· Web viewUse data from mathematical models based on the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to analyze genetic drift & the effects of selection in the evolution of specific populations

AP BIOLOGY COURSE SYLLABUS

UNIT 1: EVOLUTION

estimated time: 3 weeks

LAB INVESTIGATIONS:

▪ AP Biology Investigation Labs (2012): Investigation 2: Mathematical Modeling: Hardy-Weinberg

▪ AP Biology Investigation Labs (2012): Investigation 3: Comparing DNA Sequences to understand Evolutionary Relationships with BLAST

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

▪ What reliable evidence supports our modern theory of evolution? ▪ How is natural selection a major mechanism of evolution? ▪ How does life evolve in changing environments?

Learning Objectives Materials Instructional Activities & Assessments Convert a data set from a table of numbers that reflect

a change in the genetic makeup of a population over time & apply mathematical methods & conceptual understandings to investigate the cause(s) & effect(s) of this change [LO 1.1, SP 1.5, SP 2.2]

Pose scientific questions about a group of organisms whose relatedness is described by a phylogenetic tree or cladogram in order to (1) identify shared characteristics, (2) make inferences about the evolutionary history of the group, and (3) identify character data that could extend or improve the phylogenetic tree [LO 1.17, SP 3.1]

Construct explanations based on scientific evidence that homeostatic mechanisms reflect continuity due to common ancestry and/or divergence due to adaptation in different environments [LO 2.25, SP 6.2]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 22: “Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life” and Chapter 26: “Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Web “Welcome to

Evolution” “Making

Cladograms: Phylogeny, Evolution, and Comparative Anatomy”

AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 3: Comparing DNA Sequences to Understand Evolutionary Relationships with BLAST

Instructional Activities: Students use Berkeley’s “Welcome to Evolution 101”

with chapter 22 reading as their pre-lesson assignment to increase their understanding of evolution. Students manipulate, evaluate, & apply data to investigate “cause & effect” of populations over time, make predictions about future populations, & offer explanations (with justification) of natural selection’s role in evolution. This is a student directed teacher facilitated activity.

Students are given examples of various cladograms, then are asked to construct & justify their own cladograms (Web site: “Making Cladograms”). This activity allows the students to interpret & analyze common ancestry & degrees of evolutionary relationship.

Students explore BLAST using bioinformatics to determine evolutionary relationships in the study of diseases. They extend their learning by designing & conducting an evolutionary analysis of their chosen organism and/or researching specific diseases that interest them.

Formative Assessment: Students are provided with a set of organisms &

characteristics (prokaryotic or eukaryotic, & various characteristics) which they analyze and look for patterns. They then construct a cladogram & answer questions reflecting their proper completion,

interpretation, & application.

Unit 1 Learning Objectives continued: Page 2 Materials Instructional Activities & Assessments Evaluate evidence provided by data to qualitatively &

quantitatively investigate the role of natural selection in evolution [LO 1.2, SP 1.5, SP 5.3]

Analyze data to support the claim that responses to information & communication of information affect natural selection[LO 2.38, SP 5.1]

Apply mathematical methods to data from a real or simulated population to predict what will happen to the population in the future [LO 1.3, SP 2.2]

Evaluate data-based evidence that describes evolutionary changes in the genetic makeup of a population over time [LO 1.4, SP 5.3]

Use data from mathematical models based on the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to analyze genetic drift & the effects of selection in the evolution of specific populations [LO 1.6, SP 2.2]

Convert a data set from a table of numbers that reflect a change in the genetic makeup of a population over time & apply mathematical methods & conceptual understandings to investigate the cause(s) & effect(s) [LO 1.1, SP 1.5, SP 2.2]

Evaluate evidence provided by data to qualitatively & quantitatively investigate the role of natural selection in evolution [LO 1.2, SP 2.2, SP 5.3]

Analyze data to support the claim that responses to information & communication of information affect natural selection [LO 2.38, SP 5.1]

Apply mathematical methods to data from a real or simulated population to predict what will happen to that population in the future [LO 1.3, SP 2.2]

Evaluate data-based evidence that describes evolutionary changes in the genetic makeup of a population over time [LO 1.4, SP 5.3]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 23: “The Hardy-Weinberg Equation can be used to Test Whether a Population is Evolving”

Web“Peanut Variation Lab”

AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 2: Mathematical Modeling: Hardy-Weinberg

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 23: The Evolution of Populations

Web“Lesson 6: Why Does Evolution Matter Now?”

Instructional Activities: This is a student-directed lab in which students apply

the Hardy-Weinberg equation by using peanut shells & seeds to investigate natural selection in peanuts. Two variations are investigated: length of shell & #s of peanuts in each shell. The activity reveals how the # of seeds is an adaptation to survival. There is an open-inquiry portion of this lab in which students design & conduct their own experiments to analyze the Hardy-Weinberg principle on variables of their choosing. I will facilitate during the lab. If any students have a peanut allergy we will substitute another legume.

Investigation 2: Students will analyze, manipulate, and convert data as they model biological phenomena using computer applications. Students will explain (with justification) how genes behave in populations. Students design & conduct their own experiments applying the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium principle & equation. I facilitate as necessary

Formative Assessment: Students create & present mini-posters that reflect the

results, experimental protocol, methodology, & data collection of Investigation 2. Mini posters will be peer & teacher reviewed

Instructional Activity: Students view a video clip from “Lesson 6: Why Does

Evolution Matter Now?” which shows the transmission of tuberculosis & the evolution of multiple drug-resistant strains of TB. Students will explain (with justification) the following:1. How does the misuse of antibiotics affect the

evolution of disease-causing bacteria?2. Why should we care about a resistant strain of

bacteria that develops in China?Formative Assessment:

Working in pairs, students design & carry out an inquiry-based activity that will allow them to apply the Hardy-Weinberg mathematical model. Each pair determines the population they would like to use & explain (with justification) how that population exhibits the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium or, if applicable, what conditions exist that are preventing it from representing the model. Results will be peer and

teacher reviewed.

Unit 1: Learning Objectives continued: Page 3 Materials Instructional Activities & AssessmentsEvidence for Evolution

Evaluate evidence provided by data from many scientific disciplines that support biological evolution [LO 1.9, SP 5.3]

Refine evidence based on data from many scientific disciplines that support biological evolution [LO 1.11, SP 4.2]

Design a plan to answer scientific questions regarding how organisms have changed over time using information from morphology, biochemistry, & geology [LO 1.11, SP 4.2]

Connect scientific evidence from many scientific disciplines to support the modern concept of evolution [LO 1.12, SP 7.1]

Claudisitics Construct &/or justify mathematical models, diagrams,

or simulations that represent processes of biological evolution [LO 1.13, SP 1.1, SP 2.1]

Pose scientific questions about a group of organisms whose relatedness is described by a phylogenetic tree or cladogram in order to (1) identify shared characteristics, (2) make inferences about the evolutionary history of the group, and (3) identify character data that could extend or improve the phylogenetic tree [LO 1.17, SP 3.1]

Construct explanations based on scientific evidence that homeostatic mechanisms reflect continuity due to common ancestry &/or divergence due to adaptation in different environments [LO 2.25, SP 6.21]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 22: “Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life”

Lamb, Trevor, D., “Evolution of the Eye”

Web “Instant”

Evolution Seen in Darwin’s Finches, Study Says”

Darwin Lives! Modern Humans Are Still Evolving”

Instructional Activities: After reading Lamb’s article, students will support or

refute the premise that the eye has changed over time due to natural selection. Students will evaluate data & evidence to support & explain (with justification) their claims about evolution & how organisms have changed over time.

Computer Lab: Students will use Berkeley’s Understanding Evolution website to engage in an exploration of the patterns in the diversity of life across Earth. Students will connect scientific evidence from different disciplines to help explain why organisms change over time. The website also offers the opportunity for students to interpret, analyze, & manipulate data while applying scientific reasoning skills as they infer how evolution has affected various species.

Students read & analyze articles from the two web sources noted under materials. Students then write an essay summarizing & explaining (with justification) how modern concepts of evolution are supported through natural selection. I will facilitate this activity as needed.

Students are given examples of cladograms, then will construct & justify their own cladograms (web activity). In the process students will be able to interpret & analyze common ancestry & degrees of evolutionary relationships

Formative Assessment: Using a set of organisms & characteristics provided,

students will analyze characteristics (type of cell, physical structures, etc.) & patterns, construct a cladogram, & answer questions that reflect their proper completion, interpretation, & application.

UNIT 1: Learning Objectives continued: Page 4 Materials Instructional Activities & AssessmentsOrigin of Species

Analyze data related to questions of speciation & extinction throughout Earth’s history [LO 1.20, SP 5.1]

Design a plan for collecting data to investigate the scientific claim that speciation & extinction have occurred throughout Earth’s history [LO 1.21, SP 4.2]

Use data from a real or simulated population(s), based on graphs or models & types of selection, to predict what will happen to the population in the future [LO 1.22, SP 4.2]

Justify the selection of data that addresses questions related to reproductive isolation & speciation [LO 1.23

Describe speciation in an isolated population & connect it to a change in gene frequency, change in environment, natural selection, &/or genetic drift [LO 1.24, SP 7.2]

Describe a model that represents evolution within a population [LO 1.25, SP 1.2]

Evaluate given data sets that illustrate evolution as an ongoing process [LO 1.26, SP 5.3]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 24: “The Origin of the Species”

Web “Speciation in

Real Time” “Evolution:

Species and Speciation”

Instructional Activities: After reading the article “Speciation in Real Time”

students will analyze data obtained from two groups of researchers who show how mating differences can evolve in bird populations in fewer than 50 years. Students will work in small groups to explain & analyze how evidence in the article suggests that lineage is beginning to split. Groups will make predictions (with justification) about the evolution of these bird populations beyond 50 years. Using these predictions & the article data, students will pose scientific questions about speciation evolution. I will facilitate as needed.

Students use speciation to apply species concepts, follow speciation events in frogs, & analyze speciation case studies of mosquitoes & the Florida Panther. Through this exploration of real studies in speciation, students reason how to collect data to deduce that processes of extinction currently exist. The case study that examines mosquitoes helps students to see how species & speciation affect disease vectors. Students will determine whether the Florida Panther is a unique species outside of other puma by conducting a case study. I will help direct students through speciation events as students direct their own learning & analysis.

Summative Assessments: Students will work in groups to construct models that

show evolutionary speciation of the state bird, the Carolina Wren. Each student will write a 3 – 5 page report that explains (with justification & evidence) the progression of evolutionary change & the

circumstances that lead to the new species.

Students take an assessment composed of 25 – 30 multiple choice questions; 2 or 3 short response questions, & 1 lab-based free-response question that requires data analysis based on whether Investigation 2: Mathematical Modeling: Hardy-Weinberg or Investigation 3: Comparing DNA Sequences to Understand Evolutionary Relationships with BLAST. The assessment will take approximately 90 minutes

UNIT 2: CELLULAR PROCESSES: ENERGY & COMMUNICATION


Laboratory Investigations:

▪ AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 4: Diffusion and Osmosis

▪ AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 5: Photosynthesis

Essential Questions:

▪ How is the cell the basic unit of life? ▪ How do substances enter & leave a cell? ▪ What is the relationship between structure & function of cell organelles?

▪ What mechanisms does a cell have to maintain homeostasis? ▪ How is free energy used to facilitate growth, reproduction, & sustain homeostasis?

▪ How are extracellular signals converted into cellular responses?

Learning Objectives Materials Instructional Activities & Assessments Explain how internal membranes& organelles

contribute to cell functions [LO 2.13, SP 6.2] Make a prediction about the interactions of subcellular

organelles [LO 4.4, SP 6.4] Construct explanations based on scientific evidence as

to how interactions of subcellular structures provide essential functions [LO 4.5, SP 6.2]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 6: “A Tour of the Cell”, and Chapter 27: “Bacteria and Archaea”

Web

Instructional Activities: In the “Cells Alive!” student-directed activity, students

construct a Venn diagram comparing prokaryotic & eukaryotic cells. Students explain (with justification) the nature of evolutionary relationships & how cellular organelles work together for homeostatic balance to maintain life. I will facilitate this activity.

Use representations & models to analyze situations qualitatively to describe how interactions of subcellular structures, which posess specialized functions, provide essential functions [ LO 4.6, SP 1.4]

Use representations & models to pose scientific questions about the properties of cell membranes & selective permeability based on molecular structure [LO 2.10, SP 1.4, SP 3.1]

Use representations & models to analyze situations or solve problems qualitatively or quantitatively to investigate whether dynamic homeostasis is maintained by the active movement of molecules across membranes [LO 2.12, SP 1.4}

UNIT 2: Learning Objectives continued page 2

“Cells Alive!”

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 7: “Membrane Structure and Function”

Materials

Students review micrograph pictures of bacteria, plant, & animal cells, making comparisons & predictions (with justification) on how interactions of the subcellular structures provide essential functions. The micrographs will be pictures I have printed off the internet & presented to class during lectures/notes or pictures similar to them. I will facilitate this activity by identifying cell organelles.

Students design a 3-D representation of a specific cell organelle. The representation will have a given size requirement and students then must calculate the scale to real size. Students will explain (with justification) the role their organelle has in maintenance of cellular homeostasis. These models will be peer & teacher reviewed.

Students are provided with a simplified diagram of the fluid mosaic model of a cell membrane. Students must draw and label the following into this basic diagram: cholesterol, glycoproteins, glycolipids, channel proteins, cell surface markers, pump, gated channel. This activity is student directed.

