BIOLOGY SYLLABUS – 2019-2020



BIOLOGY SYLLABUS – 2019-2020Instructor: Mr. OvergaardClassroom: H212Email: overgaard_william@ Phone: 907-742-6423Course Website: wovergaard.Daily Schedule:1st – Biology2nd – AP Biology3rd – Biology 4th – Conference5th – Biology6th – BiologyText:Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Miorsky, Jackson & Reece (2014). Biology In Focus AP Edition.A hard copy will be checked out to each student after the first week of class. It is expected that each student will return the book in the same condition it is checked out in. Any additional damage or lost books will be charged to the student. An online version of the book is available for any students interested. I have attached a form to the back of this syllabus with directions for accessing that text.Class Rules:Be KindBe HonestBe RespectfulNo Plastic Straws/CupsNo Cell Phones**Please do not text or call your student while they are in class. If there is an emergency that the student needs to be made aware of, please connect with them through the office. Students will be allowed to use their phones should we experience a school emergency. **Description:Welcome to AP Biology. This is advanced placement course is designed following the College Board guidelines for curriculum and is aimed at preparing students for the AP Exam in Spring 2020. AP Biology is a college level course that looks to expand on what students have learned in Biology, Chemistry and Math. This course is historically a challenging and difficult class, but with effort and dedication, many students do well. There are many resources available to help you, and students using them often succeed. I am committed to helping you be as successful as you choose to be, so please do not hesitate to come in or contact me for any questions, concerns or assistance.Grades: Expect weekly or biweekly quizzes following lectures or reading assignments. Larger tests will be administered at the conclusion of each unit (the course is split up into 10 Units). Tests will be modeled after the AP Exam including multiple choice and Free Response Questions. These scores will be the bulk of your grade for the semester. Class activities, notes from lectures and additional work are designed to help you succeed on the tests and will not be graded. We will have a minimum of eight (8) labs that will also contribute to your final grade. Tests with a class average below 70% may be curved at the instructor’s discretion. A final will be administered at the end of each semester.Grading Scale:90-100% A80-89% B70-79% C60-69% D59% and lower FLabs:The labs for AP Biology are far more complex than what you experienced in your earlier Biology courses, many of which require time sensitive set ups and procedures. Because of this make-up labs are next to impossible and should not be expected. Some labs can be made up if materials for collecting data are still available. If you know you are going to miss a lab you must inform me prior to your absence. Lab reports will vary depending on the lab but expect to complete some form of reporting after each lab.Late Work:Late work will not be accepted. See me for extenuating circumstances. Tests/quizzes that are missed must be made up according to Anchorage School District Policy. Remember, this course moves quick. It is in your best interest to make-up tests/quizzes promptly before new material gets introducedAssistance:I am at school by 6:45 a.m. (at the latest), stay until 3:30 p.m. (at the earliest) most days and my room is always open during lunchtime. If you need help, if you need to talk, if you need to make-up work, you have ample opportunities to reach out for assistance. Course Outline:AP Biology is outlined following a framework that focuses on enduring, conceptual understandings and the content that supports them. This approach enables you, the student, to spend less time on factual recall and more time on inquiry based learning of essential concepts, helping you develop the reasoning skills necessary to engage in the science practices used throughout this and other AP Science courses. This framework consists of two essential components: Science Practices and Course Content.Science Practices:The science practices are central to the study and practice of biology. The science practices are; Concept Explanation, Visual Representations, Questions and Methods, Representing and Describing Data, Statistical Tests and Data Analysis, and Argumentation. Each practice has skills that show different levels of mastery. These practices will be expressed on Tests, Labs, and other class activities.Course Content:AP Biology is organized into units of study that comprise the content and skills colleges and universities typically expect students to master. These units are grounded in four big ideas that spiral throughout the course; these include Evolution, Energetics, Information Storage and Transmission, and Systems Interaction. Before we begin a new unit, we will discuss what big idea is relevant to the unit and what the learning objectives are for each section (as defined by the College Board). Labs: Labs to be conducted include but are not limited to: Enzyme Activity, Water