Advanced Placement Biology
Expectations AP Biology is a rapid progression through all the areas of general biology with the culminating activity being the taking of the AP Biology Exam the second Monday in May of the school year. Advanced Placement Biology is undergoing major revisions for next year. Here’s the lowdown: The new outline. Check out the “Big Ideas.” Less emphasis will be placed on memorizing facts and put on understanding core concepts. Here’s the new lab manual. No more fruit flies! As soon as new course materials and sequences are done, I’ll add them here. A wide variety of assigned work is accomplished. These are expected to be done in prompt fashion. Students will need to spend approximately 8 - 10 hours per week from well before school starts until the end of first semester and then 3 – 4 hours a week reviewing for the AP Bio exam. We meet once a week (or more often) on Thursday mornings before school during third and fourth quarters to prepare for the AP exam. Each unit has its reading guides to be done, and chapter assignments to be handed in. Students must continuously demonstrate superior scholastic skills, i.e., those which help them learn the material in an efficient way and then to achieve high marks on assignments, labs, and tests. Grading Grading Categories: Homework 30% Labs 30% Tests 25% In-class work 15% Grading Scale: Failing C- C C+ B- B B+ A- A 0 60 70 74 78 82 86 90 94 No electronic devices like cell phones or Ipods will brought into the classroom at any time. Typically, along with preparing for the AP Biology Exam itself, some efforts will be made to prepare for the PSAT. Contact me at
