North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
Title Page
LEA Name: Public Schools of Robeson
County
LEA Code: 780
School:
Course Name: Biology Honors
Course Code: 3320
Teacher’s Name:
Electronic submission of this portfolio certifies that honors level course portfolios for each
teacher within the LEA have been reviewed using the North Carolina Honors Level Course
Implementation Guide and Rubric and that this portfolio has been selected to represent the
level of teaching and learning for this honors course across the LEA.
As part of the NCDPI Honors Course Portfolio Review, if you are submitting copyrighted
material or material that has a user license, ensure that you have obtained the appropriate
permissions to share this information.
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
I. Curriculum Content
1. Teacher rationale for curriculum content considering vertical alignment for advanced learners
(intentional reflection & philosophy)
Honors courses are designed for students who consistently exceed the objectives and expectations of
the essential curriculum, both in terms of content knowledge and application. North Carolina
Essential Standards are taught in greater depth and includes an emphasis on abstract materials, thus
requiring extensive independent work, self-discipline, and commitment to meet rigorous
expectations and timelines. The honors course teacher should possess the skills, knowledge, and
dispositions to challenge and inspire thought processes of honors level students through a
differentiated curriculum and a variety of instructional strategies. The honors curriculum student
should possess the motivation, interest and ability to meet the prepare students for post-high school
education.
During the course of the semester students will survey the basic aspects of Biology including
1) Structure and Functions of Living Organisms 2) Ecosystems 3) Evolution and Genetics and
4) Molecular Biology. Our goal is to expose students to a wide range of biological topics that may
spark an interest in various science, technological, engineering and/or mathematics fields. This class
is designed to help students understand and build skills needed in science and prepare them for the
21st Century. Under North Carolina graduation requirements, exit standards mandate that students
master biology with an achievement level of 3 or 4 on the End of Course Test. In an effort to ensure
your child’s success, high but obtainable goals will be set for your child.
2. Standards and objectives - how will the required standards and clarifying objectives be taught
with extensions beyond the standard level for advanced learners?
Only the clarifying objectives in the Biology curriculum that have an extension are listed
Structure and Functions of Living Organisms
Bio. 1.1
Essential Standard
Clarifying Objectives
Understand the relationship
between the structures and
functions of cells and their
organelles.
Bio. 1.1.1
Summarize the structure and function
of organelles in eukaryotic cells
(including the nucleus, plasma
membrane, cell wall, mitochondria,
vacuoles, chloroplasts, and ribosomes)
and ways that these organelles interact
with each other to perform the
function of the cell.
Honors Extension: Include more structures
and functions (golgi apparatus, lysosomes,
cytoskeleton, etc.)
1
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
Bio. 1.1.3
Explain how instructions in DNA lead
to cell differentiation and result in cells
specialized to perform specific
functions in multicellular organisms.
Honors Extension: Lac operon
Bio. 1.2
Analyze the cell as a living
system.
Bio. 1.2.2
Analyze how cells grow and reproduce
in terms of interphase, mitosis and
cytokinesis.
Honors Extension: Surface Area to
Volume Ration
Ecosystems
Bio. 2.1
Essential Standard
Clarifying Objectives
Analyze the interdependence of
living organisms within their
environments.
Bio 2.1.1
Analyze the flow of energy and cycling
of matter (water, carbon, nitrogen and
oxygen) through ecosystems relating
the significance of each to maintaining
the health and sustainability of an
ecosystem.
Honors Extension: Kreb’s Cycle,
Glycolysis, and Electron Transport Chain
Bio. 2.2
Understand the impact of
human activities on the
environment (one generation
affects the next).
Bio 2.2.2
Explain how the use, protection and
conservation of natural resources by
humans impact the environment from
one generation to the next.
Honors Extension: Biological
Magnification
Evolution and Genetics
Bio. 3.1
Essential Standard
Clarifying Objectives
Explain how traits are
determined by the structure
and function of DNA.
Bio. 3.1.1
Explain the double-stranded,
complementary nature of DNA as
related to its function in the cell.
Honors Extension: Chargaff’s Ratio,
Semi-conservative vs. Conservative model
2
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
Bio. 3.2
Understand how the
environment, and/or the
interaction of alleles, influences
the expression of genetic traits.
