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AP Biology

Course Description

AP Biology is an introductory college-level biology course. Students cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations as they explore the following topics: evolution, cellular processes, energy and communication, genetics, information transfer, ecology, and interactions
From AP Biology ® Course and Exam Description, Fall 2019

Course Big Ideas

  • The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life. (EVO)
  • Biological systems use energy and molecular building blocks to grow, reproduce, and maintain dynamic homeostasis. (ENE)
  • Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes. (IST)
  • Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions exhibit complex properties. (SYI)

From AP Biology ® Course and Exam Description, Fall 2019

Course Essential Questions

  • How are scientific experiments designed and analyzed?
  • What are the roles of inorganic molecules (especially water) and organic molecules in cells and other biological systems? 
  • What are the functional components of cells, and how do these structures contribute to the organization of life? 
  • How do living organisms obtain and use energy to maintain their structural organization? 
  • What is the role of cellular communication in unicellular populations and in multicellular organisms? 
  • What is the physical basis of inheritance? 
  • How can our modern understanding of genetics be used in health and medicine, agriculture, and other avenues for the benefit of humans and for the benefit of other organisms on Earth? 
  • How do populations change in response to their environment? What evidence is there to support our understanding of such changes?
  • How are the interactions within a biological system directly related to the system’s available energy and its ability to respond to changes? 

Course Competencies

  • Concept Explanation: Students will be able to explain biological concepts, processes, and models presented in written format.
  • Visual Representations: Students will be able to analyze visual representations of biological concepts and processes.
  • Questions and Methods: Students will be able to determine scientific questions and methods.
  • Representing and Describing Data: Students will be able to represent and describe data.
  • Statistical Tests and Data Analysis: Students will be able to perform statistical tests and mathematical calculations to analyze and interpret data.
  • Argumentation: Students will be able to develop and justify scientific arguments using evidence. 

From AP Biology ® Course and Exam Description, Fall 2019
 

 

Course Assessments

  • Formal and informal laboratory write-ups and teacher observations of labs
  • In class activities and homework assignments
  • Projects
  • Essays
  • Teacher-designed summative assessments
  • AP-style unit (summative) assessments
  • Cumulative midterm and final exams

Course Units