Monday, August 2, 2008



May 30, 2019

Dear AP Biology Students:

Welcome to Advanced Placement Biology for the 2019-2020 school year! This course is challenging-- it is meant to be the equivalent to 1-3 semesters of college introductory biology and you will be held to many of the same standards and expectations as college freshman. Success in AP Biology requires a special skill set: motivation, academics, excellent study skills, and reading ability. I try to view the whole process as a journey, each step leading to the next. This is the first step. If you’re not committed to staying with us on this road, you will be left behind!!

Schedule & Pacing: We have more than 30 chapters to cover by the end of April, which is an average of about 1-2 chapters per week of reading. We will cover several chapters at once and have about three assessments per nine weeks in addition to a comprehensive 9 weeks test. The amount of material covered, as well as the complexity of the topics, is high. The most successful AP Biology students spend at least 30 minutes to an hour per day outside of class (around 3-6 hours each week)—reading, studying, answering questions, and writing lab reports. There will be an ongoing expectation that students learn the material as it is presented and come to class each day understanding the previous day’s material. Plan to keep up and stay prepared! Attached is the tentative schedule for the year. We will try to adhere to this schedule as closely as possible. Special events like testing, rehearsals, Senior activities, and performances can interfere with this schedule, but students are still expected to keep up with the class schedule.

Internet & Technology: We have a variety of technology resources at our disposal for class interactions: the school’s webpage, Remind app, shared Google Drive, Google classroom. We will discuss as a class which of these resources will work best for everyone. Each student is expected to utilize the available online resources to keep up with deadlines and obtain copies of class materials.

Despite the rigor of the course, we will still do a lot of labs and try to have fun. The better prepared we all are, the more we accomplish together in class.

Cordially,

Faith Wittke

AP Biology Instructor

Davidson Fine Arts School

(detach)

Sign below stating that you have read the syllabus and understand the pacing, assignments, and rigor of the class. You agree NOT TO WHINE and will give this course your best effort and attention.

AP BIO Student Signature ______________________________________________________________

Contact Information

➢ Email wittkfa@boe.richmond.k12.ga.us

wittkfa@ (Email is the best way to reach me.)

➢ School Phone (706) 823-6924

1997, Bachelor of Science, University of North Florida

2009, Master of Education, Georgia Southern University

2000-2014, Westside High School. Courses taught: Biology, Honors Biology, A.P. Biology, Environmental Science, Physical Science, Chemistry, Human Anatomy & Physiology

2014- present, Davidson Fine Arts. Courses taught: 7th grade Science, Forensic Science, A.P. Biology

Course Description

This Advanced Placement Biology course follows the standards set forth by the College Board and includes a combination of lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on lab experiences that address each of the goals for Advanced Placement Biology. The four Big Ideas are the main focus for the class:

1. The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.

2. Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.

3. Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes.

4. Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties.

Students master concepts in the following areas of biology: biochemistry, cell anatomy and function, energy transfer, the molecular basis of inheritance, genetics, genetic technology, microbiology, evolution, classification, plant systematics and adaptations, animal adaptations, the human nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, and ecology. With the progression of each unit, special emphasis is placed on the students’ recognition of: biological and scientific processes, the relationship of biological structures to their functions, and the influence of evolution as a foundation for studying biology. Students also work on mastering skills in the following areas of science practice: using representations and models, using appropriate math skills, engaging in scientific questioning, planning and implementing data collection strategies, performing data analysis and evaluation, working with scientific explanations and theories, and connecting and relating knowledge across various concepts and domains.

Resources Used:

Textbook: Mader, S., Windelspecht, M. (2016). Biology, 12th ed., AP Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

AP Biology Lab Manual for Students. College Board: Advanced Placement Program, 2001.

AP Biology Investigative Labs: An Inquiry-Based Approach. College Board: Advanced Placement Program, 2012.

During the course of each unit, we will conduct discussions and perform additional writing assignments that encourage us to consider how biological concepts apply to social and environmental concerns. Examples of discussion topics will include some of the following: genetically modified crops, global food emergencies, cytotoxicity of chemotherapy drugs, the study of HIV and its influence on modern medical research, stem cell research and cloning, global warming and its impact, species diversity and the impact of extinctions on the global food web, bacterial antibiotic resistance, kin selection and altruism, human evolution, and natural selection.

Documents, assignments, PowerPoints, and other digital copies will be posted in an online format and the links and/or passwords to this resource will be made available to all students. The class may also use Remind to broadcast information. Make sure to keep your digital lines of communication open!

