Course Overview:

The AP Biology course is designed to provide students with the fundamentals of a college-level introductory biology
course. Because the course is structured around the four big ideas and scaffolded with the enduring understandings and
science practices, students are able to engage in a meaningful study of life, its properties, processes, and interrelationships.

The big ideas this course are structured around are:

Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, reproduce and to
maintain dynamic 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 systems and their interactions possess complex properties.

The vast amount of biological knowledge obtained by mankind is the result of observation of the natural world coupled
with inquiry. Students need the opportunity to experience this within the context of the course, and thus are continuously
engaged in inquiry-based lab experiences and discussions throughout the yearlong class.

I believe that biology is truly the science of applied chemistry and physics; this means that the need for students to
understand the interrelationship between biology and other scientific disciplines is critical. In order for students to
understand and appreciate the reliance of biology on the other two major science disciplines, activities and lessons are
structured such that these connections are made evident. Students must also have a firm grasp of the importance of
biological knowledge as it is applied to social and economic issues as well, so the course is structured such that students
engage in activities that allow them to apply their scientific knowledge and critical thinking skills to social issues.
Students will finish the course with a sense of the commonality of all life despite its differences, as well as an
understanding of how biological knowledge can be applied to practical issues they encounter in their lives. Students will
also develop the capacity to formulate questions based on evidence and analyze claims in a scientific manner. Both of
these are skills students can use far beyond the context of this course.
Unit 1: Evolution # of days: 18 days

Standards: Objective Questions: Essential Questions:

1.A.1 Natural Selection is a major mechanism of - How do phenotypes How did we evolve to
evolution change under various become the species we
conditions? are today?
1.A.2 Natural Selection acts on phenotypic variations in - How do random
populations events drive natural How are humans related
selection? to other species in the
1.A.3 Evolutionary change is also driven by random
- How can world around us?
processes
microevolution be
1.A.4 Biological evolution is supported by scientific measured? Why do certain
evidence from many disciplines including mathematics - What structures and individuals survive in a
(statistics) functions do population? What is the
organisms have in general impact of this
1.B.1 Organisms share many conserved core processes common? survival?
and features that evolved and are widely distributed - How do phylogenetic
among organisms today trees and cladograms
tell an evolutionary
1.B.2 Phylogenetic trees and cladograms are graphical
story?
representations of evolutionary history that can be tested

1.C.1 Speciation and extinction have occurred

throughout the Earths history

1.C.2 Speciation may occur when two populations

become reproductively isolated from each other

1.C.3 Populations of organisms continue to evolve

2.D.2 Homeostatic mechanisms reflect both common

ancestry and divergence due to adaptation in different
environments

Enduring Understandings: Summatives: Formatives:

