NORWALK HIGH SCHOOL
HONORS BIOLOGY
MRS. SILVA
Welcome to Honors Biology. I am looking forward to having an exciting and meaningful year. Below you will find all the information needed to make this year’s class a success.
Honors Biology is a Pre-AP Biology course. After taking a year of chemistry, you will be prepared to take AP Biology. This course will also prepare you to take the SAT II: BIOLOGY E/M SUBJECT TEST. You should find out about requirements of the various colleges you are considering applying to, regarding the SAT II subject test. If you have a choice of Subject tests, and if you have made good progress in your biology course, you may want to take the test in biology. The College Board recommends that you take this test right after you complete your biology course, while the material is still fresh in your mind. If you plan to take AP Biology, you may take the test in November/December of your senior year. If you do not plan to take AP Biology, you should take the test in June of your sophomore year.
My expectations of you:
- Attend class prepared to work.
- Follow all school policies.
- Participate in class discussions.
- Contact me after an absence to receive the material missed in class.
- Respect yourself, others, and school property.
- Be in your assigned seat and prepared for class when the bell rings.
- You will be dismissed from class by the teacher. Do not line up in front of the door.
- Keep all your notes, handouts and lags in a class notebook or three-ring binder for easy reference. Random notebook checks will take place to ensure that you are keeping up with the assignments.
- Any electronic device seen in the classroom in use or otherwise will be confiscated and given to the student’s housemaster. NO EXCEPTIONS
- No eating in the classroom
Consequences:
- First violation - Verbal warning.
- Second Violation - After -school detention and/or parental notification.
- Third Violation - Referral to administrative staff.
Written Assignments:
All written assignments must be typed, or completed in standard blue or black ink. Work submitted in pencil will not be accepted for credit (exception: diagrams). Please see me to arrange for computer access. All work must be neatly done, paper edges trimmed, and writing legible. If I cannot read you handwriting, I will not grade your paper.
Exams:
Material will come from the lecture notes and labs. The tests will be a combination of diagrams, short answer, and objectives (multiple choice, matching, etc.). NO BONUS POINTS/CURVE WILL BE GIVEN FOR TEST NOT TAKEN ON THE SCHEDULED TEST DATE.
There will be absolutely no re-take of tests or quizzes.
Labs:
*Although laboratory activities may be performed in small groups, all laboratory questions are to be researched, written and submitted by each individual student.
Make-up Work:
It is the student’s responsibility to make the necessary arrangements to makeup missed work.
*Tests must be made up within THREE days of the original test date.
*Quizzes are to be made up within THREE days of the original quiz date. After this time, grade
will be a Zero.
*Since notification for quizzes and test is given well in advanced, you will be expected to take
quizzes and tests on the assigned day, even if you were absent the day before..
*There will be no extension on long term projects due to absences, except in the case of
medical emergencies.
*Missed homework can be completed for half credit ONLY IF it has not been discussed in class. *Makeups are after school (2:15), or during your study hall. Be sure to get a pass form me beforehand.
*THERE WILL BE NO MAKEUPS FOR LABS THAT CONTAIN CONSUMABLE
MATERIALS OR SPECIAL EQUIPMENT. If you miss such a lab, you may be able to get
half credit for the written portion of the lab, depending on the circumstances.
Late Work:
Credit for late assignments is at my discretion. Late work that is accepted will be lowered one letter grade per day of tardiness. Homework is due at the START of each class.
Cheating Policy:
Cheating and plagiarism will result in failure of the assignment. It is expected that all work turned in by you is completely your own.
Please Note:
If anyone in this class has a unique problem that would impair his/her full demonstration of abilities on exams or assignments, please see me so we can work out alternative methods of testing/grading.
Grading Policy:
Tests 50%
Quizzes, Class work and Homework 20%
Labs and Projects 30%
Items needed for Honors Biology:
Standard Loose-leaf binder
Folder/binder for handouts
Pen and pencil
Textbook
Parents and students may contact me via e-mail any time.
Webpage: http://teacherweb.com/CT/NorwalkHighSchool/MrsSilva/
Email : Silvam@norwalkps.org
Phone number is 838-4481, ext. 13-163
CURRENT EVENT REQUIREMENT – 2012-2013
A typed current event must be turned in on the following dates:
9/28, 10/26, 11/30, 12/20, 1/31, 2/28, 3/28, 4/31, 5/24
Article should be fairly current. It must be related to the topic being studied in class at that particular date.
