Explore Biology | Assignments | AP Biology Teaching & Learning Resources

Welcome! Daily assignments are posted here. Check back often! If I am ever absent from school (a rarity!), you must check this site for an update on your schoolwork responsibilities.
Green days are school vacation days.

AP BIOLOGY ANNOUNCEMENT:

Thanksgiving Assignment:
Your overall assignment is to learn Chapter 5: Cell Structure and be ready for a quizzam (Quiz/Exam) on it when you get back. To help you we are giving you a whole lot of resources:

Your Assignment in Detail: Produce a presentation of some sort that teaches other students the anatomy and function of ALL the cell organelles. You can use any online tool to create or post your presentation, like VoiceThread, Scrapblog, Prezi, create a movie (iMovie on Mac or MovieMaker for PC) and post it on Vimeo or YouTube, create a fake online community of organelles on FaceBook, etc. This can be creative. For example, one class I know did a pirate movie. You CANNOT produce a PPT presentation since that is the form your resources are in. We want you to learn a new tool. Here is an article on free movie making software.
00organelles2008.pdf: Worksheets that you received in class, but can download again if you need. Included in the worksheets is an illustration of an animal and a plant cell that you can fill out with the "Baby Bio" PPT listed below. Fill out the blank chart while you watch the AP PPTs and then add from textbook reading.
01CellOrganelles2009REGENTS.ppt: An introductory PPT that I use in "Baby Bio". It's a good place to start, but don't stop there! Fill out the worksheets with the animal and plant cell diagrams while watching this.
02Ch05organelles12009.ppt: The first of the AP lectures. It's about the organelles involved in making proteins. Fill out the blank chart worksheet while watching this.
03Ch05organelles22009.ppt: The second of the AP lectures. It's about the organelles involved in making energy. Fill out the blank chart worksheet while watching this.
04Ch05organelles32009.ppt: The third of the AP lectures. It's about the organelles involved in making new cells. Fill out the blank chart worksheet while watching this.
I have also included links to PDF versions of the PPTs, in case you do not have a working copy of PowerPoint. But it is much better to watch the PPTs with the animations. Try to go to the Public Library (Click here for their hours) and use their computers

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September 2010

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

** Sign Up for Oct. 9 SAT & SAT II; deadline Sept. 10! **
Textbook: Complete Chapter 1 and its Guided Notes
Exams: Always be prepared for POP! quizzes on current material!
Lab: Think about blackworms and how to test effects on heart rate of various substances
Other: Bring in your notebooks (lab book and 3-ring binder)
Bring in signed field trip permission slips.
Bring in money for books and field trips if you forgot today.
Textbook (Raven) stays home always. Test Prep book (Holtzclaw) stays home for now.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

** Sign Up for Oct. 9 SAT & SAT II; deadline TOMORROW! **
** Rosh Hashanah **
Textbook: Complete Chapter 1 and its Guided Notes
Exams: Always be prepared for POP! quizzes on current material!
Lab: Think about blackworms and how to test effects on heart rate of various substances
Other: Bring in your notebooks (lab book and 3-ring binder)
Bring in signed field trip permission slips.
Bring in money for books and field trips if you forgot.
Textbook (Raven) stays home always. Test Prep book (Holtzclaw) stays home for now.

Friday, September 10, 2010 & the weekend

** Sign Up for Oct. 23 ACT; deadline Sept. 17 **
** Rosh Hashanah **
Textbook: Complete Chapter 1 and its Guided Notes
Exams: Always be prepared for POP! quizzes on current material!
Lab: Think about blackworms and how to test effects on heart rate of various substances.
Check out these links to show you blackworm anatomy and pulse rate in the dorsal blood vessel:

Dorsal (back) vs. Ventral (front/abdomen) blood vessels: Blackworm blood vessel anatomy.
View this animation: pulsation in dorsal blood vessel of Blackworm.
View this animation: pulsation in dorsal blood vessel of Blackworm.
View this animation: pulsation in dorsal blood vessel of Blackworm.

Other: Bring in your notebooks (lab book and 3-ring binder)
Bring in signed field trip permission slips.
Bring in money for books and field trips if you forgot.
Textbook (Raven) stays home always. Test Prep book (Holtzclaw) stays home for now.

