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Columbus North High School

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Hello
Welcome to AP Biology !
Teacher: Mrs. Reardon
Email Address: Reardont@bcsc.k12.in.us
Room number: 157
Advanced Placement Biology is designed to be equivalent of a 100 level Introductory Biology for Majors course offered at the university level. AP Biology differs significantly from a traditional high school biology course due to text content, depth of material covered, lab work, and time and effort required to achieve mastery in subject area. This course is designed to be taken by students after successful completion of high school biology and chemistry. We will study a breadth of topics, including cell structure and function, molecular biology, genetics, evolution, anatomy and physiology, taxonomy, phylogeny, botany, ecology and biochemistry.
 

Syllabus Course Exams
Overview AP Labs

 
Summer Assignment
Our year of AP Biology will cover more material than is covered in two semesters of introductory college biology.
We need to set the stage for our learning over the summer. There are a few assignments that you have been assigned to complete over the summer. The first is to read a book, Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin. Check it out on Amazon. I have several copies that you are welcome to borrow from me, but I highly suggest that you order your own copy. It is a very interesting book and it will be nice to be able to annotate in the margins.
  • Here you will find a document with questions to go along with your readings.
  • You will also be doing a research project over geologic time. Check out the directions for this assignment here.
  • Chapter 1 Book assignment
 
 
Units of Study
See the Topics of Study table to see the amount of coverage of each topic on the AP Exam.
Test dates are subject to change!!
Unit Dates Chapters Test Date
Evolution 8/23 - 9/10 14 - 17 Sept 13
Diversity 9/13 - 9/17 18 - 23 Sept 17
Ecology 9/20 - 10/8 38 - 42 Oct 8
Chemistry 10/11 - 10/29 2 and 3 Oct 29
Cells 11/1 - 11/12 4 and 5 Nov 12
Cell Energetics 11/15 - 12/13 6, 7 and 8 Dec 13
Plants 1/4 - 1/21 24, 25, 26 Jan 21
Animal Systems 1/24 - 3/11 27 - 37 March 11
Heredity 3/21 - 4/6 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 April 6
Molecular Genetics 4/7 - 4/27 14 - 17 April 27
AP Biology Exam Entire Book May 9
 
 
Course Exams

About The Course Exams

About The AP Exam

Helpful Links
There will be a test at the end of each unit within this course. Each test will be structured like the AP Exam and have 40-45 multiple choice (60%) questions and one essay question (40%).
 
All test questions are past AP exam questions.
The exam is three hours in length and is designed to measure a student's knowledge and understanding of modern biology. The exam consists of an 80-minute 100 item multiple choice section (60% of exam grade), a 10-minute reading period, and a 90-minute free-response section (40% of exam grade) consisting of four mandatory essay questions that encompass broader topics and concepts, one of which is based on one of the twelve labs.
To score high on this exam, students will be required to write well thought out essay responses that integrate different concepts discusses in the course. It also requires broad and deep knowledge of the content.
Topic outline for the course, with weight of
 
 
 
 
Topic Outline

I.

Molecules and Cells (25%)

A. Chemistry of Life (7%)

1. Water

2. Organic molecules in organisms

3. Free energy changes

4. Enzymes

B. Cells (10%)

1. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

2. Membranes

3. Subcellular organization

4. Cell cycle and its regulation

B. Cellular Energetics (8%)

1. Coupled reactions

2. Fermentation and cellular respiration

3. Photosynthesis

II.

Heredity and Evolution (25%)

A. Heredity (8%)

1. Meiosis and gametogenesis

2. Eukaryotic chromosomes

3. Inheritance patterns

B. Molecular Genetics (9%)

1. RNA and DNA structure and function

2. Gene regulation

3. Mutation

4. Viral structure and replication

5. Nucleic acid technology and applications

C. Evolutionary Biology (8%)

1. Early evolution of life

2. Evidence for evolution

3. Mechanisms of evolution

III.

Organisms/ Populations (50%)

A. Diversity of Organisms (8%)

1. Evolutionary patterns

2. Survey of the diversity of life

3. Phylogenetic classification

4. Evolutionary relationships

B. Structure and Function of Plants and Animals (32%)

1. Reproduction, growth, and development

2. Structural, physiological, and behavioral adaptations

3. Response to the environment

C. Ecology (10%)

1. Population dynamics

2. Communities and ecosystems

3. Global issues

 
 
Materials used in this class come from a variety of sources including many successful AP Biology teachers. Most noteably, the powerpoint lectures and several labs come from Kim Folgia. Her work has prompted the National Association of Biology Teachers to create an award specifically for her. Kim was awarded the AP Service Award becauses of her willingness to share materials, knowledge, advice and insight with not only the AP Community, but with biology teachers everywhere. Her website is www.explorebiology.com. Go check it out!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Last Modified on July 22, 2011