1. List source of article, author, and date. (Bibliography)
2. Write a summary of the article (Approximately two paragraphs)
3. How does this particular article ties in with the topic being studied in class?
4. Discuss the biological/medical significance of the article
5. Report is to be no longer than one page.
6. Must be typed. Font Times New Roman, size 10 or 12, default margins.
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NORWALK HIGH SCHOOL
HONORS BIOLOGY
MRS. SILVA
I understand that the following guidelines will be adhered to strictly in Honors Biology class:
1. Written assignments must be neatly done and typed.
2. No bonus points/curve will be given for tests not taken on the scheduled test date.
3. It is my responsibility to obtain make-up work and set up a date to make up tests or
quizzes. I will only ask for make-up work after school, NOT before, during or after
class.
4. There will be absolutely NO RE-TAKE of tests and quizzes.
5. Tests and quizzes must be made up within THREE days of the original test/quiz day.
After this time, grade will be a ZERO.
6. Acceptance of late homework is at the teacher’s discretion and accepted ONLY if it
has not been discussed in class. If accepted late homework may be completed for
half-credit.
7. No extension on long-term projects. Credit for late projects or assignments is at the
teacher’s discretion. Late work that is accepted will be lowered one letter grade.
8. Although lab activities may be performed in small groups, all students must submit an
individual lab report
9. Homework is due at the BEGINNING of the class period.
10. There will be NO MAKE-UP for labs that contain consumable materials or special
equipment.
11. Cheating and plagiarism will result in failure of the assignment.
12. There will be NO EXTRA CREDIT work given in this class.
13. It is my responsibility to keep my parents informed of my grades and my progress in
class.
14. It is my responsibility to ask for extra help when needed.
15. Any electronic device seen in the classroom in use or otherwise will be confiscated and given to the student’s housemaster. NO EXCEPTION
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I have read and understood the rules and consequences that will be enforced in Honors Biology class.
Parent Student_________________________
Date_______________
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NORWALK HIGH SCHOOL
HONORS BIOLOGY
MRS. SILVA
CLASS SYLLABUS
Scientific Inquiry
*Demonstrate understanding of the Scientific Method by designing and performing an investigation.
Introduction to the Study of Biology
Objectives
•Describe levels of organization found in multicellular organisms: cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.
•Describe the system of binomial nomenclature and the six-kingdom system
•Demonstrate understanding of the Scientific Method by designing and performing an investigation
Biochemistry
Objectives
•Describe structure of an atom as the basic unit of matter.
•Explain the significance of atomic number and mass.
•Compare and contrast ionic and covalent bonds.
•Explain how electrons influence bonding.
•Distinguish between reactants and products in a chemical reaction.
•Describe the types of energy changes (endothermic/exothermic) found in chemical reactions.
•Understand properties of water.
•Define acids, bases, and pH.
•Compare organic versus inorganic compounds.
•Describe the unique properties of carbon.
•Describe the basic structure and function of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids.
•Explain what enzymes do and their importance in living things.
•Describe the inputs and outputs of photosynthesis and cellular respiration, and how the two processes are related.
•Compare aerobic to anaerobic respiration.
Labs/Activities
•Test the pH of various household liquids using litmus paper, pH paper or an indicator (methyl red, bromthymos blue and phenophtalein).
•Study enzymes by comparing catalase levels of different tissues (potato, spinach, liver) by adding a sample of each tissue to hydrogen peroxide.
Cells
Objectives
•Describe the central principles in cell theory, and the research that led to modern cell theory.
•Describe the structure and function of basic cell structures and organelles: cytoplasm, nucleus, cell membrane, cell wall, mitochondria, chloroplast, golgi, vacuole, lysosome, centrioles, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum.
•Compare and contrast plant and animal cells.
•Define diffusion, osmosis, hypotonic, hypertonic, isotonic, passive transport, and active transport.
Labs/Activities
•Observe prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells under a microscope.
•Make wet mounts of animal (cheek cell) and plant (elodea) cells.
•Investigate limits of surface area to volume ratio in cells.
Heredity
Objectives
•Discuss Mendel's experiments.
•Define dominant, recessive, phenotype, genotype, segregation, and independent assortment.
•Compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis.
•Understand how mistakes in meiosis can cause incorrect numbers of chromosomes in gametes.
•Use Punnett squares to solve basic genetics problems.
•Use laws of probability to solve basic genetics problems.
•Understand that genes are located on chromosomes, affecting linkage and crossing over.
•Describe how sex-linked inheritance is different from autosomal inheritance.
•Describe the differences between the inheritance of dominant and recessive genetic disorders such as Huntington's disease and sickle-cell anemia.
Labs/Activities
•Using coins to represent the alleles found in heterozygous parents, have students simulate meiosis, fertilization, and production of offspring by flipping coins to represent passing on different alleles to their offspring. Students can draw illustrations of their offspring. .