AP style unit Exam: Entrance Tickets: HW
Student will be able to use the CER model to apply 24 MC questions Questions or AP Biology
content knowledge to real world examples 1 Griddable multiple choice questions
1 Long free response
Student will be able to articulate how populations have 2 Short free response Daily Exit Tickets:
evolved and why certain individuals survive Students will be asked to
Lab Reports: answer 3-4 MC questions,
Student will be able to explain how different species are 1) BLAST Lab analyze a chart/graphic
physically related to each other and how this using CER, or answer
relationship evolved. discussion questions
regarding an activity.
Unit 2: Origins of Life and Biochemistry
Standards:
4.A.1 The subcomponents of biological
molecules and their sequence determine
the properties of that molecule
4.B.1 Interactions between molecular
affect their structure and function
4.C.1 Variation in molecular units
provides cells with a wider range of
functions
Enduring Understandings:
Students will explain how different
disciplines can be used to support
scientific models and theories.
Students will be able to describe how the
smallest molecules interact with each
others to form an entire functioning
organism.
Unit 3: Cells
Standards:
1.B.1 Organisms share many conserved - How big are cells and how does
core processes and features that
evolved and are widely distributed
among organisms today
# of days: 11 Days
Objective Questions: Essential Questions:
- How are biological molecules What makes up all living
classified? organisms?
- What is the structure and function
of lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic
acids, and proteins?
- How do changes in the
subcomponents of a biological
polymer affect its function,
specifically in proteins?
- What are the types of molecular
interactions that occur and how
do they affect the structure and
function of biomolecules,
specifically in proteins?
- What are the properties of water
and how do they relate to
important molecular interactions?
Summative: Formative:
AP Style Questions: Entrance Tickets: HW
24 MC Questions or AP Biology
2 Griddables multiple choice questions
2 Short FRQs
Daily Exit Tickets:
Students will be asked to
answer 3-4 MC questions,
analyze a chart/graphic
using CER, or answer
discussion questions
regarding an activity.
# of days: 15 days
Objective Questions: Essential Questions:
How do cells maintain their
this a ffect nutrient intake and function in order to keep
excretion? organisms alive?
2.A.3 Organisms must exchange matter
with the environment to grow,
reproduce and maintain organization
2.B.1 Cell membranes are selectively
permeable due to their structure
2.B.2 Growth and dynamic
homeostasis are maintained by constant
movement of molecules across
membranes
2.B.3 Eukaryotic cells maintain
internal membranes that partition the
cell into specialized regions
4.A.2 The structure and function of
subcellular components, and their
interactions, provide essential cellular
processes
Enduring Understandings:
Student can understand how the
different parts of a cell interact with
each other to maintain its function and
draw upon this concept when thinking
about the interaction of different parts
in a whole.
Students will understand what it means
to maintain homeostasis and how that
happens at the cellular level.
Unit 4: DNA replication/Cell
communication/Cell Division
Standards:
2.C.1 Organisms use feedback mechanisms to
maintain their internal environments and respond
to external environmental changes
2.D.4 Plants and animals have a variety of
- What are the key differences How are animals different
between plant, animal, and compared to plants compared
eukaryotic cells? to bacteria at the cellular level?
- How do cells exchange materials
with each other and the
environment, including intake
and excretion?
- How do inner and outer cell
membranes function and what is
their structure?
- What causes cells to be
specialized and how does this
affect the function of an
organism?
- What structures and function of
subcellular components and how
do their interactions provide
essential cellular processes?
Summative: Formative:
AP Style Unit Exam: Entrance Tickets: HW
32 Multiple choice Questions or AP Biology
3 Griddables multiple choice questions
1 Long Response FRQ
3 Short response FRQs Daily Exit Tickets: Students
will be asked to answer 3-4
MC questions, analyze a
chart/graphic using CER, or
answer discussion questions
regarding an activity.
# of days: 23 days
Objective Questions: Essential Questions:
- What are the types of
feedback mechanisms Why is communication key to
and how do organisms success and survival of an
use them to maintain
organism?
their internal
 chemical defenses against infections that affect environments?
dynamic homeostasis - How do plants and What role does replication play
animals defend in the creation of cells and
2.E.1 Timing and coordination of specific events themselves against organisms?
are necessary for the normal development of an infections with
organism and these events are regulated by a immune responses?
variety of mechanisms - How do cells
communicate with
3.A.1 DNA and in some cases RNA is the each other?
primary source for heritable information - How do nervous
systems work and
3.A.2 In eukaryotes, heritable information is produce responses in
passed to the next generation via processes that animals?
include the cell cycle and mitosis or meiosis and - How to individual
fertilization organisms
communicate with
3.A.3 The chromosomal basis of inheritance each other?
provides an understanding of the pattern of - How is DNA passed
passage (transmission) of genes from parent to from one generation to
offspring the next in mitosis?
How does mitosis
3.C.3 Viral replication results in genetic variation
occur?
and viral infection can introduce genetic
variation into the hosts - How do cells
communicate with
3.D.1 Cell communication processes share
each other to
common features that reflect a shared
evolutionary history coordinate the
development of an
3.D.2 Cells communicate with each other organism?
through direct contact with other cells or from a
distance via chemical signaling - What is the source for
heritable information?
3.D.3 Signal transduction pathways link signal
How is it copied for
reception with cellular responses
transmission between
3.D.4 Changes in signal transduction pathway generations
can alter cellular response
- What are the ethics
3.E.1 Individuals can act on information and surrounding human
communicate it to others.
genetic disorders?
3.E.2 Animals have nervous systems that detect
external and internal signals, transmit and - What can affect the
integrate information and produce responses. expression of a gene?

4.A.4 Organisms exhibit complex properties due

to interactions between their constituent part

4.C.2 Environmental factors influence the

expression of the genotype in an organism

Enduring Understandings: Summative: Formative:

Students can articulate how cells communicate AP Style Unit Exam: Entrance Tickets: HW
with each other and the breakdown that can occur 32 MC Questions or AP Biology
when communication is not present. 3 Griddable multiple choice questions
1 Long response FRQ
Students can draw connections between the 3 short response FRQ Daily Exit Tickets: Students
different types of replication in and between cells will be asked to answer 3-4
and how it causes the growth of organisms. MC questions, analyze a
chart/graphic using CER, or
answer discussion questions
regarding an activity.