Class Composition

Our time in class will be spent in the following ways:

25-30% Laboratory

50% Lecture, Discussion, Current

Events, Case Studies

20-25% Quizzes, FRQ, Assessments

Grading Plan

15% CW, HW, & Participation

35% Labs

35% Quizzes

15% 9 Weeks Exam

Deadlines & Late Work

For each unit, AP Biology students receive a unit guide outlining the standards being covered, the readings for the unit, the figures from each chapter, and the schedule of lectures, assignments, and labs. Students will be completing reading questions, lab handouts, lab reports, current events, case studies, and journal article reviews. These assignments are meant to enhance your understanding and help you prepare & study for the test…turning them in late defeats their purpose and prohibits Ms. Wittke from correcting and returning student work in a timely manner. Homework questions will be checked off for credit and immediately returned to the students. The answers will be broadcast in class or digitally within 24 hours. For this reason, late homework will not be accepted. Late lab reports will be docked 11 points per day according to DFA policy. If a student is out of school near or on the deadline, they should still attempt to turn in the work. Assignments can be turned in by email at any time.

Quizzes will take place at the end of each unit. They will consist of approximately 20-25 multiple choice, matching, or short answer and 1-2 free response. We expect to have 3-4 quizzes per 9 weeks.

The 9 Weeks Exam will be 50% multiple choice and 50% free response and will take 2 class days to complete.

Attendance Policy

Attendance and tardies will be recorded according to RCSS and DFA policy. Making up work after an excused absence is the student’s responsibility.

**** Please note: Tests are announced well in advance. Missing the day before a test DOES NOT excuse you from the test. ****

Discipline

I do not expect discipline problems in an advanced placement class. I try to have fun and keep my sense of humor as much as possible, but we still have a lot of lecture to get through. Lab instructions can also be very extensive and complicated. I cannot tolerate any disruptions during these critical times. Let’s all agree to be respectful and responsible.

AP BIO 2019-2020 Tentative Schedule

Textbook: Mader, S., Windelspecht, M. (2016). Biology, 12th ed., AP Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.

|Unit |Est. # Weeks |Main Topics |Chapters |Labs** |

| |Tent. dates | | | |

| |3 |Evolution | |Evidences of Evolution Lab, Kingdoms |

|1 |8/6/19-8/27/19 | |15, 17-18 |& Adaptations Lab |

|2 |2 |Chem & Biochem |2-3 |Proteins, Enzymes, Toothpickase |

| |8/28/19-9/17/19 | | | |

|3 |2.5 |Cells & Mitosis |4, 9 |Microscopy, Mitosis, Computer |

| |9/19/19-10/8/19 | | |Activity |

| |10/3-10/4/19 |1st 9 Weeks Test | | |

|4 |3 |Cell Signaling & Transport |5 |Cellular Transport |

| |10/9/19-10/30/19 | |(& additional notes) | |

| |3 |Human Body Systems: Nervous, Endocrine, | |Cell Signaling, Senses Lab |

|5 |10/31/19-11/22/19 |and Immune |33, 37-40 | |

|6 |3 |Cellular Respiration |6, 8 |Cellular Respiration |

| |12/1/19-12/17/19 | | | |

| |12/19-12/20/19 |2nd 9 Weeks Test | | |

| |3 |DNA & Viruses | |DNA Isolation, Bacteria |

|7 |1/7/20-1/28/20 | | |Transformation, Gel Electrophoresis, |

| | | |12-14 |PCR |

| |3 |Plants & Photosynthesis | |Pigments Lab, Photosynthesis, |

|8 |1/29/20-2/18/20 | |7 and parts of 23-27 |Transpiration |

| |3 |Meiosis & Heredity | | Heredity- Chi Square Lab, |

|9 |2/19/20-3/10/20 | |10-11 | |

| |3/5-3/6/20 |3rd 9 Weeks Test | | |

| |2.5 |Evolution Review, Population Evolution, | |Hardy-Weinberg, Phylogeny |

|10 |3/11/20-3/27/20 |Phylogeny |16, 19 | |

| |2.5 |Behavior & Ecology | |Animal Behavior Lab, Dissolved Oxygen|

|11 |3/30/20-4/24/20 | |43-46 | |

4/27/20-5/8/20 Overflow & Review

* Evolution will be an ongoing discussion throughout the year.

** These are the main labs. Additional labs and case studies may be added as the year progresses.

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A.P. Biology [pic]

Mrs. Wittke

August, 2018

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