Course Description:
The AP Biology course is designed to give students a first year introductory biology experience. Paramount to this experience is addressing content within the three basic subject areas, molecules and cells, heredity and evolution, and organisms and populations. Included in this experience are a variety of laboratory experiences, including the 12 AP Biology labs. Through completion of course activities, students acquire a framework for understanding science as a process, recognizing unifying themes, and applying the knowledge they gain to critical thought about environmental and social issues.
This course is designed to be highly teacher facilitated. Instructors give a great deal of specific and timely feedback per lesson as students progress through the course. Students have opportunities for oral examinations, discussions, and whiteboards. Additionally teachers conduct online synchronous Elluminate sessions that require critical thinking and analysis.
In addition, this course is accompanied by an online tutorial and review that uses released AP Exams. Students are given systematic and timed practice for all portions of the exam. Students receive specific feedback on progress and mastery levels on the practice exams.
Laboratory Experience:
Laboratory activities are a critical component of the AP Biology course. There are 12 recommended labs for which College Board has provided guidelines and procedures. The laboratory manual from College Board is provided for each student in the AP Biology course. These 12 labs, as well as others, are completed through a variety of methodologies including hands-on student conducted labs and virtual or simulated labs. Simulated activities are correlated to the corresponding AP Lab and structured so that students are familiar with key concepts, experimental design, and data analysis as presented in the lab manual. At all stages of lab work students have one-on-one access to their instructors. Synchronous opportunities, such as graded oral assessment, phone calls, chats and/or whiteboard sessions are utilized to maximize student understanding of lab processes, design and concepts.
Lab Materials:
*The items in this list are sent to the students as part of their course materials.
Dual calibration spring scale, 1 (50mL) graduated cylinder, two test tubes, 1 plastic pipette, 1 glass pipette (0.1mL), dialysis tubing, clear plastic tubing, 1 filter paper, 3 diastix test strips, 3 glucose tablets, 1 lambda DNA diagram, logarithmic graph paper.
Conceptual Connections and/or Skills:
The AP Biology course promotes connection to concepts by providing students with opportunities for manipulation of information and ideas related to the major topics and themes though a variety of methodologies including:
- reading of the course content
- readings and activities from text sources including the course text, ancillary texts, the text companion Web site, and a wide variety of current, external Web resources
- use of interactive content components in which data is often collected and analyzed
- streaming video and multimedia components that provide multi-dimensional learning opportunities
- expression of thought and understanding through writing
- exposure to released AP Biology tests and practice with free response question types
- student conducted hands-on and simulated laboratory investigations
Student assessment occurs at a variety of levels throughout the lesson and course. Students are assessed via oral assessment and other synchronous sessions. Actual course assessment types include student assessed work, auto-graded, partially auto-graded, and totally instructor graded assignments.