Course Outline

C.P. BIOLOGY

Text: McDougal Littell Biology

Instructor: Ms Simun
Redondo Union High School
(310) 798-8665; Voice mail-X4107
E-mail: msimun@rbusd.org
Web: http://simun.inspiringteachers.com/

Biology
This course will provide students, through a variety of learning experiences, with an overview of biological processes, theories and concepts. Biology is the study of living things, including animal, plant, microorganisms and fungi, and their interactions with the environment. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking through the use of the scientific method and laboratory activities. In addition, this course will provide students with the skills and information necessary to form opinions and make decisions involving scientific issues. As an integral part of this course, students will learn about their responsibility towards the environment.

Instructional Methods
Audiovisuals: videotapes, films, computers and CD ROMs will be used
to enhance topics.
Discussion: students will participate in class discussions throughout the
course; discussions will focus on the students' opinions, decisions and judgments as related to specific topics.
Homework: reinforce and clarify concepts, and teach study skills.
Laboratory: used to teach and reinforce concepts.
Lecture: introduce concepts; students will learn to take organized notes.
Reading: students will read the assigned text, as well as science magazines, books and newspaper articles as supplements for the topics.
Supplemental: to stimulate interest and reinforce concepts I recommend
a visit to some of the following: California Science Center, a zoo, the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits, etc.
Writing: students will write essays on scientific topics. In addition, all laboratory reports will be completed following the scientific
method, and students will regularly write learning statements.

Objectives Students will:
* enjoy science!
* view science as a process and demonstrate the scientific method.
* learn how the physical and biological elements of the world interact.
* appreciate the wide diversity of life on this planet and work towards its preservation.
* understand how the human body functions.
* learn about energy and it's significance.
* perform a laboratory experiment and generate a comprehensive report.
* gain the knowledge and insight necessary to make decisions and judgments when science is applied at the social level.

Materials Needed: Blue or black pens; #2 pencils and paper; goggles; three-ring binder with dividers. Highlighters and a calculator are recommended.

Course Outline
*Ecology
*Organic Chemistry
*Cells and Cell Energetics
*Genetics
*DNA and How Genes Work
*Evolution and Natural Selection
*Nervous and Endocrine Systems
*Respiratory System
*Circulatory and Excretory Systems
*Immune System


Grades A 100-90%, B 89-80%, C 79-70%, D 69-60%, F 59-0%
All work must be legible to receive a grade (no metallic pens, please!).
Grades are calculated using a point system, based on all coursework in the following categories: class work, homework, and assessment. Laboratory activities and assessment are emphasized; failure to complete laboratory reports following the specified format , or regular assessment failure, will result in a failing grade for this class.

Coursework
1. Class work
a. Students will take notes during class and complete them following the Cornell format for homework. They are due the following Monday. Students will also participate in a variety of activities, including non- lab activities, discussions, and summarizing news articles.
2. Content Assessment
a. Weekly quizzes will assess mastery of text readings; chapter or unit tests will cover larger concepts, culminating in semester finals. Most activities will contain embedded assessment. Assessments may include: multiple choice, matching, true-false, fill-ins, problems, short answers or essays.
b. If you are absent on the day of the test, you are expected to take the test on the day you return to school (essay form). Ten percent will be deducted from your test score for each day after the originally scheduled test date.
3. Homework
a. Students will read the assigned pages in the text for mastery and take supplemental notes and/or make flash cards from which to study. Notes will be checked weekly on the specified due date at the beginning of the period. I recommend students study at least three hours per week outside of class.
b. The textbook is NOT required for class work; leave it at home!
4. Laboratory Activities
a. Students will perform the assigned experiments and report their findings using the specified laboratory report format. Safety goggles are required. In general, lab activities cannot be made up, due to materials and safety considerations. A make-up lab report or essay will be required, but participation points cannot be made up.
5. Warm-Ups
a. Daily statements and analyses that describe facts and concepts learned will begin each class session; we begin promptly at the beginning of the period.
6. Notebook
a. Students will maintain a complete and organized biology notebook. It will be graded each quarter for homework points. Section dividers are as follows: warm ups, homework, notes and handouts, activities, assessment.
7. Participation
a. Students are expected to be present and participate actively during class each day. Students will receive participation points for actively participating in activities and discussions (points are deducted for non-participation).
Student Responsibilities: to come to class daily, on time, prepared to learn.
Norms
q Do things that are conducive to learning. Students are expected to follow all school rules. All students have the right to an education. Disturbing that right will result in removal from that activity or from class.
q Do these things safely. Students who behave in an unsafe or uncooperative manner in the laboratory will be removed from that activity. "Horseplay" in the lab is dangerous to everyone in the room and will not be tolerated.
The RUHS discipline policy will be followed.

