Essential Course Resources

• AP Biology Course and Exam Description, Effective Fall 2012 (.pdf/3.5MB)
  Contains the curriculum framework and sample exam questions
• Biology Investigative Labs: An Inquiry-Based Approach
  Enabling teachers to guide students through experiments and procedures
• AP Biology Quantitative Skills Guide (.pdf/3.9MB)
  Contains an overview of the quantitative skills included in the course, and on the exam. Provides numerous links to online activities.
  
  

  AP Biology Course Planning and Pacing Guides

  Written by AP teachers, these versatile guides demonstrate a variety of ways to plan and pace the AP Biology curriculum across one academic year. Each author brings a unique perspective to approaching the course based on his or her teaching context (e.g., demographics, schedule, school type, setting), and presents a host of ideas for activities, resources, and assessments.
  
  
  • AP Biology Course Planning and Pacing Guide 1 (.pdf/1.5MB)
    Teresa Massey, Elizabeth Andrews High School, GA
  • AP Biology Course Planning and Pacing Guide 2 (.pdf/1.5MB)
    Ed Braddy, J.W. Mitchell High School, FL
  • AP Biology Course Planning and Pacing Guide 3 (.pdf/1.5MB)
    Elizabeth Carzoli, Castle Park High School, CA
  • AP Biology Course Planning and Pacing Guide 4 (.pdf/1.5MB)
    Julianne M. Zedalis, The Bishop's School, CA

  Other Core Resources

• AP Biology Lab Manual for Teachers - Supplement (for use with the 2001 lab manual) (.pdf/658KB)
• CB Standards for Science Success
• AP Biology Frequently Asked Questions 
• AP Biology Development Committee
• Biology Textbook Correlations (.pdf/770KB)
• Inquiry Instruction in the AP Science Classroom (.pdf/48KB)

AP Exam Information and Resources

Beginning in May 2013, the revised AP Biology Exam will assess understanding of biological principles, content, and concepts in combination with science practices. The revised exam will continue to feature multiple-choice and free-response questions; however, a new grid-in question type and short free-response questions will be included, as described in the AP Biology Course and Exam Description, Effective Fall 2012 ( .pdf/3.5MB).

A full Practice Exam reflecting the new course is available for all AP Biology teachers in a secure location. Sign in to your course audit account for access.

• About the AP Biology Exam

AP Course Audit Information

Teachers of AP Biology must submit a syllabus for authorization during the 2012–13 academic year. For step-by-step instructions on how to complete the authorization process, visit AP Course Audit.

Classroom Resources

• From the College Board

  • Curriculum Module

    • From Gene to Protein—A Historical Perspective (.pdf/1.75MB)

  • Special Focus Materials

    • Cell-to-Cell Communication—Cell Signaling (.pdf/2.7MB)
    • Evolution and Change  (.pdf/798K)
    • The Importance of Laboratory Work (.pdf/1.6MB)
      
    • The Spanish Flu And Its Legacy (.pdf/5.7MB)

• From Your AP Colleagues

  • AP Biology Demonstrations
  • Hands-On Activities

  • Field Trips

    • Learning by Observing 
    • Drey Land Ecology Field Trip 

  • Course Content—Related Articles

    • The Evolution-Creationism Continuum in College Biology Classrooms 
    • Achieving Gender Equality in the Science Classroom 
    • Gastrulation: Shaping the Embryo 
    • Mendel's Legacy 
    • Milestones for Women in Science
    • DNA and Computers—A Marriage Made in Heaven 
    • Causes and Consequences of the Black Death—A Reappraisal
    • Rosalind Franklin: She's Worth Another Look 
    • AP Biology Readers Revisit Mitotic Spindle Formation 

  • Pre-AP Strategies

    • Syllabus: Biology Skills for Success in the Pre-AP Years (.pdf/215KB)
    • Epidemiology in Middle School: A Curriculum 
    • Textbook Reviews for the Pre-AP Years in Biology 
    • Institutes & Workshops
      

College Board Store

• Resources for AP Biology 

Reviews of Teaching Resources

There are currently more than 250 reviews of Biology resources, including textbooks, web sites, software, and more, in the Teachers' Resources area. Each review describes the resource and suggests ways it might be used in the classroom.   

Professional Development

• June–August 2012: AP Summer Institutes were offered for AP Biology. These workshops, which occur at different sites from June through August, will provide an in-depth look at the revised courses and exams.
• September–December 2012: One-day Professional Development Workshops are offered for AP Biology.
• To register, visit Professional Development for AP Biology Teachers.

Background on Course and Exam Revisions

• Consortium of Experts (.pdf/349KB)
• Key Goals of Course Revisions (.pdf/140KB)
• Higher Education Validation for Biology (.pdf/378KB)

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