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Q1 – Week 1 – 21-22

 Week of 9/2 – 9/3 * THE FIRST WEEK OF JOY!
*Please Refresh as I update and make daily changes to this page.
 
Welcome Back!  (which probably is not appropriate since you have never been here!) 
 
Introduction (during adademic study hall): 
    Grading, Reflection, Assessment, and Feedback
 
      Things I have learned form 8 years of distance/hybrid teaching:
 
                               1. Design – surgical design with your teaching voice – 
                              2. Assessment (online)
                              3. Feedback – immediate
                         4. Connectivity – teacher access
 
    These four constructs enabled me to Have incredible Educational Momentum in and out the class.
 
Quarter Grade:      10% average of all Quizzes or Homework assignments (Forms)
                                 30% average of all Labs
                                 60% average of all Tests
 
Congratulations being accepted into AP Biology as a freshman!! Only the top students in your graduating class get to have this opportunity.  AP Biology like all AP courses is a college level high school class.  Students who pass AP exams can earn college credit but the greatest benefits come from building a strong academic resume or transcript that will help students achieve admissions to colleges and universities.  Students who challenge themselves are strong candidates.  Students who exceed in these AP course are the best candidates! 

Most High Schools only allow Juniors and Seniors that have already taken high school Biology, Chemistry or possibly Physics before they can take AP Biology.  Given the fact that most of my students are freshman that have not had any high school biology or chemistry, increases the difficulty.  Given the current pandemic and the remote instruction days that we will have, only increases weight of this course.  
 
I say this to you because YOU MUST BE ALL IN to achieve in this class.  I have designed this course so that you can exceed even though you are a freshman without any previous high school science classes taken but YOU MUST BE ALL IN! Think about it you are making the leap from middle school directly to college and skipping high schoolIt can be done and it has been done here in Westhampton Beach High School for the last 6 years!
The
There are only about 5000 freshman who take this test out of the 230,000 students who take AP Biology word-wide.  You have an amazing opportunity to distance yourself from other college applicants in your graduating class who do not take this course yet alone be in small group of students internationally that are taking this course as freshman!. 
 
Here is the AP Data from last years test ( which was normal form of the test):

Now you can see that 78.6 % of my students (11/14) achieved an AP of a 3 or better while the rest of the world (it is an international test) only had 59.2. % of the students get a 3 or higher on the test.   Everyone who signs up for AP Biology is an above average student by far so think about this.  Out of a self-selected group that compromises very intelligent students (AP Bio students who are mostly juniors and seniors) only 59.2 % earned a 3 or better on the AP test.  Opportunity to distance yourself! ALL OF my students are 9th graders so they we did really well as compared to the mostly 11th and 12 graders to take this course internationally.

 
59.2% of 230,641 students = 136,539 students who got a 3 or higher on the AP Chemistry Test
 
There about 2 million applicants to US colleges and Universities thus
 
136,539/2,000,000 = only 6.82% of all applicants have accomplished this feat.
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Of course my goal is always 100% of the class achieves a 3 or better and I have had many years that I had 100% but that depends IF YOU ARE ALL IN!   Everyone of my students who was ALL IN did get a 3 or better this year.  Everyone who was NOT ALL IN did not earn a 3 or better.  
 
BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE!  You represent only about 5000 students taking this course as high school freshman in the entire world!  So
 
                     5000 /2,000,000  = 0.25 % of all college applicants have taken AP Biology as a freshman!
 
Just being in the this class makes you very attractive to colleges and if you exceed as most of my students because they are ALL IN that percentage decreases!!!!
 
So my message is clear.  Take this course and be dedicated to it!  Do not try to “fit this in” to your schedule.
Be one of the very few who takes this course and even the very fewer who exceed at it!
 
Those that were dedicated to this task finished all 3 Summer Assignments regardless of how uncomfortable you may have been in the process (which is normal).  Those that did not get to the finish line may not be in the right class.
 
Now grades and AP tests are not my only focus here although one of my goals is to provide you with tools necessary to earn a 3 or better on the AP Biology test.  My goal is to open up a world around you through your understanding of biology.  My goal is for you to understand yourself better through my course.  My goal is to give you the possible ability to love biology or at least appreciate it and science in general.  All it took for me was one teacher and one science class to change my life.
 
I will try to do the same for you and it begins and ends with my class website. Everything will be posted here including class worksheets, keys, homework, notes, video lectures and video tutorials, and labs.
 
If you ever have a question please email me or text through REMIND (which you should have already signed up for in the summer).
 