Completing Work
All assignments completed at home are due at the beginning of the class period on the assigned date due. Students will be permitted to submit up to two late assignments each semester. Each assignment turned in late must have a late pass attached to it. All late work will receive reduced credit. Unused late passes may be submitted at the end of each semester for extra credit points.

Absent Work and Late Assignments
Students are responsible for keeping track of daily class and homework assignments. Students are responsible for picking up missed assignments and turning in past due assignments upon returning to class following an illness. Regarding anticipated absences, including school activities, assignments must be turned in on the assigned due date. Tests may be taken a day in advance. Assignments can be obtained from the assignment file in the classroom, from the weekly assignment board in the classroom, from my web site, or from a class partner. Students have the same number of days they were absent to make up absent work. Missed laboratory activities may be made up by written report, following specific guidelines, minus participation points. Missed quizzes may be made up the day the student returns to class. Missed tests must be made up the day the student returns to class; the make-up test will be in essay format. Ten percent will be deducted from your test or quiz score for each day after the originally scheduled test date. Semester Final Project(s) must be turned in on the assigned due date(s). Check my web site regularly for current information. Internet access is available at any library!

Need Help?!?!?
If you need help or have a question, just ask!! I am here to help. By appointment I can meet with you most days before or after school, and some days during lunch. My conference/preparatory time is sixth period.

HOW TO LEARN NEW INFORMATION AND SUCCEED AT EXAMS
Study for a maximum of 50 minutes straight- studies indicate that the best way for new knowledge to be stored for later retrieval is to concentrate for a chunk of time, then take a ten minute break. Cramming may occasionally work for a test, but does not commit the information to long-term memory for later recall.
Recommended Routine
Daily
Skim your notes and/or text daily to stay fresh. Repetition is the key to committing information to long-term memory.
3 Days Before the Test
Additional study time will be required over your regular routine- study seriously. Review your lecture notes, labs, study guide, and re-read the appropriate chapters. Review flash cards frequently; carry them with you everywhere for a quick review.
2 Days Before the Test
After reading the chapter, work through the appropriate sections in the study guide; anticipate possible essay questions from the problem set.
The Night Before the Test
Study in a group of 3-5 people (with a range of performance levels), breaking for 10 minutes every hour. Finish by 10 PM (sleep is crucial). While in bed, read over computerized notes just before falling asleep (relaxed state- brain waves change).
The Morning of the Test
Eat a good breakfast: lean protein (eggs, milk) for staying power, complex carbohydrates (bread, cereal, fruit) for quick energy. Avoid high fat foods (fats are difficult to digest and can make you sluggish). Just before the exam: stretch, inhale and exhale deeply through your nose several times (repeat during text to relax).


Tips on becoming a STRAIGHT "A" SCIENCE STUDENT!
1. SET PRIORITIES: Top students spend quality time studying. Once the books open or the computer work begins, phone calls go unanswered, TV shows go unwatched, snacks are ignored. Study is business; business comes before entertainment or relaxation.

2. STUDY ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE: Some students post vocabulary words in the bathroom and review while brushing their teeth; others on their bedroom wall and review before sleeping. Flash cards can be reviewed while waiting in line of for a bus. Study times are a matter of personal preference, from late at night to early morning, or just after arriving home from school while the assignments are fresh. The important idea is to be consistent about studying every day.

