AP BIOLOGY www.mrshdppchs.com Mhernandez@pinescharter.net

What I want for my child: To be motivated and challenged To learn, grow and be college ready To get an “A” in AP Biology To pass the AP Biology College Board exam Get college credit and save me $$ To have a good experience in AP Biology Overall, to have a good learning experience

Gain skills that will help with college success. AP BIOLOGY WHY TAKE AP? Earn College credit (up to 8 ) and AP credit in high school (boosts your GPA). Stand out in the college admission process by showing maturity, commitment and willingness to take rigorous courses. Gain skills that will help with college success. Broaden your intellectual horizon and be part of a group of students and educators committed to academic excellence

AP BIOLOGY Philosophical goals – prepare for college and beyond Students will learn to seek outside resources (e.g. internet based) to improve their understanding of concepts Students will acquire skills in independent study and self-discipline In college, most prerequisite science course grading is exam-based Students must learn to prepare without continuous monitoring by instructors Students will acquire skills in time management Last-minute preparation will not be enough to succeed in rigorous courses.

AP BIOLOGY Specific Purpose Designed as a first-year general Biology college course that includes laboratory work, with a year-end cumulative AP exam Present in-depth college level study of biology with an enriching and rigorous laboratory experience Develop an awareness of the complexity and diversity of life through scientific inquiry Be able to apply biological knowledge and critical thinking to environmental and social concerns Understand that unifying themes that integrate the major topics of biology; evolution accounting for both unity and diversity of life

COURSE REDESIGN This course is structured around the four big ideas: 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, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis. Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life. Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties.  

COURSE REDESIGN Educators are faced with the challenge of balancing breadth of content with depth of understanding given the speed at which scientific knowledge is expanding. Students will spend less time on factual recall and more time on essential concepts using more inquiry-based learning. Students will develop reasoning skills necessary to engage them in their science practices. See college Board AP Central http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/2117.html?ep_ch=PR&ep_mid=10550003&ep_rid=30878628

7 Science Practices The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems The student can use mathematics appropriately The students can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or guide investigations within the context of the AP course. The students can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question. The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence. The student can work with scientific explanations and theories. The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and across domains.

Redesigned EXAM May 11th 8a.m. Students are excused from their classes and may go home. 90 minutes multiple choice section 64 multiple choice questions and 6 grid-in response question (50% of exam) 90 minute free response (2 long and 6 short) Allowed to use a 4 function calculator with square root & supplied with a formula sheet AP Bio has become the most difficult exam to earn a 5 PASSING RATE for 2015 was 81%!! (global passing rate is 64% )

AP BIOLOGY Pre-requisites Successful completion of 1st year Honors Biology Teacher recommendation Most recent reading level 4 or higher

AP BIOLOGY Study requirements Review of material and homework will take 5-10 hours per week 4 after-school review session beginning at end of end of March-April from 2:05-2:50 Required to stay after school to complete ongoing labs Winter and spring break assignments Tests comprise 50% of student’s grade. They may come in afterschool to review their test and correct their mistakes (2:00-2:45) Labs /quizzes/projects 20% HW 20% Classwork 10% Students need to work independently on their assignments

BCPC POLICY 600.1 According to policy, students enrolled in AP courses MUST sit for the examination at the end of the school year. If a student fails to sit for the exam, he or she is responsible for paying for the exam ($91 for AP exams). GPA will also be adjusted to reflect 1.0 weight instead of 2.0 weight. The only viable reason for missing an examination would be a clearly documented case of illness or bereavement

Students will take 1 mock exam during the 2nd quarter Mock Exams and Review Students will take 1 mock exam during the 2nd quarter They will analyze their results using a diagnostic provided by College Board to determine areas of weakness. They should purchase the Kaplan AP BIOLOGY test prep workbook 2016 ed. To be used in class during review sessions in April and throughout the course. Resources include Mastering Biology, Quest Online Learning, Khan academy, Bozeman videos and others listed on my website.

College Board http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/prep.html# http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap-biology-course-description.pdf

Science Club & SNHS HD and Dr. Glenn competitions: Science Bowl, Science Olympiad at FAU Science Day at the elementary campuses S.T.E.M. lectures SNHS officer’s lectures Butterfly Garden Biscayne Nature Center, snorkeling, Fairchild Community service: each clean up 9/12 at 1100 Seabreeze Blvd from 7am-11am (954) 593-8501 Book Club luncheon: sci-fi book School-wide recycling Visit our website:

Certify your Garden I offer parents volunteer hours if they get their garden/backyard certified. Follow the criteria and print their certificate to earn 8 hours. http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Certify- Your-Wildlife-Garden.aspx

Thank you for your support! mhernandez@pinescharter.net WISH LIST 2-3 pack Paper towels Soap dispensers Color Copy paper Gloves Tissue boxes 2-L diet soda and mentos (for Science Day) Hand sanitizer Clorox wipes (or other brand) Grill lighters Stapler Individually wrapped candy-great incentive for review

Outdoor Classroom designed by the AP Environmental class by the students with help from the community and city. The location was chosen to be a focal point of the campus located between the butterfly garden and the wetlands. It is a green area once completed. All plants used are natives, a rain barrel will provide the water they need. In addition, the area will also have an herb garden maintained by the Honors Biology classes and Science Club. Large rock and benches donated by graduating class is used for seating. Recycled telephone poles provide the base structure for the shaded canvas area. It provides a “green” outdoor learning environment for the entire school. Our outdoor classroom will promote an awareness about the importance of saving and protecting our natural resources, empower students to find solutions to environmental issues, and to be active participants in the development of the possible solutions. New structure added with the help of an FPL grant: TOWER GARDEN ( me if you are interested in obtaining one for your home!!