Instructional Activities & Assessments

Use calculated surface-area-to-volume ratios to predict which cell(s) might eliminate wastes or procure nutrients faster by diffusion [LO 2.6, SP 2.2]

Explain how cell size & shape affect the overall rate of nutrient intake & the rate of waste elimination [LO 2.7, SP 6.2]

Web“Cell Size”

AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 4: Diffusion and Osmosis”

Instructional Activities: To introduce this portion of Unit 2 I will bring in a

wilted plant & ask them to explain (with justification) the following:1. No one has watered this plant recently. Is it dead?2. What causes the plant to wilt?3. Is there anything to be done that will reverse the

wilting?Students pose scientific questions regarding the wilted plant, & selective permeability, the properties of cell membranes, & the movement of molecules across a membrane.

Students create visual representations that illustrate & explain examples of passive transport across the membrane; the role of proteins in cellular transport, hypotonic, hypertonic, & isotonic cellular environments; & movement of large molecules or large volumes of molecules (exocytosis, endocytosis).

Students design & conduct experiments to investigate processes of diffusion & osmosis in the transport of molecules across cell membranes. They will also analyze how surface-area-to-volume ratio affects the rate of diffusion by measuring the movement of acid into agar blocks with phenolphthalein. This lab is student directed & teacher facilitated.

Justify the selection of data regarding the types of molecules that an animal, plant, or bacterium will take up as necessary building blocks & excrete as waste products [LO 2.8, SP 4.1]

UNIT 2: Learning Objectives continued: Page 3

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 2: “The Chemical Context of Life”, Chapter 3: “Water and the Fitness of the Environment”, and Chapter 4: “Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life”

Materials

Formative Assessment: Students make three cube boxes using specific

dimensions to determine whether cell size is important in the homeostasis of cells. The focus is on the surface-area-to-volume ratio. Students explain (with justification) their answers to:1. Which cube would be most efficient as a cell?2. What role does the surface-area-to-volume ratio

have in cell efficiency?

Instructional Activities: Students work in groups, using vocabulary/concept

cards to construct a large-scale representation or model of the carbon or nitrogen cycle (some groups do carbon, some nitrogen), in different ecosystems. Student artifacts depict & explain the abiotic & biotic factors in the cycles. During group presentations, students should justify their selections & explanations. This is a student-directed, teacher facilitated activity.

Formative Assessment: Students are given an exit ticket as a closing to the

lesson or an entry ticket as a follow-up to the lesson on the next day. On the ticket, the students respond briefly, with justification, to the following constructed-response question: What role do the carbon & nitrogen cycles play in the production of complex organic molecules such as protein s& nucleic acids in living organisms? The assessment will be timed at 15 minutes.

Instructional Activities & Assessments Explain the connection between the sequences & the

subcomponents of a biological polymer & its properties [LO 4.7, SP 7.1]

Construct explanations based on evidence of how variation in molecular units provides cells with a larger range of functions [LO 4.11, SP 6.2]

Represent graphically or model quantitatively the exchange of molecules between an organism & its environment, & the subsequent use of these molecules to build new molecules that facilitate dynamic homeostasis, growth, & reproduction [LO 2.9, SP 1.1, SP 1.4]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 5: “The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules”

Instructional Activity: Students create molecular models demonstrating

SPONCH elements that form macromolecules important to the homeostasis of living systems & the sustainability of environmental systems. The models will be ones that students can manipulate to represent concepts such as dehydration & synthesis reactions. This activity is teacher facilitated & student driven.

Formative Assessments: Each student is given a picture of bacteria, plants, or

animals. Each picture has a guiding question that provides a springboard to write 3 to 5 paragraphs explaining the role of chemistry in biological systems.Guiding Question: Explain (with justification) the role of SPONCH elements in the environment depicted on

Refine representations & models to explain how the subcomponents of a biological polymer & their sequence determine the properties of a polymer [LO 4.2, SP 1.3]

Use models to predict & justify that change in the subcomponents of a biological polymer affect the functionality of the molecule [LO 4.3, SP 6.1, SP 6.4]

Analyze data to identify how molecular interactions affect structure & function [LO 4.17, SP 5.1]

UNIT 2: Learning Objectives Page: 4

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 8: “An Introduction to Metabolism” Web

LabBench Activty: Enzyme Catalysis”

“Enzymes Help Us Digest Food”

Materials

your card & how they are integral parts of the macromolecules essential to living systems. This is a student-directed, teacher-facilitated activity

Students use food nutritional labels to explain the role of macromolecules in the human body. Small groups of students each fold a large piece of paper into 4 squares, labeling each square with the name of a macromolecule. Students explain & justify how the food item will or will not supply the macromolecule sources, describe the types of molecules that a human requires as essential building blocks, & explain why it is necessary to continue to take in food for homeostatic purposes. Groups present & defend (with justification) their findings to the class. I will correct any misconceptions or inaccuracies verbally & provide feedback on sticky notes which I will place on their papers while they are working on them. All models will be posted in the room and students will tour the room adding comments on their sticky notes to each paper

Instructional Activities: Computer Lab: Students study some of the basic

principles of molecular movement in solution & perform a series of activities to investigate these processes. The LabBench enzyme catalysis activity allows students to explore how enzymes catalyze reactions by lowering activation energy. This is a student-directed, teacher-facilitated activity.

“Enzymes Help Us Digest Food” is a hands-on activity that allows students to explore enzyme specificity & function by analyzing the molecular basis for lactose intolerance. The activity requires them to justify the role of enzymes & to identify & predict the action of unknown enzymes. Students engage in self-directed work and I facilitate as needed.


Justify the scientific claim that organisms share many conserved core processes & features that evolved & are widely distributed among organisms today [LO 1.16, SP 6.1]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 6: “A Tour of the Cell”, Chapter 25: “The History of Life on Earth”

Instructional Activities: Students view slides or micrographs (cytoskeletons,

mitochondria, chloroplasts, linear chromosomes, & nuclear envelopes) that justify the scientific claim that organisms share core features. By viewing these representations, students are able to see structural evidence to support sommon ancestry between eukaryotes. This activity also provides students the opportunity to use microscopy & deduce the relationship of cell size & how organelles perform specific roles for maintaining homeostasis in organisms. The activity is student-directed & I assist

UNIT 2: Learning Objectives continued: Page 5 Materials

with individual use of microscopes as needed.

Students individually research Lynn Margulis’ hypothesis of endosymbiosis, then work in small groups to “pool” their information. Each group responds to the following prompts to justify the scientific claim that organisms share many conserved core processes:1. Based on Marguils’ hypothesis, how would the

endosymbiont lose its autonomy & become an organelle in eukaryotic cells?

2. Provide examples & justify evidence supporting the endosymbiotic theory for the origin of eukaryotes.

3. Provide evidence to refute Marguils’ hypothesis that prokaryotes gave rise to eukaryotes.

I will facilitate a discussion that supports Marguils’ hypothesis & offer room to refute it. At the end of the lesson students are asked to form their own opinion based on the scientific evidence collected & discussed.

