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AP Biology Summer Assignment 2015
Welcome to AP Biology! I am so excited to be able to spend the next year teaching you
about my favorite subject. This summer you are going to experience biology in the
world around you and read about some biological issues published in popular books.
This summer assignment has been designed for the following purposes:
 To get you to think during those summer months to keep your mind sharp, because I
will expect a lot out of it come August!
 To expand your vocabulary by familiarizing you with terms that we will be using in class.
 To introduce you to major concepts from AP Biology through non-classroom methods of
learning.
 To have you earn some strong grades to help you begin the first semester with
confidence. All grades will be posted in the first week of school! It is important that you
complete and turn in the work!
 To decrease the amount of new material that you will have to learn during the school
year.
#
1
Due Date
Friday,
May 15, 2015
2
3
Friday,
May 22, 2015
Monday,
June 1, 2015
4
Fri., June 12
5
6
Fri., June 26
Fri., July 3
7
8
Fri., July 17
Fri., July 31
Assigned Task (see specific instructions on following pages)
1. Join Edmodo and download the summer assignment handout.
2. Go to livebinders.com and create an account and portfolio. Instructions
on following pages.
1. Follow the instructions to create a SMOOP account. Log in and
complete a diagnostic test for AP Biology
1. Upload “Letter of Introduction” to tab 1 of your Live Binder and send
(share) link to [email protected]
1. 20 items “collected”, defined, and placed in the vocabulary tab (tab 2) of
your Live Binder. SHARE THE LINK.
1. Submit essay on your selected book via Live Binder. SHARE THE LINK.
1. 20 more items “collected”, defined and placed in the vocabulary tab (tab
2) of your Live Binder. SHARE THE LINK.
1. Upload in Live Binders: Career in Life Sciences in tab 3. SHARE THE LINK.
1. Collect 2 news or magazine articles dated in 2015 that are science
related.
2. Write a summary of the article and upload to tab 3. SHARE THE LINK.
I strongly suggest that you submit the day BEFORE it is due to ensure that I receive it in my inbox by the
due date. THOSE SUBMISSIONS THAT ARE NOT IN MY INBOX BY THE DUE DATE WILL BE COUNTED
LATE SUBJECT TO A GRADE REDUCTION.
Assignment #1
Due May 15, 2015
Live Binders!
Live Binders is a web based portfolio that allows you to organize your work and then share it with your
teachers. Go to www.livebinders.com and create an account. Follow the tutorials to help you set up the
binder. Set up your portfolio with the following tabs:
Tab 1: About Me
- Letter of Introduction
- Resume (if you have one)
Tab 2: Vocabulary
- Choose from the list on page 6 of this handout.
Tab 3: Real World Biology
- Book Summaries
- Job Research Project
- Science Articles
Tab 4: Unit Summaries
- You will create a UNIQUE summary showing your understanding of the Big Ideas in
Biology
Tab 5: Laboratory Activities
- All science labs will be uploaded and collected in this tab.
Send a link to me on or before the due date at [email protected] to show your new
portfolio.
Assignment #2
Due: Friday, May 22, 2015
Do You SHMOOP?
HOW DO I REGISTER?
Go to http://www.shmoop.com/signup/clayton-cps-student
• Click “let’s go”
• Click “NO”
• Create a Shmoop account:
– Enter the magic word: JUDGMENT
– Choose your school: Forest Park High School
– Create your username and password
– Click “CREATE”
NOW WHAT?
• Log into your account
• Go to “my passes”
• Click “join class”
• Use the class code: fd4fb
• [email protected]
• TAKE THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST! Yes, I can see the score…..
Assignment #3
Due: Monday, June 1, 2015
Letter of Introduction
We will be spending a lot of time together next year, so I would like to begin getting to know you. I also
want you to get used to communicating with me via email for any questions or concerns that you may
have.
Your first assignment is to successfully send me an email with the link to your Live Binders Account by
Monday, June 1, 2015. My email address is [email protected]
Your email should follow these guidelines:
1. Use clearly written, complete sentences. Do not abbreviate words like you are texting a friend.
Use spell check! This is a professional communication like you would have with a college
professor, so let’s practice for your rapidly nearing future!
