Living Environment Honors Course Syllabus- 2013-2014 Patricia Prime A. Description: The Honors Biology class is different in that there is a greater depth of coverage in the topics that I teach than in the Regents level Biology class. These students are expected to take AP Biology as Seniors and therefore need to cover more material and learn the material in more depth. Projects have one or more extensions which must be completed and factor into the overall grade. Honors student projects are held to higher expectations and therefore have a different grading scale as Regents level classes. In the following content outline, the boldfaced print indicates additional material taught in the Honors class. This course also studies biotic organisms and how they interact with the abiotic environment. MST standards for Living Environment are still followed as the LE Regents exam must be passed by every student before graduation. This year will be the first year that Common Core standards will also be tested. All requirements for admission to the test are also required for students in Honors. The assessments reflect the greater depth that is covered in class. They do not receive the same chapter tests nor the same unit exams as the Regents level students and are responsible for knowing a greater body of information. Therefore, this class receives a higher weighting in a student s average. Students are eligible to take the Honors level Biology course based on past success in science classes, results on the NYS Elementary and Middle School Science exams, and teacher recommendation.
B. Content: There are nine units of study in this course: 1. Scientific Inquiry and Skills 1. What is Science? 2. Scientific Inquiry 3. Further Science Studies 1. Investigating Variables: Breathing Goldfish 2. Designing Experiments: Toxicity Tests- Inquiry lab 3. Investigating Controls: ph 4. How is Surface Tension Affected by Soap? Inquiry lab 2. Laboratory Skills 1. Tools for Measurement 2. Microscope Skills 3. Additional Laboratory Techniques 4. Observing Plant and Animal Specimens 5. Laboratory Safety 1. Safety Scavenger Hunt 2. Using a Compound Microscope 3. Measuring With a Microscope 4. Other labs throughout year include dissections of plants and animals 3. Similarities and Differences Among Living Organisms 1. Biochemistry
a. Types of bonds: Chemical Bonding- Covalent, Ionic, Hydrogen Bonds b. Inorganic Chemistry- Properties of Water c. Organic Chemistry- Structure vs. Function/enzyme action 2. The Characteristics of Life 3. Cells: The basic Structure of Life 4. Multicellular Organisms a. Human Physiology: specific digestive enzyme substrate interactions: amylase, endopeptidases, exopeptidases, lipase. And Digestive hormones: gasterones, CCK and secretin. b. Human Physiology: specific action of nephron filtration and selective reabsorption of materials. c. Human Physiology: specific muscle action: Huxley-Huxley sliding filament theory 5. Comparing Single-Celled and Multicellular Organisms 1. Organic Molecules and Simple Reactions 2. Affecting the Rate of Enzyme Activity- Inquiry lab 3. Plant vs. Animal Cells 4. Shark Classification 5. Viral Replication 6. The Protists 7. Why is a Mushroom Not a Plant? 8. Structure of a Root 9. Structure of a Leaf 10. Structure of a Stem 11. Structure of a Flower 12. Animal Kingdom Survey 13. Looking at Hydra 14. Looking at the Earthworm- dissection 15. Looking at the Grasshopper- dissection 16. Looking at the Anatomy of the Rat- dissection
17. Looking at Muscle, Bone and Cartilage- microscopic 18. Looking at the Chicken wing- dissection 19. The Endocrine system 20. Human Reflexes and Reaction Time 21. Looking at Pulse Rate 22. NYS Making Connections- required lab- inquiry lab 23. Looking at Blood C. Projects: 1. Cell Organelle Encyclopedia: Making a booklet, with each page devoted to a picture of a cell organelle with a description of its structure and function. 2. Human Body Project: Drawing each human body system on body outlines, comparing the function of each system to a cell organelle, and describing a system malfunction; symptoms, treatment, etc. 3. Modeling Immune cell activity: Students build models to be used in demonstrating the interactions of: Phagocytes and Lymphocytes, T-cells, B-cells, Macrophages, Interlukines I and II, cytotoxic T cells, complement system, neutrophils, and opsonization. 4. Homeostasis in Organisms 1. Basic Biochemical Processes of Living Organisms a. Photosynthesis- Photolysis and the Calvin Cycle b. Cellular Respiration- Glycolysis, Kreb s cycle, and Electrontransport chain 2. Feedback and Homeostasis a. Cellular communication- First messenger (lipid) and Second messenger (protein) models b. Guard cells Mechanisms for opening and closing guard cells C. Osmoregulation and excretion. 3. Disease as a Failure of Homeostasis
