Science Department

Essential Knowledge and Skills

The Advanced Placement Biology course builds off of the student’s previous biology exposure in Honors Biology. In this Advanced Placement Biology course, the students will explore why different biochemical molecules, cells and organisms function and respond within their various environments. To do this the students will grasp biological details, but more importantly the students will use this information in their writings to support perspectives and an awareness of the interdependencies of these details. To accomplish this the students will need to communicate a “big-picture” perspective as a learning tool rather than a memorization approach. The major focuses of this second year biology course fall into three topics: evolutionary biology, physiology and a study of science as a human undertaking. The topics through which the students will acquire, and/or further, these skills for Advanced Placement Biology are in the following: scientific inquiry and experimental design, genetics, population genetics, gene regulation at the molecular and cellular level (receptors and transduction pathways), origins of new species,taxonomicorganizations/phylogenetic trees, structure and communication roles of cellular membranes, nervous system and its relationship to muscle functions, endocrine system along with its association to digestion, circulation, urinary and reproductive systems, the immune system, plant structure and physiology (and, if time, human evolution).

Indicators of Student Learning

To successfully complete of this course, the students will:

Using the Scientific Method

•Continue to develop their critical thinking and analytical thinking skills that were initially fostered during their previous science courses.

• Participate in the actual doing of science. The students will participate in laboratory experiences as suggested by the College Board for AP Biology.

• Have a chance to view environmental influences at the molecular, cellular, organism and ecological biological levels.

• Accept personal academic responsibility to study and be prepared for examinations, reports and projects.

Communication

• Defend biological perspectives and concepts. This will require the students to use information from various classroom presentations during the year as well as information gained from other sources such as readings, labs, ecological studies, etc.

• Focus on the basic concepts of observations and inferences within the sciences. The students will communicate on the interdependence of these two basic concepts of science and the role of provisional acceptance within the on-going process of science.

• Presentation of a hierarchical level of biological taxonomy.

Technology

• Use of graphic programs (e.g., Excel, etc) to incorporate data into their taxonomic presentations.

• Use of scanning programs to incorporate visual examples into their taxonomic presentations.

Assessment

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

• Demonstrate basic biological knowledge including: answering questions in a variety of examination questions and oral presentations, labeling diagrams, calculating results.

• Demonstrate competency in application of information, reasoning and problem solving including: looking for and communicating about patterns, relationships of information, choosing appropriate approaches and information in defense of concepts and the generation of their own defended perceptions and insights.

• Demonstrate competency in communication by using appropriate terminology, choice of appropriate supportive examples from the basic information, clarity in the presentation of their responses, presenting information by use of written responses, oral presentations and use a appropriate illustrations to enhance their vision of the inter-relationship of information.

•Demonstrate competency in technology by generation of inter-relationships through graphs, preparation of handouts and posters for their taxonomic presentations.