Welcome to 2016-2017 AP Biology

You have signed up for a challenging and rewarding course for the 2016-17 school year. In order to make sure
your brain doesn’t melt with all the relaxation, I want you to do a little preparation work over the summer. This
will help you hit the ground running in August!

This assignment is due the Friday school comes back in session, August 19th, 2016. There are 3 parts to the
assignment, you must do all of them for credit. This will be your first SUMMATIVE assignment in the gradebook.
The last isn’t a graded assignment, but I want you (or a parent) to sign up for the Remind texting/email service
(how-to in the back of the packet).

Summer Assignment Part 1: Plagiarism Certification Assignment

During AP Bio you will be writing papers and other assignments. It is crucial to understand what plagiarism is and
how you can avoid it. If you plagiarize in this class, it will result in a 0 grade with no chance to re-do the
assignment. When you get to college, plagiarizing can not only end up with you failing a class, but also getting
kicked out of college! So let’s get started by going to:
https://www.indiana.edu/~academy/firstPrinciples/index.html
and learning through the tutorials. The tutorials are very good, but they do take a bit of time. You do need to go
through ALL levels (Basic, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert), before you take your test. The test costs
nothing to complete, and you can take it as many times as you need in order to get your certificate.

The website is very good at leading you through everything you need to do, but here’s a quick overview in case
you get confused. When you go to the above link, you should see this:

Read the page, watch the short (1 minute) video. Once you’re finished, click on:

And the rest should be easy enough to follow. Click ‘Next Page’ when you’re finished reading and follow the
instructions. If you need to stop and go back, click the ‘Learn through Tutorials’ button to get to the different
levels of tutorials. You can go through them as many times as you need! Once you feel confident, you need to
take the certification test and email your certificate to me at [email protected]. Make sure your name is on
the certificate! This will be your first grade for AP Biology!

To take the certification test, go to:

https://www.indiana.edu/~academy/firstPrinciples/certificationTests/index.html

And it should look like the above image. Read the page, and then click on:
You have to register with an email address. Click to get registered. It will send you a link to verify your email
address, and this is the email it will send your certificate to once you pass the plagiarism test.

Don’t forget to email it to me so you get credit! The certificate will be emailed to you, then you can forward it to
me. Due date for this assignment is: Friday, August 19th, 2016.

Summer Assignment Part 2: Biology Prefixes and Suffixes-The Language of Science

The main reason students find it difficult to understand science is because of all the hard to write, spell and read words. Actually, scientific
vocabulary is a mix of small words that are linked together to have different meanings. If you learn the meanings of the little words, you'll
find scientific vocabulary much easier to understand. Find the mean to the following Greek/Latin root words.
Word Meaning hyper
a / an hypo
meso intra
leuco -itis
aero lateral
anti -logy
amphi -lysis
aqua / hydro -meter
arthro mono
auto morph
bi / di micro
bio macro
cephal multi / poly
chloro pod
chromo -phobia
cide -philia
cyto proto
derm photo
haplo pseudo
ecto (exo) synthesis
endo sub
epi troph
gastro therm
genesis tri
herba zoo, zoa
hetero -tropism
homo -taxis
ov -stasis
kary zyg / zygous
neuro phago
soma path / pathy
saccharo sym / syn
primi / archea
Phyll
hemo
Word Meaning
Once you have completed the above table, use it to develop a definition, in your own words, for each of the
following terms.

1. Hydrology ______________________________________________________________________________

2. Cytolysis _______________________________________________________________________________

3. Protozoa________________________________________________________________________________

4. Epidermis _______________________________________________________________________________

5. Spermatogenesis _________________________________________________________________________

6. Exoskeleton______________________________________________________________________________

7. Abiotic _________________________________________________________________________________

8. Pathogen _______________________________________________________________________________

9. Pseudopod ______________________________________________________________________________

10. Hemophilia ____________________________________________________________________________

11. Endocytosis ____________________________________________________________________________

12. Herbicide ______________________________________________________________________________

13. Anaerobic _____________________________________________________________________________

14. Bilateral _______________________________________________________________________________

15. Autotroph _____________________________________________________________________________

16. Monosaccharide _________________________________________________________________________

17. Arthropod _____________________________________________________________________________

18. Polymorphic ____________________________________________________________________________

19. Hypothermia ___________________________________________________________________________

20. Biogenesis _____________________________________________________________________________________

Summer Assignment Part 3: Data, Statistics, and Graphing Practice
Research the answer to the following questions. You can answer on this sheet or a separate sheet if you
prefer.

1. In designing an experiment or other scientific study, why do scientists need to sample from a population
rather than using an entire population?

2. Suppose you are designing an experiment to test the effects of nicotine on the heart rate of rats. What are
the disadvantages of having too small a sample size (i.e., testing on too few rats)? What are the disadvantages
of having too large a sample size (i.e., testing on too many rats)?

3. Explain the difference between discrete variables and continuous variables. Give an example of each.

4. Explain the difference between quantitative and categorical variables. Give an example of each.

5. What is a null hypothesis?

6. Explain the difference between a Type I error and a Type II error.

7. What are some steps that scientists can take in designing an experiment to avoid false negatives?
Introduction to Graphing
Graphing is an important procedure used by scientists to display the data that is collected during a
controlled experiment. Line graphs must be constructed correctly to accurately portray the data collected.
Many times the wrong construction of a graph detracts from the acceptance of an individual’s hypothesis
A graph contains five major parts:
a. Title
b. The independent variable
c. The dependent variable
d. The scales for each variable
e. A legend
The TITLE: depicts what the graph is about. By reading the title, the reader should get an idea about the graph.
It should be a concise statement placed above the graph.
The INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: is the variable that can be controlled by the experimenter. It usually includes
time (dates, minutes, hours, etc.), depth (feet, meters), and temperature (Celsius). This variable is placed on
the X axis (horizontal axis).
The DEPENDENT VARIABLE: is the variable that is directly affected by the independent variable. It is the result
of what happens because of the independent variable. