Course Information

Advanced Placement Biology Course Syllabus

Philosophy:

• I have always had a fascination with the intricacies of living organisms, and I have always enjoyed sharing this passion with my students.  Through the study of biology we are able to better understand not only our the similarities within own species but the similarities that exist between all life forms on Earth.
• Global economic, political, and environmental challenges are at the forefront of our students lives, and these challenges will require strong scientific backgrounds so that our students grow into productive citizens and future leaders.  I hope to be able to share my enthusiasm for the sciences to start my students off on a life-long desire to stay informed about the scientific world around them.

Course Overview:

• Welcome to AP Biology @ Channel Islands High School!   AP Biology is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester college biology course usually taken by biology majors during their freshman year.   At Channel Islands High School AP Biology is offered to sophomores, juniors, and seniors students who are highly motivated and have a strong interest in science.   As in a college biology course, the AP Biology course is designed to have both a lecture and a lab component.   Labs conducted by AP Biology students are the equivalent of those experienced by college biology students.
• Our school runs on a typical schedule. Classes are approximately 55 minutes long. It's challenging to get some labs completed in 55 minutes. When necessary, we use lunch and after-school to catch-up. The gel electrophoresis lab is done as a night lab so that we can have the needed 2-3 hours for completion. In the end, all of the 12 recommended A.P. labs or suitable alternatives are completed.  Furthermore, many extra dry labs, microscope labs, activities, and simulations will be included. These extras help to integrate the topics into the eight major themes of A.P. Biology (science as a process; evolution; energy transfer; continuity and change; structure and function; regulation; interdependence; and science, technology and nature).

Textbook:

• Biology: Concepts & Connections, 5th Edition, by Campbell, Reece, Taylor, & Simon.  Addison Wesley Publishing, 2002.

Textbook Supplemental:

• Biology (Cliffs) AP 2nd Edition by Dr. Phillip E. Pack
• Biology : Concepts and Connections Study Guide 3rd Edition

Instructor:

• Mr. Brandon Rainbeau, Room 61 in the D Building
• Office hours:  after school or by appointment
• This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• 805-385-5955
• Class website:  http://cihs.brainbeau.com
• ** Email is best for quick communication.

Suggested Prerequisites:

• The AP Biology course is designed to be taken by highly motivated 10th, 11th or 12th graders (successful completion with grades of A’s or B’s of high school biology AND chemistry is recommended).

Coursework:

• At Channel Islands, Semester I instruction usually covers chapters 1-19, and Semester II covers chapter 20-38.  We will cover the entire textbook before the May AP test.   AP Biology is an extremely fast paced course; students will be assigned written homework and reading for every class period.  Note taking is required in class (via PowerPoint supplements) as well as from the text (student outlines) in conjunction with the homework assignments.  On average, students should expect to spend 6-10 hours each week reading and studying AP Biology outside of class.  Daily attendance is expected Internet access is a must, either from home or school.  Unit tests will cover between 2 to 4 chapters at a time and will be given two to three weeks.  Tests mainly consist of multiple-choice questions, essay questions and some short answer questions.

Materials:

• Textbook; Pen & Pencil; Line Paper; Highlighters; Colored Pencils &/or Markers; Binder with 3 sections (warm-ups; notes; assignments); Lab Notebook

Grading Scale:
90.0 -  100%          A
80.0 - 89.9%          B
70.0 - 79.9%          C
60.0 - 69.9%          D
? 59.9%          F

Make-up Work & Absences:

• Check your class calendar handout or the class website and ask your classmates for notes/worksheets that you missed.
• Each of you is responsible for keeping up with your own make-up work and missed material.
• If you miss a test or quiz, you will need to make up that test during class time upon your return.
• Daily, punctual attendance is extremely important to your success in this course.
  • Unexcused absences/tardies or failure to make up missed work in the required amount of time will result in zero points for tests, quizzes, labs, homework, class work etc.
• Missed class assignments need to be made up within 3 school days of your return to class.  Make-up labs are usually not offered due to the nature of perishable lab materials and time requirements, however you will be required to fully complete the lab (when possible) with provided data or the equivalent online assignment.

Homework/Late Work Policies:

• All homework assignments & labs are due at the beginning of the period or no credit will be given.  A monthly calendar is provided and each day’s assignment(s) will also be posted on the white board at least one class period before it is due and will further be posted on the class website calendar.  Assignments with no name or illegible writing will unfortunately receive no credit.
• Chapter homework will consist of questions, descriptions of figures, etc. provided in the form of reading guides and worksheets that are accessible on the website and outlined in the class calendar.  Homework will be collected on the day of the unit test, if absent, it is due on the day you return.  Those students that earn a grade of A or B on the previous unit’s test will be exempt from turning in homework for the next unit.

Classroom Rules and Safety:

• Safety first.   Students will follow all safety rules as defined in the safety contract provided the first week of classes.  Zero points will be earned for missed labs due to unsafe practices.  Ask questions if you don’t know so you can learn proper techniques.
• No electronic device policy:  no cell phones, pagers, games, stereos or personal programmable devices of any type are to be seen or heard in class, they will be confiscated for the remainder of the class period on the first offense and will be taken to the assistant principal on second offense—no exceptions.  Programmable calculators are not allowed during exams/quizzes.
• No food, no makeup, and no profanity in the classroom.

Academic Honesty:

• High integrity and academic honesty is expected.  Students should not do anything that would bring their integrity into question.  All assessments (homework, labs, quizzes, exams, projects, etc) are expected to be completed only by the student.  Collaboration and teamwork is allowed on homework; however, individual work must always be distinctly original from the lab partners’ work or zero credit will be earned.  Copying work, full or in part, is in violation of the academic honesty policies and students sharing testing information between classes are also in violation of the academic honesty policy.    DISHONESTY is not tolerated and will always result in a "0" on that test/assignment, a referral, and a parent contact.   Students copying and students allowing others to copy their work are both academically dishonest.  Do not put your classmates in an uncomfortable position by asking to copy.  Make the right choices!

Student Assistance:

• If you are having a hard time following a concept, please arrange to see me as soon as you are feeling confused.  Don’t put off asking for help.  I am available by appointment or most days after school.    The easiest way to make an appointment is to stop by my classroom to see me or to send me an email.  For other hints and resources check the class websites.

At the completion of this course, students are expected to take the College Board’s scheduled AP Biology exam on Monday, May 9th 2011, at a cost of $87. We will fundraise to help offset the cost. We have had many students pay for the entire test through fund-raising. If students qualify for Free or reduced lunch, the cost of their test become approximately $8. If you have never put the paper work to see if your student qualifies, it could save a family a lot of money in A.P. tests through the course of a student's high school career, and may be worth applying. Some students may earn college credit if they achieve high enough marks on this exam. To assist students in their preparation for this test, the format of the assessments used throughout this course are similar to the AP Biology exam’s assessments.

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