AP® Biology - Semester 2
Course details
Duration
18 weeks or less
Lectures
13
Video
None
Level
Advanced
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AP Biology builds students’ understanding of biology on both the micro and macro scales. After studying cell biology, students move on to understand how evolution drives the diversity and unity of life. Students will examine how living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information and how organisms utilize free energy. The equivalent of an introductory college-level biology course, AP Biology prepares students for the AP exam and for further study in science, health sciences, or engineering.
The AP Biology course provides a learning experience focused on allowing students to develop their critical thinking skills and cognitive strategies. Frequent no- and low-stakes assessments allow students to measure their comprehension and improve their performance as they progress through each activity. Students regularly engage with primary sources, allowing them to practice the critical reading and analysis skills that they will need in order to pass the AP exam and succeed in a college biology course. Students perform hands-on labs that give them insight into the nature of science and help them understand biological concepts, as well as how evidence can be obtained to support those concepts. Students also complete several virtual lab studies in which they form hypotheses; collect, analyze, and manipulate data; and report their findings and conclusions. During both virtual and traditional lab investigations and research opportunities, students summarize their findings and analyze others’ findings in summaries, using statistical and mathematical calculations when appropriate. Summative tests are offered at the end of each unit as well as at the end of each semester, and contain objective and constructed response items. Robust scaffolding, rigorous instruction, relevant material and regular active learning opportunities ensure that students can achieve mastery of the skills necessary to excel on the AP exam.
This course has been authorized by the College Board® to use the AP designation.
*Advanced Placement® and AP® are registered trademarks and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product.
Length: Two semesters
Course Materials Semesters 1 and 2: Required
Unit 6: Homeostasis
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1
Lesson 1: Introduction to Metabolism and Homeostasis- Read - Introduction to Metabolism and Homeostasis: Read about how all living systems require constant input of free energy.
- Quiz - Introduction to Metabolism and Homeostasis: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Understanding Endothermy and Ectothermy: Distinguish between endotherms and ectotherms.
- Quiz - Understanding Endothermy and Ectothermy: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Detection of Enzyme Activity Levels: Explain activation energy and how enzymes impact the energy requirements of reactions.
- Quiz - Detection of Enzyme Activity Levels: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Practice - Introduction to Metabolism and Homeostasis: Predict properties of substances based on their chemical formulas, and provide explanations of their properties based on particle views.
- Lab - Understanding Enzymes: Determine which factors can change the rate of an enzyme reaction.
- Discuss - Understanding Enzymes: Make and discuss some generalizations about enzymes by studying just one enzyme in particular.
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2
Lesson 2: Adaptations, Behavior, and Learning
- Read - Adaptations, Behavior, and Learning: Read about how natural selection acts on phenotypic variations in populations.
- Quiz - Adaptations, Behavior, and Learning: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Graphing and Understanding Relationships: Apply mathematical relationships or estimation to determine macroscopic variables for ideal gases.
- Quiz - Graphing and Understanding Relationships: Use representations and models to analyze situations qualitatively and quantitatively.
- Study - Maintaining Homeostasis OUTLINE HAS CHANGED. NEED NEW DESCRIPTION.
- Quiz - Maintaining Homeostasis: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Practice - Adaptations, Behavior, and Learning: Evaluate data that show the effect(s) of changes in concentrations of key molecules on negative feedback mechanisms.
- Explore - Thermoregulation in Turtle Embryos: Analyze and evaluate scientific evidence, and then communicate this evidence to your peers and apply it to your own experiences.
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3
Lesson 3: Homeostasis Wrap-Up
- Test (CS) - Homeostasis Unit Test: Take a computer-scored test to assess what you have learned in this unit.
- Test (TS) - Homeostasis Unit Test: Take a teacher-scored test to assess what you have learned in this unit.
Unit 7: Cellular Energetics
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4
Lesson 1: Understanding Photosynthesis
- Read - Understanding Photosynthesis: Read about how all organisms require constant energy input to maintain organization, to grow, and to reproduce.
- Quiz - Understanding Photosynthesis: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Historical Perspectives on Photosynthesis: Describe experiments in the history of the understanding of photosynthesis.