Potential, Diffusion/Osmosis, Cellular Respiration, Photosynthesis, Bacterial Transformation, Airplane Evolution, BLAST Activity, Artificial Selection, Stickleback Evolution, Animal Behavior, and Transpiration.Course Schedule:The following is a rough schedule for our course. Dates are not included as I want to ensure flexibility in covering material. Students will be notified of any changes that made by the instructor. I try to be as transparent as possible and will notify you of any Unit Tests, major labs or big assignments as early as possible.Unit 1: Chemistry of LifeBig Ideas: Energetics, Information Storage and Transmission, Systems InteractionsChapters/Topics: Chapter 2: Chemical Context of LifeChapter 3: Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of LifeUnit 2: Cell Structure and FunctionBig Ideas: Evolution, Energetics, Systems InteractionsChapters/Topics:Chapter 4: A tour of the CellChapter 5: Membrane Transport and Cell SignalingUnit 3: Introduction to MetabolismBig Ideas: Energetics, Systems InteractionsChapters/Topics:Chapter 6: An Introduction to MetabolismUnit 4: Photosynthesis/Cellular RespirationBig Ideas: Energetics, Systems InteractionsChapters/Topics:Chapter 7: Cellular Respiration and FermentationChapter 8: PhotosynthesisUnit 5: Cell CycleBig Ideas: Energetics, Information Storage and TransmissionChapters/Topics:Chapter 9: The Cell CycleChapter 10: Meiosis and Sexual Life CyclesUnit 6: GeneticsBig Ideas: Evolution, Information Storage and Transmission, Systems InteractionsChapters/TopicsChapter 11: Mendel and the Gene IdeaChapter 12: The Chromosomal Basis of InheritanceChapter 13: The Molecular Basis of InheritanceUnit 7: Gene ExpressionBig Ideas: Information Storage and TransmissionChapters/TopicsChapter 14: Gene Expression: From Gene to ProteinChapter 15: Regulation of Gene ExpressionChapter 16: Development, Stem Cells, and CancerUnit 8: EvolutionBig Ideas: Evolution, Systems InteractionsChapters/TopicsChapter 19: Descent with ModificationChapter 20: PhylogenyChapter 21: The Evolution of PopulationsChapter 22: The Origin of SpeciesChapter 23: Broad Patterns of EvolutionUnit 9: Diversification of LifeBig Ideas: Evolution, Systems InteractionsChapters/TopicsChapter 24 Early Life and the Diversification of ProkaryotesChapter 25: The origin and Diversification of EukaryotesChapter 26: The Colonization of Land by PlantsChapter 27: The Rise of Animal DiversityUnit 10: EcologyBig Ideas: Evolution, Energetics, Information Storage and Transmission, Systems InteractionsChapters/Topics:Chapter 40: Population Ecology and the Distribution of OrganismsChapter 41: Species InteractionsChapter 42: Ecosystems and EnergyChapter 43: Global Ecology and Conservation Biology**Unit 11: Animal Behavior** (bonus unit if we have time)Big Ideas: Evolution, Energetics, Information Storage and Transmission, Systems InteractionsChapters/TopicsChapter 39: Motor Mechanisms and BehaviorIn order to confirm that this has been read, and is understood, I ask that the student and a parent/guardian fill-out the attached form.Student Name: _______________________________Questions about the syllabus:Comments about the syllabus:Student Signature: __________________________________5079991130300Parent/Guardian Name: __________________________Questions about the syllabus:Comments about the syllabus:Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________52387522161500Next, get registered and join your course!Go to Pearson Mastering Biology webpage.Under Register Now, select Student.Confirm you have the information needed, then select OK! Register now.Enter your instructor’s Course ID (MBOVERGAARD2472853) and choose Continue.Enter your existing Pearson account username and password and select Sign in. You have an account if you’ve ever used a Pearson MyLab & Mastering product, such as MyLab Math, MyLab IT, or Mastering Chemistry.If you don’t have an account, select Create and complete the required fields.Select an access option.Enter the access code that came with your textbook or was purchased separately from the bookstore.Here is your access code: SSNAST-AUXIL-MOGEN-ARGUE-CANTO-EANESFrom the “You’re Done!” page, select Go to My Courses.Select Yes and enter your Course ID to join your course. Click Continue.If asked, enter your Student ID according to the instructions provided and click Continue. That’s it! You should see the course home page for the course.To sign in later:Go to Pearson Mastering Biology webpage and select Sign In.Enter your Pearson account username and password from registration, and select Sign In.If you forgot your username or password, select Forgot your username or password?To join another course for the same textbook (no additional purchase needed):Sign in with the username and password that you specified during registration.Select My Courses in the upper left and then choose .Enter the Course ID from your instructor and click Continue.If asked, enter your Student ID according to the instructions provided and click Continue.To switch courses, select My Courses from the course menu (left side).Select any active course link that appears below Switch to another course. ................
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