3. GET ORGANIZED AND CLEAN UP YOUR ACT: A backpack or drawer keeps essential supplies together and cuts down on time- wasting searches for supplies and materials. Neat papers are more likely to get higher grades than sloppy ones. Students who turn in neat and complete papers are on their way to earning an A.

4. LEARN HOW TO READ ACTIVELY: The secret of effective reading is to become an active reader- one who continually asks questions that lead to a full understanding of what the author is trying to communicate. Always sit up while reading text material (unless is it being used to induce sleep!), and mentally paraphrase using your own words, and take notes or construct concept maps. If you read a page and cannot recall ANY information, you have wasted your time and haven't really read. Concentrate! You can't learn or remember what you don't pay attention to.

5. SCHEDULE YOUR TIME: Of course, even the beat students procrastinate sometimes. When that happens, they face it, and make up for lost time. If you consistently procrastinate and waste time, ask yourself WHY learning and earning a higher grade doesn't seem like a priority. Schedule regular breaks: 10 minutes out of every 60.

6. TAKE THOROUGH NOTES AND USE THEM: Reading the book gives important background information, but the teacher will also assess you on what she emphasized. This is where notes come in handy. Review your notes soon after taking them (within 24 hours is optimal). Add any additional facts missed during class. Complete your Cornell notes (questions). Preview notes before the exam. If you take notes but never review them, their usefulness dramatically diminishes.

7. SPEAK UP: Top students are intellectually curious. They ask questions, trying to understand the teacher's lesson. If you don't understand the principle, ask the teacher to repeat it. Class participation goes beyond merely asking questions, though. It's a matter of showing involvement and interest in the course material. Remember to sit upright, make eye contact with the instructor and ask pertinent, clarifying questions.

8. STUDY TOGETHER: Discuss homework problems together, try different approaches and explain solutions to one another. Simply reviewing the material with a study group will help you retain the information. Caution: don't let a study session degenerate into a social hour.

9. TEST YOURSELF: Highlight points you think may show up on the exam. Make up possible questions, and actually write out the answers. Chances are many of your anticipated questions will be on the exam.

10. DO MORE THAN YOU ARE ASKED: if your teacher assigns five problems, do ten. If you are assigned three pages to read, read eight and take notes. Think about the next day's lesson, and prepare questions in advance. Arrive for a class lecture with outline notes or a concept map taken while reading the text. Be sure to complete all assignments, and get help when you need it. Part of learning is practice and repetition. The more you practice, the more you learn.
Adapted from Kiester, Jr. & Keister, 1992

Themes of Biology: Major Concepts and Terminology
Energy Flow
Energy and Metabolism: energy, ATP, enzyme, catalyst, glycolysis
Photosynthesis: glucose, ATP; Cellular Respiration; aerobic, anaerobic
Interrelationships: producer - consumer - decomposer; carbon cycle; biogenesis, abiogenesis
Ecosystem food webs and food chains
Scale and Structure
Atoms: SPONCH (Sulfur, Phosphorous, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Hydrogen)
Molecules, bonding: covalent, ionic, hydrogen; Molecules, organic: mono- and polysaccharides, lipids, proteins, cholesterol, insulin, nucleic acids (DNA, RNA); Molecule of life: H20
The Cell: prokaryotic, eukaryotic, virus; diffusion, osmosis, active vs. passive transport, concentration gradient, endocytosis, exocytosis
Cellular organelles: nucleus, chromosomes, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, chloroplast, vacuole, mitochondria, cell membrane (phospholipid bilayer), cytoplasm
Multicellular organisms, organization: Organismðsystemðorganðtissueðcellðmoleculeðatom
Stability
Homeostasis and Ecosystem stability: succession
Evolution
Heredity and Inheritance: cell reproduction- mitosis, meiosis (gamete, zygote), fertilization
Genetic variation, mutation, sexual reproduction; Natural selection, Charles Darwin; Adaptation
Patterns of Change
Development: differentiation; Cyclical changes- life cycle; Irregular changes- evolution
Systems and Interactions
Classification: Kingdoms-plant, animal, fungi, monera, protista; KPCOFGSpecies
Diversity; Interdependency and Community: population
Assessment of environmental issues; the role of humans: ecology