- Quiz - Historical Perspectives on Photosynthesis: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Inhibitors of Photosynthesis: Explain how chemosynthetic organisms capture free energy.
- Quiz - Inhibitors of Photosynthesis: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Practice - Understanding Photosynthesis: Explain how biological systems use free energy, based on empirical data that all organisms require constant energy input to maintain organization, to grow, and to reproduce.
- Explore - Photosynthesis Over the Last 100 Years: Analyze and evaluate scientific evidence, and then communicate this evidence to your peers and apply it to your own experiences.
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5
Lesson 2: Understanding Cellular Respiration
- Read - Understanding Cellular Respiration: Read about the stages of cellular respiration.
- Quiz - Understanding Cellular Respiration: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Products of Glucose Metabolism: Determine the net yield of ATP from the oxidation of glucose during the different stages of glycolysis and cellular respiration.
- Quiz - Products of Glucose Metabolism: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Carbon Transfer Through Snails and Elodea: Compare rates of carbon transfer in different organisms.
- Quiz - Carbon Transfer Through Snails and Elodea: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Practice - Understanding Cellular Respiration: Explain changes in reaction rates arising from the use of acid-base catalysts, surface catalysts, or enzyme catalysts, including selecting appropriate mechanisms with or without the catalyst present.
- Lab - Cellular Energetics Labs: Photosynthesis (Part A) and Cellular Respiration (Part B): Connect and apply concepts, including the relationship between cell structure and function (mitochondria); strategies for capture, storage, and use of free energy; diffusion of gases across cell membranes; and the physical laws pertaining to the properties and behaviors of gases.
- Discuss - Cellular Energetics Labs: Photosynthesis (Part A) and Cellular Respiration (Part B): Discussion
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6
Lesson 3: Cellular Energetics Wrap-Up
- Test (CS) - Cellular Energetics Unit Test: Take a computer-scored test to assess what you have learned in this unit.
- Test (TS) - Cellular Energetics Unit Test: Take a teacher-scored test to assess what you have learned in this unit.
Unit 8: Cell Communication and Body Systems
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7
Lesson 1: Integrating Cell Communication and the Immune System
- Read - Cell Communication: Read about nonspecific and specific immune defenses in plants and animals.
- Quiz - Cell Communication: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Signal Transduction Pathways: Identify how a signaling molecule binds to a receptor protein, causing it to change shape.
- Quiz - Signal Transduction Pathways: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Graphing the Effectiveness of Vaccines: Create representations or models to describe nonspecific immune defenses in plants and animals.
- Quiz - Graphing the Effectiveness of Vaccines: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Practice - Integrating Cell Communication and the Immune System: Create representations and models to describe immune responses.
- Lab - Bacterial Transformation: Use Le Châtelier's principle to design a set of conditions that will optimize a desired outcome, such as product yield.
- Discuss - Bacterial Transformation: Discuss the findings of the Bacterial Transformation lab.
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8
Lesson 2: Cell Signaling in the Nervous and Endocrine Systems
- Read - Cell Signaling in the Nervous and Endocrine Systems: Read about how nervous systems detect external and internal signals.
- Quiz - Cell Signaling in the Nervous and Endocrine Systems: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - How Neurons Fire: Compare interneurons, sensory neurons, and motor neurons.
- Quiz - How Neurons Fire: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Remarkable Sensory Capabilities: Describe the structure and function of the five types of receptors.
- Quiz - Remarkable Sensory Capabilities: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Practice - Cell Signaling in the Nervous and Endocrine Systems: Predict the solubility of a salt, or rank the solubility of salts, given the relevant Ksp values.
- Explore - Encounters with a Deadly Flatworm: Analyze and evaluate scientific evidence, and then communicate this evidence to your peers and apply it to your own experiences.
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9
Lesson 3: Cell Communication and Body Systems Wrap-Up
- Test (CS) - Cell Communication and Body Systems Unit Test: Take a computer-scored test to assess what you have learned in this unit.
- Test (TS) - Cell Communication and Body Systems Unit Test: Take a teacher-scored test to assess what you have learned in this unit.
Unit 9: Ecological Principles
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10
Lesson 1: Organisms and Populations in Their Environment
- Read - Organisms and Populations in Their Environment: Read about how changes in the availability of free energy can result in changes in population size.
