Part 1 Due June 30, to Mrs. Barcroft Part 2A DUE: July 15, to Mrs. Barcroft Part 2B-F & Part 3 DUE: First DAY of Class

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1 Instructors: Mrs. Marcia-Garner Mrs. Barcroft: Part 1 Due June 30, to Mrs. Barcroft Part 2A DUE: July 15, to Mrs. Barcroft Part 2B-F & Part 3 DUE: First DAY of Class Welcome to AP Biology!! The College Board has implemented a completely new curriculum for AP Biology that began with the school year. In an effort to be prepared for the new curriculum and exam, we have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us before May 2016! I hope you are all up for the challenge! Part 1: Introduction (Due June 30, 2015) 15 points the following information to both AP Biology instructors. Be sure to it from an account that you will check throughout the summer. 1. Name 2. Grade 3. Why did you register to take AP Biology? 4. What are your personal strengths when it comes to learning new material? How do you learn best? 5. What causes you to struggle in a course? 6. What is the most effective way for you to prepare for a test? 7. At this time, what do you plan on majoring in when you get to college? Part 2: Ecosystem Story Book (100 points for story book & 10 points for ing topic) The book that you are to write must be written for a 2 nd -3 rd grade reading level, story format with lots of pictures, and complied in a graphing composition notebook. This book is NOT meant to be a reference book; it should be a creative story. You should include plenty of illustrations. As for the information, simplify, simplify, simplify! Keep in mind the reading level of most 2 nd -3 rd graders. The best grades on this project have been on those stories that have a plot with some sort of conflict and a resolution to the problem. The story should be fiction with a non-fiction background. A. You are to choose one of the sixteen biomes/ecosystems found on our planet. Tropical Rain Forest Tundra Desert Wetland Savanna Coral Reefs Chaparral Marine Benthic zone Temperate Grassland Ocean Pelagic Coniferous Forest Temperate Broadleaf forest Lakes Streams and Rivers Estuaries Intertidal Zones B. Within the biome you have chosen, you must examine a particular ecosystem (example-biome Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystem: El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico). C. me with the Biome/Ecosystem you will be working on by July 15, 2015 (10 points). I expect that there will be no exact duplicates within the class (or other classes) because there are quite a few different ecosystems with each individual biome. wendyr.barcroft@vbschools.com o I will reply to you via to confirm your message and approve your choice. o Do not assume your choice is approved until you hear from me. There will be no duplicates within the classes.

2 D. Within the context of your story, the following items must be included in the following order. Page 1: Title of your book and your name Pages 2 & 3: Biome Page 2: Definition & Description of the biome/ecosystem: climate: temperature & annual rainfall; geographic location Page 3: Define & list abiotic factors and biotic factors unique to the biome/ecosystem Pages 4-8: Ecosystem Page 4-6: List examples and provide a picture (at least 3-4 from each category) of the organisms found in this ecosystem: producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, scavengers, decomposers Page 7: Create a food web or find a picture showing the feeding relationships of the organisms listed in page 3. Page 8: Create an energy pyramid of the organisms listed in page 3. Pages 9-11: Symbiotic relationships For each type of symbiotic relationship: define/describe; give an example of organisms with the relationship; and describe their relationship o Page 9: Mutualism o Page 10: Commensalism o Page 11: Parasitism Page 12-13: Human Impact Page 12: A description of how the ecosystem has had (or could) rebuild after a natural disaster (secondary succession). Be sure to include the order in which new organisms would return to the ecosystem. Page 13: List and describe possible economic values of this environment: eco-tours, agriculture, industry, tourism Page 14: Summary page A children s story book has a plot with characters, some short of conflict, and resolution of the conflict that teaches a lesson. What was the lesson? Page 15: Works cited In addition, the last page of your book must include a works cited page. This must be compiled using MLA format and your references must include a minimum of five sources. D. Story Book Format must be handed in as a hard copy. An electronic copy will not be accepted. o Information must be neatly hand written or typed. IF typed, it must be pasted into the graphing composition notebook neatly and should be cut down to fit the page. o Pictures may be hand sketch (colored) or printed from the internet. o Story book must be neatly placed in the composition grid notebook in the order listed. o The manual will be graded on its biological accuracy, creativity, and written for a 2 nd -3 rd grade reading level. LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL receive a 10 point deduction per class period after the due date. Part 3: Ecological Study 75 points Now that you have reviewed the concepts for ecology and made your book, you will apply these concepts to complete an environmental study at an outside spot of your choosing. You will need to use the scientific method