Bio. 3.2.2
Predict offspring ratios based on a
variety of inheritance patterns
(including dominance, co-dominance,
incomplete dominance, multiple
alleles, and sex-linked traits).
Honors Extension: Include dihybrid
crosses; Design Pedigrees
Bio. 3.4
Explain the theory of evolution
by natural selection as a
mechanism for how species
change over time.
Bio. 3.4.1
Explain how fossil, biochemical, and
anatomical evidence support the
theory of evolution.
Honors Extension: Endosymbiosis
Bio. 3.4.2
Explain how natural selection
influences the changes in species over
time.
Honors Extension: Hardy-Weinberg
Molecular Biology
Bio. 4.1
Essential Standard
Clarifying Objectives
Understand how biological
molecules are essential to the
survival of living organisms
Bio. 4.1.1
Compare the structures and functions
of the major biological molecules
(carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and
nucleic acids) as related to the survival
of living organisms.
Honors Extension: Include hydrolysis
and condensation
3. Curriculum Plan (pacing guides, course syllabus, scope & sequence, curriculum maps, etc.)
[Insert text here to briefly identify file attachments (i.e. Pacing Guide, Course Syllabus, etc.).]
[Insert the name of a file attachment with the following naming convention:
“LEACode_CourseCode_TeacherLastName_Section#.file#” where the section indicates the component
of the Honors Portfolio.]
Examples:
1. For Mr. Smith’s Biology Portfolio in Pitt County, the course syllabus would be named “740_33205_Smith_I.3.1”
2. Mrs. Mitchell’s English IV Portfolio pacing guide in Buncombe County would be named “110_10245_Mitchell_I.3.1”
3
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
II. Instructional Materials and Methods
1. Teacher rationale for instructional materials and methods for advanced learners
Biology Honors will be aligned with ACT Science College Readiness Standards and Advanced
Placement course. Students taking the honors courses will be required to cover Essential Standards
under North Carolina’s curriculum but will complete more in-depth scientific investigations and will
work more independently. Students will expand their knowledge through various extensions that
correlate to the North Carolina’s Essential Standards. This will be accomplished through regular
class assignments, major projects, reading, critiquing, and presenting findings from scientific articles.
Students in biology honors will also be expected to participate in class discussions, teach minilessons, and contribute with class presentations.
2. Instructional materials and methods (instructional resources, methods, strategies, equipment,
and technology)
Materials used during the course will include scientific equipment such as microscopes, balances, gel
electrophoresis machine, and various other tools. Students will use these materials for hands-on and
inquiry-based activities. Other materials such as laptops and Ipads will be used for web-based labs
and interactive activities as well as independent research. Textbooks and supplemental texts will be
used to reinforce topics and objectives.
Instruction will include a combination of lecture, guided practice, independent practice, cooperative
learning, peer tutoring, and independent research.
3. Sample units, lesson(s), and assignments indicating connections to real-world skills, context and
use of higher level critical thinking skills and creativity for advanced learners
Throughout the Genetics and Evolution unit objectives are covered to explain how physical traits are
determined by the structure and function of DNA as well as how the expression of genetic traits may
be influenced. Students will be able to predict offspring ratios based on a variety of inheritance
patterns. Honor students will be required to explore extensions of this unit. An example may
include Hardy-Weinberg. This allows students to examine changes of gene frequencies over time.
They will be able to calculate individuals heterozygous for a chosen trait within a population and
examine how future generations will display the given trait with or without selection.
[Insert text here to briefly identify file attachments (i.e. Sample Lesson 1, 2, 3, etc.).]
[Insert names of file attachments with the following naming convention:
LEACode_CourseCode_TeacherLastName_Section#.file# where the section indicates the component of
the Honors Portfolio.]
Examples:
1. For Mr. Smith’s Biology Portfolio in Pitt County, Sample lesson #1 the file would be named “740_33205_Smith_II.3.1”
2. Mrs. Mitchell’s English IV Portfolio Sample lesson #2 in Buncombe County would be named “110_10245_Mitchell_II.3.2”
4
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
Message to teacher: The following two sample lesson plans and this message should be deleted from
this template after making a decision whether you choose to use this lesson plan for your honors
course. Once you select your lesson plans to be included in your portfolio, then it must be a saved in a
separate file using the above naming convention.
