Biology II Course Syllabus 2007 – 2008

 Mrs. Esterbrook
Bridge Creek
High School Homepage

Course Description

Biology II is a high school sophomore/junior level course. You will be held to higher expectations and more mature responsibilities over Biology I as we explore the course objectives.

Team Work

I view this course as a team effort. While each person needs to complete and hand in their own work, study groups and cooperative effort are strongly encouraged. You never learn something as well as when you have to explain it to someone else.

Classroom Rules

Grades

Class Grade

Summative 60% - (Tests, Formal Lab Reports, Quarterly Notebook Grades, Projects)
Formative 40% - (Daily Participation, Homework, Quizzes, Weekly Grades, Informal Labs)

Semester Grade

 Class Grade – 88% (44% for each quarter per semester)
Semester Final Exam – 12%

Tests

Format: Usually made up of 60 multiple choice test questions and possibly a written component that is made up of essay questions and diagrams to label. For shorter units, the amount of questions may change.

Late Assignments

 Daily assignments - You can turn in daily assignments one day late for 60% credit.
Projects and Quarterly Notebook grades – 15% will be deducted each day it is late

Absences

Attendance will directly reflect your learning in this class. If an absence is unavoidable, you are expected to turn in any assignments that were due that day and make up any labs, quizzes or tests the day of your return. If you miss a lab, you need to arrange time to make up the lab, either before school, during lunch, or after school due to the availability of perishable materials.

Extra Help

I am always available for extra help during the week. Please arrange a time with me, either before school, during lunch, or after school. Come prepared with specific questions, problems, or labs.

Course Outline

First Semester

First Nine Weeks
UnitTopics Labs and AssessmentsLength
and
Chapters
1 Prologue, Energy, Matter, and Organization
  • Scientific Method
  • Metric System
  • The Chemistry of Life
  • Energy, Life, and the Biosphere
  • Exchanging Materials with the Environment
  • Autotrophy
  • Cell Respiration
 Lab Safety Test
Lab: Diffusion &
Osmosis
Unit 1 Quizzes & Test
 Chapters
Prologue
and
1 – 3
Second Nine Weeks
2
  • Autotrophy
  • Cell Respiration
 Unit 2 Quizzes & Test Chapters
4 – 5
Semester Final Exam Chapters
Prologue
and
1 – 5

Second Semester

Third Nine Weeks
Unit Topics Assessment Length
and
Chapters
2 The Cell: Homeostasis and Development
  • Cell Structures and Functions
  • Transport Systems
  • Expressing Genetic Information
  • Animal Growth and Development
  • Plant Growth and Development
 Lab: Water Movement in Plants
Lab: Exercise and Pulse Rate
Lab: Cell Division in Plants and Animals
Lab: Tropisms
Unit 2 Quizzes & Test		 Chapters
6 – 11
3 Heredity: Continuity of Life
  • Reproduction
  • Patterns of Inheritance
  • Advances in Molecular Genetics
  • Population Genetics
 Lab: Modeling Meiosis
Lab: Probability
Unit 3 Quizzes & Test		 Chapters
12 – 16
Fourth Nine Weeks
4 Evolution
  • The Origin of Life
  • Diversity and Variation
  • Changes in Species
  • Human Evolution
 Lab: Using Cladistics
to Construct
Evolutionary Trees
Lab: A Model Gene
Pool
Lab: Interpretation of
Fossils
Unit 4 Quizzes & Test
 Chapters
17 – 20
5 Responding to the Environment
  • Nervous Systems
  • Behavior
  • Immune Systems
 Lab: Sensory
Receptors
Lab: Reaction Time
Lab: A Lesson in
Conditioning
Lab: Trial-and-Error
Learning
Unit 5 Quizzes & Test 		Chapters
21 – 23
6 Interactions and Interdependence
  • Ecosystem Structure and Function
  • Change in Ecosystems
 Lab: Relationships
between a Plant and
an Animal
Unit 6 Quizzes & Test		 Chapters
24 – 25
Semester Final Exam Chapters
12 – 25

Textbook BSCS Biology: A Molecular Approach (Blue Version), 9th edition. USA: Glencoe/McGraw Hill, 2006. Online Learning Center: Textbook website offers study tools for every chapter http://www.bscsblue.com, then click on student center.