 
       Email:  grodskib@whbschools.org                              Remind: Link to Sign up with Remind 
 
In my opening letter to you in the summer institute I said lets enjoy the fall.  That was because I asked a lot of you this summer.  We will enjoy the fall because of all the hard work many of you put in to establish or begin the process of learning many biology concepts and skills.   I will begin the year where you left off in Evolution and start connecting all the individual units together in the process so you can start to see the beauty in this topic.  Another goal of mine is to connect the 1st day of school to the last day and every day in between. EVERYTHING CONNECTS!!
 
Lets Go!
Using printer out of class:
My classroom printer is web – connected and has its own email address.  Email files to your printer to print from anywhere at anytime.
 
My classrooms email address: 
opfec23onra95@hpeprint.com
 
Write an email to the following address and then attach file to print.
 
Homework prior 9/2 / Classwork:
1.  Please log into your AP Central Account (or create one) and join the AP Chemistry class (AP Classroom). The AP coordinator at our school must use those online accounts to order AP tests in the spring. IF you do not log in or create an account you risk not having an AP test to take in the spring (regardless if you paid for it or not).
The Join code is posted below.
 
2. Also make sure you have a private gmail account that you should of established this summer.  School gmail account do not allow any incoming mail that is not from the school server.  That means you will not get keys or results from forms if you use the school email account.
 
3.  Complete the Introduction  Form – this will count as your first Quiz Grade.
      It will cover all of the introductory information given above.
 
 
 
Please follow the instructions with this link below to join the Ap Classroom:
 
 Join code:

THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING!
“The first day of class should connect to the last day and every day in between!”
 
*Remember that I put the plan for the day below for each day and then I adjust BASED on what we accomplish. These pages are fluid and thus you must refresh each day.
 
 
9/2  – Thursday “A” Day – 
period 7  –  AP BIO ACADEMIC STUDY – Study Hall
period 8 –   AP BIO Class-  
 
Main focus: To interconnect all the concepts learned this summer. 
 
1: Summer Assignment Wrap – Up Lecture – used notes in week 1 – 
 
Digital copy of safety rules.
AP BIOLOGY Grodski Safety Contract- 2015.pdf
View Download
                                       
9/2 Thursday Homework: 
 
1: Please fill out personal History Form below using the link below (due tomorrow).
     
     Personal History Form:
     AP Biology 21/22 –  Personal History Form: https://forms.gle/svuqtJ7T6tjUXxR19
 
2. Complete the Summer Assignment Connections form based on today’s lecture. (Due Tomorrow).
     Please watch the screencast lecture posted below to help with this form. Its below the form.
     The lecture will review what I did today and what I did not. You have multiple submissions to this form.
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Tonights homework on Summer Assignment connections:
 

Summer Assignment Connections:

 

Todays Screencast lecture used for tonight’s Summer Assignment Connections form
 I did not get to completely finish this today but you will tonight. I suggest you watch it in its entirety to review the Connections that I was trying to teach you today.
 

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9/3 – Friday – B Day – Lab Day

1. Reviewed aspects of yesterdays discussion – Summer Assignment Connections:
 
     Reviewed: (Completed Yesterday) Use Diagrams above to complete discussion!
 
     A: the pathway from gene to trait (allele).
     B: the cell cycle and when chromosomes appear and why
     C: how enzymes work – increase the chance for collisions
     D: meiosis vs mitosis
     E:  Mutations that occur in from DNA duplicating in Synthesis (S) phase of INTERPHASE.
           These mutations are due from mistakes in the proofreading in G2 of the cell cycle from of       
           duplicated DNA.
F: reviewed mitosis vs meiosis
G: the driving force of evolution —> mutation AND the cross over event in meiosis.
           Both increase genetic diversity which allows a few individuals in a population to have very different     
           alleles which could benefit the species if a catastrophic event occurs and these few individual can survive 
            and reproduce BECAUSE of this allele.

 

2.  Whiteboard activity –  started drawing 2n = 6 for Mitosis and Meiosis – will finish Thursday!

G1 :  Growth Phase 
S    :  Synthesis Phase   
G2 :  Growth Phase

 Interphase = G1, S, G2

So a cell is in Interphase when it is not duplicating itself.  Mitosis starts with Prophase when the chromosomes condense (become visible under a stain with a microscope).

So a chromosome is just a coiled up version of DNA that is needed for it to segregate (move and separate from its exact copy (Sister chromatid).

DNA is constantly used to code for and make the proteins that spark the chemical reactions that give us our traits.
DNA cannot be coiled up in chromosome IF it to be used to. 

Given the illustration to the right:

1.  Are we looking at Interphase or Mitosis?

Mitosis!!!

