AP Biology Summer Assignment
We have quite a
task ahead of us this next year in AP Biology. The College Board expects you to
learn all the information in a 1,200 page college level biology book by next
May. Sound daunting? It is. Consequently, I have created this summer assignment
to take some pressure off you during the school year. During the first week of
class, I am going to lecture on the high points of the nine biodiversity
chapters in your textbook (chapters 26-34). If you want to preview these lectures
they are on my website. I will test you on this material during the second week
of school. Not to worry though, because my students report that my lectures
prepare them well for this first exam. To prepare you for this first week, I
have selected a book for you to read this summer that should be fun and
interesting. Rather than have you read the nine chapters in your textbook, I
would like you to go out and get Bill BrysonÕs book, the one with the modest
title, A
Short History of Nearly Everything. It covers some of the same material that is covered
in your textbook chapters 26-34, but in a more interesting and fun way. If you
feel the need to read the textbook (chapters 26-34), feel free to do so, but it
is not required. The summer assignment should be sufficient.
Due Date of
Summer Assignment
The summer assignment, described below (both part two and part three), is due on the first day of class. I will accept it on the second day
of class for 90% maximum credit, I will accept it on the third day of class for
80% maximum credit, and I will accept it on the fourth day of class for 70%
maximum credit. After the fourth day I will not accept any late work from the
summer assignment.
Part One (One page overview to get you thinking about biodiversity)
Read This First : Preliminary Background Reading
Part Two (MUST be word processed!)
¥Read Bill BrysonÕs book, A
Short History of Nearly Everything.
¥Read the entire book but pay close attention to the part that relates specifically to biodiversity: Part V (chapters 19-23)
¥Write a 3 page (typed, double spaced) imaginative but accurate story that traces the history of life from the first emergence of life until the present. Be sure to include important milestones in the history of life and the dates when these milestones occured. Your story should address the rise of biodiversity on the planet through time. Have fun with this. Create a fun title, write it in a way that will make it fun for me to read, fun for you to write, and will help you remember some of these important events. Try to make me smile or laugh when I read it.
¥Turn in your essay with an appropriate photo of yourself stapled to it. If you are doing something biological in the photo, that would be great too, but not necessary. This will help me put faces with names faster when we get back to school.
Part Three (MUST be word processed!)
One of the most popular ways of organizing the 1.8 million species that have
been identified on earth is to use the five kingdom system.
¥Do a two page essay (typed, double spaced) on each of the five kingdoms: animal, plant, fungi, protist, monera.
¥Page One: describe the characteristics of the kingdom- what makes the kingdom unique and different from the other kingdoms, what are typical organisms one finds in this kingdom, etc.
¥Page Two: describe a species of your choice from the kingdom. Include a picture or illustration of the species you select. Feel free to pull an image off the internet; if you want to include a digital photo of your own, that would be even better, or if you are an artist, feel free to create your own illustration of the organism! The image, when placed in your essay, should be no larger than 3 inches by 3 inches.
¥Bibliography: Cite all references using proper MLA format.
I suggest you consider the
diversity of life during the summer and select an organism which you encounter
during your summer vacation. The
organism you pick should interest you and draw your attention to biodiversity.
Make this assignment fun. If it is boring, you only have yourself to blame!
When you do your write-up, write things that fascinate you- if they fascinate you, they will
probably fascinate me. Do some research, find out some exciting and cool things
about your organisms. Please show integrity. Do not copy and paste material
from the Internet. Do your own research, and write your own paper. Have fun
with this!
Have
a great summer and enjoy life. . . literally!