Biology Syllabus

2015-2016
Shelby Mings

Room #: 207

Email: Shelby.Pfeiffer@henry.kyschool.us

Text Book: Biology. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. 2008

Course Description: Biology is devoted to the study of living things and their
processes. Throughout the year this course provides an opportunity for students to
develop scientific process skills, laboratory techniques, and an understanding of the
fundamental principles of living organisms. Students will explore biological science as a
process, cell structure and function, genetics and heredity, evolution and classification,
diversity of living organisms and their ecological roles, and an introduction to animal
structure and function. An end of course test (EOC) will be administered in May, which
covers content from both semesters.
Objectives/Goals:
Make learning fun!
Teach students practical scientific skills, which they can use to investigate study
and explain the world around them.
Give students a deeper understanding of the how biology impacts their daily
lives.
For each student to pass the EOC.
To encourage the spirit of scientific investigation and with it the attitudes of
accuracy in thought and work.
For students to set goals and achieve their goals.
Supplies:
1 inch binder
10 dividers
1 Folder with prongs and pockets
Loose leaf paper
Pen or pencil EVERYDAY!
Grading:
Throughout the year we will complete a variety of different assignments.
Me Bag
Binder Checks
Labs/ Lab Sheets
Lab Reports
Research Papers
Presentations
Projects

Bell Ringers
Quizzes
Exams

Grading Scale:
A 100-90
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 59 and below
Class Policies:
Late Homework - Late homework is not accepted.
Makeup Work
o If you are absent it is your responsibility to obtain any assignments you
missed while you were gone.
o Excused absences you have one day for each excused absence to
make up your work.
o Missed exams must be taken before or after school. This must be
scheduled with me beforehand.
o If you are absent during a lab you must make special arrangements to
come in before or after school to make up the lab.
o I have generated a website that will greatly help all students that missed
class or were absent from school. Details on accessing website are
attached to this syllabus.
Cheating/ Plagiarism
o Cheating on a test or assignment will result in a grade of zero for all
involved.
o Data for lab reports/sheets must be taken during lab. Copying of lab data
after lab is not allowed. Each student is responsible for individual lab
reports/sheets unless specifically stated by teacher.
Classroom Expectations:
Students are expected to be in their seat and ready when the bell rings.
o Being ready means in your seat, notebook out and working on the bell
ringer when the last bell rings.
Materials must be brought to class each day.
o I have a space provided for you to leave your binders in the room. This
doesnt mean that you HAVE to leave your binder in the room but if you
dont think you are going to be responsible enough to bring it to class
every day, I have a space available for you.
Treat everyone with respect.

o This includes your fellow classmates, me, and the things in my classroom
(and my turtles! )
My desk is my area. I dont want to have students up and behind my desk unless
stated otherwise.
Always wait for instructions and follow them.
All school rules will be followed as stated in the student handbook.
If we do a lab in class, I expect your area to be cleaned up and materials properly
put away before leaving the room at the end of the period.
When the bell rings please scoot your chairs in and make sure that your area is
clean.
I do not mind if you eat or drink in class, however I do not like to clean up your
messes when you leave. Make sure that if you eat and or drink in class you do
not leave your trash behind.

Binders:

We will keep a binder in this class and everything we do in class, notes, bell
work, handouts, graphs, labs, free writes, and exit slips will all go in this binder.
The binder will be expected to look a certain way; we will go over these
expectations in class when we set the binders up.
You will have 4 binder checks throughout the year, which will be a 100-point
grade.

Keys to Success:

Always have a positive attitude!

I am here to help you succeed, so feel free to ask me for help. I am available
before and after school in my room. You can also shoot me an email anytime.
Ask lots of questions. If you are unclear about something from the textbook, lab,
or from discussion, ask.
Start studying for tests early. By studying and reviewing each night you are not
only helping to prepare for the test more effectively, you are also more prepared
for class each day and any quizzes that may be given.
o This also will eliminate cramming the night before a test.
o By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.. Benjamin Franklin

