APŽ Biology Section BF

VHS Catalog 12-13

Course Title:	APŽ Biology Section BF
Course Code:	bapbigyl
MA NCES Code:	03056
Discipline:	Science - Biology
Grade Level:	11, 12
Level:	Advanced Placement
Offering:	Full Year (Fall: 25 Seats; Spring: 25 Seats; )
Duration:	33 weeks
Prerequisites:	Biology and Chemistry
Additional Requirements:	This course includes a lab kit to allow students to perform modified versions of several AP Biology labs suggested by the College Board. Students will need to care for kit contents responsibly, follow directions carefully and work independently to successfully complete these labs.
Accredited by:	Certified by NCAA for initial-eligibility (VHS School Code: 221356); Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools; Northwest Accreditation Commission
Course Requires a Media Kit to be Shipped to Students: Yes
Course Requires a Media Kit to be Purchased by Course Sponsor (see additional details below): Yes
Description: Are you a highly motivated student who is interested in taking a college-level course in Biology? Have you already successfully completed an introductory Biology class and you want to learn more? The Advanced Placement course in Biology is equivalent to a full-year Freshman Biology course taught at any major University. You will be reading the same text that is used at many major colleges and universities, and we will be working at a rigorous pace to cover the material and prepare you for the Advanced Placement Examination in May. Upon successful completion of the exam, you may receive college credit and you will certainly be well-prepared for any Biology course in your future. This class will build upon your prior knowledge of Biology. We will discuss topics such as molecular genetics, biochemistry, human anatomy and physiology, cell biology, plant biology and ecology. Using your text, the Internet, class discussions, and projects, we will cover a tremendous amount of material in order to give you a complete understanding of the study of biology. Biweekly examinations will test your knowledge of the material as well as prepare you for the AP examination. Due to the volume and level of the material, this course is designed to challenge extremely motivated students who have a strong interest in the Biological Sciences. Students enrolled in Advanced Placement VHS courses are required to take the AP exam, and are required to report their AP examination scores to VHS (note: students who are failing their AP class are not required to take the exam). Upon receipt of the student's exam score, each score will be recorded by VHS and assigned an anonymous tracking number to ensure student anonymity and confidentiality. By enrolling in an AP VHS class, the student authorizes their school site coordinator and school administration to report AP examination scores to VHS. Exam results will not affect the student's VHS grade or future enrollment in VHS courses. This course has recommended summer reading. All summer work for AP Biology can be found here: AP Summer Work

MediaKit Contents:
Lab kit

Syllabus:
Week One: Introductions
Creation of portfolios
Survey of prior knowledge and computer experience
Explanation of course expectations and requirements

Week Two: The Nature Of Science
Steps of the scientific method
Characteristics of living things
Classification of living things
Themes in biology

Week Three: Inorganic Chemistry
Atoms, elements, molecules
Atomic structure
Covalent and ionic bonding
Water

Week Four: Organic Chemistry
Carbon - the building blocks of biological molecules
Functional groups
Macromolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids

Week Five: Cell Structure
Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic cells
Organelles
Plant vs. Animal cells
Properties of membranes

Week Six: Cell Transport
Diffusion
Osmosis
Active transport
AP lab 1: diffusion and osmosis

Week Seven: Cell Reproduction
Mitosis
Cancer cells
Meiosis
AP lab 2: mitosis and meiosis

Week Eight: Cell Metabolism
Energy and atp
Enzymes and coenzymes
Metabolic pathways
AP lab 3: enzyme catalysis

Week Nine: Respiration And Fermentation
Redox reactions
Mitochondria
Glycolysis, kreb’s cycle, electron transport chain
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic respiration
AP lab 5: cell respiration

Week Ten: Photosynthesis
Chloroplasts
Light-dependent reactions
Calvin cycle (light-independent reactions)
AP lab 4: plant pigments and photosynthesis

Week Eleven: Heredity
Mendel’s laws and probability
Genetic disorders
Inheritance patterns: chromosomes, alleles, genes, interactions
AP lab 6: genetics of drosophila

Week Twelve: Molecular Genetics
History
DNA structure
DNA replication
AP lab 7: molecular biology

Week Thirteen: Protein Synthesis
Central dogma
Transcription
Translation
Week fourteen: technology and microbial models
DNA technology
Cloning
Bacterial and viral genetics

Week Fifteen: Genes
Genome organization
Gene expression
Genes and development

Week Sixteen: Evolution
Early theories
Darwin and natural selection
Evidence of evolution

Week Seventeen: Population Evolution And Speciation
Population genetics
Hardy-weinberg
Origin of species
AP lab 8: genetics and evolution

Week Eighteen: Phylogeny
Patterns of evolution
Human evolution
Phylogeny and systematics

Week Nineteen: Origin Of Life
Geologic time scale
Chemical evolution
Cell origins

Week Twenty: Survey Of Life 1
Prokaryotes
Evolution of eukaryotes
6 kingdom classification
Protists

Week Twenty-One: Survey Of Life 2
Fungi
Evolution of animals
Animal taxonomy

Week Twenty-Two: Animals
Invertebrates
Vertebrates

Week Twenty-Three: Animal Systems 1
Organization (tissues to systems)
Digestive system
Excretory system

Week Twenty-Four: Animal Systems 2
Circulatory system
Respiratory system

Week Twenty-Five: Animal Systems 3
Immune system
Endocrine system

Week Twenty-Six: Animal Systems 4
Nervous system
Senses

Week Twenty-Seven: Animal Systems 5
Reproductive system
Development

Week Twenty-Eight: Plant Biology 1
Characteristics of plants
Classification
Structure
Growth

Week Twenty-Nine: Plant Biology 2
Transport in plants
Nutrition

Week Thirty: Plant Biology 3
Reproduction
Development

Week Thirty-One: Ecology 1
Interactions between species
Populations

Week Thirty-Two: Ecology 2
Communities
Ecosystems
Energy flow and nutrient cycles
Human ecological impacts

Course Objectives:
1. To familiarize students with the terminology and concepts of Biology using a theme-oriented approach that emphasizes concepts and science as a process over knowledge of facts.
2. To enhance problem-solving skills of students using "virtual" labs, projects, and class discussions.
3. To strengthen students’ communication skills with the use of written assignments, essays, and research papers.
4. To prepare students for further study in the Biological Sciences.

This catalog description was last modified on 01/23/2013