3 to complete a biodiversity study and prepare a laboratory report of your findings. You may use a local pond, forest, beach, field, or lake to do your study. You may visit a local park, museum, or state parks and national forests, but you must have access to the site for a set period of time. Some ideas for study are listed below. A. You will investigate the structure and function of a local ecosystem. As another option, you might choose to study biological diversity for only one component of the ecosystem, for example, the litter layer of a forest. Develop an investigating question, and then use the methods of science to start investigating! B. Possible field studies: trees; shrubs, saplings and vines; seedlings and herbaceous vegetation; vertebrates; macroinvertebrates; microinvertebrates (require some type of magnifying device); soil organisms. NOTE: You select one of these, you do not try to do all of them! C. The best field studies are completed over a set period of time so that you can compare the data from different time periods. Perhaps you will compare biodiversity at different times of day, months or weeks. A onetime measurement does not suffice as a biodiversity study! D. Parts of the report should be handwritten or typed and placed in the same graphing composition notebook that you complete the Ecological Story Book include (but does not have to be limited to): PAGE 16/front (of Composition Book) THIS IS YOUR TITLE PAGE FOR THE LAB INVESTIGATION 1) Essential Question: Big picture questions that cannot be answered with one investigation. 2) Investigating Question: Researchable question that can be answered with qualitative or quantitative observations or measurements. PAGE 16/back 3) Background Information: Begin by identifying the biotic and abiotic components of your study site. Record a description of your study site, including photos as appropriate. Identify primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers, detritivores, and decomposers. (Note that some organisms fit into more than one trophic level- because, like many humans, some are omnivores, eating whatever is available.) PAGE 17/front 4) Hypothesis: Predictions are not typically made for descriptive studies. For comparative studies, predict what will happen to the responding (measured) variable when one of the changes occurs. For correlative studies predict the relationship. 5) Experimental Design: (Independent variable, dependent variable, control, constants) PAGE 17/back 6) Materials 7) Procedures PAGE 18 front and back 8) Data: Observe /Record Data Data/observations/measurements are recorded systematically on a data collection sheet. Location, date, time of day and a description of study site (including weather) is recorded. Photographs of your study site taken during the investigation may be included. PAGE 19 front and back 9) ANALYSIS Organize Results Results are organized into categories in tables, charts, graphs, maps, and/or other written forms making appropriate calculations (e.g. total growth, distances, total number observed). You must include GRAPHS of the data. Analyze Data to Look for Patterns and Trends Populations are estimated; means, modes,

4 medians, t-values and r-values are calculated; graphs, tables, or maps are analyzed for patterns; data are compared to standards. PAGE 20 front and back 10) Results and Conclusions (including an evaluation of your hypothesis): Provide a clear conclusive statement that answers the investigation question or states whether the hypothesis or prediction was correct. For descriptive investigations, provide a detailed description or model of results. Restrict conclusions to the time and place the investigation took place. Compare data to standards when appropriate. Use data to support the conclusion, description, or model. Use explanatory language to connect supporting data to the conclusion, description, or model. E. Ideas to get you thinking: SAMPLE Essential Questions: What defines my environment? What is a healthy environment? What is humans relationship to the environment? How can our community sustain our environment? What is my role in the preservation and use of environmental resources? Choose a type of investigative question: Descriptive Comparative Correlative Formulate investigative question Identify setting within a system Identify variables of interest How many? How frequently? What happened? Is there a difference between groups, conditions, times or locations? Make a prediction or hypothesis about differences Formulate Is there a relationship between two variables? Make a hypothesis about the relationship. Identify geographic scale of investigation (e.g., Munden Point Park or West Neck Creek) Identify time frame of the investigation (e.g., season, hour, day, month, year) Choose measurable or observable variables Choose a measured variable in at least two different (manipulated variable) locations, times, organisms or populations Choose two variables to be measured together and tested for a relationship Descriptive Questions: How many are there in a given area? How frequently does happen in a given period? What is the [temperature, speed, height, mass, density, force, distance, ph, dissolved oxygen, light density, depth, etc.] of? When does happen during the year? (flowering, fruit, babies born)

5 Where does travel over time? (What is an animal s range?) Comparative Questions: Is there a difference in between group (or condition) A and group B? Is there a difference in between (or among) different locations? Is there a difference in at different times? Correlative Questions: What is the relationship between variable #1 and variable #2? Does go up when goes down? How does change as changes? BOTH THE STORY AND THE ECOLOGICAL STUDY MUST BE SUBMITTED THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS. MAKE SURE THAT BOTH PARTS ARE IN A GRAPHING COMPOSITION NOTEBOOK. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY PARTS OF THE ASSIGNMENT, MRS. BARCROFT AT WENDYR.BARCROFT@VBSCHOOLS.COM ANY TIME DURING THE SUMMER.