Formative Assessment: Students will construct a concept map to illustrate the

relationships between the three domains of life: archaea, bacteria, & eukaryotes. Students will be asked to explain in writing the molecular processes & cellular features that are common in life. Students will present their concepts to the class for peer & teacher review.

Summative Assessment: The students take an assessment made up of 25 – 30

multiple choice questions, 2 – 3 short response questions, and 1 lab-based free response question that requires data based on movement of molecules through membranes: osmosis & diffusion. The assessment should take approximately 90 minutes.

Instructional Activities & AssessmentsEnergy

Explain how biological systems use free energy based on empirical data that all organisms require constant energy input to maintain organization, to grow, and to reproduce [LO 2.1, SP 6.2]

Justify a scientific claim that free energy is required for living systems to maintain organization, to grow, or to reproduce, but that multiple strategies exist in

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 8: “An Introduction to Metabolism”, Chapter 9: Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Chemical Energy”, and Chapter 10: “Photosynthesis”

Instructional Activities: Students research how fermentation occurs in yogurt,

cheese , chocolate, vinegar, or sourdough bread. They then write a 2-3 page paper using the following questions as a guide:1. What metabolic pathway is used in the

fermentation process?2. What substrate is involved in the process?

different living systems [LO 2.2, SP 6.2]

Predict how changes in free energy availability affect organisms, populations, & ecosystems [LO 2.3, SP 6.4]

Use representations & models to analyze how cooperative interactions within organisms promote efficiency in the use of energy & matter [LO 4.18, SP 1.4

Construct explanations of the mechanisms & structural features of cells that allow organisms to capture, store, or use free energy [LO 2.5, SP 6.2]

Describe specific examples of conserved core biological processes & features shared by all domains or within one domain of life, & how these shared, conserved processes & features support the concept of common ancestry for all organisms [LO 1.15, SP 7.2]

UNIT 2: Learning Objectives continued Page 6

AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigative Lab 5: Photosynthesis

Materials

3. What are the products that result from the process?

4. How is fermentation accomplished?5. How is the product prepared for consumption?This activity is student-directed & teacher facilitated.

Students use research & their understanding of fermentation to design & conduct an experiment to investigate how yeasts are able to metabolize a variety of sugars. I will facilitate as needed.

Using the floating leaf disk procedure, students investigate factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis in living leaves. Students design & conduct investigations using variables that may affect photosynthesis. This activity is student-directed and teacher facilitated.

Students read a teacher-selected article on research that justifies how herbicides block the metabolic pathways that allow a plant to photosynthesize. Students pose scientific questions about the research & construct explanations (with justification) regarding how mechanisms & structural features of the plant disallow the plan to capture, store, or use free energy.

Formative Assessment: Students will work in pairs to create a poster that

explains the interdependent relationships of cellular respiration & photosynthesis, and how the processes of cellular respiration & photosynthesis affect a runner in a marathon race. Students should use few words & focus on using graphics to represent the cyclic processes. This visual representation will be peer and teacher reviewed.

Instructional Activities & AssessmentsCell Communication / Signaling

Describe basic chemical processes for cell Campbell and Reece, Instructional Activities:

communications shared across evolutionary lines of descent [LO 3.31, SP 7.2]

Generate scientific questions involving cell communication as it relates to the process of evolution [LO 3.32, SP 3.1]

Use representation(s) & appropriate models to describe features of a cell signaling pathway [LO 3.33, SP 1.4]

Construct explanations of cell communication through cell-to-cell direct contact or through chemical signaling [LO 3.34, SP 6.2]

Create representation(s) that depict how cell-to-cell communication occurs by direct contact or from a distance through chemical signaling [LO 3.35, SP 1.1]

Describe a model that expresses the key elements of signal transduction pathways by which a signal is converted to a cellular response [LO 3.36, SP 1.5]

Justify claims based on scientific evidence that changes in signal transduction pathways can alter cellular responses [LO 3.37, SP 1.5]

Describe a model that expresses key elements to show how change in signal transduction can alter cellular response [LO 3.38, SP 1.5]

Construct an explanation of how certain drugs affect signal reception and so, signal transduction pathways [LO 3.39, SP 6.2]

Chapter 11: “Cell Communication”

Web “Pathways with

Friends” “Amazing Cells:

Cells Communicate

Students engage in an online investigation that addresses how the cell communicates through signals aided by pathways made of mostly proteins. During this activity students will:1. View a 3-D animation for cell communication, the

fight or flight response2. Examine an in-depth view of how cells

communicate during a fight or flight response3. Engage in an interactive exploration called

“Dropping Signals”4. Learn what happens when cell communication goes

wrong5. Look at the inside story of cell communicationThis activity is student-directed & teacher-facilitated.

In the activity “Pathways with Friends” students model cell communication by acting as components in a cell signaling pathway. This teacher-directed activity provides a model for cell communication and the student-directed class discussion of the activity allows them to explain cell communication & to predict (with justification) what would happen if “someone didn’t do their job” (conformational changes in the components of cell signaling)

Students, working in pairs, create a model using cut out pieces of construction paper to illustrate the key features/components in a G-protein receptor system & the three stages of cell signaling: reception, transduction, and cellular response. Students will describe & present their models for peer & teacher review & revisions as needed.

Summative Assessment: Students take an assessment that is made up of 25 – 30

multiple choice questions, 2 or 3 short response questions (one on cell signaling), and 1 lab-based free response question that requires data analysis based on photosynthesis &/or diffusion & osmosis. The assessment should take approximately 90 minutes.

UNIT 3: GENETICS & INFORMATION TRANSFER



▪ AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 9: Biotechnology: Restriction Enzyme Analysis of DNA

▪ AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 8: Biotechnology: Bacterial Transformation

Essential Questions: ▪ How are traits passed from one generation to another? ▪ How do eukaryotic cells store, retrieve, & transmit genetic information?

▪ How are genotype & human disorders related? ▪ How does gene expression control the cell & affect its metabolism? ▪ What are the social, political, and ethical issues related to

genetic engineering?

Learning Objectives Materials Instructional Activities & AssessmentsCell Cycle, Mitosis, Meiosis

Make predictions about the natural phenomena occurring during the cell cycle [LO 3.7, SP 6.4

Describe events that occur in the cell cycle [LO 3.8, SP 1.2]

Construct an explanation, visual representations or narratives, as to how DNA in chromosomes is transmitted to the next generation via mitosis, or meiosis followed by fertilization [LO 3.9, SP 6.2]

Represent the connection between meiosis & increased genetic diversity necessary for evolution [LO 3.10, SP 7.1]

Evaluate evidence provided by data sets to support the claim that heritable information is passed from one generation to another through mitosis, or meiosis followed by fertilization [LO 3.11, SP 5.3]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 12: “The Cell Cycle”, Chapter 13: “Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles”, and Chapter 21: “Genomes and Their Evolution”

Web “Microscopic

Close Up: Mammal Cell Undergoing Mitosis in Orange Environment”

“Mitosis & Meiosis: Doing It on the Table”

Instructional Activities: Students make slides of onion root tips to view mitotic

cell division. They explain (with justification) why more cells will be in interphase. Students make predictions (with justification) about the events that occur during the cell cycle. This activity has components that are both student-directed and teacher-directed.

