AP Biology Curriculum Overview

AP Biology is a college-level science course offered to high school students who are ready for a rigorous and rewarding academic challenge. This course emphasizes critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and hands-on laboratory work while exploring the core principles that govern life on Earth.

This course is challenging but rewarding. We encourage open communication and welcome guardian involvement. Students are expected to manage their time, complete assignments thoughtfully, and seek help when needed.

You will deepen your understanding of biology through eight major units:

1. Chemistry of Life

2. Cell Structure and Function

3. Cellular Energetics

4. Cell Communication and the Cell Cycle

5. Heredity

6. Gene Expression and Regulation

7. Natural Selection

8. Ecology

Each unit is built around a combination of content knowledge, data analysis, and real-world application of science practices.

Throughout the course, you will develop and apply the following Science Practices:

• Modeling biological systems

• Questioning and Experimenting

• Representing and Describing Data

• Statistical Analysis

• Scientific Argumentation

• Making Evidence-Based Claims

These skills help you think and work like biologists, not just memorize facts.

25% of instructional time is dedicated to hands-on labs. You will conduct at least 8 guided-inquiry investigations from a set of 13 College Board-approved labs. These labs include:

• Artificial Selection (evolution and population change)

• Diffusion and Osmosis (cell membranes and transport)

• Photosynthesis and Respiration

• Biotechnology (bacterial transformation, DNA analysis)

• Fruit Fly Behavior and Transpiration

Lab work is designed to teach experimental design, data collection, and interpretation. You will maintain a lab notebook and may be asked to present their lab work for potential college credit.

To be successful in AP Biology, you should have completed:

• A full-year high school biology course

• A full-year high school chemistry course

Strong reading comprehension and a willingness to study independently are essential for success.

At the end of the course, you will take the AP Biology Exam, which includes:

• 60 multiple-choice questions

• 6 free-response questions, including:

  • Experimental design

  • Data analysis

  • Concept explanation

Scores range from 1 to 5, and many colleges offer credit for scores of 3 or higher. The course is equivalent to a two-semester introductory college biology course for biology majors.

Starr, Cecie, et al. Biology - the Unity and Diversity of Life. Cengage Learning, 2016.