email: mcollins@tipton-county.com 

School phone: 901-840-9400

Framework for Honors Courses. 

Honors courses will substantially exceed the content standards, learning expectations, and performance indicators approved by the State Board of Education. Teachers of honors courses will model instructional approaches that facilitate maximum interchange of ideas among students: independent study, self‐directed research and learning, and appropriate use of technology. All honors courses must include multiple assessments exemplifying coursework (such as short answer, constructed‐response prompts, performance‐based tasks, open‐ended questions, essays, original or creative interpretations, authentic products, portfolios, and analytical writing). Additionally, an honors course shall include a minimum of five (5) of the following components: 

a. Extended reading assignments that connect with the specified curriculum. 

b. Research‐based writing assignments that address and extend the course curriculum. 

c. Projects that apply course curriculum to relevant or real‐world situations. These may include oral presentations, power point, or other modes ofsharing findings. Connection of the project to the community is encouraged. 

d. Open‐ended investigations in which the student selects the questions and designs the research. 

e. Writing assignments that demonstrate a variety of modes, purposes, and styles. 

f. Integration of appropriate technology into the course of study. 

g. Deeper exploration of the culture, values, and history of the discipline. 

h. Extensive opportunities for problem solving experiences through imagination, critical analysis, and application. 

i. Job shadowing experiences with presentations which connect class study to the world of work.

Framework for AP Biology

Big Ideas:  

1) Evolution  

2) Energetics 

3) Information storage and transmission

4) Systems Interactions 

These four Big Ideas are entwined in the following units. 

UNITS  

EXAM WEIGHTING  

Unit 1: Chemistry of life

8-11%  

Unit 2: Cells

10-13%  

Unit 3: Cellular Energetics 

12-16%  

Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle

10-15%  

Unit 5: Heredity 

8-11%  

Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation

12-16%  

Unit 7: Natural Selection 

13-20%  

Unit 8: Ecology

10-15%  

Science Practices

In addition to topics, we place heavy emphasis on Science Practices. These skills are more difficult than memorizing information. This includes time for labs and data analysis, math practice and environmental solutions. The science practices are:

Practice 1: Concept Explanation - Explain environmental concepts, processes and models presented in written format

Practice 2: Visual Representation – Analyze visual representations of environmental concepts and processes

Practice 3: Questions and Methods – Determine scientific questions and methods

Practice 4: Representing and Describing Data – Represent and describe data

Practice 5: Statistical Tests and Data Analysis – Perform statistical tests and mathematical interpret data

Practice 6: Argumentation – Develop and justify scientific arguments using evidence

Framework for AP Environmental Science

Big Ideas  

1) Energy Transfer  

2) Interactions between Earth systems  

3) Interactions between different species and the environment and  

4) Sustainability.  

These four Big Ideas are wrapped neatly in nine units. The following chart shows the topics of those units and its weight on your APES exam.  

UNITS 

EXAM WEIGHTING  

Unit 1: the living work ecosystems  

6-8%  

Unit 2: The Living World Biodiversity  

6-8%  

Unit 3: Populations  

10-15%  

Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources  

10-15%  

Unit 5: Land and Water Use  

10-15%  

Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption  

10-15%  

Unit 7: Atmospheric Population  

7-10%  

Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution  

15-20%  

Unit 9: Global Change  

15-20%  

Science Practices

In addition to topics, we place heavy emphasis on Science Practices. These skills are more difficult than memorizing information. This includes time for labs and data analysis, math practice and environmental solutions. The science practices are:

Practice 1: Concept Explanation - explain environmental concepts, processes and models presented in written format

Practice 2: Visual Representation – analyze visual representations of environmental concepts and processes

Practice 3: Text Analysis – Analyze sources of information about environmental issues

Practice 4: Scientific Experiments – Analyze research studies that test environmental concepts

Practice 5: Data Analysis – Analyze and interpret quantitative data represented in tables, charts, and graphs.

Practice 6: Mathematical Routines – Apply quantitative methods to address environmental concepts

Practice 7: Environmental Solutions – Propose and justify solutions to environmental problems