1. Cell Permeability- an inquiry lab 2. Osmosis, Plasmolysis, and Turgor 3. NYS Diffusion Through a Membrane- required lab 4. Plant and Animal Mitosis 5. Transfer of Energy- Photosynthesis vs Respiration 6. Structure of a Leaf (Part B)- guard cells 7. Plant Chromatography 8. The Plant Game 9. Muscle Fatigue 10. Homeostasis- maintaining normal glucose levels 11. Save the Patient 12. AIDS epidemic- web quest 5. Genetic Continuity 1. Heredity and Genes a. calculating probability in gametes b. mechanisms of cell division c. Mehanisms of controlling cell cycle 2. The Genetic Code a. Transcriptional control b. Prokaryotes vs eukaryotes 3. Genetic Engineering 1. Spooling DNA: Onion 2. Simulating Meiosis- 3. How Are Karyotypes used to detect genetic disorders? 4. Dragon Genetics: Mendelian Genetics 5. Dragon Genetics: Independent Assortment 6. Protein synthesis 7. Sex-Linked Traits 8. Inheritance of Human Phenotypes
9. DNA Electrophoresis: exploring Forensics 10. Modeling genetic splicing- mini lab C. Projects: 1. Building DNA models 2. Genetic Poster Project: researching a genetic disorder using online OMIM database, making 9 panel poster describing, symptoms, mode of inheritance, statistics, diagnosis and treatment, pedigree and Punnett square representations, etc. 6. Reproduction and Development 1. Types of Reproduction 2. Cell Division- Plant hormones auxins, Cytokinins, ethelene 3. Human Reproduction and Development- Hormonal control of the human menstrual cycle. 4. Applications of Reproductive Technology 1. The Human Menstrual Cycle 2. Looking at Cow Ovaries and Uterus- dissection 3. Measuring Fetal Growth 4. Development of a Chick C. Project Mitosis vs. meiosis: students must develop a study help for comparing and contrasting the processes of Mitosis and Meiosis. It may be a poster, a power Point presentation, a song, a poem, etc. 7. Evolution 1. The Theory of Evolution 2. The Mechanics of Evolution a. Directional Evolution b. Problems with Convergent Evolution c. Cladistics
3. Patterns of Change 1. Comparative Biochemistry 2. DNA Sequencing 3. Evolution of Strawfish 4. Anatomical Evidence of Evolution 5. NYS Beaks of Finches- required lab 6. NYS Relationships and Biodiversity- required lab 8. Ecology 1. Organisms and Their Environment 2. Population Interactions 3. Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem 4. Diversity Benefits Species and Habitats 5. Environmental Changes 1. Investigating Galls: Gall flies and Predator Wasps 2. Predator Prey Relationships 3. Pond Ecosystems 4. Competition Among Tree Species- new outdoor lab 9. Human Impact on Ecosystems 1. The Need for Awareness and Understanding 2. Our Environment 3. People and the Environment 4. The Impact of Technology and Industrialism 5. Individual Choices and Societal Actions 1. Effects of environmental factors on eagle populations C. Projects
1. Water Wars- web quest: ends with a Debate on water rights and/or governments responsibilities before and after declaring states of emergencies vs. Peoples rights to comply. 2. Extinction Poster Project: 9 panel poster describing- an organism on the endangered list, its habitat, niche, range, statistics, etc. C. Common Core: 1. Current Events: Every other Friday students are given a recent article on a current topic, published on the online site Science Daily, along with 10 questions they must answer- on Monday we discuss the reading. 2. A Close Reading: The Carbon Cycle (Human Impact on Environment) 3. A Close Reading: Water Wars (Human Impact on Environment) 4. Science as a Process: Diet Counts: Iron Intake in Teen Years Can Impact the Brain (Reproduction and Development) 5. A Close Reading: Study Demonstrates That One Extinction Leads to Another (Evolution) 6. A Close Reading: Predatory Beetles Eavesdrop on Ants Chemical Conversations to Find best Egg-Laying Sites (Evolution) 7. A Close Reading: Smaller Plants Punch Above Their Weight in The Forest. (Ecology) D. Assessments 1. Formative assessments: frequent exit quizzes, ie ( no credit) 2. Summative assessments: a. Unit tests counts twice in grade b. Homework and quizzes: count once. 3. Interim tests: given at the 10 weeks, 20 weeks and 30 weeks. 4. Lab reports: count once in grade
E. Requirements 1. Textbook: Biology, the Dynamics of Life, Glencoe/McGraw Hill 2. 3-ring binder or 7 folders, loose leaf paper 3. #2 Pencils, colored pencils, blue or black pens 4. glue, tape, scissors, ruler