•For a paper-and-pencil analysis of karyotyes, give each student a picture of a chromosome spread, and have them cut out and arrange the chromosome and determine if any aneuploidies are present.
•Create a pedigree for an easily observable trait such as tongue rolling, hitchhiker's thumb, or widow's peak.
Molecular Biology
Objectives
•Understand structure and function of DNA and RNA.
•Understand how DNA replication is related to its function and is semiconservative.
•Describe the basic processes of transcription and translation.
•Compare a codon to an anticodon.
•Describe the functions of mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA.
•Understand the universality of the genetic code.
•Describe some of the applications of recombinant DNA technology.
•Know that environment can affect gene expression.
•Explain the uses of genetic testing.
Labs/Activities
•Isolate DNA from onion.
•Model DNA structure using a model construction kit.
•Arrange the above restriction fragments in the order they would appear on an electrophoresis gel.
•Model transcription and translation,
Evolution
Objectives
•Discuss how science differs from nonscience.
•Know how Darwin's observations led to his theory of natural selection.
•Give examples of natural selection (antibiotic resistant bacteria, peppered moths).
•Explain why Lamark's theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics is incorrect.
•Define fitness and adaptation.
•Explain the evidence for evolution including fossils, biogeography, homologous structures, embryology, and molecular evidence.
•Describe how scientists determine the age of fossils.
•Understand that genes are the raw material of evolution, and how evolution is related to changes in gene frequencies.
•Define speciation and how it can occur.
•Compare gradualism with punctuated equilibrium.
Labs/Activities
•Build a cladogram for a group of species by comparing their DNA sequences.
•Create a geologic timeline using the scale 1 mm = 1 million years.
•Create a dichotomous key for a group of objects (classroom supplies, assorted hardware, pictures of fictional organisms).
•View the large number of excellent resources and activities available online at www.pbs.org/evolution, the companion Web site to the Evolution television series.
Prokaryotes, Viruses Protistans and Fungi
Objectives:
-Describe structure and function of representative organisms.
-Give examples of positive and negative impacts of bacteria on humans.
-List characteristics of viruses in general.
-Describe the Lytic and Lysogenic cycle of viruses.
-Give specific examples of bacteria,viruses, protista and fungi that cause
human illness, and how they do so.
-Describe the major categories of protistans.
-Give one example of each of the major groups of fungi.
Labs/Activities:
Microscope labs:
-Identify bacteria by shape and gram stain.
-Observe and sketch organims in a drop of pond water.
-Observe and sketch Fungi.
Activities
-Draw models of viruses and bacteria to scale to determine accurate size relationship.
-Research human diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, protistans and fungi.
Plants
Objectives
•Describe the evolutionary history of plants (development of vascular tissue, seeds and flowers, coevolution with insects).
•Describe important adaptations in plants that help them resist desiccation and help them reproduce.
•Compare gymnosperms and angiosperms.
•Compare monocots and dicots.
•Understand how properties and nutrients found in soil affect plant growth.
•Describe how water is transported in a plant.
•Explain the process of transpiration.
Labs/Activities
•Observe different plant tissues under the microscope.
•Dissect monocot and dicot flowers.Collect samples of each type of plant.
•Observe the number of stomata in different leaves under a microscope.
Animals
Objectives
•Describe major trends in animal evolution (type of symmetry, cephalization, segmentation).
•Discuss how structure is related to function in a sponges, cnidarians, flatworms, roundworms, mollusks, annelids, arthropods, and echinoderms.
•Describe the ecological significance of each of the major invertebrate phyla.
•Compare and contrast protostomes and deuterostomes.
•Compare and contrast acoelomates, pseudocoelomates, and coelomates.
•Explain the distinguishing characteristics of chordates.
•Describe how structure is related to function in fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
•Describe the distinguishing characteristics of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
•Discuss the evolutionary advances in each of the vertebrate phyla (how heart is different, how reproduction is different, etc.).
•Compare and contrast ectotherm and endotherm.
•Describe the ecological significance of the major vertebrate phyla.
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Labs/Activities
•Do comparative dissections of members of different invertebrate phyla.
•Measure carbon dioxide concentration in exhaled air using bromothymol blue solution, test again after exercising.
•Test human reflexes.
•Tape thumb to hand and try to perform everyday tasks.
•Examine skeletons of members of different vertebrate phyla.
Ecology
Objectives
•Describe the major terrestrial and aquatic biomes.
•Understand the cycling of nutrients such as nitrogen and oxygen.
•Explain the biogeochemical cycles
•Describe the emery flow through various trophic levels
•Analyze and discuss ways in which humans affect ecosystems
•Explain how community interactions such as predation, competition and various forms of symbiosis can powerfully affect an ecosystem.
Labs/Activities
•Field studies in Ecology