Students watch & analyze time-lapse video clips of mitotic cell division. The events in the video clips illustrate that mitosis is a continuous process with observable structural features & different phases. Students then construct a pictorial representation that show the following processes in mitosis: replication, alignment, separation. This activity is student-directed and I facilitate use of microscope as needed.

Students create a Venn diagram comparing the process of eukaryotes passing heritable information to next generations of cells by mitosis & by meiosis. They support this comparison with evidence provided by data sets. Students make & explain connections between mitosis & meiosis & increased genetic diversity & evaluate & explain differences & similarities between mitosis & meiosis. This is a student-drive, teacher-facilitated activity.

Students reinforce their understanding of mitosis &

UNIT 3: Learning Objectives continued Page 2 Materials

meiosis by using pipe cleaners to model critical distinctions between what happens to chromosomes during the cell cycles. Students demonstrate what happens to one pair of chromosomes during mitosis & then explains each stage correctly. Then they do the same with a pair of chromosomes going through meiosis. This is a student-directed, teacher-facilitated activity.


Mendel’s Model Construct a representation that connects the process of

meiosis to the passage of traits from parent to offspring [LO 3.12, SP 1.1, SP 7.2]

Pose questions about the ethical, social, or medical issues surrounding human genetic disorders [LO 3.13, SP 3.1]

Apply mathematical routines to determine Mendelian patterns of inheritance provided by data sets [LO 3.14, SP 2.2]

Explain deviations from Mendel’s model of the inheritance of traits [LO 3.15, SP 6.5]

Explain how the inheritance patterns of many traits cannot be accounted for by Mendelian genetics [LO 3.16, SP 6.3]

Skloot, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 9: Biotechnology: Restriction Enzyme Analysis of DNA

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 14: “Mendel and the Gene Idea”, and Chapter 15: “The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance”

Web “Who’s the

Father?”

Instructional Activities: Students read & analyze The Immortal Life of

Henrietta Lacks over a 2 week period as a project. They will work in small groups to discuss & explain the nature of cancer cells & the cell cycle, use of HeLa cells in scientific research and legal & ethical questions regarding using human cells & tissues for scientific research without consent. I will facilitate this discussion.

Students explore & explain how to use genetic information to identify & profile individuals. They apply mathematical routines to determine the approximate sizes of DNA fragments produced by restriction enzymes. Students also design & conduct experiments based on their own questions. Parts of this activity are student-directed; parts are teacher-directed.

Summative Assessment: Students take a test made up of 20-25 multiple choice

questions, 1-2 short-response questions, and 1 lab-based mitosis/meiosis free-response question. This assessment should take approximately 60 minutes.

Instructional Activity: Students conduct a long-term activity using Wisconsin

Fast Plants that connects the process of meiosis to the passage of traits from parent to offspring. This exploration is an introduction to genetics; I will facilitate as necessary. Students will be self-directed in their observation of data. They will:1. Water their plants2. Articulate a hypothesis about the inheritance of

genes3. Gather evidence in a notebook4. Determine whether their evidence supports their

hypothesis5. Explain inheritance of a single trait in Wisconsin

Fast Plants based on their evidence6. Determine the father’s (P2) stem color, based on

UNIT 3: Learning Objectives continued Page 3Materials

their expectation of inheritance7. Use the chi-square test to explain deviations

between any expected a& observed result


Describe representations of an appropriate example of inheritance patterns that cannot be explained by Mendel’s model of the inheritance of traits [LO 3.17, SP 1.2]

Construct explanations of the influence of environmental factors on the phenotype of an organism [LO 4.23, SP 6.2]

Use evidence to justify a claim that a variety of phenotypic responses to a single environmental factor can result from different genotypes within the population [LO 4.25, SP 6.1]

Web “Genetic Disease

Information-pronto!”

Instructional Activities:

Students examine an ear of corn & determine the type of cross & genes responsible for the coloration & texture of the corn kernels. Students pose scientific questions & form a hypothesis as they attempt to determine whether there is a significant difference between the expected frequencies & the observed frequencies in color & texture. This is a student-guided, teacher-facilitated activity.

Students use the Human Genome research site to explore single-gene disease disorders (cystic fibrosis, sickle-cell anemia, Tay-Sachs disease , Allgrove syndrome, Huntington’s disease, X-linked color blindness, Trisomy 21/Down Syndrome, phenylketonuria, Marfan syndrome, and Klinefelter’s syndrome). After researching these diseases individually, students work in small groups to discuss ethical, social, political, and medical issues that surround human disorders. The entire class will then participate in a discussion. I will serve as facilitator.

Formative Assessment: Students solve monohybrid & dihybrid test crosses.

The focus of the assessment is student understanding of phenotypic & genotypic ratios & how traits are passed from one generation to the next. Students report their findings to the class for peer & teacher review. This assessment is teacher facilitated.

Summative Assessment:


Materials

Students take an assessment made up of 20-25 multiple choice questions, 2 short response questions, and 1 free-response question based on data including chi-square. The assessment should take approximately 60 minutes.


Gene to Protein Construct scientific explanations that use the

structures & mechanics of DNA & RNA to support the claim that DNA and, in some cases, RNA are the primary sources of heritable information [LO 3.1, SP 6.5]

Justify the selection of data from historical investigations that support the claim that DNA is the source of heritable information [LO 3.2, SP 4.1]

Describe representations & models that illustrate how genetic information is copied for transmission between generations [LO 3.3, SP 1.2]

Create a visual representation to illustrate how changes in DNA nucleotide sequence can result in a change in the polypeptide produced [LO 3.25, SP 1.1]

Predict how a change in a specific DNA or RNA sequence can result in changes in gene expression [LO 3.6, SP 6.4]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter16: “The Molecular Basis of Inheritance”, and Chapter 17: “From Gene to Protein”

Web “Cracking the

Code of Life: See Your DNA”

“A Science Odyssey: You Try It: DNA Workshop”

Instructional Activities: Students perform a DNA extraction of their own cheek

cells. After the lab, students explain (with justification) how advances in biotechnology have been used in real-life applications. Students debate the ethical issues that surround DNA information. The activity is student-directed & teacher-facilitated.

Working in pairs, students research & justify data supporting important milestones in the identification of DNA genetic material. Each group presents to the class & teacher. Students pose questions about DNA that are still unanswered. They then predict (with current data-based justification) what advances in DNA use & biotechnology are yet to come. This is a student self-guided, teacher facilitated activity.

