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AP® Biology Self-Paced

This Advanced Placement Biology course is equivalent to a one-semester, college-level, biological science course. The rigor of this course is consistent with colleges and universities and will prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam in May. Upon successful completion of the exam, students may receive college credit and will be well-prepared for advanced biology coursework. Additional details on this course from College Board can be found here: AP Biology.

In this course, students will explore four big ideas:

(1) Evolution: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.

(2) Energetics: Biological systems use energy and molecular building blocks to grow, reproduce, and maintain dynamic homeostasis.

(3) Information Storage and Transmission: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to the life process.

(4) Systems Interactions: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions exhibit complex properties.

Students will cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations as they explore topics in cell structure, function and communication, biochemistry, genetics, ecology, and interactions between systems.

This course incorporates a variety of textbook and multimedia resources and has a comprehensive lab program that meets College Board requirements. Students will perform hands-on lab work using materials from their lab kit, conduct virtual experiments, and analyze larger data sets. Students will develop scientific literacy and connect biological principles to real-world applications and current events, in order to develop a deeper understanding of biology.

Students will be expected to enroll in My AP Classroom through their VHS Learning AP course and will be guided to complete review work in My AP Classroom throughout the year. My AP Classroom resources include AP Daily Videos and unit-based Personal Progress Checks, which include AP-style multiple-choice and free-response questions.

Students enrolled in VHS Learning Advanced Placement courses with a passing grade are expected to take the AP Exam. Students register for AP exams through their local school or testing site as “Exam Only” students. AP exam scores will be reported to VHS Learning through My AP Classroom; exam results will not affect the student's VHS Learning grade or future enrollment in VHS Learning courses.

About the Self-Paced Course Model

Self-Paced courses are comprehensive, self-paced courses designed for students who need or desire more flexibility in their academic schedule. VHS Learning teachers will regularly interact with students in asynchronous discussions, will host weekly office hours, and will invite students to monthly 1-on-1 progress meetings. Teachers will support students, answer questions, and provide feedback on work. Students will work independently on course activities; the course does not include class discussion assignments or other collaborative work.

Students may start this course on any Monday from September through the first Monday in December. Students must maintain enrollment for a minimum of 20 weeks and have until mid-June to complete all assignments in the course. It is expected that students will work for approximately 330 hours to complete this course, though the amount of time may vary depending on a student’s work habits and comfort with the material.

Acknowledgements

  • One full academic year of both high school-level biology and chemistry.
  • In addition to the enrollment fee, this course has an Additional Course Fee of $80.
  • This course requires a lab kit that must be purchased for an additional fee of $205. Lab kits shipped internationally may incur additional fees. International schools must have the ability to receive lab materials through customs.
  • I acknowledge that this is a self-paced course.

Course Objectives

Course Essential Questions:

  • How does the process of Evolution drive the diversity and unity of life?
  • How do biological systems utilize energy and molecular building blocks to grow, reproduce, and maintain dynamic equilibrium?
  • How do all living organisms store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information that is essential to all life processes?
  • What is the impact of the interactions between biological systems?

Course Learning Objectives:

  • Use representations and models to communicate phenomena and solve problems.
  • Use mathematics appropriately to calculate unknown values and support principles.
  • Engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP Biology curriculum.
  • Plan and implement data collection strategies in relation to a particular scientific question.
  • Perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
  • Articulate scientific principles, laws, or concepts and justify claims with evidence.
  • Connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and across domains of biology.

Additional Requirements

  • Students in this Self-Paced class will be required to complete the AP Summer Work assignment as a prerequisite knowledge activity before beginning Unit 1 of the Self-Paced course. Students who enroll prior to their chosen start date are welcome to visit the AP Summer Work Directory and complete the assignment for this course, so they are ready to submit it when they receive access to the course.
  • Students will need access to select YouTube videos throughout the course.
  • Accessibility Note: Although every effort has been made to make this course accessible to all students, some resources or activities in this course, such as audio files, images of visual art pieces, or hands-on activities, may present accessibility challenges.
  • Students will need to document lab work by taking digital images of their lab setup and experiments in progress.
  • The following additional materials are required:
    • Stopwatch or timer
    • Hot water bath
    • Spinach leaves
    • 2 different types of potatoes
    • Knife to cut potatoes
    • Paper towels
    • 2 plant leaves with stem (vegetable plants work well)