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Pre-AP Strategies in Biology: Learning Objectives and Activities
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by Mary Wuerth
Tamalpais High School
Mill Valley, California
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(Timelines are approximate, and will vary depending on students' prior knowledge.)
Biochemistry: 3 weeks
Objectives
- Identify three phases of matter and describe what happens during phase changes.
- Compare physical and chemical properties of matter.
- Describe structure of an atom as the basic unit of matter.
- Explain the significance of atomic number and mass.
- Differentiate between elements and compounds.
- Describe isotopes and their uses.
- 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.
- Compare and contrast mixtures, solutions, and suspension.
- Define acids, bases, neutralization, buffers, 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
- Investigate physical versus chemical changes by burning a candle, dissolving salt in water, adding silver nitrate to the dissolved salt, adding antacids to vinegar.
- Test the pH of various household liquids using either litmus paper or an indicator dye (such as cabbage juice).
- Design an experiment to test the effectiveness of antacids.
- Test compounds for presence of glucose, proteins, and fats using benedict's solution, biuret reagent, and brown paper.
- Study enzymes by comparing catalase levels of different tissues (potato, apple, spinach, liver) by adding a sample of each tissue to hydrogen peroxide.
- Compare changes in carbon dioxide levels by incubating elodea, water snail, and elodea plus a water snail in tubes of bromothymol blue.
Cells: 2 weeks
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.
- Describe levels of organization found in multicellular organisms: cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.
Labs/Activities
- Observe prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells under a microscope.
- Make wet mounts of animal (cheek cell) and plant (elodea) cells.
- Observe changes in a plant cell under the microscope when a high salt solution is added, and when distilled water is added.
- Investigate limits of surface area to volume ratio in cells using differently sized phenolthalein agar blocks and a sodium hydroxide solution.
Heredity: 4 weeks
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.
- Perform a pipe cleaner simulation of chromosome movements during mitosis and meiosis.
- 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 their own family for an easily observable trait such as tongue rolling, hitchhiker's thumb, or widow's peak.
Molecular Biology: 3 weeks
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.
- Compare point and frameshift mutations.
- Describe some of the applications of recombinant DNA technology.
- Know that environment can affect gene expression.
- Explain the uses of genetic testing.
- Describe the significance of the human genome project.
Labs/Activities
- Isolate DNA from kiwi fruit or strawberries.
- Model DNA structure using toothpicks, colored markers, string, and glue.
- Use beige and white Velcro to demonstrate original DNA strands and the semiconservative nature of DNA replication.
- Clone a plant by using cuttings.
- Perform a paper-and-pencil analysis of a DNA sequence when cut by different restriction enzymes (give students a DNA sequence, the recognition site of particular enzyme, then have them use scissors to produce restriction fragments).
- Arrange the above restriction fragments in the order they would appear on an electrophoresis gel.
- Model transcription and translation, using white index cards for the original DNA sequence, colored index cards for the mRNA, coat hangers with index cards representing anticodons, and popbeads representing amino acids.
- Read about the antileukemia drug Gleevec, which was developed using information from the DNA sequences.
Evolution: 4 weeks
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.
- Describe the system of binomial nomenclature and the six-kingdom system.
Labs/Activities
- Use the "magic-hooey stick" to demonstrate science versus nonscience.
- Use teddy graham cookies in two flavors, honey and chocolate chip, to demonstrate natural selection.
- Build a cladogram for a group of species by comparing their DNA sequences.
- Use boxes of 100 pennies to demonstrate radioactive decay.
- Create a geologic timeline using the scale 1 mm = 1 million years on adding machine tape.
- 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.
Plants: 6 weeks
Objectives
- Describe the evolutionary history of plants (development of vascular tissue, seeds and flowers, coevolution with insects).
- Define gametophyte and sporophyte and describe how they alternate.
- 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 the function of basic plant tissues (meristems, epidermal, parenchyma, sclerenchyma, vascular tissue).
- Describe how water is transported in a plant.
- Explain the process of transpiration.
- Compare annual, biennial, and perennial plants.
- Describe plant tropisms (phototropism and gravitropism).
- Discuss vegetative reproduction in plants.
Labs/Activities
- Observe different plant tissues under the microscope.
- Dissect monocot and dicot flowers.
- Grow plants from cuttings.
- Grow plants in different nutrient solutions to see how they affect plant growth.
- Observe phototropism by growing grass seeds with a light source from one direction.
- Observe the number of stomata in different leaves under a microscope.
- Dissect different fruits to observe structures.
Animals: 12 weeks
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 fishes, 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.
- Describe the structure and function of the human nervous, respiratory, circulatory, excretory, endocrine, and immune systems (if time permits, also discuss skeletal, muscular, digestive, and reproductive systems).
- Describe the major terrestrial and aquatic biomes.
- Understand the cycling of nutrients such as nitrogen and oxygen.
- Describe the causes of bioaccumulation.
- Explain the water cycle.
Labs/Activities
- Do comparative dissections of members of different invertebrate phyla.
- Borrow a few reptiles from a local pet store for classroom observations.
- Observe different types of bird feathers.
- Compare a chicken bone with a beef or pork bone.
- Simulate a urinalysis lab.
- Measure carbon dioxide concentration in exhaled air using bromothymol blue solution, test again after exercising.
- Simulate a blood typing lab.
- Test human reflexes.
- Tape thumb to hand and try to perform everyday tasks.
- Examine skeletons of members of different vertebrate phyla.
- Examine prepared slides of tissues from different human body systems.
- Place elodea and pond snails in test tubes of bromothymol blue solution, incubate in light and dark overnight.
- Spread pieces of colored paper on a piece of cloth, and have students see how many of each color they can pick up in 30 seconds; do three trials.
- Test water samples from a local creek or pond for dissolved oxygen levels.
Mary Wuerth teaches AP Biology at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California, and Biology Lab at the College of Marin in Kentfield, California. In 2001, Mary was selected to be one of 25 lead teachers for WGBH-TV's Evolution project. During the 2001-2002 school year, she served as an online AP Biology instructor as part of the University of California's College Prep Initiative. Mary received a RadioShack National Teacher Award for the use of technology in the classroom and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science teaching in 2002. She is a workshop consultant for the College Board, a Table Leader for the AP Biology Exam, and a lead teacher for the Bay Area Biotechnology Education Consortium.
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