Hillsborough High School
2009-20010
Miss Newman
Room 144
Email: erin.newman@sdhc.k12.fl.us
http://newman.educatorpages.com
Materials Needed:
1. 1.5 inch 3 ring binder
2. Dividers (4: BCB, Notes, Graded Work, Tests/Quizzes)
3. Loose-leaf notebook paper (Points will be deducted on assignments turned in on spiral edged paper)
4. Blue or Black Pens
5. Pencils
6. Textbooks
7. Colored Pencils
Helpful Materials:
These materials are not required, but will be helpful in certain classroom activities. They will not be required everyday, and in most cases a class set will be sufficient.
1. Glue Sticks
2. Pencil boxes
3. Computer/Copy paper
4. Cardboard tubes
5. Latex Gloves
6. Construction Paper
7. Paper Towels
8. Graph Paper
9. Rulers
10. Colored Pencils
11. Liquid Soap (hand and/or dish)
12. Kleenex
Books
Textbooks will be assigned with in the first weeks of school. Textbooks must be brought to class every day unless a class set is available. Textbooks may be available on CD-Rom.
Grading:
Grades will be assigned based on a point system. Each assignment will be graded out of a specific number of points, depending on the difficulty of the assignment. For example: tests will usually be worth around one hundred points, labs usually around 50 points, and quizzes usually between ten and twenty points. Grade percentages may be figured by dividing the points earned by the possible points.
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
0-59 F
Notebooks:
Notebooks will be checked periodically. Points are awarded for neatness, organization and completeness. This syllabus should be the first page of the notebook, and assignments should be kept in order by date in the proper section of the notebook.
Late Work:
Late work will only be accepted for full credit in the event of an excused absence.
Make-up Work:
Missed assignments should be made up as soon as possible. Students are responsible for obtaining missed work with in 3 days of the absence, at which point they will be given a due date for that assignment. If a test or a quiz is missed, the student has 3 days to make arrangements with me for make-ups. In most circumstances, the student will be given the option of making up the test/quiz before or after school. Lunch periods typically do not offer enough time to make up these assignments. If the student chooses to make up the test/quiz before or after school they will be offered enough time to ensure transportation arrangements can be made.
Substitutes:
If it is necessary for me to be absent, I will leave an assignment with the substitute teacher. I expect each student to be responsible for their own behavior while with the sub. All assigned work should be turned in by the end of the period. There will be NO PASSES given by the sub!! Students are expected to remain in class and act appropriately.
Extra Help:
I am available for extra clarification on ANY topic broached in this class. Sometimes, a few minutes of clarification on a topic may result in the difference of a letter grade on an assignment. Feel free to come by my room either before or after school, arrange with me to stay during lunch, or email me with any questions. Please, however, DO NOT interrupt me when I am teaching another class to ask for clarification. I will be more than happy to answer questions during your class, but it is not fair to other students to have their class period disrupted by a student from another class asking for help.
Help can also be found on the class discussion group at http://newmanbiology.proboards.com. This discussion group is a place for students to discuss what they have learned and find help with current topics. I will periodically post questions intended to initiate discussion, and students are encouraged to start their own threads pertaining to AP Biology.
Topics to be covered:
First Semester
1. Chemistry of Life (Chapters 1-5)
2. Cells (Chapters 6-12)
3. Genetics (Chapters 13-21)
4. Mechanism of Evolution (Chapters 22-25)
Second Semester
1. Biodiversity (Chapters 26-34)
2. Plant Form and Function (Chapters 35-39 )
3. Animal Form and Function (Chapters 40-49 )
4. Ecology (Chapters 50-55 )
This is a tentative timeline for the year. Topics may be shifted around as time permits.
Major Themes
There are 8 major themes in AP Biology. All coursework and labs can be identified with at least one of these major themes, in most cases more than one.
1. Science as a Process
2. Evolution
3. Energy Transfer
4. Continuity and Change
5. Relationship of Structure to Function
6. Regulation
7. Interdependence in Nature
8. Science, Technology, and Society