [CR3a, CR4d]

Prepare For AP Biology Exam Whatever class time we have left will be used to prepare for the AP biology exam by reviewing past tests and notes.

End of the year Wrap-Up! Students will respond to the question: “How has a year of AP biology changed or influenced the way you view the natural world and your place in it?”

This response can be in the form of written three page paper, podcast, video, Prezi or some other digital format that has been preapproved by me. Students will have 1 week after the AP biology exam to work on this and will present their thoughts to the class. Presentations have to be under 4 minutes in length.