Content we will cover over the course of the year

Scientific Inquiry
o Being able to create an experiment, using scientific inquiry skills such as
formulating a hypothesis, recording and analyzing results, using various

questioning techniques, and interpreting results and developing a

conclusion.
o Properly using lab equipment and techniques.
Mathematics and Measurements in Science
o Metric System and how they correlate with the English system.
o Calculating the mean of a set of values.
o Use graphic models, mathematical models, and simple statistical models
to express patterns and relationships determined from sets of scientific
data.
Science in Practice
o Fundamental assumptions of science.
o How has technological advances affected other fields of study, careers,
and aspects of everyday life.
o Recognize and apply criteria that scientists use to evaluate the validity of
scientific claims and theories.
o Being able to correctly site a source from a book, website, newspaper etc.
o Understanding how advances in basic science drive advances in applied
science.
Foundations
o Criteria for something to be considered alive.
o Levels of organization.
Biochemistry
o Subatomic particles; what are they and how are they arranged.
o Describe the difference between ions and atoms and the importance of
ions in biological processes.
o Types of bonds.
o Chemical reactions of photosynthesis, fermentation and cellular
respiration can be expressed in chemical formula.
o Difference between organic and inorganic compounds.
o Acids and bases and the PH scale.
o Macromolecules.
o Enzymes.
o Properties of water.
o ATP
Cells
o Plant vs. Animal
o Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic
o Cell organelles
o Cell Motility (Cilia, flagella, pseudopodia)
o Cell membrane, diffusion and homeostasis.
o Osmosis, diffusion, active transport, and facilitated diffusion.
o Anaerobic and aerobic respiration.
o Photosynthetic organisms and photosynthesis.

o Mitosis.
Genetics
o Structure and function of DNA, mRNA, tRNA, amino acids, polypeptides,
and proteins.
o Protein Synthesis: Replication, transcription, translation.
o History of DNA, and central dogma.
o mRNA codon chart to determine amino acid sequences of polypeptides.
o Different types of mutations and the result of that mutation.
o Describe how gene expression is regulated in an organism so that specific
proteins are synthesized only when they are needed.
o Meiosis
o Mendels law of segregation and independent assortment.
o Genotype, phenotype, dominant allele, recessive allele, co-dominant,
incomplete dominance, homozygous, heterozygous and carrier.
o Sex linked alleles.
o Punnett Squares- phenotype, genotype ratios.
o Pedigrees.
o Sex-linked disorders.
Evolution
o Explain biological definition of evolution.
o Redi, Needham, Spallanzani, and Pasteurs experiments and
spontaneous generations.
o Differentiate chemical evolution, organic evolution, and evolutionary steps
to the development of aerobic heterotrophs, and photosynthetic
autotrophs.
o Darwins, natural selection and survival of the fittest.
o Behaviors that have evolved through natural selection such as migration
and court ship rituals.
o Catastrophism, gradualism, and punctuated equilibrium.
Animals
o Major types of animal cells and tissues.
o Body systems, components and functions.
Plants
o Plant processes, movement of materials and reproduction.
o Cell wall, chloroplasts, flower structure and the seed.
o Light dependent and light independent reactions of photosynthesis.
Relationships among organisms
o How animals are classified
o KPCOFGS: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
o Role of beneficial bacteria.
o Classification and major differences separating fungi, plants, and animals.
o Major divisions of animals.
Ecology

o Define and provide examples of each; biome, biosphere, ecosystem,

community, population, species, habitat, niche.
o Biotic and abiotic factors that affect land and aquatic ecosystems.
o Role of beneficial bacteria
o Explain the flow of energy through ecosystem, from photosynthetic
organisms to herbivores to carnivores and to decomposers.
o Competition, symbiosis, predation in an ecosystem.
o Food webs, Food chains, and pyramids.
o Carrying capacity
o Exponential and logistic growth.
o Ecological succession and the type of communities that result from it.
o Environmental concerns (pollution, loss of biodiversity, water scarcity.)
o Human interference with ecosystems.
.
Web Page Access
I have created a web page with hopes that this will make communication between
students, parents and myself a little easier. This website will allow students to view
anything that we have done in class so far, power points, worksheets, writing
assignments, project rubrics, and study guides. I am hoping that this is a positive tool to
aid in student success.
o My website username: hcbiologypfeiffer.weebly.com
o At the top of the page you will see that there are 5 different headers at the top of
the page.
o Put your cursor over the header that states the class you are taking biology and
then you will see a drop box appear.
o The drop box will contain several different options such as class announcements,
Power Points, Homework, and Exams and Study guides.
o Use this website for your overall success in my classroom.

Student Signature ___________________ Parent _____________________