AP Biology Workshop

Experienced Teachers

Rob Hamilton-consultant

Getting to Know You

What is your Name? Where are you from? What is the state of the AP Biology

Program at your school? Issue(s) or concerns you would like to

discuss today.

Recent AP Exam Questions

What is the theme that College Board is trying to send to us?

How can we as teachers, improve our student’s scores?

What should be the vital components of Experimental Design?

College Boards Components of Experimental Design Search the Literature State your hypothesis CB has been sending this message for years.

Why are our student’s scores low? Manipulate one variable Make quantitative measurements Verify your results (incorporate replicates) Control the variables (uniform conditions) Statistically analyze the results Relate results to the hypothesis

Tested Lab Questions

2001 #3 12 Dissolved Oxygen & Productivity 2000 #1 2 Enzyme Catalysis 1999 #1 4 Plant Pigments and

Photosynthesis 1998 #1 1 Diffusion and Osmosis 1998 #2 6 Molecular Biology 1997 #4 7&8 Population and Organism

Genetics

1997 #3 11 Animal Behavior

Tested Lab Questions Cont.

1996 #4 3 Mitosis and Meiosis 1995 #4 6 Molecular Biology 1994 #3 2 Enzyme Catalysis 1993 #3 10 Physiology and Circulatory

System 1992 #1 1 Diffusion and Osmosis 1991 #2 9 Transpiration 1990 #1 5 Cell Respiration

What Is the Message?

The lab portion of the course is important.

Data indicates that students who do labs perform better on lab based questions.

We are putting our students at risk if we don’t do all the labs.

Resources and Hints for Labs Supplier and Supplies Diagram/take pictures of lab stations Dedicate equipment if possible

Lab 1 Osmosis & Diffusion

Reduce length of dialysis tubing (reduces waste) Tie tubes with dental floss. (Prevents leaking and

doesn’t absorb water.) Prep students with water potential handouts Reduce the number of trials for each lab group

(Speeds up the Lab) Post class data (Allows students to catch errors) Use a wet test. (Allows students to apply

concepts)

Labs 2 Enzyme Catalysis

Prep students with toothpick simulation. Skip 360 second trial. Increase Catalase

solution to 1000 units. 40% H2O2 converted to product in 10 second trial.

Demonstrate Proper Titration & Have Students Practice producing a Baseline

Pair Student Roles: Starter/Swirler & Timer Stopper

Do trials one at a time.

Lab 3: Mitosis & Meiosis

Lab 3 Prep students with pop bead demonstration.

Use Crossing over in Sordaria worksheet Have students view Sordaria slides but get

ideal data from handouts.

Labs 4 Photosynthesis

Practice using spec 20 by preparing an action spectrum.

DPIP: 0.144g +100 ml H2O(stock)

35ml stock + 465ml H2O(working conc.)

Incubate all the tubes together. Have students design an experiment

with different colored light.

Lab 5 Respiration

Use corn that has been germinating 48-72 hours. (Some peas are cold adapted)

Demonstrate respirometer construction Assign students to room or cold temperature

groups. Have students design an experiment with

seeds that have been germinating different lengths of time.

Labs 6 Molecular Biology

Get DNA Science and attend a summer workshop.

Lab 7 Genetics of Organisms

Use carbon dioxide tank to put flies out. Use handout to discuss Chi Square. Purdue will supply free flies is you

attend their summer workshop

Lab 8 Population Genetics

Prep students with many Hardy-Weinburg problems.

Use squirrel sheet to differentiate between gene and genotypic frequencies.

Use Data Tables that allow students to calculate P & q each generation.

Labs 9-12

Lab 9: Use Plant with a woody stem. Lab 10: Use automated blood cuffs. Use

pencil tap method for determining heart rate of Daphnia.

Lab 11: Use different Choice Chambers. Lab 12: Use Ankistrodesmus and Algae

grow. Turn aquarium into dark bottle for minimum of 48 hours. Use corrected nomograph

Low Tech Transformation

Maximizing Available Time

Double Period Avoid block 8 or block 4 0 hour/period After school Saturdays Be Innovative/Please Share

Effective Teaching Strategies

Never Lecture Use Prepared Notes/Study Guides Create/use conceptually rich models Avoid “Factoidal Spew” Emphasize Labs and Important

Concepts (from Acorn book) The Textbook is Not the Curriculum

Ending the Program

Morgan and Ramist Report Questions and Answers Picture Program Evaluation Thanks