Sample Lesson #1:
After a class discussion of gene frequency, online tutorial, and guided practice students will complete
the following activities. The first activity will be completed in groups. Lesson “2 will be completed
independently.
Hardy Weinberg Problem Set
p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1 and p + q = 1
p = frequency of the dominant allele in the population
q = frequency of the recessive allele in the population
p2 = percentage of homozygous dominant individuals
q2 = percentage of homozygous recessive individuals
2pq = percentage of heterozygous individuals
1. View the Dragons below. The winged trait is dominant.
5
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
2. You have sampled a population in which you know that the percentage of the homozygous recessive
genotype (aa) is 36%. Using that 36%, calculate the following:
A. The frequency of the "aa" genotype.
B. The frequency of the "a" allele.
C. The frequency of the "A" allele.
D. The frequencies of the genotypes "AA" and "Aa."
E. The frequencies of the two possible phenotypes if "A" is completely dominant over "a."
3. There are 100 students in a class. Ninety-six did well in the course whereas four blew it totally and received a
grade of F. Sorry. In the highly unlikely event that these traits are genetic rather than environmental, if these
traits involve dominant and recessive alleles, and if the four (4%) represent the frequency of the homozygous
recessive condition, please calculate the following:
A. The frequency of the recessive allele.
B. The frequency of the dominant allele.
C. The frequency of heterozygous individuals.
4. Within a population of butterflies, the color brown (B) is dominant over the color white (b). And, 40% of all
butterflies are white. Given this simple information, which is something that is very likely to be on an exam,
calculate the following:
A. The percentage of butterflies in the population that are heterozygous.
B. The frequency of homozygous dominant individuals.
5. After graduation, you and 19 of your closest friends (lets say 10 males and 10 females) charter a plane to go
on a round-the-world tour. Unfortunately, you all crash land (safely) on a deserted island. No one finds you
and you start a new population totally isolated from the rest of the world. Two of your friends carry (i.e. are
heterozygous for) the recessive cystic fibrosis allele (c).
Assuming that the frequency of this allele does not change as the population grows, what will be the
incidence of cystic fibrosis on your island? ______
6. Cystic fibrosis is a recessive condition that affects about 1 in 2,500 babies in the Caucasian population of the
United States. Please calculate the following.
The frequency of the recessive allele in the population. ______
The frequency of the dominant allele in the population. ______
The percentage of heterozygous individuals (carriers) in the population. ____
7. This is a classic data set on wing coloration in the scarlet tiger moth (Panaxia dominula). Coloration in this
species had been previously shown to behave as a single-locus, two-allele system with incomplete
dominance. Data for 1612 individuals are given below:
White-spotted (AA) =1469 Intermediate (Aa) = 138 Little spotting (aa) =5
Calculate the allele frequencies (p and q)
6
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
8. REAL WORLD APPLICATION PROBLEM
Choose a human trait to study and survey a population at your school. (Aim for at least a sample size of 50 to
get meaningful results). Use your sample to determine the allele frequencies in the human population.
Traits (dominant listed first)
Hitchhiker's Thumb vs. Straight Thumbs
Widow's peak vs. straight hairline
PTC taster vs. non-taster
Short Big toe vs. long big toe
Free earlobes vs. attached earlobes
Tongue rolling vs. non-rolling
Bent little fingers vs. straight little fingers
Arm crossing (left over right) vs. right over left
Ear points vs. no ear points
Sample Lesson #2:
Roger Rabbit's Family --- A Study of Population Genetics
Introduction:
Roger Rabbit and his family have lived in Toontown for quite a while. Roger himself settled
down and married a cute little bunny named Rita Rabbit, and they have added on to their hutch
several times making room for all of their new little bunnies. On special occasions whenever the
Rabbit family gets together, Roger Rabbit has grandparents, great grandparents, aunts and uncles,
and more cousins than he can count to visit and munch carrots with.
Recently at the Rabbit family reunion, Roger noticed that there were two fur colors in the
Rabbit clan --- those with brown colored fur and those with albino (white) fur like Roger. These
phenotypes had been recorded over several generations in the Rabbit family pedigree. The pedigree
showed that two albino rabbits could only have albino offspring, while two brown rabbits or one
brown rabbit could have both brown and albino bunny offspring.
The number and frequency of a particular gene or allele in a population is known as the
frequency of that allele and is usually expressed as a percent or decimal. In stable environmental
conditions, the frequency of alleles for a trait in a genetically balanced population that mates
randomly tends to remain the same. Thus, if the environment doesn't change, the frequency of the
alleles for either albino or brown fur should remain the same. The maintenance of gene or allele
frequencies in populations is known as the Hardy-Weinberg principle.
7
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
Objective:
Students will determine the frequency of alleles in a population through the use of the HardyWeinberg principle.
Procedure (Part A) – Counting Alleles:
1.
Let B stand for the dominant allele (brown fur color) and b stand for the recessive
allele (albino or white fur).
2.
Rabbits with the genotype BB or Bb will have brown fur and those with the genotype
bb will have albino fur.
3.
Table 1 has the genotypes of 200 rabbits from the Roger Rabbit family. To determine
the frequency of these alleles in the Roger Rabbit population, count the total number of alleles
or genes, the number of B alleles, and the number of b alleles. Record these numbers in Table
2.
Table 1
Genotypes for 200 Roger Rabbit Family Members
bb
bb
BB
Bb
bb
BB
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
BB
bb
bb
BB
bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
Bb
BB
bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
Bb
Bb
Bb
bb
BB
Bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
BB
bb
bb
bb
Bb
Bb
bb
BB
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
Bb
bb
Bb
BB
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
bb
BB
bb
Bb
Bb
Bb
Bb
bb
BB
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
Bb
Bb
Bb
bb
Bb
BB
Bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
BB
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
Bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
BB
Bb
bb
Bb
bb
bb
Bb
bb
Bb
Bb
bb
Bb
Bb
bb
bb
bb
bb
bb
BB
bb
BB
Bb
Bb
BB
BB
8
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
Table 2
Total Number of Alleles
(B + b)
Total Number of B Alleles
Total Number of b Alleles
Procedure (Part B) – Determining Allele Frequency:
1. Use the following formulas to calculate the allele frequency of recessive allele b and dominant
allele B. Make sure your answer is in the form of a decimal.
Frequency of b =
Number of b alleles
Total # of alleles (B+b)
Frequency of b = _____________ (answer)
Frequency of B =
Number of B alleles
Total # of alleles (B+b)
Frequency of B =
_____________ (answer)
2. To check to see if you have done your calculations correctly, the sum of the two frequencies
should be 1.0 or 100 percent. In the Hardy-Weinberg equations, the frequency of the
dominant allele in a population is designated p, and the frequency of the recessive allele is
designated as q. Use the following equation to check your answer.
p + q = 1.0 (100 per cent)
Procedure (Part C) – Comparing Allele frequencies and Phenotypic Frequencies:
1. Determine the frequency of albino rabbits in the population by dividing the number of albino
rabbits (bb) by the total number of rabbits (200). write your answer as a decimal.
Frequency of albino rabbits = Number of albino rabbits (bb)
total number of rabbits (200)
Frequency of albino rabbits = __________
How does this compare to the frequency of the recessive allele b (larger, smaller, the same)?
2. The frequency of albino rabbits in a population is equal to q2. Look at the frequency of allele b
on Procedure B. The value you determined was q in the Hardy-Weinberg equation. Take the
square of this number, q2, to determine the frequency of the homozygous recessive genotype
(bb).
q2 = _________
9
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
Procedure (Part D) – Determining Other Genotypic Frequencies:
1. The frequency of each possible genotype, homozygous dominant (BB) is designated by p2, the
homozygous recessive genotype (bb) is designated by q2, and the heterozygous genotype (Bb)
is designated by 2pq in the second Hardy-Weinberg equation. The total of these three
genotypic frequencies should also equal 1.0.
p2
+
2pq
+
q2
=
1.0
2. Use the equation above to calculate the frequency of the homozygous dominant genotype (p2)
for this trait in the rabbit population. Show your work.
3. Use the equation above to calculate the frequency of the heterozygous genotype (2pq ) for this
trait in the rabbit population. Show your work.
Questions:
1. In a population of 200 mice, 8 have short tails, which is a recessive trait. The other mice have
long tails. Determine the frequencies of the genotypes and of the dominant and recessive
alleles.
2. In this same population, what would be the frequency of the mating between homozygous
dominant males and homozygous recessive females.
