AP Biology (Year Long: Grades 8-12)

Course Description:

Advanced Placement Biology is designed to offer students a solid foundation in college level introductory biology based on the belief that many students are ready for college work while still in high school. This course is aligned to the College Board AP Biology Curriculum Framework and is based on four Big Ideas, which encompass core scientific principles, theories, and processes that cut across traditional boundaries and provide a broad way of thinking about living organisms and biological systems. Twenty-five percent of instructional time is devoted to hands-on laboratory work with an emphasis on inquiry-based investigations. Investigations require students to ask questions, make observations and predictions, design experiments, analyze data, and construct arguments in a collaborative setting, where they direct and monitor their progress. Upon completion of the course students should be able to have the conceptual framework, factual knowledge, and analytical skills necessary to deal critically with the rapidly changing science of biology.

Course Type: Secular, State Standards Based, Gifted Science Course

Grade Level: 8-12th

Sample Video: https://www.loom.com/share/9ddedb10e94f4abb8d6e9b2f0e1fa8a8?sid=27a42e6f-0ea8-49a8-8b95-2189cd7ea564

Platform:We will be using Google Classroom. Students will work on 5-7 assignments on the platform each week. 

Length: AP Biology is a full year course, broken into two semesters. 

Curriculum:Campbell Biology in Focus: AP Edition, Holt Biology, Glencoe Biology, Lumen Learning, and CK-12 Flexbooks. 

Many other resources such as scientific articles, case studies, essays, and news articles will be

used throughout the school year. 

Course Objectives

The College Board has organized the AP Biology course around the Curriculum Framework

which is broken into four big ideas that our course will be based on.

Big Idea 1: The process of diversity drives the diversity and unity of life.

Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to

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.

These four Big Ideas will be divided up over eight different units of study.

1. Biochemistry/Chemistry of Life 8-11%

2. Cellular and Organismal Structure and Function 10-13%

3. Cellular Energetics 12-16%

4. Cellular Communication & Cell Cycle/Cellular Reproduction 10-15%

5. Genetics & Heredity 8-11%

6. Gene Expression and Regulation 12-16%

7. Biodiversity 13-20%

8. Ecology & Systems Interactions 10-15%

The College Board emphasizes students understanding the practice of science. It is pertinent that students enter college with a specific set of skills. A set of skills designed to allow students to succeed in the science world. The College Board focuses curriculum on six specific skills.

1. Concept Explanation

2. Visual Representations

3. Questions and Methods

4. Representing and Describing Data

5. Statistical Tests and Data Analysis

6. Argumentation

The AP Exam:

Students are encouraged to take the College Board AP test after completing the course. 

Tuition Information:

Self Paced $360 for 36 total weeks @ $10/week

Semester 1 $180 for 18 weeks (5 assignment tasks each week for a total of 90/semester)

Semester 2 $180 for 18 weeks (5 assignment tasks each week for a total of 90/semester)

or

Live 1:1 Option $900 for 36 weeks of curriculum and 36 Zoom lessons

$25/Zoom includes 36 Zooms over 36 total weeks

Payment plans available, by request.

*This class is also offered as a public group class, see the group/charter school class option tab.