Welcome to AP Biology

Hello and welcome to AP biology, the only AP science course offered at SHS. You are about to embark on an exciting journey that will explore many of the intricacies that are involved in making life what it is. This class will be similar to your typical first year of college biology course. Rather than me writing and trying to provide an overview of the course, I've posted this video made by a teacher in Bozeman, MT.




Just for fun, here's a video posted by one of the Green boy's explaining why its important for you to stay in school (FYI - his explanation is quite different from your parent's :)

Due Date - August 1 for creating blog

Just a quick reminder that your blogs should be setup and url sent to me at mrlandryshs@gmail.com by the end of the day on August 1. Also, if you haven't started your other assignments, you may want to do so soon. If you have any questions, please email me and I should get back to you pretty quickly. Also, if you need a copy of the summer assignment, click here

Change to Summer Assignment

I've heard from a number of you that the vocab assignment is going well and that you might actually kind of like the assignment, which is what was supposed to happen. Nothing is changing with that assignment but if you have questions, make sure you send them my way.

The change that the title refers to has to do with Assignment 4 - News & Views. Upon further review, I've decided that it would be best for me to shorten the assignment (I can already hear the cheers!). What I'd like for you to do is two articles, rather than four. The assignment asks you to pick an article per Big Idea. Instead, you can go with any two articles as long as they go with two different Big Ideas AND as long as you do one article on either Big Idea 1 or 4.

In case you are confused - here it is again. Pick one article that deals with either Big Idea 1 or 4, follow the directions in the assignment, and then repeat with any other article that ties to any OTHER Big Idea. Does that help? If you have questions, please submit them as comments below so that others can see my response to your question. Also, if you need another link to the summer assignment, click here. Good luck.

Upcoming Due Date

I hope you all are enjoying your summer thus far, as its hard to believe that its already half over! I'm posting this as a reminder that you should have already sent me an email for assignment number 1 (most of you did but I am missing about 10 students), and assignment two's due date is August 1 (creation of a blog). Please create your blogs and send me the url to the blog prior to August 1. If you need a link to the summer assignment, click here.

Thanks.

First Assignment Due Date Has Arrived

Thanks to all of you who completed your first assignments of emailing me and setting up your blogs. I haven't read any of them yet due to temporarily living somewhere without internet, but once I get plugged back in, I'll read and respond to all of the emails. If you haven't done this yet, please at least get the email piece done asap.

Good work everyone and enjoy your holiday.

AP Biology 2013-14

Welcome incoming students for the 2013-2014 version of AP biology at Sparta High School. I'm excited to work with you guys and gals this upcoming school year and expect many great things from you. Having AP biology as a year round class will be a refreshing change and allow for me to help better prepare you for the AP Biology Exam in May 2014.

In order to get a jump start on things, I've assigned you all a summer assignment. You should have received one of these prior to leaving for the summer, but in case you didn't or you mislocated (not sure if this is a real word) yours, I've attached the assignment below. Please make sure you adhere to the due dates that are listed on the assignment. Additionally, the assignments are meant to be somewhat fun and/or pretty interesting, so it may be better to label them as summer explorations rather than assignments :)

Enjoy your summer.

SUMMER ASSIGNMENT LINK

Review Materials on Learn Site

I've posted multiple review items on the learn site. The materials range from year long review to topic review, including math in the biology class activities. Go to the learn site to access there. Just a reminder that if you are logging in from home then your username is first.lastname@SPARTA.LAN (my login is matt.landry@sparta.lan) and password is the same as at school.

Good luck in reviewing as I have not heard from many of you (I've only heard from one person in the past two weeks).