AP BIOLOGY SYLLABUS

MATERIALS: For this course, every student will need

Grades: For each term, grades will be determined based on the following approximate percentages:

                60%  Tests, labs and projects

                40% Quizzes, homework and class participation

For the entire year, grades will be determined based on the following percentages:

                20% Term 1

                20% Term 2

                20% Term 3

                20% Term 4

                10% Midterm exam

                10% Final Exam

*Students will also be required to do a science project and enter it into the Methuen High School science fair to be held somewhere around early April.

Class Behavior: Safety and respect are the key words. Violations of either ideal will introduce you to disciplinary action.

Absences: Every day of class is crucial to your understanding of AP Biology. If you miss even ONE day you will be struggling to keep of with the rest of the class for the remainder of the year. The school’s absence policy will be followed.

Homework: You can expect homework on a regular basis. Homework assignments are written on the board each day. Homework usually involves reading, note taking, lab setup or completion, problem solving, or exam preparation. A daily lesson plan/agenda is available should you be absent.

Lab Activities: Labs for this course are rigorous and at times require extended periods of time to complete. Accordingly, it will be required that every student attend evening lab times. Days and times will be negotiated between class and teacher. Every student must purchase a laboratory notebook. This should be a “composition book” and NOT a spiral bound.

Organization/Materials: It is to your benefit to maintain an organized binder with the following sections: Notes, Problems/Labs, Exams and Quizzes. The text for the course is Biology 4^th Edition by Campbell, Reece & Mitchell. This text will be handed out before the end of the 2002-2003 school year and will be used for summer assignments. A loss or damage of this text will result in $85 for a replacement text.

Quizzes and Exams: Quizzes are given approximately once a week and focus on recent materials. Exams are given approximately once every third week and cover a unit’s worth of material. A test similar to the Advanced Placement Exam will be given at the end of the course prior to the AP  exam and will be the substitution for the final exam for the course. Note concerning tests: IN ALL CASES, A MISSED TEST OR QUIZ MUST BE MADE UP WITHIN TWO DAYS OR BY THE END OF THE WEEK IT WAS GIVEN. If there is a special or extenuating circumstance, let Ms. McGrain know. If no prior arrangements have been made, the missed test or quiz will be made up in class the day after the student’s return to class; no exceptions.

Course Expectations:

·         You will be expected to read all chapters before we discuss them in class. Your participation in class, based upon your reading, will be an important component of the class.

·         You are responsible for any material which we cover or that is included in assigned reading or the text. Any material is free game regardless of whether we discuss it in depth during class or not!!!

·         You are expected to know your best learning styles and used them to your advantage: flash cards, interactive web programs, outlining, concept maps etc.

·         All assignments are due at the beginning of the period. I will mark assignments down for lateness.

·         You are expected to keep track of all of your grades.

·         As the time for the exam approaches, you will have the opportunity to attend review sessions outside of the regularly scheduled class time.

·         Maintain a vocabulary notebook for each chapter studied. All the bold terms within the text are to be included, not just the ones listed at the beginning of the chapter.

·         Turn in assigned AP Biology practice essays for every major topic. These essays will be graded according to the same standards as the regular AP exam. They must be detailed!

·         Composition notebook for labs. Some colleges are requesting evidence of labs to be eligible for advanced credit. This should be very neatly organized and contain adequate summaries (not word-for-word duplication of the lab book instructions) of purpose, setup, procedures, results and conclusions. Diagrams of experimental design would be helpful. Writing a summary requires the student to understand the experiment in such a way that only the essential information is chosen to be included in the lab notebook.

*Please feel free to visit my website. Course materials including notes, projects, and other pertinent materials are available online. Students may print out notes (pending availability) instead of handwriting them during class. Students MUST have these notes in class with them in order to utilize this option and should be prepared to add additional comments to help them better understand the material. If a project sheet is lost, you must print one out from the website, extra copies will not be handed out.  The website address is www.methuen.k12.ma.us/mnmcgrain.

Class Participation Policy: In order to participate in class, a student must be in class. If a student is absent, he/she will not be allowed to make up the participation grade for that class, unless an acceptable documentation is provided for that absence. Students will be graded on participation 1-2 times per week.

Extra help is available after school or at a time convenient for both teacher and student. Parents who desire to contact me, may do so between the hours of 7:00am and 2:00 pm by phone at 681-1378 or through email (mnmcgrain@methuen.k12.ma.us).