AP® Biology

Name:

AP® Biology (BIOL500)
Department:

Science
Credits:

1.0 (yearlong course)
Required Prerequisites:

Chemistry (CHEM300) and Biology (BIOL200) a grade of an 85% or higher in the subject area course taken the previous year

AP® Biology

Description:

This advanced biology course focuses on the College Board’s 4 Big Ideas of biology: change over time, energy, systems interactions, and information. Students in 11th or 12th grade who have already completed a year of biology and chemistry in high school will be well prepared to succeed in this course. While content development is crucial, students will also be required to develop critical thinking and science practice skills in conjunction with building their knowledge of structures and functions of living things. Students will explore and analyze topics through the use of models, scientific experimentation, statistical and data analysis, graphical representations, and argumentation from evidence. Videos and computer interactives are key components of the content of this course. Students are required to complete both virtual and hands-on lab work, though no special laboratory equipment is needed. This course is meant to prepare students for successful completion of the AP Biology Exam.

Special Notes:

If you are planning to take the AP® exam associated with this course, then be aware that beginning in Fall 2019 the College Board requires that all students register in October of each school year to take the exam which is held in early May. You must make your decision early. There are penalties associated with late registration and with registering and then deciding not to take the exam at a later date. Please plan accordingly. For more information or if you have more questions, please visit https://apcentral.collegeboard.org . Once on the site, search Home-Schooled Students to find information on locating testing locations near you.

As an online school, NorthStar Academy is not a testing center. We are a certified AP course provider. Students must locate a face to face school in their local area that will allow them to sit the exam with their students.

This version of the course is not Dual Credit eligible. To receive Dual Credit, you must register for the DC version of this course, if available.

FROM THE TEACHER

Have you ever watched a sci-fi movie such as Jurassic Park, where preserved dinosaur DNA brings prehistoric creatures back to life, or heard about scientific realities such as genetically modified foods, gene therapy, or designer babies, and wondered “how would that work?” Well here is your chance to explore the details of cellular components, genetics and heredity, DNA technology, and so much more. If you enjoyed your regular high school biology class, you’ll relish the opportunity to study biology further in the AP® Biology Course. It’s deeper, faster, more detailed, and more interesting than your first biology class, and it will challenge you and encourage you to wonder about the workings of living organisms, from the tiniest of bacteria to ecosystems. You’ll have the opportunity to do lots of labwork both online and in person, and you will develop your science practice skills and critical thinking skills along the way. Here is your chance to answer all those questions you’ve wondered about, and to think up so many more.

If there are books and materials for this course, they can be purchased from our Online Bookstore.

Visit the Bookstore

Student Feedback

Wow! It was so challenging yet beneficial! God has taught me so much through this class. I am continually amazed by His creation!

Kyle

Throughout this course I have learned great amounts of not only the world we live in and what exactly live in it, but also many questions about God and creation have been answered. I enjoyed learning how God impacts animals and humans daily.

Catherine

Thank you for showing me God’s complex creation and orderly universe! Looking forward to a second semester!