Unit 5: Genetics: Mendelian and Molecular # of days: 20 days

Standards: Objective Questions: Essential Questions:

3.A.1 DNA and in some cases RNA is the
primary source for heritable information
 3.A.2 In eukaryotes, heritable information is - What does our genotypic How can I predict what
passed to the next generation via processes that information come from and my offspring will inherit
include the cell cycle and mitosis or meiosis and how is it expressed? from me and my mating
fertilization - How is DNA transmitted to partner based on my
the next generation via genotypic and phenotypic
3.A.3 The chromosomal basis of inheritance meiosis? make up?
provides an understanding of the pattern of - How does the process of
passage (transmission) of genes from parent to meiosis cause genetic How are genotypic and
offspring variation in a population? phenotypic patterns
- How is mendelian genetics measured and predicted in
3.A.4 The inheritance pattern of many traits
used to predict the a population?
cannot be explained by simple Mendelian
phenotypes that will be
genetics
present in a generation's How does your
3.B.1 Gene regulation results in differential gene offspring? environment impact you?
expression, leading to cell specialization - How is probability and chi
square statistics used in
3.B.2 A variety of intercellular and intracellular mendelian genetics?
signal transmissions mediate gene expression - How are pedigrees created
and how do they help
3.C.1 Changes in genotype can result in changes
predict the phenotypes in
in phenotype
offspring or past
3.C.2 Biological systems have multiple generations?
processes that increase genetic variation - How do environmental
factors influence the
3.C.3 Viral replication results in genetic expression of genotypes in
variation and viral infection can introduce an organism?
genetic variation into the hosts - How do viruses impact the
genetic material of their
4.A.3 Interactions between external stimuli and
host?
regulated gene expression result in
- How does cell specialization
specialization of cells, tissues and organs
occur and what factors
4.C.2 Environmental factors influence the influence it?
expression of the genotype in an organism

Enduring Understandings: Summative: Unit Exam Formative:

Student is able to analyze data to identify AP Style Questions: Entrance Tickets: HW
patterns or relationships 22 Multiple Choice Questions or AP Biology
Student is able to refine observations based on 3 Griddables multiple choice questions
data analysis 1 Long FRQ
Student is able to design a plan for collecting Daily Exit Tickets:
data to answer a scientific question Students will be asked to
Student is able to evaluate the evidence provided answer 3-4 MC questions,
by data sets in relation to a particular scientific analyze a chart/graphic
question. using CER, or answer
Student is able to make predictions about their discussion questions
own offspring based on mendelian and non regarding an activity.
mendelian genetic concepts.
Unit 6: Energy Exchanges # of days: 8 days
Standards: Objective Questions: Essential Questions:
2.A.1 All living systems require constant input - Why is free energy required Why do we need energy?
of free energy for living systems to
maintain function and How do different
2.A.2 Organisms capture and store free energy reproduce? organisms gather and
for use in biological processes produce organisms?
- How do different organisms
gather, store and produce
4.B.2 Cooperative interactions within organisms What happens if energy is
energy? not created?
promote efficiency in the use of energy and
- What is cellular respiration
matter
and how is it used?
- What is photosynthesis and
how is it used?

Enduring Understandings: Summative: Formative:

Student will understand the role of energy in AP Style Questions Unit Exam: Entrance Tickets: HW
maintaining an organism functionality. 20 MC Questions Questions or AP Biology
1 Griddables multiple choice questions
Student will be able to explain how different 1 Long response FRQ
organisms create energy. 3 Short response FRQ Daily Exit Tickets:
Students will be asked to
Student will be able to connect the need for answer 3-4 MC questions,
energy of an organism from the other processes analyze a chart/graphic
discussed in AP Biology. using CER, or answer
discussion questions
regarding an activity.
Unit 7: Ecology # of days: 12 days

Standards: Objective Questions: Essential Questions:

2.C.2 Organisms respond to changes in their
external environments
2.D.1 All biological systems from cells and
organisms to population,
- What is effect of complex
biotic and abiotic organisms How do we impact the
interactions on all biological organisms and
systems? environment around us?
- How is the impact of biotic
and abiotic interactions on
the biological system
measured?
- What are possible patterns
and relationships between
biotic or abiotic factors and
a biological system?

Enduring Understandings: Summative: Formative:

Students will understand the human impact on AP Style Unit Exam: Entrance Tickets: HW
surrounding biological systems. 23 MC Questions Questions or AP Biology
2 Griddables multiple choice questions
Students will be able to identify how 1 Long FRQ
interactions between living and nonliving things 3 Short FRQs Daily Exit Tickets:
can affect an entire biological system. Students will be asked to
answer 3-4 MC questions,
analyze a chart/graphic
using CER, or answer
discussion questions
regarding an activity.

Reports