AP BIOLOGY 2020-2021
Here is some basic information about the course:
$$$$$$ There is a $25 Lab fee for the course. Go to the Hough home page for on-line payment. The fee for AP Biology must be paid for by October 1.
Click HERE to read a copy of the syllabus.
Click HERE to read the lab safety contract.
Please print it out, sign it and have your parent/guardian sign it.
Put it in your notebook and bring it to class on DAY 2.
Click HERE to watch a video on the Scientific Method
Let's get started:
******Take the VARK self-assessment test and record your results.
Bring your data and your data analysis to class on DAY 2.
You are lucky for 3 reasons:
1) biology is very exciting and in the news every day;
2) in AP Biology, you will learn biology in a new and effective way; and
3) you get to use an eBook written by 3 Davidson College Professors that integrates the web with your reading.
From the authors of ICB: Biology has become too massive to memorize factoids. AP Biology is organized around the 5 Big Ideas of biology: Information, Evolution, Cells, Emergent Properties and Homeostasis. The natural world is not subdivided into big or small biology. For this class, you will read chapters that cover all 5 big ideas at 3 size levels.
Figure 1. Integrating Concepts in Biology brings together the five Big Ideas of biology at five different size scales. These big ideas fit together like a puzzle to complete students' understanding of biology.
You will use an eBook written by Davidson College professors Drs. Malcolm Campbell, Chris Paradise and Laurie Heyer, Integrating Concepts in Biology.
You will want to read the chapter and answer the Integrating Questions as they appear in the reading. Do NOT skip the questions. Research has shown that students learn best if they construct their own knowledge. Therefore, the Integrating Questions are designed to help you extract the key information from the original figures published in scientific papers. You will not only learn the main points and retain them longer, you also will learn the skills of science by interpreting figures. Furthermore, you will use math to help you better understand biology. The math will be presented in BioMath Explorations which will enable you to use the math you already know to reinforce your understanding of biology.
The questions on your tests and quizzes will be drawn from the Integrating Questions and the Review Questions at the end of each section as well as other sources.
The format of each class will require each of you to read that day’s assignment BEFORE you come to class. We will spend each class going through the figures and discuss them since DATA are paramount in science. We will stick closely to the calendar because there is so much to learn and so little time. Therefore, if we do not cover a topic in class, but it is covered in your reading, you are responsible for it. In every class, I will play the "scantron game" to call on individuals randomly to answer a question or lead a discussion. If I call on you to answer a question, it is OK to say, “I got this part but this other section lost me.” It is not OK to say, “I didn’t read it.”
I will give each of you a standard CMS AP Biology Text that you can keep at home for a reference.
If you have tried to understand the material but just can’t get it, then come see me for tutoring.
Please work hard and be patient. This type of learning takes some time to get used to, but I promise that you will be very pleased with the result!