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|  | Excerpts from the AP Biology Teachers' Discussion Group
Question: "In what sequence does your district place the sciences?"
Answer 1: "Our district requires all incoming freshmen to take an integrated physics and chemistry course. It really is just an overview of physics and chemistry. The biggest complaint from the science teachers is that the freshmen don't have the math skills for even an overview course like this. They spend much of their time teaching the math needed to understand the science. When site-based control came into being, one of the high schools in our district changed the order to have the freshmen take biology then move to the integrated physics and chemistry class. One of the other large districts in our city (there are three large districts and several smaller ones in the area) allows the freshmen to choose between the physical science class and biology If they choose biology, then they must go from biology to chemistry to physics or AP Biology or AP Chemistry. We have several students who take AP Biology, anatomy, and physiology, and AP Physics in one year, but they are exceptional students."
-- Jo Ann Burman, Andress High School, El Paso, Texas. 2/26/99
Answer 2: "We made a switch five years ago and have had great success with it. Our math SATs have shown noticeable improvement, and having chemistry before biology is a huge help. Our freshman physics class is algebra based (most of our students take algebra I in the eighth grade, others are taking it in the ninth grade) and I modeled it after the New York State physics curriculum, which is somewhere between the general physics and the regents physics."
-- Cher Callahan, The Savannah Country Day School, Savannah, Georgia. 2/27/99
Answer 3: "I think that it is true about the students forgetting a lot of their general biology material. However, I require that AP Biology students also take anatomy/physiology in their junior year. Here, we again cover the cell, membrane potential, chemistry, and the like. We even go over heredity if time allows. This way, the AP students are very well rehearsed in the fundamentals of cellular biology. The anatomy/physiology course goes into great detail about the organelles involved in each of the processes of physiology, thereby bringing closure and learning to the material that was stuffed in their gray matter as ninth graders. This also allows me to cover the anatomy/physiology material quickly in the beginning of the AP Biology year, and cover the 'new' material of molecular genetics and the like at the end of the year just before the exam. Therefore, I think the honors course really helps in my case. The anatomy/physiology course is an honors course. The students take it after an honors chemistry course, and they take that after they have taken an honors biology course."
-- Mike Pilliod, Middleburg High School, Middleburg, Florida. 12/14/00
Answer 4: "For those districts that are pushing AP courses and open enrollment, you might also suggest that they begin development of a Vertical Team™ program in science. The College Board has not yet put together materials for a Vertical Team in science (as they have in English and math; social studies is coming very soon), but people in the southwestern region, especially Texas, are very active in this area. Vertical Team science programs can help develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge base necessary for motivated kids to be successful in AP sciences. Check the VT section of collegeboard.org for more information. Also keep an eye open for the summer institutes in this area."
-- Fred Brown, William Hall High School, West Hartford, Connecticut. 12/15/00
Answer 5: "Some interesting things are going on nationwide with AP programs and various states. There is a push to have every high school in California offer AP courses, and I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. The problem that is popping up statewide and nationwide is to have 'open access' to AP courses. What 'open access' means varies from district to district. Our very young principal unilaterally decided to make AP Exams mandatory. If students don't take the AP Exam, the student's transcript reads only 'biology' instead of AP Biology. Effectively by not taking the exam, students' transcripts will have two years of regular biology, and they will not get the weighted grade the universities apply to AP courses. She also removed all honors-level courses, and decided to have 'open access' to all AP courses, meaning in our district that there are no longer prerequisites to the AP courses. In effect any student at any level can sign up for an AP course, and we have to teach them. AP class loads are reaching 30+ per section, and the parents in our community are very upset about this. The information you 46 instructors gave me is ammunition for the parents to present to the district superintendent and board. Are we watering down AP courses for the sake of inclusiveness?"
-- Dale Morejon, Gilroy High School, Gilroy, California.12/14/00
Answer 6: "At my school, the only prerequisites for AP Biology are chemistry (regular or honors) and biology (regular or honors). A student must have a science teacher recommendation for AP regardless of the satisfactory completion of the prerequisites. However, there is always the 'parental waiver,' a form parents sign 'absolving the school of responsibility' should their student be unsuccessful in a course for which they do not have the background, but choose to take anyway. So technically this means that ANY student, regardless of previous science courses, could take AP Biology. In reality, however, that has not been a problem. Those types of students are not usually interested in the workload that an AP course represents. My students (juniors and seniors) usually have about a 90 percent 3 or above rate on the AP Exam. I do not find that requiring honors helps because by the time they take AP Biology, they have forgotten all their biology anyway, as most have taken biology as a freshman, and then take AP as a junior or senior. If I have to re-teach anyway, it does not much matter. What DOES matter, however, is their grade in the prerequisites, not so much as an indicator of what they actually remember, but how hard they are willing to work. Teacher recommendations help a lot in that regard, also. In addition, if there is a student who truly wants to take AP, and comes to me to talk about it, I may allow them in the class. Kids do grow up in two years and gain maturity; I don't want to exclude a kid who as a ninth or tenth grader fooled around a lot and did not do well in science, but who has 'grown up' by the time he or she is a junior or a senior. Sometimes these are my best students as they are trying to make up for their poor beginnings. So I guess my advice to you is to carefully consider every kid as a individual. Surely you need some basic guidelines to help students choose courses, but don't make them rigid; allow for the 'square peg.'"
-- Linda Wichers, Seaholm High School. Birmingham, Michigan. 12/14/00
Question: "Can you suggest a really good book for Pre-AP Biology?"
Answer 1: "The BSCS Blue is actually called Biological Science: A Molecular Approach. While I, too, endorse the book and its approach, it is not adopted in the state of Texas, so you would have difficulty getting it. The Turtle book is the one I am currently using and is my preference for Pre-AP Biology. The baby Campbell is also an excellent book at summarizing the 'meat' and providing good illustrations."
