August 5-9, 2024

Detailed information

Biology

Taught by Pat Mote

Overview

Over the course of this workshop, new and experienced teachers alike will become familiar with the Course and Exam description (CED) in AP Biology (2019). The CED organizes the course into eight commonly taught units:

  1. Chemistry of Life
  2. Cell Structure and Function
  3. Cellular Energetics
  4. Cell Cycle
  5. Heredity
  6. Gene Expression and Regulation
  7. Natural Selection
  8. Ecology

The major focus of this online APSI will be on the CED and resources available to teachers. The course framework clearly connects each learning objective to specific essential knowledge and includes biology-specific science practices that build skills to help students learn to think and act like biologists. Particularly important will be the time and skillset necessary to support teachers in implementing more inquiry-based investigations. Participants will be given tools and strategies for modifying traditional experiments into inquiry-based models. Participants will become familiar with both hands-on and virtual investigations in the lab manual: AP® Biology Lab Investigations: An Inquiry-Based Approach (2019). They will also explore creative alternatives to these investigations. We will examine the new AP® Biology Exam design, essay writing, and essay grading. There will be time for teachers to begin working on their AP® Biology syllabus specific to their school’s daily schedule and calendar and the AP® Course Audit process. To learn more about AP® Biology, refer to the College Board's website.

Online Learning Requirements

Participants must have a laptop/computer, WiFi/internet, LMS for access to Google Drive and Zoom, and a Google email account as well as a willingness to exchange effective teaching practices with peers in an online platform.

The APSI will run for 6 hours daily (both synchronously and asynchronously) for 5 days. This time frame will meet the College Board’s 30-hour requirement to become a Certified AP® Biology teacher.

The synchronous and asynchronous times are as follows:

  • 8:00-10:00 am PDT (synchronous) will be spent viewing presentations about the CED Content and in breakout groups to discuss the CED content
  • 10:00 am-1:00 pm PDT (asynchronous) will be spent independently or with other participants working on assignments and activities (includes an hour for lunch)
  • 1:00-3:00 pm PDT (synchronous) will be spent on allowing time for the participants to observe guest speakers model laboratory investigations or activities and to give the participants time to discuss the CED and to ask questions about the AP® Biology Course Framework, Lab Investigations, Course Audit, and Course Syllabus for the Year.

Topics for the week

  • Course and Exam Description and Course Planning
  • Diversity and Inclusion & Equity and Access
  • Strategies and Pedagogical Tools
  • AP® Classroom & AP® Daily
  • Becoming Part of the AP Community, Assess, and Reflect

Goals for the week

  • Learn how to use resources most effectively in implementing the Course and Exam Framework
  • Discuss teaching strategies for the 13 AP® Biology labs from the Investigative Lab Manual
  • Share alternative and supplemental class and lab activities (CER Mini-posters and Lab Mini-posters)
  • Work on preparing a specific Lesson Plan and a Course Audit
  • Explore the AP® Central website, AP® Classroom, AP® Daily, Course Audit Portal, AP® Community
  • Learn how the AP® Biology Exam is constructed and scored (Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions)

Supplies

  • Highlighter
  • Notebook paper
  • Ruler
  • Graph paper
  • Sticky notes
  • Pen and pencil
  • Calculator

Items needed

  • AP® Biology Course and Exam Description (CED - provided by APSI)
  • AP® Biology Investigative Lab Manual (ILM)
  • AP® Biology Consultant Notebook from Pat Mote (CN on the Google Drive)

Schedule

  • Monday, Day 1
    • Understanding the CED & Course Planning
    • Morning
    • Discuss each section of the CED and make connections to the Curricular Requirements
    • Learn how to build conceptual understandings by linking testable Learning Objectives (what the students should be able to do) to Essential Knowledge (Content) for each Enduring Understanding in each Big Idea (Theme)
    • Use the Science Practices (Skills) and the Essential Knowledges (Content) to apply the content in new, relevant, and unfamiliar contexts.
    • Afternoon
    • Treasure Map Activity and Questions about Lessons 3, 4, and 5
    • Information about Textbooks and Other Resources
    • Lab Equipment/Materials – Carolina, Ward’s, Flinn, Bio-RAD, Probeware
    • Lab Manual: AP Biology Investigative Labs: An Inquiry-Based Approach
    • Lab Notebooks (Carbonless Life Science Lab Notebooks) and Lab Reports
    • Practicing the Practices: Investigation 11 Transpiration BI 4
    • Homework
    • Construct a table and a graph of the data from Investigation 11 - Transpiration. Email this table and graph to patmote7@gmail.com by the Day 2 Morning Session.
  • Tuesday, Day 2
    • Diversity and Inclusion & Equity and Access
    • Morning
      • Discuss curriculum adjustments and instructional strategies that will help to recruit and retain underrepresented students (Diversity & Inclusion)
      • Identify classroom-level policies and practices that enhance or restrict student opportunities to participate in AP® (Equity & Access)
      • Develop a semester and/or year-long instructional plan that incorporates all units, topics and skills of the course, as referenced in the CED
      • Study the UDL: Universal Design for Learning
    • Afternoon
      • Guest Speaker: PTC and Standard Curve – miniOne 2:30-3:30pm EDT
      • Activity: Sharing Favorite Labs: email these to Pat Mote: patmote7@gmail.com
      • UBD: Understanding by Design Lesson Planning Template – CBH p. 258
      • Study the UDL: Universal Design for Learning
      • Practicing the Practices: Investigation 4 Diffusion, Osmosis, Water Potential BI 2
      • Practicing the Practices: Investigation 12: Animal Behavior BI 4
      • Homework
      • Create a One-day Instructional Lesson Plan for one topic in a Unit of your choice. Email the unit plan to patmote7@gmail.com by the Day 3 Morning Session. Write your lesson plan on the Lesson Planning Template provided on the Google Drive.
  • Wednesday, Day 3
    • Strategies and Pedagogical Tools
    • Morning
      • Planning Your Course - Share Lesson Plans
      • Identify and explain various instructional strategies and tools, in addition to AP Classroom, that teachers can incorporate in their lesson plans to teach the content and skills in the Course and Exam Description
      • Explain how teachers need a deep understanding of content and applications
      • Activity: Sharing Favorite Strategies and Tools
    • Afternoon
      • Mini-posters and CER - View samples of Lab Mini- posters and CER Mini-posters
      • Time, practice, and feedback – The understanding of content is earned over time
      • Practicing the Practices: Investigation 2: Hardy-Weinberg BI 1
      • Practicing the Practices: Chi Square Analysis: Wooly Worm Lab BI 1
      • Homework
      • Select a lab that focuses on one of the 6 Science Practices. Explain how the lab will help your students master this skill (SP). Email this assignment to patmote7@gmail.com by the Day 4 Morning Session.
  • Thursday, Day 4
    • AP® Classroom and AP® Daily
      • Morning
      • Instructional Resources: AP® Classroom (including updates) & AP® Daily
      • Discuss examples of how AP® Classroom can be utilized to develop each skill/practice using example student data provided by the College Board® and develop lesson plans that reinforce topic and skill connections.
      • Share how AP® Daily can be used as a resource
      • AP® Central and AP® Community
      • Discuss how to challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills (more about the Science Practices) in different contexts for a deeper understanding of the content
      • Afternoon
      • AP® Course Audit – Syllabus Review Activity
      • Guest Speaker: Bio-Bits - The Central Dogma – miniPCR 2:30-3:30 pm EDT
      • Practicing the Practices: Investigation 9: Biotechnology BI 3 (Handout)
      • Practicing the Practices: Investigation 8: Biotechnology: Bacterial Transformation BI 3
      • Homework
      • Let’s connect the Science Practices to the Task Verbs found on the AP Exam: Take the Science Practices listed on pp. 14-15 in the Course Framework Section of the CED and connect each Science Practice (includes parts) to a Task Verb identified on p. 199 in the Exam Information Section of the CED. Email this assignment to patmote7@gmail.com by the Day 5 Afternoon’s Session.
  • Friday, Day 5
    • Assess and Reflect
      • Morning
      • Questions about the Course Audit
      • Formative vs Summative Assessments
      • Guest Speaker: Algae Research Supply - Investigations 5 and 6 – 10:00-11:00 am EDT
      • Practicing the Practices: Investigation 5: Photosynthesis BI 2
      • Practicing the Practices: Investigation 6: Cellular Respiration BI 2
      • Afternoon
      • AP® Biology Exam Structure – CED p. 193 – Remember UBD
      • The 2024 AP® Biology Exam
      • Activity: Making Time to Review for the AP® Biology Exam
      • Consultant Notebook
      • Reflection on the activities of the week and complete the APSI Event Survey (Note: The Event Survey from the College Board will be emailed to you)
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