Computer Lab: Students explore the interactive activity, “DNA Workshop”. In this student-directed activity, students justify the role of DNA replication being the starting point toward the goal of protein synthesis. Students manipulate on-line models to create representations of DNA replication, transcription, & translation. This is a teacher-facilitated activity

Students use construction paper, markers, & scissors to construct a model of DNA using at least 24 nucleotides. Students use the model to distinguish

between DNA & RNA, to model & explain the processes of replication, transcription, & translation; and to predict (with justification) the effects of change (mutation) on the original nucleotide sequence. This activity is student-directed & teacher facilitated.

Formative Assessment: Students work in self-directed groups to place puzzle

pieces together that illustrate the structures of DNA, RNA, and DNA replication, transcription, & translation. This is teacher-facilitated to ensure the representations illustrate how genetic information is translated into polypeptides leading to protein production. As teacher, I will also manipulate the representation to depict changes in DNA nucleotide sequence. Students remain working in small groups to predict & justify how changes in DNA or RNA sequences can affect how the genes are expressed. At the end of the lesson I supply a summary.

Summative Assessment: The students take an assessment that is made up of 20-

25 multiple choice questions, 1-2 short-response questions, and 1 free-response question with analysis of representations of the DNA structure, DNA replication, and DNA transcription and translation. This assessment should take approximately 60 minutes.

UNIT 3 Learning Objectives continued Page 5 Materials Instructional Activities & AssessmentsGene Expression

Describe the connection between the regulation of gene expression & observed differences between different kinds of organisms [LO 3.18, SP 7.1]

Describe the connection between the regulation of gene expression & observed differences between individuals in a population [LO 3.19, SP 7,1]

Explain how the regulation of gene expression is essential for the processes & structures that support efficient cell function [LO 3.20, SP 6.2]

Use representations to describe how gene regulation influences cell products & function [LO 3.21, SP 1.4]

Refine representations to illustrate how interactions between external stimuli & gene expression result in specialization of cells, tissues, & organs [LO 4.7, SP 1.3]

Justify a claim made about the effect(s) on a biological

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 20: “Biotechnology” and Chapter 21: “Genomes and Their Evolution”

Web“Hedgehog Signaling in Animal Development: paradigms and Principles”

DNatube.com/hedgehog

“rediscovering Biology:

Instructional Activities: In this student-guided activity, students use

construction paper or other creative materials to construct models of the lac &/or tryp operons that include a regulator, promoter, operator, & structural genes. Students use the model to make prediction (with justification0 about the effects of mutations in any of the regions on gene expression. This is a teacher-facilitated activity.

Students create PowerPoint presentations to distinguish between embryonic versus adult stem cells. Students work in small groups to explain (with justification) their arguments for & against stem cell research. This activity is student-directed & teacher-facilitated.

Students watch animations & explain (with justification) how the normal hedgehog signaling pathway can be blocked, why the level of hedgehog signaling protein that the cell binds to is important, & how the hedgehog signaling pathway can trigger

system at the molecular, physiological, or organismal level when given a scenario in which one or more components within a negative regulatory system is altered [LO 2.15, SP 6.1]

Explain how signal pathways mediate gene expression, including how this process can affect protein production [LO 3.22, SP 6.2]

Use representations to describe mechanisms of the regulation of gene expression [LO 3.23, SP 1.4]

Connect concepts in & across domains to show that timing & coordination of specific events are necessary for normal development in an organism & that these events are regulated by multiple mechanisms [LO 2.31, SP 7.2]

Use a graph or diagram to analyze situations or solve problems (quantitatively or qualitatively) that involve timing & coordination of events necessary for normal development in an organism [LO 2.33, SP 1.4]

Justify scientific claims with scientific evidence to show that timing & coordination of several events are necessary for normal development in an organism & that these events are regulated by multiple mechanisms [LO 2.33, SP 6.1]

Describe the role of programmed cell death in development & differentiation, the reuse of molecules, & the maintenance of dynamic homeostasis [LO 2.34, SP 7.1]


Unit 7: Genetics of Development: Animations and Images”

Materials

expression of developmentally important genes. Components of this activity are both student-directed & teacher-directed.

Formative Assessments: As an exit ticket, students respond to the question:

What role does the hedgehog protein play in embryonic development?

Students distinguish between the terms determination & differentiation with regard to gene expression. Students work in pairs to provide an example & explanation of experimental evidence that supports the claim that different cell types result from differential gene expression in cells with the same DNA. The activity is teacher-guided and student-driven.

Summative Assessment: The students take an assessment that is made up of 20-

25 multiple choice questions, 1-2 short response questions, and 1 free-response question. The assessment should take approximately 60 minutes.

Instructional Activities & AssessmentsGenetic Engineering

Justify the claim that humans can manipulate heritable information by identifying at least two commonly used technologies [LO 3.4, SP 6.4]

Predict how a change in genotype, when expressed as a phenotype, provides a variation that can be subject to natural selection [LO 3.24, SP 6.4, SP 7.2]

Explain the connection between genetic variations in organisms & phenotypic variations in populations [LO 3.26, SP 7.2]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 20: “Biotechnology”

AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 8: Biotechnology: Bacterial Transformation

VideoGattaca

Instructional Activities:

Students explore how to use genetic-engineering techniques to manipulate heritable information. They will also apply mathematical routines to determine transformation efficiency. Components of this lab are student/ teacher-directed

Students view & explain the film Gattaca. During the film, students make notations of biotechnology applications. After the film, students justify their notations of biotechnology applications & explain (with

Predict the effect of a change in an environmental factor on the genotypic expression of the phenotype [LO 4.24, SP 6.4]

evidence) whether the science was real or could become real. Students evaluate advances in biotechnology & how ethical issues may get in the way of its advancement. The activity is student-driven & teacher-facilitated.

Formative Assessment: Students describe future scenarios (written &

illustrated) that reflect advancement in our current knowledge of biotechnology. The futuristic scenarios are shared in class & then everyone participates in a discussion that poses questions & ideas about genetic engineering & ethical &/or medical issues raised by human manipulation of DNA. This activity is both student & teacher lead,

Summative Assessment: The students respond to free-respnse questions based

on AP Biology Investigation 8: Bacterial Transformation and Investigation 9: Biotechnology: Restriction Enzyme Analysis of DNA

UNIT 4: INTERACTIONS



▪ AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 11: Transpiration

▪ AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 12: Fruit Fly Behavior

Essential Questions: ▪ How do interactions between & within populations influence patterns of species distribution & abundance? ▪ How do individuals use energy & matter to survive in an ecosystem? ▪ How do humans impact the biodiversity of ecosystems? ▪ What role does the environment play in sustaining homeostasis in biological systems?

