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: SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 *Unit 1: Chemistry of Life *Unit 5: Heredity *Unit 2: Cell Structure & Function *Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation *Unit 3: Cellular Energetics *Unit 7: Natural Selection *Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle *Unit 8: Ecology
There are 4 Big Ideas that merit consideration throughout the exploration of the curriculum:
Big Idea 1: EVOLUTION
Big Idea 2: ENERGETICS
Big Idea 3: INFORMATION STORAGE & TRANSMISSION
Big Idea 4: SYSTEMS INTERACTIONS
The course will devote at least 25% of the instructional time on hands-on laboratory work, with an emphasis on inquiry-based investigations that provide students with opportunities to apply science practices.
Given the speed with which scientific discoveries and research continuously expand scientific knowledge, the course framework embraces a deemphasizing of the traditional "content coverage" model of instruction in favor of one that focuses on enduring, conceptual understandings and the content that supports them. This approach enables students to spend less time on factual recall and more time on inquiry-based learning of essential concepts, helping them develop reasoning skills necessary to engage in the science practices used throughout their study of AP Biology. The result will be readiness for the study of advanced topics in subsequent college courses!