2. Make the Subject: “AP Bio: Introduction to <Insert Your Name Here>”
(Do not include the quote marks or the brackets, just the words)
3. Begin the email with a formal salutation, like “Ms. Smith,” or “Dear Ms. Smith,”
4. Now introduce yourself (your name) and tell me a little bit about yourself, like:
a. What do you like to do (hobbies, sports, music, interests, etc.)?
b. What commitments do you have (job, other AP classes, sports, etc.)?
c. Tell me a little bit about your family (Mom? Dad? Guardian? Siblings? Pets?) What do
your parents do for a living?
d. What was the last book you read for fun?
e. Was there anything that you liked about your earlier biology class?
f. Tell why you chose to take AP Biology?
g. What are you looking forward to the most in AP Biology?
h. What are you most anxious about in AP Biology?
i. What is the title of your book selection for the summer?
5. End the letter with a formal closing: “Cordially”, “Sincerely”, “Warm Regards”, etc. and add your
name as if you signed a letter.
6. Add a picture to your letter. Please make sure the picture is PROFESSIONAL! A nice shot of your
head and shoulders. Make sure the background is neutral and not distracting. This is not
Instagram!!!
Assignments #4 and #6
Biology Collection
For this part of the summer assignment, you will be familiarizing yourself with science terms that we will
be using at different points throughout the year. On the next page is the list of terms.
1. Select 40 terms – 20 should be completed by Friday, June 12th and 20 MORE completed by
Friday, July 3rd.
 You will be submitting these “terms” to me in Tab #2 of your Live Binders portfolio.
 10 of the terms will be defined and placed in your Live Binder. Please do not use
Wikepedia! Utilize a credible source for your definitions. CITE YOUR SOURCES!
 The other 10 terms will be “collected.” What I mean by “collected” is that you should
find that item and take a photograph of that item. You will create a document to upload
to Live Binders. All of your photographs need to be included in that document.
You do not need to find the exact item on that list, say for example, if it is an internal
part to an organism, but you must apply the term to the specimen you find and explain
in the document how that particular specimen represents the term.
2. EXAMPLE:
If you choose the term “phloem”, you could submit a photograph you have taken of a plant leaf
or a plant stem and then explain in your document what phloem is and specifically where
phloem is found in your specimen.
3. ORIGINAL PHOTOS ONLY:
You cannot use an image from any publication or the web. You must have taken the photograph
yourself. You cannot use an image from any publication or the web. You must have taken the
photograph yourself. In the photo place a note card that has your first and last name, Forest
Park High School, course name and year (AP Biology 2015).
Example:
Betty Biologist
Forest Park High School
AP Biology 2015
4. NATURAL ITEMS ONLY
Some specimens may be used for more than one item, but all must be from something that you
have found in nature. Take a walk around your yard, neighborhood, and city. DON’T SPEND ANY
MONEY! Research what the term means and in what organisms it can be found…and then go
out and find one.
5. TEAM WORK
You may work with other students in the class to complete this project, but each student must
turn in his or her own project with a unique set of terms chosen. There are 110
choices….probability says there is a very small chance that any two students will have most of
the same 40 terms chosen.