2.  What is the Diploid number? 2n = ?

2n = 2 

3.  Which Mendelian Law describes the random separating of the sister chromatids into gametes?

 Law of Segregation !

Human Karyotype – A picture of the homologous pairs of chromosomes (23 in humans)
Most often, this is done using the chromosomes in the white blood cells. A picture of the chromosomes is taken through the microscope. This can be accomplished because DNA winds into chromosomes in prophase!!!
Then, the picture of the chromosomes is cut up and rearranged by the chromosome’s size.
 
1. Could these pictures of these chromosome been taken in interphase?  Answer below.
 
2. Also did the person who made this karyotype eliminate some chromosomes for simplicity? Answer below.
 
Downs syndrome is due to having 3 homologous pairs of chromosome 21 NOT 23 as I stated.
Also it is unknown why the extra chromosome at 21 causes the condition but it is speculated that the extra proteins may disrupt part of the fragile balance of chemical reactions in our body that maintains homeostasis.
s.
Here is a karyotype of an individual with Down Syndrome:
e:

Where are the sister chromatids?

The removed them to show only homologous!

 

Where are the homologous chromosomes?

 Each pair is homologous!

Is  this a female or a male?   XX = female

So how does one get a more than 2 homologous chromosomes as a zygote (2n = 47) ?

It happens due to nondisjunction which when the chromosomes do not segregate (sister chromatids do not detach in meiosis 1 and thus THAT PAIR segregates into the gamete in meiosis II. The individual that gets (n – 1) gamete does not survive.

Remember that there are 2 divisions in meiosis to cut the haploid number into a diploid.

9/3 – Friday Homework: – All Assignments are due Next Thursday (9/9)

 1. Complete the Safety Form (activity) belowPlease follow the instructions below.

     2.  Please complete the AP Statistics 1 activity using the materials below.

     3.  Please complete the Biology Statistics 2 –  Central tendencies 

          using the materials below.

4. Please make 2 more submissions to the Summer Assignment Connections form.

            The form is posted under Thursday above.

         Last night most everyone only had 1 submission. The form will be on auto – reply from this point               forward which means you should get an email back from your next submissions automatically.

1: Safety Contract Form and Directions : (Due Next Thursday 9/9)
 
Digital copy of safety rules.
AP BIOLOGY Grodski Safety Contract- 2015.pdf
View Download
I
In this activity, you will write the safety rule (just one sentence), its number from the safety contract (that I gave you and is posted below),  AND WHERE IN THE VIDEO (by timecode) that is demonstrated in four safety videos.  You need 10 different safety rules and you must use 3 out of the 5 videos.  You must use 3 different videos and you must have 10 different Safety rules written.
 
Let me restate: You must find 10 unique safety rules throughout the three of the five videos of your choosing. 
YOU MUST ALSO IDENTIFY BY TIMECODE WHERE IN THE VIDEO THE SAFETY RULE IS BEING 
DEMONSTRATED, DISCUSSED, OR INFERRED.
 
Example of a COMPLETE answer:
1: Jefferson High VIDEO – #45. Examine glassware before each use. (3:23)
)
I  know what #’s each video covers and where thus will grade your work based on this accuracy.
y.
Safety Video Playlist – There are 5 videos in this playlist (which is also available in the youtube channel).  You must choose 3 of the 5 videos in the playlist below.  To select the video from the playlist click on word icon on the upper left corner  to toggle between the list and the video selected.
 2: AP Statistics I activity Begins: – Due Thursday 9/9
We will now begin our work on understanding the statistical analysis needed to understand the data we collect in our labs. In our fast plant lab (that we will begin next Thursday) that how will we know if the ratio of phenotypes from out dihybrid cross is statistically close enough to suggest that our results support Mendelian Genetics? We need to understand the inner workings of investigative labs and the math that will determine the conclusions or overall results of out work.  We will be spending some time on this goal and this assignment is the first step.
 
Please watch the tutorial below, that will show you how to complete the worksheet. Complete the entire worksheet and review with the key below:
:
Biology statistics 1 – IV & DV.pdf
Biology statistics 1 – IV & DV KEY.pdf
View Download

AP Biology Statistics:

3: Biology Statistics 2 –  Central Tendencies – Due Thursday 9/9
    a) Please watch the lecture on the Central Tendencies.
s.
 
  b) Complete worksheet below and review with key.
       Biology statistics 2 – Central Tendency.pdf
       View Download
 
       Biology statistics 2 – Central Tendency Key.pdf
       View Download
      AP Biology Reference Tables.pdf
      View Download
End of week 1!