Honors Biology 9
Instructor
Dr. Donald Bowlin
Phone
Mission Statement
The KOSD’s mission is to provide a safe learning environment that prepares critical
thinkers to become responsible and productive members of society.
412-571-6000
Ext. 1220
Email
[email protected]
Classroom Location
Room 220
Course overview:
This introductory biology course is designed for advanced students who
may be interested in pursuing and preparing for the A.P. Biology class in
their junior or senior year. Honors Biology 9 will examine three major
areas of biology: molecules and cells, heredity and evolution, and
organisms and populations (ecology). These three areas have been
subdivided into major units of study.
The two major goals of Honors Biology 9 is to help students develop a
conceptual framework for the study of biology and to gain an appreciation of science as a process.
The primary emphasis of this course is the development of an understanding of biological concepts
rather than the memorization of facts and technical details. Four major notions are essential to this
conceptual understanding. They are: a grasp of science as a process rather than as an accumulation
of facts, personal experience in scientific inquiry, recognition of unifying themes that integrate the
major topics of biology, and the application of biological knowledge and critical thinking to
environmental and social concerns.
The Keystone Oaks School District’s mission is to provide a safe learning environment that prepares
critical thinkers to become responsible and productive members of society. This course syllabus has
been designed to enable each student electing this class to achieve this goal.
Student Requirements and Expected Levels of Achievement
Students taking this course will be expected to:
a.
attend class daily and participate in all class discussions and activities.
b.
study materials presented in class and complete all assigned readings.
c.
complete daily homework assignments.
d.
achieve a 75% level of mastery for all quizzes and exams.
e.
participate in all laboratory activities
f.
pass the semester and final exams with a 75% level of mastery.
g.
submit a written lab report following each laboratory investigation.
Content Objectives
Each student will be able to:
a.
define biology and discuss it applications to human life and society.
b.
list and briefly describe the characteristics of living systems
c.
identify biologically significant elements and molecules and summarize their functions
living systems.
in
d. compare the major groups of organic compounds with respect to their structure and functions.
e. compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic plant and animal cells with respect to their structure
and function.
f.
state the cell theory and explain why cells are the basic unit of life.
g. describe the structure and function of the cell membrane and explain its role in controlling the
physiological processes by which materials are transported across it.
h. identify the molecules involved in cell energy, the role they play in cellular metabolism, and their
significance to living systems.
i.
summarize the events of the light and dark reactions of photosynthesis and compare and contrast them
with the anaerobic and aerobic stages of cellular respiration.
j.
analyze human reproduction by comparing it to patterns of reproduction of lower plants and animals.
k. compare and contrast the events of mitosis and meiosis.
l.
summarize the structure and function of the DNA molecule and explain its role in modern genetics.
m. explain Mendelian genetics in historical perspective and compare it contemporary ideas of genetics.
n. discuss the history of evolutionary thought and define the modern concept of Neo-Darwinism in
relationship to genetic principles.
o. evaluate the significant principles of creationism and the scientific origin of life by citing accepted
evidence for each belief.
p. describe the basic principles of ecology and their application to modern society.
q. compare and contrast the biotic and abiotic factors of the major terrestrial biomes and aquatic
ecosystems of the biosphere.
r.
Evaluate the development and impact of modern human societies upon the biomes and ecosystems of
the earth.
Skill Objectives
Each student will be able to:
a.
generate questions about biological events, principles, theories, and facts.
b. explain or predict generalizations from data collected from scientific investigations.
c. compare and contrast events of biological processes such as sexual and asexual reproduction,
photosynthesis, respiration, and mitosis and meiosis
d. analyze scientific data generated from charts, graphs, diagrams, dissections, and other investigations.
e. draw relevant conclusions from data collected in scientific investigations.
f.
interpret the biological significance of scientific writings of historic and contemporary authors
g. take a position of a scientific issue such as evolution, eugenics, or recombinant DNA and defend it.
h. predict the outcomes or consequences of a biological event by analyzing the principles or factors
governing the event.
Textbook
Glencoe Science, Biggs, Alton et. al., 2012 Biology, McGraw-Hill Publishing Company.
Instructional Time
Students in this course will attend six 42 minute periods of classroom instruction per week.
This includes one double period for laboratory investigations. It is a year-long class made up of two
18 week semesters. Students who receive an A, B, or C in this course will receive an additional 0.5
quality points towards their GPA. Any student who receives a D or an F in the class receives 0
additional quality points.
Procedures for Evaluation
Students in Honors Biology 9 will be evaluated by chapter exams and quizzes composed of
both objective and essay questions. Lab reports, lab quizzes, drawings, and two semester exams will
be used to determine the final grade. The following grade scale will be used to evaluate students in
this course:
100%-90% A
89%-80%
B
79%-70% C
69%-60% D
59%-0%
F
Exams and quizzes will be evaluated on the total number of points earned. Lab reports are generally
worth 20 points and will be evaluated on the following criteria:
20 points---superior effort, highest expectation
19-18 points---very good effort, above average expectation
17-16 points---average effort, some missing concepts
15-14 points---below average effort, incomplete with missing concepts
13-12 points---unacceptable effort, minimal effort, late or incomplete
0 points---not turned in
Homework will be assigned frequently when it supplements or enhances classroom activities.
Assignments are generally worth 10 points per assignment and will be graded on the following
criteria:
10 points—superior effort, highest expectation
9-8 points---very good effort, above average expectations
7-6 points---average effort, some missing concepts
5-4 points---below average effort, incomplete or missing concepts
3-2 points---unacceptable, minimal effort, late, incomplete
0 points---not turned in
Each student is expected to purchase and keep a biology notebook in which class notes, handout
materials, lab reports, quizzes and exams should be kept. All class and lab materials will be
provided by the teacher.
Course Outline
Unit I. The Study of Life
Chapter 1 in textbook
a.
Introduction to Biology
b.
Characteristics of Life
c.
Organization of Life
d.
The Nature of Science
e.
The Scientific Method
Unit II. The Cell
Chapters 6 in textbook
a.
Basic Chemistry
b.
Chemical Elements & Atomic Structure
c.
Chemical Formulae & Reactions
d.
Chemical Bonding
e.
Water & Solutions
f.
Biochemistry
Chapter 7 in textbook
a.
Discovery of Cells & Cell History
b.
The Cell Theory
c.
The Cell Membrane
d.
Cell Structure & Function
e.
Cellular Transport
Chapter 8 in textbook
a.
Types of Energy
b.
How Organisms Obtain Energy
c.
Photosynthesis
d.
Cellular Respiration
Chapter 9 in textbook
a.
Cellular Reproduction
b.
Asexual Reproduction
c.
Mitosis & Cytokinesis
d.
Cell Cycle Regulation
Unit III. Genetics
Chapter 10 in textbook
a.
Sexual Reproduction
b.
Meiosis
c.
Mendelian Genetics
d.
Gene Linkage & Polyploidy
Chapter 11 in textbook
a.
Human Inheritance
b.
Chromosomes & Human Heredity
c.
Patterns of Human Heredity
Chapter 12 in textbook
a.
Molecular Genetics
b.
DNA The Genetic Material
c.
DNA Replication
d.
DNA, RNA, & Protein Synthesis
e.
Gene Regulation & Mutations
Chapter 13 in Textbook
a.
Genetics & Biotechnology
b.
Applied Genetics
c.
DNA Technology
d.
The Human Genome
Unit IV. History of Biological Diversity
Chapter 14 in textbook
a.
Fossil Evidence of Life
b.
The Origin of Life
Chapter 15 in textbook
a.
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
b.
Natural Selection
c.
Evidence of Evolution
d.
Shaping Evolutionary Theory
Unit V. Ecology
Chapter 2. In textbook
a.
Principles of Ecology
b.
Flow of Energy in Ecosystems
c.
Cycling of Matter
Chapter 3 in textbook
a.
Communities, Ecosystems, & Biomes
b.
Community Ecology
c.
Terrestrial Biomes
d.
Aquatic Ecosystems
Chapter 4 in textbook
a.
Population Ecology
b.
Population Dynamics
c.
Human Populations
Chapter 5 in textbook
a.
Biodiversity
b.
Threats to Biodiversity
c.
Conserving Biodiversity