AP Biology Semester 1

Enrollment Message

Indiana Online cannot administer the AP Exam. Students need to register with their school of record to take the AP Exam. See Required Textbook

Course Description

AP Biology is an introductory college-level biology course based on the content established and copyrighted by the College Board. Students cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations. Semester 1 of this course will explore the first four units - Chemistry of Life, Cell Structure and Function, Cellular Energetics, and Cell Communication and the Cell Cycle.

• Counts as a science course for all diplomas
• Qualifies as a quantitative reasoning course

Required Textbook

• AP Biology OpenStax

Recommended Textbook

• Biology Student Study Guide by Jane B. Reece, Lisa A. Urry, Michael L. Cain, Steven A. Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, Robert B. Jackson, Martha R. Taylor, 9th ed. 2011; ISBN 978-0321629920. (Can be purchased on Amazon or Cheapbooks)

Course Goals

Upon completion of the course, students will…

• use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.
• use mathematics appropriately.
• engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.
• plan and implement data collection strategies in relation to a particular scientific question.
• perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
• work with scientific explanations and theories.
• connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and across domains.

College Board and Exam Description

• AP Biology

Units of Instruction

• Writing Papers Using APA Format
• Unit 1 Chemistry of Life
• Unit 2 Cell Structure and Function
• Unit 3 Cell Energetics
• Unit 4 Cell Communication and Cell Cycle

Grading/Evaluation

Indiana Online does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue transcripts or diplomas. A final score reported as a percentage of total points earned will be sent to students upon completion of a course. Your school of record can also access this score within the Student Information System, Genius. The final score will be shown as a percentage in Canvas and Genius. The student’s school of record will determine the letter grade based on their specific grading scale.

Students must complete at least 70% of the course and take all parts of the final exam(s) to have a score reported to their school of record. Failure to meet these requirements will result in a score of 0 reported to the school of record.

Assessments

Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, teacher-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments. The course includes the following assessments

• 5 Discussions
• 20 Assignments
• 11 Quizzes

The assessments for this asynchronous course are weighted as follows

Teacher Contact Response Time

Students can use email or the private message system within Genius or Canvas to access highly qualified teachers when they need teacher assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside Canvas. The Teacher Information page of their course may describe additional communication options.

The teacher will respond to student inquiries (email, text, call) within one business day. Assignments will be graded and posted within two business days.

Expectations for Academic Conduct 

Student Handbook 

It is your responsibility to read the student handbook to understand all aspects of taking an online course including expectations for academic conduct. Contact your teacher if you have any questions. 

Assistance for Students with Accommodations

Indiana Online supports an inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that hinder your full participation, such as inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos and podcasts, reasonable accommodations can be arranged.

Technology

Technology Requirements 

Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube. Please review the Indiana Online’s Technology Requirements.

Technical Skills Needed 

Basic technology skills necessary to locate and share information and files as well as interact with others in a Learning Management System (LMS), include the ability to

• download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
• download and install software
• use a messaging service similar to email
• communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
• open attachments shared in messages
• create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
• save a file as a .pdf
• copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
• insert images or links into a file
• search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
• work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
• activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
• use presentation and graphics programs
• follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
• use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
• create and maintain usernames and passwords

Technical Questions?  Please contact the Indiana Online Helpdesk.