Learning Objectives Materials Instructional Activities & Assessments

Origin of Life Describe a scientific hypothesis about the origin of life

on Earth [LO 1.27, SP 1.2]

Evaluate scientific questions based on hypotheses about the origin of life on Earth [LO 1.28, SP 3.3]

Describe the reasons for revisions of scientific hypotheses of the origin of life on Earth [LO 1.29, SP 6.3]

Evaluate the accuracy & legitimacy of data to answer scientific questions about the origin of life on Earth [LO 1.31, SP 4.4]

Evaluate scientific hypotheses about the origin of life on Earth [LO 1.30, SP 6.5]

Justify the selection of geological, physical, & chemical data that reveal early Earth conditions [LO 1.32, SP 4.1]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 26: “Phylogeny and the Tree of Life”

Web “Exploring Life’s

Origins: A Timeline of Life’s Evolution”

Instructional Activity: This activity starts with a class discussion about the

origin of life. Students propose a hypothesis regarding how the Earth was formed. Students then write a description of early Earth using biotic factors & explore a web –based time line that details events in the history of life on Earth. Through this exploration, students will describe & evaluate scientific hypotheses about the origin of the Earth. Students will also evaluate their personal hypotheses about the origin of the Earth against the web-based model of the origin & evolution of Earth. The initial classroom discussion is teacher-lead, however, the remaining parts of this activity are student-lead.

UNIT 4: Learning Objectives continued: Page 2 Materials Instructional Activities & AssessmentsViruses vs. Cells

Construct an explanation of how viruses introduce genetic variation in host organisms [LO 3.29, SP 6.2]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 19: “Viruses”

Instructional Activities: Students read & analyze the article “Genetic Variation

Use representations & appropriate models to describe how viral replication introduces genetic variation in the viral population [LO 3.30, SP 1.4]

Connect differences in the environment with the evolution of homeostatic mechanisms [LO 2.27, SP 7.1]


Web “Genetic

Variation Increases HIV Risk in Africans”

www.cdc.gov

Web “What You

Should Know About Antiviral Drugs”

Materials

Increases HIV Risk in Africans” (Science Daily). The article presents an explanation of how viral replication can introduce genetic variation in a viral population. As a follow-up to their reading, students write a 1-page summary, explaining (with justification) how viruses introduce genetic variation into host organisms. Students share their summaries with the class then I will present a summary of the role viruses play in genetic variation. This activity involves the teacher as facilitator and students are self-guided

In this student-directed activity, students make a Venn diagram to describe the differences between viruses & human cells. This activity provides the basis for student understanding of viruses & how they introduce genetic variation into host cells. Students work in pairs to explain (with justification) how viruses are not living, but play an important role in biological systems. As facilitator, I monitor student progress, answer questions, * choose certain pairs to present to class.

Formative Assessment: Students research & analyze scholarly articles at

www.cdc.gov seeking to prove or disprove the idea that antiviral drugs work. Students work in pairs to report & share their findings. Students explain (with justification) why it is difficult to pinpoint which strain of virus to attack with antiviral drugs.

Instructional Activity: Role-playing & using materials available in the

classroom, students work in small groups to demonstrate details of timing & coordination of physiological events. Groups choose either a plant or animal example. Examples of plant physiological events are phototropism & photoperiodism. Examples of animal physiological events are circadian rhythms, diurnal/nocturnal cycles, jet lag, seasonal responses, & the effect of pheromones. This activity is student-directed & teacher-facilitated.

Summative Assessment: The students take an assessment that consists of 25 –

30 multiple choice questions, 2 or 3 short-response questions, and one long free-response question based on a scenario with data analysis covering homeostasis & regulatory mechanisms in biological system (from cells to ecosystem). The assessment should take approximately 90 minutes.

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.cdc.gov/


Interactions with Environment Refine scientific models & questions about the effect of

complex biotic & abiotic interactions on all biological systems, from cells & organisms to populations, communities, & ecosystems [LO 2.22, SP 1.3, SP 3.2]

Design a plan for collecting data to show that all biological systems (cells, organisms, populations, communities, & ecosystems) are affected by complex biotic & abiotic interactions [LO 2.23, SP 4.2, SP 7.2]

Analyze data to identify possible patterns & relationships between a biotic or abiotic factor & a biological system (cell, organism, population, community, or ecosystem). [LO 2.24, SP 5.1]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 52: “An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere” and Chapter 36: “Transport in Vascular Plants”

Web “The Habitable

Planet: Interactive Labs: Disease Lab”

AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 11: Transpiration

Instructional Activities: Students create travel magazines that depict &

describe the 5 different biomes. For each biome, the student will start from the macro level drilling down (biome, country, city/town, specific ecosystem, specific animal, & specific plant). Students explain (with justification) unique adaptations for their selected plant & animal that allow for survival in that biome. Students will include abiotic & biotic factors. This activity is student-guided and I am the facilitator.

In this student-directed & inquiry-based activity, students participate in an interactive lesson that explores various types of diseases. Each disease represents a fast-speeding epidemic with a high mortality rate. Students explain how abiotic & biotic factors affect the spread of diseases, & what we can do to counter them. My role is that of facilitator.

In this lab investigation, students need little supervision to design & conduct experiments as they investigate the effects of environmental variables on transpiration rates. Students determine how biological systems are affected by complex biotic & abiotic interactions. I am the facilitator during this lab activity.

Formative Assessment: Students are self-guided as they use the data from the

AP Biology Investigation 11: Transpiration to graph & analyze their result & draw conclusions. Students explain (with justification) the role of abiotic & biotic factors in their analyses.

Summative Assessment: The students take an assessment that is made up of 10

-15 multiple choice questions, 1 short-response question & 1 free-response question that requires data analysis based on Investigation 11: Transpiration. The assessment should take approximately 60 minutes

UNIT 4: Learning Objectives continued: Page 4 Materials


Behavior Justify scientific claims, using evidence, to describe

how timing & coordination of behavioral events in organisms are regulated by several mechanisms [LO 2.49, SP 6.1]

Connect concepts in & across domain(s) to predict how environmental factors affect responses to information & change behavior [LO 2.40, SP 7.2]

Analyze data that indicate how organisms exchange information in response to internal changes & external cues, & which can change behavior [LO 3.40, SP 5.1]

Create a representation that describes how organisms exchange information in response to internal changes & external cues, & which can result in changes in changes in behavior

[LO 3.41, SP 1.1]

Describe how organisms exchange information in response to internal changes or environmental cues [LO 3.42, SP 7.1]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 51: “Animal Behavior”

Web “Circadian

Rhythms”

AP Biology Investigative Labs (2012), Investigation 12: Fruit Fly Behavior

Instructional Activities: Students independently explore an interactive tutorial

on circadian rhythms. This tutorial includes examples of measurements of biological rhythms. Students use this activity to explain & justify how timing & coordination of behavioral events in organisms are regulated. The students are self-guided & I am the facilitator.

In this lab investigation, students construct choice chambers to investigate behaviors that underlie chemotaxis. Students will design & conduct experiments based on their own research questions. This lab is student directed & teacher-facilitated.