Monday, September 13, 2010

** Sign Up for Oct. 23 ACT; deadline Sept. 17 **

Textbook:
Exams:
Lab: Review Part 1 of Blackworm Lab
Other:

Read Wired article, "Accept Defeat: The Neuroscience of Screwing Up" -- We will also have hard copies of this in class. Answer questions on the AP Bio Blog
Complete "Generating Hypotheses 2" worksheet

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

** Sign Up for Oct. 23 ACT; deadline Sept. 17 **

Textbook:
Exams:
Lab:
Other: Internet Treasure Hunt 1 -- included in your Blackworm Lab
Here are links to the two articles you need to review:

What is a Clinical Trial? -- article was originally posted on Antigenics Web site.
Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial -- May also help to look at: Wikipedia -- Blind Experiment

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

** Sign Up for Oct. 23 ACT; deadline Sept. 17 **

Textbook:
Exams:
Lab:
Other: Internet Treasure Hunt 2 -- included in your Blackworm Lab
Here are links to the two articles you need to review:

Biology Smoke Detectors-- You do not have to read this whole document. Just peruse it to understand the metaphor of canaries & smoke detectors and to get ideas of what drugs (and the recipes) you can use to test on your blackworms in your student-designed lab.
Effects of Drugs on Pulsation Rate of Lumbriculus variegatus (Blackworms) -- You do not have to read this whole document. Just peruse it to get ideas of what drugs (and the recipes) you can use to test on your blackworms in your student-designed lab.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

** Sign Up for Oct. 23 ACT; deadline TOMORROW **

Textbook:
Exams:
Lab:
Other: Be prepared for both canoeing Field Trip or for staying at school depending on the weather. If field trip is on, you must bring lunch, beverage, change of clothes.

Go to Google maps to view my map of the Nissequogue River. Notice where on Long Island we will be. Click on the little blue markers I placed along the river to read my notes. Zoom out (way out!) and see where we are compared to Levittown. Notice that the river flows north to the Long Island Sound. BTW, there are very few rivers in the U.S. that flow north! Zoom in on the river... even waaaay in... and try clicking on "Satellite" view to look more closely at the river and its terrain.
Scan through this document to see some of the photos and maps and read a little about their efforts trying to preserve this river watershed/habitat.

Friday, September 17, 2010 & the weekend

** Sign Up for Oct. 23 ACT; deadline TODAY **

** Field Trip TODAY **
Textbook: Chapter 22: The Evidence for Evolution and its Guided Notes
Exams:
Lab:
Other:

Monday, September 20, 2010

Textbook: Chapter 21: Genes within Populations and its Guided Notes -- due Friday
Exams:
Lab: Establish experimental design for 2nd run of Blackworm lab
Other: Read "New Drugs Stir Debate on Rules of Clinical Trials" and respond on the AP Biology Blog -- will hand out hard copy in class if you want it. You will also want to watch the video. It touches on a lot of concepts in biology.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Textbook: Chapter 21: Genes within Populations and its Guided Notes -- due Friday
Exams:
Lab: Begin preparing Lab Report (due Monday) and mini-poster (due Thurs.) for 2nd run of Blackworm Research.
Other:

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

** Mini-College Fair 8:30 -10:00am **
Textbook: Chapter 21: Genes within Populations and its Guided Notes -- due Friday
Also read Chapter 1 pages 8-14 as background reading on evolution -- no Study Guide questions.
Exams:
Lab: Complete mini-posters tomorrow in class
Lab Report for 2nd run of Blackworm Lab due Monday
Other:

Thursday, September 23, 2010

** Back to School Night 7pm **
Textbook:
Exams:
Lab: Lab Report for 2nd run of Blackworm Lab due Monday
Use Lab Report Rubric and Lion research paper "Sexual Selection, Temperature, and the Lion's Mane" as helpful guides
Other:

Friday, September 24, 2010 & the weekend

Textbook:
Exams:
Lab: Lab Report for 2nd run of Blackworm Lab due Monday
Use Lab Report Rubric and Lion research paper "Sexual Selection, Temperature, and the Lion's Mane" as helpful guides
APA Citation Guide: Use this as a guideline to help you format your references cited (bibliography) in your lab report. Cite all works used and don't forget textbook if you used it.
Other:

Monday, September 27, 2010

Textbook: Chapter 23: The Origin of Species and its Guided Notes -- due Wednesday
Exams:
Lab: Butterfly Selection Lab due Tuesday
Red Strawfish Lab
Other: Read Lion research paper "Sexual Selection, Temperature, and the Lion's Mane" and respond to questions on AP Biology Blog -- due Wednesday

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Textbook: Chapter 23: The Origin of Species and its Guided Notes -- due Wednesday
Exams:
Lab:
Other: Read Lion research paper "Sexual Selection, Temperature, and the Lion's Mane" and respond to questions on AP Biology Blog

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

** Mini-College Fair 8:30 -10:00am **
Textbook:
Exams:
Lab:
Other:

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Textbook: Chapter 4: The Origin and Early History of Life and its Guided Notes -- due Monday
Exams: Evolution exam on Friday, Oct. 8
Lab: Complete Strawfish Lab graphs and Summary Questions.
Read Population Genetics (Hardy-Weinberg) Lab and complete the first page of pre-lab questions. (Get ready to come to class and have lots of sex during the lab... GRIN!!)
Other: