Advanced Placement Biology at Lincoln High School
2011-2012

Instructor: Mr. Flanigan
Room #1115
Textbook: Campbell, Neil A., and Reece, Jane B. Biology 5th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. There is also a study workbook that corresponds with the text that students are encouraged to checkout from the library.
EXAM DATE: Monday, May 14th, 2012

Course Overview: AP Biology has a curriculum that is set and regulated by the College Board. It is the equivalent of one year of college biology. If students perfrom well enough on the exam in May, students may earn college credit. Due to the nature of the course and the fact that each period is only 55 minutes long, students are highly encouraged to seek the instructor for outside help early and often. There are several themes to AP Biology. These themes are:

1. Science as a Process (perform inquiry, scientific method and being able to apply the scientific method to any problem; science in a human endeavor)
2. Evolution (basis for biology; diverse yet unifying; connections among species)
3. Energy Transfer (basic metablolism systems utilized and how energy is created and used within communities and ecosystems)
4. Continuity and Change (influences of large scale and small scale changes in ecosystems in the near and long term future)
5. Relationship of Structure and Function (shape usually dictates function as seen at the anatomical level of an organism to the cellular part and molecular level)
6. Regulation (internal environments of all organisms and external climates within ecosystems)
7. Interdependence in Nature (organisms require specific interactions from E. coli to H. sapiens)
8. Science, Technology and Society (how science being used today affects our lives morally, professionally, politically and day to day function throughout history)

Laboratories:
Laboratories are a major component of the course and all laboratories are "hands-on" experiences. Therefore, if a student misses a lab, they will have to arrange a time with Mr. Flanigan to make up the lab for credit. If a student does not finish a lab during the alloted time, they are responsible to come during lunch, study hall or after school to finish the laboratory. Laboratories will serve as the major component to teach the theme of "science as a process." In addition to the laboratories done in class, starting winter break, students will work on their own research projects. Students will create their own laboratory problems, write and carry out their own procedures and write up the laboratory in a manner similar to what is found in scientific journals. Students are expected to work on their projects approximately three hours per week through the remainder of the school year, checking in with the instructor each week for progress and to work out any troubles/issues with the project.
When performing a laboratory, students shall write down all notes, measurements and recordings in the appropriate section of the interactive notebook. For the write-ups, please see the labs section in the beginning of your interactive notebook. All AP Biology required course labs have a lab packet. Each lab packet has objectives and background knowledge. The objectives and background information for each lab done in a unit will be on that unit's exam (and subsequent final). Also, each lab packet contains the procedures, directions and follow-up questions. All lab packets must be completed in their entirety and turned in one week after a lab is completed in class. If, for whatever reason, the due date should fall on a day that school is not in session, the lab packet will be due on the next possible school day.

Open Labs: If you miss a lab, you will need to make-up the lab in order to get credit. To make-up a lab, you need to go to open lab Tuesday's and Thursday's at lunch. Also, students should feel free to get extra help during open labs, even if they are not making up a lab at this time. If students can not make these times for open lab, students can always make appointments with the instructor.

Expectations:

• Students are expected to be prepared for class every single day. This will include bringing the student's notebook, paper, a four-colors-in-one pen, a glue stick and a dry-erase marker
.
• Also, students are to download, print and bring to class any notes, labs or worksheets on the day we are covering them in class. These items will be located under the "Topic" heading in the class calendar of our class web site.
• The most important thing that the student is expected to bring is an ATTITUDE THAT IS CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING.
• The instructor is expected to give 100 percent effort every day and the student is expected to do the same.
• When students have independent learning time, which will happen often, the student will not only be required to work the entire allotted time, but will also need to show evidence of said work.
• Students are expected to attempt to gain knowledge on their own before the instructor directly divulges information. The instructor may (more than likely will) ask additional questions to aid students in their learning and direct them to their answer.
• Lastly, the student is expected ask questions to their fellow peers and instructor if the student becomes confused or does not understand a particular piece of curriculum.

Classroom Rules/Procedures:

1. No food or drink in the laboratory side of the classroom. However, students are encouraged to eat a snack/drink water if they feel they need to do so.
2. During laboratories, students must follow safety procedures as outlined by the instructor at all times. If a student endangers themselves, other people or property in any way, the student will receive a score of zero points for that particular lab and will not be allowed to make-up the lab.
3. Respect will be given to every person in the classroom and school at all times.
4. Barron's Review materials are STRICTLY banned from students during the school year. If a student is found to have purchased, looked at or reviewed said materials, the student will have a score of ZERO entered for the unit (notebook and exam).
5. When a student is absent, they will ask a classmate as to what they missed while they were gone. After a student has asked a classmate, the student is to verify everything with the instructor. Students are still accountable for all assignments. Generally, a student will have the same number of days they were absent plus one day to make-up any work that was missed. FORMAL PROJECTS DO NOT APPLY TO THIS EXTENTION. Students need to physically hand the absent/make-up work to the instructor.
6. Assignments that were given prior to an absence are still due on the original due date.
7. The previous two items only apply to excused absences. If for any reason an absence is unexcused and an assignment is due or exam is given, the student will receive the score of zero.
8. Students that are tardy will be allowed into class, but will be assigned detention as per Lincoln High School policy.
9. Many assignments will be given via the internet. Students will be required to print out these assignments prior to class and bring them to class. These assignments will be linked off of the calendar section on the main page of the class web site. Students are reminded that they have internet access via the library on campus. The library is open before school and after school regardless of the student's personal schedule and the library is also open during lunch. The library does not close until 4 pm.
10. All backpacks, purses, etc., need to remain on the floor during class time. Students should take out any items they may need for class from their backpacks, purses, etc., before class starts.
11. All exams (with the exception of semester finals) have essay portions. If a student does not attempt to answer any essay/free response question(s), the student shall earn the score of zero for the entire exam. Answers of "I don't know" or something of similar fashion will not be considered an attempt and will therefore earn the score of zero for the entire exam.
12. Any student that looks in the glossary of a textbook for a definition of a term will have a detention for doing so. Students should find information from the index, read about the information, ask their peers and then their instructor.
13. Students need to work for the entire class period, from bell to bell, on Biology. Not doing so will result in a detention.
14. Personal music devices will be allowed from time to time during class. They must be placed on top of the student's desk. Failure to do so will result in the loss of this privilege for said student.
15. If a device can be used to communicate, it is not allowed, in any function, mode or program, at any time during class. If seen or heard, it will be confiscated.
16. Notebook checks will earn a score of zero if a student has an unexcused absence the day of a notebook check.
17. Make-up exams will be given the day a student returns to class, given that the absence was excused. Notebooks will be checked when exam is given. If a student doesn't have their notebook when they make-up an exam, the notebook grade will be a zero for that unit.
18. The table of contents for notebooks must be hand written to earn credit
19. Once a notebook is graded, that is the final opportunity to earn points for that section/unit of the notebook.
20. All diagrams, pictures, etc., in the interactive notebook must be in color to earn credit.
21. Markers are not allowed in the interactive notebook. No credit will be earned for assignments in which markers were used. Students need to use color pencils or crayons

For Exams, Quizzes, etc...

1. All sleeves must be rolled up as high as possible
2. Any hoods must be completely off/down
3. All hats must be backwards
4. Students must face completely forward at all times
5. All belongings must be placed on the floor underneath the far whiteboard (underneath the clock)
6. The only thing a student may have at their desk is a pencil and a blue or black ink pen
7. No communication, at any time, with any person, while any exam is out. This rule is in effect even if the commuication is between people that are finished with the exam/quiz/etc.
8. The instructor reserves the right to add/amend these rules in any way at any time

Grading Policies: Final grades will be computed on a total points basis. The total points earned by the student will be divided by the total number of possible points to derive a percentage at the end of the semester. The calculated percentage will be transformed into a letter grade as follows:

100% - 85.00% = A
84.999999999% - 70.00% = B
69.999999999% - 55.00% = C
54.999999999% - 0.00% = F

Approximately 65% of each unit grade will come from exams. Other assignments, including labs, quizzes and other notebook items account for the other 35% of each unit. The final exam will account for 15% of the final semester grade.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to check the interactive notebooks of the students where they can find an updated grade in the table of contents. Each page in the interactive notebook is usually worth 5 points. All assignments that are completed on time will have a stamp (indicating full points have been earned). Students may still complete the assignment for 4 out of 5 points, if completed before the notebook is checked. Zero points will be earned for incomplete assignments or assignments that are not done.

Grade check sheets (pink sheets) will be filled out on Friday's only

Extra credit assignments can be obtained from the instructor at any time during the semester. All extra credit can be turned in any time prior to one week before the semester final (for example if the student's final exam day is December 19th, all extra credit is due December 12th.). Extra credit will not be computed into studentsŐ grades until the end of the semester. A minimum of 25 assignments must be completed in order to have extra credit actually go into the students’ grade. The last day to receive an extra credit assignment from the instructor is one week before the students’ extra credit is due. No more than five extra credit assignments, or the equivalent of, will be given at this time. Please check the extra credit log in the interactive notebook to check extra credit progress during a semester.

A side note about checking grades on powerschool: When checking powerschool regularly, please only look at the percentage (rather than looking at the letter grade). The default grading scale used by powerschool is different than the grading scale used in AP Bio. Mr. Flanigan changes the letter grades manually to the correct letter grades/corresponding grading scale for AP Bio for progress reports, quarter grades and semester grades only. Mr. Flanigan will not make these changes daily. But remember, the percentage is accurate daily.

Web site: The class has a web site that students need to use. All topics, various assignments, podcasts, lecture notes, exams and current table of contents can be found on the web site. Various announcements will be on our class web site and, therefore, the web site should be checked daily. We also have a Podcast Page as well (need iTunes).

Needed Supplies:

1. A valid e-mail address
2. A glue stick
3. A four-colors-in-one pen
4. A stapler for student use
5. A dry-erase (expo) marker
6. A folder for each unit (3 units per semester) with THREE (3) prongs to keep papers in. (A folder with pockets is NOT acceptible).

Contact Information
Email: pflanigan@lusd.net
Class Phone: 639-9473

Email is the easiest way to contact the instructor. Emails are usually answered within 24 hours. Extensive research has shown a strong correlation between instructors and parents/guardians communication and high student achievement. For this reason, I invite all parents/guardians to check the class web site often and to communicate with the instructor early and throughout the semester for the benefit of the student.

If you have any questions at all, please contact the instructor.

Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs): After reviewing the mission, current profile, and academic standards of the school, Lincoln staff and students affirm the following vision of student achievement. They define what all students should know, understand and be able to do by graduation. Each student will be a(n):
P roductive Citizen
R esorceful Producer
I ndependent Lifelong Learner
D ecision Maker
E ffective Communicator

Class assignments, especially group projects, will be designed with all elements of Lincoln "PRIDE" in mind.

As a part of Lincoln High School policy, parents/guardians are asked to read the syllabus carefully and sign a statement acknowledging that the syllabus was read and understood. Please click here for the acknowledgement sheet.

Sincerely,

Mr. Flanigan

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