- Quiz - Organisms and Populations in Their Environment: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Food Chains and Webs: Explain the flow of energy through ecosystems.
- Quiz - Food Chains and Webs: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Carrying Capacity: Define carrying capacity and explain how it affects the increase in size of a population.
- Quiz - Carrying Capacity: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Practice - Organisms and Populations in Their Environment: Predict how changes in the availability of free energy affects organisms, populations, and ecosystems.
- Lab - Energy Dynamics: Conduct an experiment to investigate a question about energy capture and flow in an ecosystem.
- Discuss - Energy Dynamics: Discuss the findings of the Energy Dynamics lab.
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11
Lesson 2: Ecological Communities
- Read - Ecological Communities: Read about how the availability of energy affects organisms, populations, and ecosystems.
- Quiz - Ecological Communities: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Mathematical Effects of Population Interactions: Illustrate and investigate population interactions within and environmental impacts on a community.
- Quiz - Mathematical Effects of Population Interactions: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Study - Invasive Species: Explain how invasive species circumvent the natural predator-prey cycle in an ecosystem.
- Quiz - Invasive Species: Take a quiz to assess your understanding of the material.
- Practice - Ecological Communities: Predict how changes in the availability of free energy affects organisms, populations, and ecosystems.
- Explore - Tree Rings, Carbon Dioxide, and Climatic Change: Analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by examining scientific evidence.
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12
Lesson 3: Ecological Principles Wrap-Up
- Test (CS) - Ecological Principles Unit Test: Take a computer-scored test to assess what you have learned in this unit.
- Test (TS) - Ecological Principles Unit Test: Take a teacher-scored test to assess what you have learned in this unit.
Unit 10: Ap Biology Semester 2 Exam
When will this course begin?
Processing time is 1-2 business days. Courses begin each week on Mondays, except for holidays.
Will this class give high school credit?
Yes! Our high school courses are accredited.
Is this course recognized by universities?
Yes! The transcript you receive will come from a fully accredited online school.
Will this class end up on my high school transcript?
Yes, it can! You will need to speak with your academic counselor to get an outside approval request. We will work with you and your school to make sure your high school recognizes our accredited course for placement on your high school transcript.
What if my high school doesn’t give outside credit approval but I still want to take courses that my school doesn’t have to stand out?
No problem! You can still self-report to universities that you took this high school credit course and shine like the shining star that you are.
Will I get support from a live teacher?
Yes! This course comes with support from a certified, experienced teacher available for personalized feedback and assistance Monday-Friday via email and Zoom.
How long does it take to have coursework graded and returned?
Teachers return assignments graded with personalized feedback within 3 business days.
How long will I have to complete this course?
A semester course is scheduled for 9 weeks of access in the summer (May – July) and 18 weeks during the school year (August – April). When you purchase semester 1 and semester 2 courses together, the course is scheduled for 18 weeks in the summer term and 36 weeks during the school year. Students are always welcome to work ahead or add additional time to summer courses (up to 18 weeks for a semester or 36 weeks when semester 1 and semester 2 are purchased together).
Can I finish this course early?
You can complete this course at your pace; so if you get through the coursework quickly, then you can finish early.
What if I need more time to complete this course?
All of our courses are available year-round, and the course content is the same for summer school. Our summer school course duration is set to 9 weeks for semester courses and 18 weeks when semester 1 and semester 2 are purchased together; however, this duration can be extended several weeks upon request.
How can I order my transcript?
All transcripts are available through Parchment, the industry leader in education credentials technology. Parchment is used widely by high schools, colleges, and other academic institutions such as the NCAA. It is a secure service for sending credentials. Transcripts take 1 to 2 business days to process, and you can check online to view the progress of the transaction.
You can use Parchment to order transcripts for multiple institutions at once (including the NCAA). You will automatically receive an unofficial copy for your personal records, and you can track your official transcript. Each Parchment electronic (emailed) transcript costs $5.40, and hard copies sent by mail cost $7.90.
You can use Parchment to order transcripts for multiple institutions at once (including the NCAA). You will automatically receive an unofficial copy for your personal records, and you can track your official transcript. Each Parchment electronic (emailed) transcript costs $5.40, and hard copies sent by mail cost $7.90.
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