Lab Component
I cover all of the labs in the AP Biology Lab Manual for Students, either exactly or modified to fulfill
my course objectives. I also add several labs to support such concepts as microscopy and
measurement,
observations of cells, and selected microorganisms and plant-growth labs. I use the fifth edition of
Judith
Giles Morgan and M. Eloise Brown Carter’s Investigating Biology Lab Manual for those labs that are
not in
the AP Lab Manual. Planting labs vary from year to year; sometimes we plant herb seeds and
sometimes we
plant stem cuttings. Sometimes I use Fast Plants® from Carolina Biological Supply Company to get
students
excited about plants.
I really like behavior so I introduce many of the concepts by doing lab activities like Hydra and
Planaria labs. These are excellent subjects for teaching orientation behavior. They also give me an
opportunity to lead a discussion on how these simple responses play a part in their survival and
selection of
habitat.
I manage to squeeze in one field trip each year. “Be a Behaviorist for a Day” is a lab that I designed
that shows that behavior studies can be done even with limited time in the curriculum. After reading
the
textbook’s behavior chapter and watching some videos for background, we go to Monkey Jungle, a
local
primate preserve, where students observe primate behavior using an ethogram. Afterwards they
write a full
lab report. This is a highly successful unit because the learning is different. It teaches students a lot
about
behavior and the way behavioral scientists work.
Chapter 3
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The double periods allow me to complete the course’s lab activities. However, even with a double
period
it can be difficult to accomplish all the labs because the school has many unscheduled events that
disrupt
plans. When a lab cannot be done due to a scheduling conflict, I provide data and students work
through
the protocol from the Lab Bench section of their textbook’s Web site.
On the day of the lab, if a lot of equipment is involved, I organize students into lab groups of no
more than four and discuss the setup so they understand the equipment they will be using. I find this
preliminary step is important because many of my students come to the AP Biology course with
limited lab
experience. Microscope labs are done individually.
Most of the time I have students end their labs by answering the questions in the lab manual or
writing
a brief evaluation (i.e., writing an analysis, conclusion, limitations, and recommendations) of the lab.
When a full lab report is required, I instruct students to include the following elements: title,
introduction/
background information, purpose (the specific topic being investigated), procedure, data/results,
analysis,
conclusion, limitation, and recommendations. I give them the weekend to complete their lab
reports, and I
stress quality over length.
Setting up labs is the most difficult and time-consuming aspect of the course’s laboratory
component.
In order to speed up the process, I prepare everything before a lab so no time is wasted. I buy kits
whenever
possible and keep the supplies in separate storage containers so that I can find everything easily. I
usually
have students read the lab the day before an experiment.
Student Evaluation
I use quizzes, homework, unit tests, major projects, lab reports, and research papers to evaluate my
students’ learning.
• Quizzes and Homework (20%). I give regular quizzes (one or two per unit) in the middle of a
concept I am teaching. It is my way of keeping students on task. It also alerts them to what they
should study for the upcoming unit test, which is more heavily weighted. I feel these quizzes have
improved test performance. Students answer the questions on the reading guidelines for homework.
• Unit Tests and Major Projects (50%). Unit tests are composed of 50 to 60 multiple-choice questions
and one essay question. The multiple-choice questions are a mixture of questions from the Released
Exams and test preparation books; the essay questions are usually from the Released Exams. I
typically give students the essay question first and time that for 20 minutes. I also generally give
them an additional five minutes before they begin writing so they can outline their responses.
Having the additional planning time has improved their answers tremendously. After I collect the
finished essay part of a unit test, I pass out the multiple-choice part. My purpose for giving students
the essay question first is to encourage them to be concise, to not overwrite, and to keep within
their
time limit. I use the AP scoring guidelines to grade the essay responses. My students are usually
very well prepared for the AP Exam in May. I do not give a final exam because my students have just
taken the AP Exam.
• Lab Reports (30%). Students complete and turn in at least four typewritten formal lab reports
that carry the same weight as a unit test: dissolved oxygen and temperature (unit 3), primate
behavior (unit 4), enzyme catalysis (unit 6), and photosynthesis (unit 11). The dissolved oxygen and
temperature lab report and the animal behavior lab report both require introductions. The other
lab reports often have different requirements, such as writing only an evaluation or answering the
questions for a lab in the AP Lab Manual.
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Course Organization
• Research Papers. Students write at least two research papers, which are weighted as a test grade.
Topics are usually in genetics, biotechnology, or ecology. Sometimes I add another like I did recently
when I had students read the September 2005 special issue of Scientific American, “Crossroads for
Planet Earth.” I asked them to evaluate the articles on the problems facing this planet and write
their opinions of the current situation.