BIOLOGY COLLECTION TERMS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
Adaptation of an
animal
Adaptation of a plant
Abscisic acid
Actin
Amniotic egg
Amylase
Angiosperm
Animal that has a
segmented body
Annelid
Anther and filament of
stamen
Arthropod
Archaebacteria
Autotroph
Auxin producing area
of a plant
Basidiomycete
Batesian mimicry
Biological
magnification
Bryophyte
C4 plant
Calvin cycle
Carbohydrate
Cambium
Cellulose
Chitin
Chlorophyta
Cnidarian
Coelomate
Conifer leaf
Commensalism
Connective tissue
Cuticle layer of a plant
Deciduous leaf
Deuterostome
Dicot plant with flower
and leaf
Diploid chromosome
number
Echinoderm
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
Ectotherm
Endosperm
Endotherm
Enzyme
Epithelial tissue
Ethylene
Eubacteria
Eukaryote
Exoskeleton
Fermentation
Flower ovary
Frond
Fruit – dry with seed
Fruit – fleshy with seed
Gametophyte
Gastropod
Genetically modified
organism
Gibberellins
Glycogen
Gymnosperm cone
Haploid chromosome
number
Heartwood
Hermaphrodite
Insect
K-strategist
Keratin
Leaf- gymnosperm
Lepidoptera
Lichen
Lignin
Lipid used for energy
storage
Littoral zone organism
Long-day plant
Meristem
Modified leaf of a plant
Modified root of a
plant
Modified stem of a
plant
74. Monocot plant with
flower and leaf
75. Muscle fiber – striated
76. Mutualism
77. Mycelium
78. Mycorrhizae
79. Myosin
80. Nematode
81. Niche
82. Nymph stage of an
insect
83. Parasite
84. Parenchyma cells
85. Phloem
86. Pine cone – female
87. Platyhelminthes
88. Pollen
89. Pollinator
90. Porifera
91. Prokaryote
92. Protein – fibrous
93. Protein – globular
94. Protostome
95. Pteridophyte
96. r – strategist
97. radial symmetry
98. rhizome
99. scale from animal with
two-chambered heart
100. spore
101. sporophyte
102. stem- herbaceous
103. stem – woody
104. stigma and style of
carpel
105. tendril of a plant
106. thorn of a plant
107. unicellular organism
108. vascular plant tissue
109. xerophyte
110. xylem
Assignments # 5
Due: June 26, 2015
Book Selection
Many biology concepts can be found outside of your text in popular reading. I would like for you to
experience some of these readings. For this assignment, you must select one book from the following
list:
 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
 Survival of the Sickest by Dr. Sharon Moalem
 The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History by John M. Barry
 Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature’s Most Dangerous Creatures by Carl
Zimmer
 The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal by Jared
Diamond

The Future of Life by E. O. Wilson
 Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley
 A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
 The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould
After reading the book you select, you should submit a 2-3 page typed, double-spaced (Times New
Roman, 12-point font) essay that covers the following items:
 A description of the major biological concept the book covers
 Why it’s important to know about the biological concept the book covers
 Your review of the book: Did you like the book? Why or Why not?
In writing your essay, it is a good idea to cite specific sections or quotes from the book to help support
your viewpoints in your essay.
Your essay should be uploaded to your Live Binder under tab #3. The subject line of your summary
should say “Book Selection : <Insert Name of Book Here>”. Once again, please do not include the
quotations or the brackets.
These books can be purchased or ordered through a local bookstore or you can check them out from the
library. If you are purchasing the books, it is acceptable to “share” with a classmate. However, every
student’s essay should be unique.
Assignments # 7
Due: July 17, 2015
Life Science Career Analysis
Select a job that is related to Biology and research that position. Write a 1-2 page summary of the
profession. This summary should be typed, double-spaced (Times New Roman, 12-point font). Please
cite all sources used in your research. Upload the summary in tab #3 of your Live Binder and share the
link.
Include the following information in your report:
1. What are the educational requirements for this position?
2. What are the licensure and or certification requirements?
3. What are the duties/responsibilities he/she must carry out?
4. Does this career require one to work business hours, extended hours, weekends or holidays?
5. How is the professional typically paid, hourly wages or salary?
6. What is the average salary, or what is the net income per week, month or year?
7. Does one need to be multi or bilingual?
8. Is he/she required to travel locally, domestically and/or internationally? Is frequent relocation a part
of the position.
9. How might AP Biology help you to prepare for this profession?
10. Write two interesting facts you learned.
Assignments # 8
Due: July 31, 2015
Science in the News
Find two news/magazine articles that were published in the year 2015 that are related to a scientific
discipline (preferably Biology). Write a 1-2 page typed, double-spaced (Times New Roman, 12-point
font) summary of each of the articles. Place them in tab 3 of your live binder. BE SURE TO INCLUDE A
COPY OF YOUR ARTICLE WITH THE SUMMARY. You may want to create a sub tab for news articles in
your binder.
Be sure to include the following information in your summary:
Bibliographic Information cited in proper MLA format.
Summary Information:


Briefly state the main idea or thesis presented in the article
Summarize the most important information, ideas, facts, etc.
What is your personal opinion of the article?
How does it have relevance to this course or science in general?