Dear Prospective AP Biology Student,
Welcome to AP Biology! The program has high expectations and no time to waste. In fact, we will move at a pace of about a chapter a week. Therefore, to ensure your success in this course and on the AP exam in May, we need to start right away. The following is a list of required assignments to do over the summer. All of this work is due on Monday August 25th. Late work will be subject to the Late Work Grade Policy as outlined in the syllabus. Please don't hesitate to email me at aodwyer@usd116.org if you have any questions.
Best,
Allison O'Dwyer
Summer Homework Checklist
- I highly recommend going ahead and purchasing an AP Exam Review Guide. This will help you even if you do not intend to take the AP exam. My favorite by far is the Princeton Review. Just be sure you are purchasing a guide for the new AP curriculum (2013 and on is safest).
Pick up your textbook as soon as possible from the UHS main office, and start reading Chapters 50 and 52 (Ecology and Population Ecology). If you need to pick up the book over the summer please call ahead and check that the office will be open (217-384-3505).
For Chapter 50, construct a handwritten concept map. Use the bold terms in this Ecology chapter to create a list of vocabulary words that must be incorporated into your concept map. For help with concept mapping, you can visit the following web site: http://users.edte.utwente.nl/lanzing/cm_home.htm
Complete the Chapter 52 review.
Read the book The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (ISBN: 978-1594132056). The book can be purchased on Amazon for around $9 (click here for Amazon link). It can also be checked out of the local libraries. Pollan's work will be a guide for us in studying the energy dynamics in an ecosystem, how humans are affecting the biosphere, and solutions-based thinking to lower our impacts.
While reading Omnivore's Dilemma, answer the questions on this reading guide.