Students choose & observe specific behaviors in 3 breeds of dogs. In written reports, students describe how dogs exchange information in response to internal changes & external cues. Students make recommendations to determine which type of dog is best suited to live on a farm, in a loft apartment, &/or in a condominium. This activity is student guided & facilitated by me.


Materials


Responses and Defenses Create representations & models to describe immune

responses [LO 2.29, SP 1.2]

Create representations or models to describe nonspecific immune defenses in plants & animals [LO 2.30, SP 1.1, SP 1.2]

Construct an explanation, based on scientific theories & models, about how nervous systems detect external & internal signals, transmit & integrate information, & produce responses [LO 3.43, SP 6.2, SP 7.1]

Describe how nervous systems detect external & internal signals [LO 3.44, SP 1.2]

Describe how nervous systems transmit information [LO 3.45, SP 1.2]

Describe how the vertebrate brain integrates information to produce a response [LO 3.46, SP 1.2]

Create a visual representation of complex nervous systems to describe/explain how these system detect external & internal signals, transmit & integrate information, & produce responses [LO 3.47, SP 1.1]

Create a visual representation to describe how nervous systems detect external & internal signals [LO 3.48, SP 1.1]

Create a visual representation to describe how nervous systems transmit information [LO 3.49, SP 1.1]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 39: “Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals”, Chapter 43: “The Immune System”, and Chapter 49: “Nervous System”

ABO-Rh Blood Typing with Synthetic Blood Kit

Instructional Activity: Students create posters that describe the immune

system. Each poster should show examples of how plants or animals use chemical defenses against infectious diseases. This lesson is student-directed & I facilitate it.

Formative Assessment: Students write a 1-page response to the following

statement: A baby is born with its mother’s immune system. After students complete their responses, I will initiate a discussion by asking students to share those responses with the class.

Instructional Activities: Students are self-guided as they use simulated blood &

sera to investigate the relationship between antigens & antibodies. The students use ABO-Rh blood typing to describe a nonspecific immune defense found in the human body. This activity is teacher-facilitated.

Students work in pairs to design a teaching model of the nervous system to be used for patients in a doctor’s office. In this activity, the students explain how the nervous system transmits information & how the brain integrates this information to produce a response. Students also create brochures that could be given to patients. The brochure explains (with justification) how the nervous system transmits information, how it detects external & internal signals, & how the brain integrates information to produce a response. This

Create a visual representation to describe how the vertebrate brain integrates information to produce a response [LO 3.50, SP 1.1]

UNIT 4 Learning Objectives continued: Page 6

Materials

activity is student-guided and teacher-facilitated.


Living Together Evaluate scientific questions concerning organisms

that exhibit complex properties due to the interaction of their constituent parts [LO 4.8, SP 3.3]

Predict the effects of a change is a component(s) of a biological system on the functionality of an organism(s) [LO 4.9, SP 6.4]

Refine representations & models to illustrate biocomplexity due to interactions of the constituent parts [LO 4.10, SP 1.3]

Justify the selection of the kind of data needed to answer scientific questions about the interactions of populations within communities [LO 4.11, SP 1.4, SP 4.1]

Apply mathematical routines to quantities that describe communities composed of populations of organisms that interact in complex ways [LO 4.12, SP 2.2]

Predict the effects of a change in the community’s populations on the community [LO 4.13, SP 6.4]

Predict the effects of a change of matter or energy availability on communities [LO 4.16, SP 6.4]

Use data analysis to refine observations & measurements regarding the effect of population interactions on patterns of species distribution & abundance [LO 4.19, SP 5.2]

Predict consequences of human action on both local & global ecosystems [LO 4.21, SP 6.4]

Make scientific claims & predictions about how species diversity within an ecosystem influences ecosystem stability [LO 4.27, SP 6.4]

Campbell and Reece, Chapter 53: “Population Ecology”, Chapter 54: “Community Ecology”, Chapter55: “Ecosystems”, Chapter 40: “Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function”, and Chapter 56: “Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology”

Heitz and Giffen, Practicing Biology: A Student Workbook, Activity 43.1

Instructional Activities: Students work in pairs to describe 5 talking points

regarding populations, communities, & ecosystems. Students explain (with justification) the talking points on chart paper. Each group posts their paper on the wall for a gallery walk. Groups visit each paper & discuss (& post with sticky notes) how the 3 topics relate to each other. Everyone reviews all the sticky notes. This activity is student focused & facilitated by me.

Formative Assessments: Students create visual representations that illustrate

biocomplexity & interactions in the environment. Each representation should be a depiction across systems (starting from the biosphere & going to the habitat of an organism). The following should also be included: biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, organism, habitat, & niche. Abiotic & biotic factors should be included where applicable.

Students create posters that illustrate the effect of a change in matter & energy availability in an ecosystem. Students are self-guided as they describe the trophic structure of the ecosystem & explain how organisms receive inputs of energy & nutrients, where outputs go, & the effects each organisms has on the others. They include energy transformations & transfers based on the hypothetical assumption that 10,500 J of net energy is available at the producer level, and they determine the organisms that are placed in each trophic level. Students share their posters with the class for peer review. The teacher acts as facilitator.

Instructional Activities: Students work through activity 43.1 in the Heitz &

Giffen workbook to explore models that scientists use to calculate population growth rates. Students apply the growth model dN/dt = rN to several different populations & make predictions (with justification)


Web“Are All Invasive Species Bad?”

Materials

regarding the effects of changes in populations. The students are self-guided in this teacher-facilitated activity.

Students are self-guided as they research how the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (04/20/2010) affected marine life. Students extend learning to researching what effect the gulf spill had globally. Students write a 2-3 page report summarizing the effects in the Gulf and globally and include predictions for marine life in the Gulf as a result of the spill. I will facilitate this activity.

Students are self-guided as they read & analyze “Are All Invasive Species Bad?” Students complete an article analysis & include a personal response to the article’s claims. As facilitator I will also provide a class summary of student analyses & personal responses

Instructional Activities & AssessmentsLiving Together continued

Make scientific claims & predictions about how species diversity within an ecosystem influences ecosystem stability [LO 4.27, SP 6.4]

Instructional Activities continued: Students are self-guided as they research rubber as a

Brazilian rainforest product & explain how it is harvested. Students make connections between the role of humans & the effect the rubber production business has had on the Amazon rainforest environment. I will act as teacher-facilitator in this activity.

Students are self-guided as they research the biology & natural history of the timber wolf, its status in the habitats of North America, & how the wolf and humans interact. Through their research, students determine the pros and cons of the current wolf management protocol currently used in the United States. I will act as facilitator in this activity

Summative Assessment: Students take an assessment that is made up of 25-30

multiple choice questions, 2-3 short-response questions, and 1 lab-based free-response question based on a scenario & data analysis with application of quantitative skills & science practices. The assessment should take approximately 90 minutes.

Documents

· Web viewUse data from mathematical models based on the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to analyze genetic drift & the effects of selection in the evolution of specific populations