Contingency work due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) "social distancing" is listed in this section. Information will be added as needed according to length of time away from school. Please follow the directions in order listed below.
Post AP Exam Assignments:
Week of May 25
During the summer months, I normally dig for dinosaurs in Montana/North Dakota or mastodons (giant extinct elephants) in Tennessee with various research groups. Sadly, this probably won't happen this summer. I'll be sharing some videos of my summer research with you and you can comment on them in Teams. These video assignments will be the last requirements for AP Biology. Thanks for being part of my class this year.
Video #1: Valley of the Last Dinosaurs with Dr. Tyler Lyson
Video #2: Dinosaur Fossils of the Hell Creek Formation with Wayne Mennecke
Please write a reaction summary of the two videos and submit it to Teams.
AP Exam Preparation
Week of May 18
1. PRINT OUT and fill out this checklist before May 18. Also, watch this video.
Below are options for studying. Choose a different option each day, take notes and ask me questions.
2. Print out this "CHEAT SHEET" in the Downloads section to study from and use on exam day as reference material and to understandkey concepts. This should be the jumping off point for all your studying. Less notes is better. This outline, your lab manual and basic pictures we have drawn together this year should be the primary focus of all studying.
3. Watch the following videos from AP Central on YouTube (some have not yet gone live). Really watch them. This is the time to study. Take notes. Use the notes on your AP exam.
4. Collegeboard.org now has practice free response questions loaded for you in AP Classroom. These questions are the closest thing to what you will see on the AP exam on May 18. Type the questions into the response boxes. I suggest you screenshot your answers so we can discuss them if you have problems.
5. Review Book Questions to Practice for AP Exam: Pages 384-388. Do all Questions in this page range EXCEPT question #2.
6. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority Biology Exams are listed by year under the heading "Past Exams & Reports." Use these exams to help you prepare for the AP Biology exam. I suggest you write your answers on a separate piece of paper or print out an entire exam & write directly on it. These multiple choice questions are only for understanding certain concepts. Your exam will NOT have any multiple choice questions.
7. The Crash Course Biology YouTube channel offers summaries of each topic we've covered this year. Use them to review, brush up or learn something new! The Crash Course Anatomy & Physiology YouTube channel offers summaries of the human body. Use them to focus on the 4 important systems mentioned above.
AP Biology Homework
- Due 9/4: Read the New York Times article “Some of My Best Friends are Germs.” Answer the questions in the handout and hand it in for a grade.
- Due 9/4: Find and print out an online article from a current (2019) newspaper/magazine article related to the topic of microbiomes and/or FMTs. Ideas pertaining to bacteriotherapy, OpenBiome and related digestive disease should be included. Read the article and summarize it with at least 20 facts. Your first fact should include the definition for microbiota and/ or FMTs. The article should be from a reliable site or newspaper/magazine. When printing out the article, be sure to include the source.
- Due 9/5: Read Microbiome article #2 & answer the questions. Use the information to argue for or against participating in the procedure (as either donor or recipient). Watch this video to assist in class discussion, take a few notes.
- Due 9/6: Collect at least 8 pill bugs (otherwise known as rolly pollies or isopods) as you can find under rocks or logs. These arthropods will be used for our first lab later that week or the second week of school. Place the isopods in a ventilated plastic container with some soil and leaves to keep them alive. Your collection will be included in your lab grade.
- Due 9/6: Signed safety agreement.
- Due 9/9: Read article #3 on Pill Bugs (& answer questions or summarize) & then list 15 facts about isopods from any source.
- Due 9/10: Read pp. 8-12 in lab manual to prepare for Pill Bug Behavior Lab.
- Due 9/12: Handout on Animal Behavior (Chart & Multiple Choice).
- Due 9/13: Page 5 of note packet in preparation for quiz Friday.
- Due 9/17: What is DO? How is it measured? What are the units used in this measurement? Complete handout on Biomes & Productivity.
- Due 9/23: Go to collegeboard.org and complete the practice assignment on the website after logging in. Make sure you can access it before the weekend in case you need help.
- Due 9/23: Work on Termite Lab questions and results/conclustion this weekend. Also, Read pp. 17-18 in Lab Manual.
- Due 9/27: Review packet on Ecology
Due 10/2: Population ecology calculations. Study for test Thursday 10/3- Due 10/7: Water MC p. 3 of packet and define all starred words in biochemistry packet.
- Due 10/10: Explain how enzymes: 1. are proteins 2. are catalysts 3. control reaction rates 4. affect "effective collisions" 5. are reusable
- Due 10/11: Read pp. 26-30 in lab manual on enzymes
- Due 10/14: Review handout on Carbohydrates
- Due 10/17: List 15 facts on the enzyme catalase. Try to find a protein image of the enzyme too!
- Due 10/21: Catalase Lab
- Due 10/22: Pages 1-3 (cell organelle definitions) in Cell Packet. You can download a copy of this packet HERE.
- Due 10/23: Print out color photographs with labels (microscopy images) of cheek cells, onion cells & elodea cells to staple to your lab.
- Due 10/28: Handouts on Cells, cell packet #1
- Due 10/30: Handout on Cells, cell packet #2
- Due 10/31: Some videos for review: Video 1 on Kinesin/Dynein, Video 2 on Organic Molecules, Video 3 on Animal Cells, Video 4 on Plant Cells
- Due 11/6: Handout on cell membranes (handout linked here). Cell membrane lab results shared.
- Due 11/12: Handout on Solute Potential, Enzymes and Cells
- Due 11/15: Read this article (print it out if you have to) and summarize with 15 facts for discussion on Friday 11/15.
- Due 11/18: Solute potential handout. Also, extra credit update on NAD+ infusions (2019 article) TO BE HANDED IN.
- Due 11/20: Handout on Respiration
- Due 11/22: Venn diagram comparing respiration to photosynthesis. Watch this respiration video and this photosynthesis video for inspiration and review!
- Due 11/26: Read lab pp. 51-56
- Due 12/2: Take home test, linked here for download if you need a copy.
- Due 12/6: Chromosome packet definitions and questions. What are Hox genes? How do they influence development of an embryo? Look it up for lab Friday 12/6.
- Due 12/9: Read this article about cancer, this article about Y chromosomes and this article about clones. Summarize each one with 10-15 facts each for discussion on Monday in class. On Monday, we'll be starting our Mitosis/Meiosis Lab so bring your manuals please.
- Due 12/11: Define: p53 gene, HeLa cells, p63 gene, density dependent inhibition, caspase
- Due 12/13: Handout on Mitosis review (MC and crossword puzzle)
- Due 12/17: Read up to page 86 in HeLa book. Quiz on this Tuesday 12/17.
- Due 12/20: Read pp. 89-126 in HeLa book. Quiz Friday 12/20.
- Due 1/6: Read through "Death" in HeLa up to and including page 176. Quiz Monday 1/6.
- Due 1/10: Read Chapters 23-30 in HeLa. Quiz Friday 1/10. Buy your review book by February 1st.
- Due 1/15: Read the remaining chapters in HeLa (finish the book). Literary circles Wednesday 1/15.
- Due 1/27: Handout on DNA Replication.
- Due 1/29: Watch and summarize these four videos linked . Provide about 10 facts for each video on genetics. Video #1 about the genetics of gingers, video #2 about the genetics of nipples , video #3 about the genetics of blue eyes, video #4 about mutant people.
- Due 1/31: Handout on DNA and RNA and amino acids.
- Due 2/3: DNA lab starting page 71 in lab manual. With exit ticket Cut & paste DNA for extra credit.
- Due 2/4: Chapter 16 DNA Handout on Replication. You can find a copy of this handout in the "Download Handouts & Notes" section of this website. Seriously. Did you look there? Go ahead and look....
- Due 2/5: Not really HW but review for your test: Use this information to review epigenetics and gene expression; use this page helps understand Lick Your Rats, use this page to Practice RNA questions (you can print them out but they don't offer solutions); use this informative, but not too exciting video on Promoters and Operators; use Collegeboard.org to work on some more challenging questions to get you ready for the test. Good luck!!
- Due 2/6: What are some differences between DNA viruses, RNA viruses & retroviruses? Provide around 10 facts please! You can watch this video to help understand the deadliest viruses in history! This video helps us understand the viruses that affect our genomes.
- Due 2/10: Handout on control of gene expression Chapter 18.
- Due 2/12: Summarize videos with 5-8 facts and one question you have for each video: Video #1 Gene Splicing, Video #2 Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics, Video #3 Genetic Engineering
- Due 2/24: The handout on Chapter 20 is posted in the "Download Handouts & Notes" section of this website. There are two videos to watch and summarize: Video #1 on CRISPR and Video #2 on Gel Electrophoresis. You can write down about 10 facts per video.
- Due 3/2: Work on pages 85-100 in Lab Manual: Bacterial Transformation lab and Gel electrophoresis lab.
- Due 3/5: Work on pages 85-107 in Lab Manual: All labs & exit tickets are due for Bacterial Transformation & Gel Electrophoresis.
- Due 3/9: define vocabulary on pages 1 & 2 of evolution packet.
- Due 3/11: Watch these videos and summarize EACH with 10 facts: Video #1 on Darwin & Wallace, Video #2 on Preserving Lonesome George and Video #3 on Sexual Selection. If you missed the Family Walking on All Fours you can watch the video here and summarize it with 10-15 facts. It's not a great video compared to what we watched in class, but oh well....
- Due 3/13: Another evolution video to summarize and Finch Beak Size handout.
- Due 3/16: Two Hardy-Weinberg assignments. The Chapter 23 Hardy-Weinberg handout is located in the Downloads section of the website here and in the Lab Manual page 113 question 1-5.
Week of 3/23:
1. Review: Watch these videos on Hardy-Weinberg, preferably in this order: Video #1 explains what Hardy-Weinberg is, Video #2 reviews the homework questions and Video #3 reviews the lab questions. Please provide feedback on Teams on how you did on these questions (example: "I got 2 wrong." or "still confused about #4 in the lab.") by March 25.
2. Find the "human organ systems" packet I handed out before we left school or download it HERE. The AP Biology human body organ systems focuses on cellular communication and the immune system first. The other major systems the AP Exam will study are Nervous, Endocrine and Reproductive. Watch this video for an introduction to cellular communication and then answer these questions on cellular communication (due Sunday, March 29)
3. Start defining the terms on pages 2 and 3 of the human body organ systems packet. Due Sunday, March 29. I have created an assignment in Teams for you to download and type answers into. You can then upload your completed definitions to the assignments Team tab for me to look at. Alternatively you can save your assignment as a screenshot that can be uploaded to Teams Chat section or send it through Remind.
***4. UPDATE: Please read the following information from collegeboard.org ASAP. You can also watch a video about the changes here (you'll have to enter your email & name to watch). Then provide a 5 sentencesummary on Teams. Due Friday, 3/27.***
Week of 3/30:
1. Start working on the 2019 Victorian Biology Exam HERE. It's up to you if you want to print out 36 pages (!) of material or just write answers on separate paper (probably a good idea). The answer key is posted HERE. Correct multiple choice answers are shaded in on their answer chart. Even though the AP Exam will NOT HAVE MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS this year, it is good to practice understanding concepts.
2. I am linking my immune system videos for you to watch and take notes (Mennecke Video Part #1 and Mennecke Video Part #2). Crash Course videos (Video Part #1, Video Part #2, Video Part #3) are great to watch as well. In either case, summarize 8 facts for each video you watch and upload your facts to Teams! There is a "video notes" handout already uploaded to the Teams Assignments page for you. Hit the "turn in" button when done. This is due Saturday, April 4.
3. Read this article on Immunotherapy for COVID-19 and submit 15 facts to Teams Assignments section by Saturday, April 4. A worksheet is already there for your facts. Add your facts directly to the Teams worksheet and "turn in" when done.
4. There is a new Forms survey to fill out based on the immune system. You should watch the videos before taking it and look at your definitions while you fill it out. This is due Saturday, April 4.
Week of 4/6:
Please have your parents register at this website for an informational AP webinar on Thursday, April 16. Space is limited so register early.
https://globalmeet.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1302024&tp_key=73070ccd21
1. Play an immune system game or simulation:
OPTION #1: Go to www.immunequest.com and register to play the immune system game. Download the game (click Download Now), click on "Students" and use code "Y2Y7" to register for my class (see picture in header above). Make a username that has your name so I can identify you. All student who register and play will get regular class credit. Top scorers earn extra credit. This is a way to get free points so don't pass this up. Due Monday, April 13.
OPTION #2: If you don't have a Windows computer but do have a MacBook use Safari browser, try this link and send me some gaming screenshots through Teams Chat or Posts for credit.
OPTION #3: If neither of the other two options work, click on the Nobel Prize Immune Response interactive game and send me some gaming screenshots through Teams Chat or Posts for credit.
2. Using page 5 of your human body packet define the four terms in the chart on the top of the page and the parts of the nerve cell on the lower left side of page 5. I have uploaded a special page for you to use on Teams OR you can take a picture and upload it to me there. Due Monday, April 13.
3. If you are so inclined, continue working on the 2019 Victorian Biology Exam HERE. It's up to you if you want to print out 36 pages (!) of material or just write answers on separate paper (probably a good idea). The answer key is posted HERE. Correct multiple choice answers are shaded in on their answer chart. Even though the AP Exam will NOT HAVE MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS this year, it is good to practice understanding concepts.
Week of 4/13:
1. First, read this article and then watch this video on tickling rats and then answer the question on the Teams assignment for tickling rats. Due Friday, April 17.
2. Videos to watch: Use my video on the nervous system and Hank Green's video #2 and video #3 to help you take notes on how action potentials and neurotransmitters work. Take notes for yourself. You're going to need them for the quiz and lab.
3. Answer this Forms quiz using either the Forms app or Teams app. Use your notes and the videos to help you answer the quiz. You only need to do this once. Due Monday, April 20.
4. Please find your Lab Manual and turn to page 129 "Mouse Party." It's time to give some mice a LOT of drugs to see what those drugs do to their brains. THIS IS BEST DONE ON A COMPUTER NOT A PHONE. Sorry for yelling. Go to Mouse Party at the University of Utah and (assuming you have Adobe Flash Player installed on your device) click "Play." Pick up each mouse, put it in the chair and watch/listen to the narration. Fill in the lab chart and include a drawing of the synapse illustration in the last column of the lab. Exit ticket 24 on page 173 of the lab manual should be completed too! Take a picture of your pages and upload them to Teams Assignments. Due Friday, April 17.
5. Check out Meth Mouse and provide 10 facts for extra credit with your Mouse Party lab assignment.
Week of 4/20:
1. Fill in the boxes on page 7 of your Human Body Systems packet. Turn in a picture on Teams Assignments. Thanks! Due Friday, April 24.
2. Download and print out the Handout on Pituitary Gland Hormones and Menstrual Cycle found on Teams. Use the videos from Step #3 to fill in the Pituitary blank spaces and show me on Teams Assignments by turning it in. Keep the menstrual cycle page for your own notes while watching the videos in Step #3. Due Monday, April 27.
3. Watch Endocrine System video #1 and video #2 and take notes to upload to Teams for me to view. Alternately (that means either this or that), you can watch Hank Green's Crash Course on the Endocrine System video #1 and video #2 if you prefer his style of "teaching." Lol. Due Monday, April 27.
4. Here's a Microsoft Forms quiz to practice your understanding of the Endocrine System. Use your notes to figure this stuff out. Due Monday, April 27.
AP Biology
9/10 - 9/11: Pill Bug Animal Behavior Lab
9/13: Quiz on FMT & Behavior
9/18-9/20: Lab on Termites/Tardigrades
9/20 or 9/23: Quiz on ecosystem productivity
9/27 (periods 7/8) and 10/2: Lab on DO due
10/3: Test on ecology graphs and calculations
10/11: Lab: Toothpickase
10/17: Lab: Catalase, Due 10/21
10/18: Quiz on Organic Molecules
10/23-10/25: Cell lab
11/1: Biochem and cell exam
11/4-11/6: Cell membrane lab Due 11/12
11/15: Quiz on membranes & mitochondria
11/18-11/19: Lab on Yeast Respiration, due 11/21
12/2: Take home test due
12/4: Photosynthesis lab due
12/4: Photosynthesis & Respiration Exam
12/6: Embryo development lab
12/9-12/12: Mitosis/Meiosis lab
12/13: Quiz Cell Division
12/19: Take home test cell division
1/6: Quiz HeLa on "Death"
1/10: Quiz HeLa on Chapters 23-30
1/15: HeLa Literary Circles Presentations
1/17: Genetics quiz
1/17: Fly lab continues into February
1/23: MIDTERM ROOM 125 7:30-9:00 am
2/3: DNA lab
2/5: Test on DNA & RNA
2/26-27: Bacterial transformation lab
2/28: Gel electrophoresis lab
3/2: Quiz on Biotechnology
3/5: Biotechnology Labs pp. 85-107 and Exit Tickets
3/11: Pop Quiz evolution
3/16: Hardy-Weinberg Lab