Biology AP
WHS AP Biology Curriculum Guide
AP Biology is a college level course that covers a typical introductory college biology and laboratory class. Students will practice critical thinking and writing skills, data analysis skills, experimental design and test-taking strategies. Students are expected to take the AP Biology exam in May, where students may earn college credit with a qualifying score.
Unit
1: Chemistry of Life
2: Cell Structure & Function
3: Cellular Energetics
4: Cell Communication & Cell Cycle
5: Heredity
6: Gene Expression & Regulation
7: Natural Selection
8: Ecology
9. Independent Research Project
Time-frame
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Dec
Jan-Feb
March
April
May-June
Driving Questions
- How would living systems function without the polarity of the water molecule?
- What is the role of energy in the making and breaking of polymers?
- How do living systems transmit information in order to ensure their survival?
- Defend the origin of eukaryotic cells
- How do the mechanisms for transport across membranes support energy conservation?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of cellular compartmentalization?
- How are living systems affected by the presence or absence of subcellular components?
- How is energy captured and then used by a living system?
- How do organisms use energy or conserve energy to respond to environmental stimuli?
- In what ways do cells use energy to communicate with one another?
- How does the cell cycle aid in the conservation of genetic information?
- Why and in what ways do cells communicate with one another?
- How is our understanding of evolution influenced by our knowledge of genetics?
- Why is it important that not all inherited characteristics get expressed in the next generation?
- How would Mendel’s laws have been affected if he had studied a different type of plant?
- How is our understanding of evolution influenced by our knowledge of genetics?
- Why is it important that not all inherited characteristics get expressed in the next generation?
- How would Mendel’s laws have been affected if he had studied a different type of plant?
- What conditions in a population make it more or less likely to evolve?
- Scientifically defend the theory of evolution
- How does species interaction encourage or slow changes in species?
- How does diversity among and between species in a biological system affect the evolution of species with the system?
- How does the acquisition of energy relate to the health of a biological system?
- How do communities and ecosystems change, for better or worse, due to biological disruption?
- How does a disruption of a biological system affect genetic information storage and transmission?
- How do species interactions affect the survival of an ecosystem?
Students identify an “in the news” biological topic of their choosing and research and present their topic in a variety of formats. Research includes scientific journal articles, news articles and government websites.
Major Learning Experiences from Unit
- Properties of Water Lab
- Macromolecule Model Building
- Protein Folding Activity
- Why are cells so small? Lab
- Organelles Speed Dating
- Cell Membrane Lab
- Models of Osmosis
- Mystery Molarities Lab
- Case Studies
- Lactase Lab
- Toothpickase Lab
- Algae Bead Lab
- Diabetes case study
- Taste Test Experiment
- Disease Project
- Modeling Mitosis
- Modeling Meiosis
- Practice Problems
- Case Studies
- Strawberry DNA Lab
- Case Studies
- Modeling Operons
- Gel Electrophoresis Lab
- Bacterial Transformation Lab
- Antibiotic Resistance Lab
- Hardy-Weinberg Practice Problems
- Natural Selection Lab
- Animal Behavior Lab
- Survivorship Lab
- Biodiversity Lab
- Pond Disaster Case Study
- Read and interpret scientific journal articles
- Topic presentations