-- Israel Solon, Greenhill School, Dallas, Texas. 10/20/00
Answer 2: "Biology by Essenfeld, Gontag, and Moore is an excellent high school text for the college-bound student. It is published by Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. (ISBN: 0-201-86440-1). An excellent array of support materials is associated with this text. The TAE offers excellent guidance and suggestions for those beginning to teach this course."
-- Judy Brickell, La Guardia High School, New York, New York. 10/20/00
Question: "This is the first year my building has offered honors biology, and we purchased the 'baby Campbell' for this class. Could you all please tell me how you differentiate regular biology from honors at your school? This honors class is intended to be the 'feeder' class for my AP Biology... Can you suggest a really good book?"
Answer 1: "My Pre-AP Biology students are required to do a science fair project as well as a native plant or insect collection. They must collect 20 plants, which must be native Chihuahuan desert plants and identified by genus and species. I have several plant presses that are available to the students to use. If they opt to do the insect collection instead, they need one insect from each of 13 orders for a 75. They receive 5 points for each additional insect but can have no more than two insects per order. I really encourage the plant collection, because it is easier to make an A with it. However, here in the desert, plant collection comes with its own set of problems. Even our daisies have thorns on them! I tell the kids to invest in a good pair of gardening gloves. Also, when I test my regular kids, I give multiple-choice questions with the correct answer and three distractors. When I test my Pre-AP students, I use methods that I learned from my college professors: (a)... (b)... (c)... (d)... (e) a & b only... (f) a and c only... (g) b and c only. It may seem mean, but I've had kids come back from college and thank me for preparing them to take tests like that. I also use more essay-type questions for the Pre-AP, and I make them read additional books, such as The Double Helix."
-- Jo Ann Burman, Andress High School, El Paso, Texas. 1/12/01
Answer 2: "Our prerequisites for AP Biology are a B or higher on honors biology and honors chemistry or with permission from the department head. A good understanding of basic chemistry is essential to get through the first half of the course, which is pretty much on the cellular and molecular level."
-- Bonnie Polan, Beverly High School, Beverly, Massachusetts.1/13/01
Answer 3: "Our honors biology uses the Prentice-Hall text, Biology: The Study of Life (the one with the bears on the cover). This is the same text used in general biology, too. The major difference between the two courses is that general biology is more of a life science course -- covering the body systems after an introduction to biology (basic chemistry, scientific method, cells). The honors biology course, though, follows a 'Phylogenetic Approach.' The guide is in the text and it is a watered down AP curriculum."
-- PJ Foley, Avon Old Farms School, Avon, Connecticut. 1/13/01
Answer 4: "Although I am not using it in my current school, in the school I was at two years ago we used Biology: The Dynamics of Life ('whale book') from Glencoe. It was very well received by students, parents, and teachers, and comes with quite a bit of resource material for the teacher. I have a classroom set I use now as a supplement to the BSCS Green, which is my school's textbook. The BSCS book is too difficult for my general biology students; it requires a high reading level, which very few students seem to possess these days. In addition, graphics are small and infrequent. The Glencoe book is loved by ALL my students: They are always asking why we don't use it in class....Take a look."
-- Linda Wichers, Birmingham Seaholm High School, Birmingham, Michigan. 1/31/01
Answer 4: "Sorry, must dissent on the whale book. I am forced to use it this year due to system-wide adoption and I pretty much hate it. First of all, it is HUGE -- a real pain for students to carry around. Most of the 'hugeness' comes from the large print (hey, I'm the one with the old eyes, not my students!) and the copious pictures (often irrelevant). Coverage of the material is mostly okay... but the order of topics is strange (at least to me -- covering diffusion and mitosis in the same chapter makes no sense). I've been skipping around to try to make it more coherent, causing more confusion than necessary for students. While the number of ancillaries was what proved very attractive to adopters, when you get down to using them they are often lacking (for example, inadequate practice problems in genetics). I will say that the test generator is easy to use and easy to edit."
-- Leslie Haines, Walter Williams High School, Burlington, North Carolina. 2/01/01
Question: "My department is currently taking a very critical look at the CA content standards for science, current course syllabi, and what students need in order to be successful in biology, chemistry, AP, etc. The entering freshmen are coming in with a fairly large gap in their math/reading skills compared to where they should be according to standards. I am experiencing a huge problem in my AP Biology classes because their skills in other areas are lacking and it is bogging down my ability to deliver the curriculum in the manner I would like (and need to do according to standards...). To address this issue, we are developing a remedial class that will use science as a vehicle for improving their math, reading, and critical thinking skills. I would like to know (a) if anyone else out there is doing something similar and (b) if you are, would you be willing to tell me what you are doing, how it is working, etc."
Answer 1: "I am also a department head -- I also teach all the high school sciences, including some college courses. I start my freshmen off slow and then pick up the pace and difficulty as the school year goes on. Unfortunately, we have to get these kids ready for the standardized test at the end of the year and I get all the kids. My biology 1 class may have students who could easily do much more difficult concepts, etc., and the class also include students who are mentally handicapped. It is very difficult to teach on the level I would like to."
-- Valerie Sumner, Otterville R-VI, Otterville, Missouri. 3/30/01
Answer 2: "We require a meeting with the department chair and a waiver. We offer a nonweighted accelerated biology with a required science fair project, regular biology and life science. Yes, we have noticed that the freshmen do not always get A's as they did 10 years ago. The problem (we think) is due to the lower expectations for individual and written work in the middle schools."
-- Robin Groch, San Ramon Valley High School, Danville, California. 3/30/01
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