Honors Biology 9 Instructor Dr. Donald Bowlin Phone 412-571-6000 Ext. 1220 Email bowlin@kosd.org Classroom Location Room 220 Mission Statement The KOSD s mission is to provide a safe learning environment that prepares critical thinkers to become responsible and productive members of society. Course overview: This introductory biology course is designed for advanced students who may be interested in pursuing and preparing for the A.P. Biology class in their junior or senior year. Honors Biology 9 will examine three major areas of biology: molecules and cells, heredity and evolution, and organisms and populations (ecology). These three areas have been subdivided into major units of study. The two major goals of Honors Biology 9 is to help students develop a conceptual framework for the study of biology and to gain an appreciation of science as a process. The primary emphasis of this course is the development of an understanding of biological concepts rather than the memorization of facts and technical details. Four major notions are essential to this conceptual understanding. They are: a grasp of science as a process rather than as an accumulation of facts, personal experience in scientific inquiry, recognition of unifying themes that integrate the major topics of biology, and the application of biological knowledge and critical thinking to environmental and social concerns. The Keystone Oaks School District s mission is to provide a safe learning environment that prepares critical thinkers to become responsible and productive members of society. This course syllabus has been designed to enable each student electing this class to achieve this goal. Student Requirements and Expected Levels of Achievement Students taking this course will be expected to: a. attend class daily and participate in all class discussions and activities. b. study materials presented in class and complete all assigned readings. c. complete daily homework assignments. d. achieve a 75% level of mastery for all quizzes and exams. e. participate in all laboratory activities f. pass the semester and final exams with a 75% level of mastery. g. submit a written lab report following each laboratory investigation.
Content Objectives Each student will be able to: a. define biology and discuss it applications to human life and society. b. list and briefly describe the characteristics of living systems c. identify biologically significant elements and molecules and summarize their functions in living systems. d. compare the major groups of organic compounds with respect to their structure and functions. e. compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic plant and animal cells with respect to their structure and function. f. state the cell theory and explain why cells are the basic unit of life. g. describe the structure and function of the cell membrane and explain its role in controlling the physiological processes by which materials are transported across it. h. identify the molecules involved in cell energy, the role they play in cellular metabolism, and their significance to living systems. i. summarize the events of the light and dark reactions of photosynthesis and compare and contrast them with the anaerobic and aerobic stages of cellular respiration. j. analyze human reproduction by comparing it to patterns of reproduction of lower plants and animals. k. compare and contrast the events of mitosis and meiosis. l. summarize the structure and function of the DNA molecule and explain its role in modern genetics. m. explain Mendelian genetics in historical perspective and compare it contemporary ideas of genetics. n. discuss the history of evolutionary thought and define the modern concept of Neo-Darwinism in relationship to genetic principles. o. evaluate the significant principles of creationism and the scientific origin of life by citing accepted evidence for each belief. p. describe the basic principles of ecology and their application to modern society. q. compare and contrast the biotic and abiotic factors of the major terrestrial biomes and aquatic ecosystems of the biosphere. r. Evaluate the development and impact of modern human societies upon the biomes and ecosystems of the earth.
Skill Objectives Each student will be able to: a. generate questions about biological events, principles, theories, and facts. b. explain or predict generalizations from data collected from scientific investigations. c. compare and contrast events of biological processes such as sexual and asexual reproduction, photosynthesis, respiration, and mitosis and meiosis d. analyze scientific data generated from charts, graphs, diagrams, dissections, and other investigations. e. draw relevant conclusions from data collected in scientific investigations. f. interpret the biological significance of scientific writings of historic and contemporary authors g. take a position of a scientific issue such as evolution, eugenics, or recombinant DNA and defend it. h. predict the outcomes or consequences of a biological event by analyzing the principles or factors governing the event. Textbook Glencoe Science, Biggs, Alton et. al., 2012 Biology, McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. Instructional Time Students in this course will attend six 42 minute periods of classroom instruction per week. This includes one double period for laboratory investigations. It is a year-long class made up of two 18 week semesters. Students who receive an A, B, or C in this course will receive an additional 0.5 quality points towards their GPA. Any student who receives a D or an F in the class receives 0 additional quality points. Procedures for Evaluation Students in Honors Biology 9 will be evaluated by chapter exams and quizzes composed of both objective and essay questions. Lab reports, lab quizzes, drawings, and two semester exams will be used to determine the final grade. The following grade scale will be used to evaluate students in this course: 100%-90% A 89%-80% B 79%-70% C 69%-60% D 59%-0% F
Exams and quizzes will be evaluated on the total number of points earned. Lab reports are generally worth 20 points and will be evaluated on the following criteria: 20 points---superior effort, highest expectation 19-18 points---very good effort, above average expectation 17-16 points---average effort, some missing concepts 15-14 points---below average effort, incomplete with missing concepts 13-12 points---unacceptable effort, minimal effort, late or incomplete 0 points---not turned in Homework will be assigned frequently when it supplements or enhances classroom activities. Assignments are generally worth 10 points per assignment and will be graded on the following criteria: 10 points superior effort, highest expectation 9-8 points---very good effort, above average expectations 7-6 points---average effort, some missing concepts 5-4 points---below average effort, incomplete or missing concepts 3-2 points---unacceptable, minimal effort, late, incomplete 0 points---not turned in Each student is expected to purchase and keep a biology notebook in which class notes, handout materials, lab reports, quizzes and exams should be kept. All class and lab materials will be provided by the teacher. Course Outline Unit I. The Study of Life Chapter 1 in textbook a. Introduction to Biology b. Characteristics of Life c. Organization of Life d. The Nature of Science e. The Scientific Method
Unit II. The Cell Chapters 6 in textbook a. Basic Chemistry b. Chemical Elements & Atomic Structure c. Chemical Formulae & Reactions d. Chemical Bonding e. Water & Solutions f. Biochemistry Chapter 7 in textbook a. Discovery of Cells & Cell History b. The Cell Theory c. The Cell Membrane d. Cell Structure & Function e. Cellular Transport Chapter 8 in textbook a. Types of Energy b. How Organisms Obtain Energy c. Photosynthesis d. Cellular Respiration Chapter 9 in textbook a. Cellular Reproduction b. Asexual Reproduction c. Mitosis & Cytokinesis d. Cell Cycle Regulation
Unit III. Genetics Chapter 10 in textbook a. Sexual Reproduction b. Meiosis c. Mendelian Genetics d. Gene Linkage & Polyploidy Chapter 11 in textbook a. Human Inheritance b. Chromosomes & Human Heredity c. Patterns of Human Heredity Chapter 12 in textbook a. Molecular Genetics b. DNA The Genetic Material c. DNA Replication d. DNA, RNA, & Protein Synthesis e. Gene Regulation & Mutations Chapter 13 in Textbook a. Genetics & Biotechnology b. Applied Genetics c. DNA Technology d. The Human Genome
Unit IV. History of Biological Diversity Chapter 14 in textbook a. Fossil Evidence of Life b. The Origin of Life Chapter 15 in textbook a. Darwin s Theory of Evolution b. Natural Selection c. Evidence of Evolution d. Shaping Evolutionary Theory Unit V. Ecology Chapter 2. In textbook a. Principles of Ecology b. Flow of Energy in Ecosystems c. Cycling of Matter Chapter 3 in textbook a. Communities, Ecosystems, & Biomes b. Community Ecology c. Terrestrial Biomes d. Aquatic Ecosystems Chapter 4 in textbook a. Population Ecology b. Population Dynamics c. Human Populations Chapter 5 in textbook a. Biodiversity b. Threats to Biodiversity c. Conserving Biodiversity