3. The cross 2pq x 2pq represents the mating of what two types of individuals.
Extension:
Go online to the activity, “Flashy Fish.”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/lessons/lesson4/act2.html
The activity introduces Professor John Endler who traveled to Trinidad in the 1970’s to study wild
guppies. The guppies live in small streams that flow down the mountains from pool to pool. In the
activity, you will take part in an online simulation of Endler's work. You will collect data, formulate a
hypothesis, and run a series of experiments. You will find out about the interplay between natural
selection and sexual selection in this wild population of guppies.
4. Student work samples
[Insert text here to briefly identify file attachments (i.e. Student work samples 1, 2, 3, etc.).]
[Insert names of file attachments with the following naming convention:
“LEACode_CourseCode_TeacherLastName_Section#.file#” where the section indicates the component
of the Honors Portfolio.]
Examples:
1. For Mr. Smith’s Biology Honors Portfolio in Pitt County, student work sample #1 the file would be named
“740_33205_Smith_II.4.1”
2. Mrs. Mitchell’s English IV Honors Portfolio student work sample #2 in Buncombe County would be named
“110_10245_Mitchell_II.4.2”
10
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
III. Assessment
1. Teacher rationale for assessment practices for advanced learners
Honor students will have a differentiated grading criterion than regular biology students. More
emphasis will be placed on projects and lab work. Students will also be required to keep a portfolio
of their work.
Communication between student and teacher will be maintained throughout the course. Data should
be used to provide feedback to students and allow them to focus on areas of need. A combination of
pre-assessments to gauge student prior knowledge will be used, formative and summative
assessments will also be used to determine mastery learning. Students will be given a set grading
criterion illustrating all areas and percentages. This will be explained by individual teachers and
presented to students in a syllabus.
Students will participate in hands-on and virtual labs. Students will be assessed on science practice
skills, analyzing and interpreting lab results, and presenting information. Upon completion of some
labs students will be required to prepare formal lab reports.
2. Assessment practices (grading practices, use of rubrics and/or scoring guides, use of formative
and summative assessment)
Students’ final semester grades will consist of two 9 weeks grades and an EOC state generated final
exam. Refer to syllabus for PSRC grading criteria for science courses.
Students should be assessed using a variety of methods. Included should be non-graded, formative
assessments that show learning progression and identify any weaknesses that need to be addressed.
Examples of these may include conversation assessments such as class discussions, Q&A sessions,
debates and focus group discussions. Other types may include admit/exit slips, quick writes, thinkpair-share activities, closure activities, peer/self-assessments.
Summative assessments should also be used to evaluate student cumulative learning. These types of
assessments could include end of unit/chapter tests (multiple choice, true/false, matching, etc.),
extended written responses, benchmarks, performance based assessments (labs), and state tests.
3. Assessment samples (pre-assessment, description of formative assessment, and summative
assessment)
[Insert text here to briefly identify file attachments (i.e. Pre-assessment samples 1, Formative
Assessment sample 2, Summative Assessment sample 3, etc.).]
11
North Carolina Honors Level Course Portfolio
[Insert names of file attachments with the following naming convention:
“LEACode_CourseCode_TeacherLastName_Section#.file#” where the section indicates the component
of the Honors Portfolio.]
Examples:
1. For Mr. Smith’s Biology Honors Portfolio in Pitt County, assessment sample #1 the file would be named
“740_33205_Smith_III.3.1”
2. Mrs. Mitchell’s English IV Honors Portfolio assessment sample #2 in Buncombe County would be named
“110_10245_Mitchell_III.3.2”
4. Student work assessment samples
[Insert text here to briefly identify file attachments (i.e. Pre-assessment work sample 1, Formative
Assessment work sample 2, Summative Assessment work sample 3, etc.).]
[Insert names of file attachments with the following naming convention:
“LEACode_CourseCode_TeacherLastName_Section#.file#” where the section indicates the component
of the Honors Portfolio.]
Examples:
1. For Mr. Smith’s Biology Honors Portfolio in Pitt County, student work assessment sample #1 the file would be named
“740_33205_Smith_III.4.1”
2. Mrs. Mitchell’s English IV Honors Portfolio student work assessment sample #2 in Buncombe County would be named
“110_10245_Mitchell_III.4.2”
12