AP Biology Syllabus
Course Overview Materials – What should I bring to AP Biology class?
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Purchase current year Review book by Monday Sept. 21st 2 inch binder, dividers, and notebook paper o Dividers: Warm‐ups, essays, review packets & notes, labs & worksheets, and quizzes Pencil, pen, highlighters, and calculator Summer Reading: Survival of the Sickest. Maolem, Sharone (You can leave this in your locker. I’ll remind you when we for class) Notes that have been printed out before entering class need it Content – What will we study?
AP Biology meets for a double period each day. The 90 minutes consist of a warm-up, teacher
centered instruction, and student centered discussion. The focus will be on connections &
examples that work to support the 4 big ideas, as this course is College Board certified.
AP Biology College Board: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-biology/course-details
BIG IDEA 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
BIG IDEA 2: Biological systems utilize energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce,
and to maintain homeostasis.
BIG IDEA 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life
processes.
BIG IDEA 4: Biological systems interact, and these interactions possess complex properties.
Resources – How can I use what is out there to help me?
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Bozeman http://www.bozemanscience.com/ap‐biology/ Crash Course Science https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3EED4C1D684D3ADF Shmoop http://www.shmoop.com/ Explore Biology http://explorebiology.com/apbiology/ College Board http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/219291.html Your review books!! Your teacher‐ Please take advantage of lunch time for academic support Saturday School Study group Expectations- How can I be respectful and successful in class?
1. Attend class everyday & be on time. Attend lunch discussions/ review at least once a week as a study group (Saturday school applies). 2. Use Edline daily and make sure your Edline e‐mail is up to date. 3. Hats, cell phones, and electronic devices must be silenced and out of sight. 4. Always clean‐up after your‐self. 5. Complete annotations and notes (PRINTED) before lecture and add to YOUR notes during class. 6. Meet with your study group/ Saturday school weekly sharing ideas and understandings verbally. 7. Set goals for yourself and ask for support from your peers & teacher during lunch time support and Saturday school. 8. Lead one group discussion on Science Friday for each quarter. 9. Use authentic data for labs. Assessment – How will I be graded in AP Biology?
1) Each assignment will have a due date and a deadline date. Any student, who turns in his /her work after the due date, will be penalized 10%. Assignments submitted after the due date must be discussed and completed in class if the work has been already returned back to the class. All assignments are found on the weekly schedule. 2) Integrity is crucial. Cheating will not be tolerated. Plagiarism and copying written work is cheating! Please refer to student handbook for current policy. 3) All tests will be announced. Quizzes may be announced or unannounced. 4) Grades are posted on Edline. Students are expected to keep all returned papers and check Edline regularly to evaluate progress. In case of a grade discrepancy, the burden of proof rests entirely on the student. Keep all papers. 5) Students who fulfill the requirements of an assignment or exam will not receive any grade lower than 50%. However, students who do not complete the assignment or does not attempt the basic requirements will receive a zero. 6) Make‐up Policy If you are absent, it is up to you to get the work and the assignments you have missed. Review packets and activity packets are available in the filing box and it’s the student’s responsibility to pick‐up missed work. For excused absences, you will have as many days to make up this work as the days that you missed. Summative Assessments 
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Tests and Projects Experimentation and Lab Analysis Free Responses Formative Assessments 
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40% Pre‐Lab Questions Quizzes (random pick or scheduled) Science Friday discussion group Homework  Annotations Review sheets  Notes with additions 50% 10% Grading Scale
100 - 90 = A
89 - 80 = B
79 - 70 = C
69 - 60 = D
59-0 = E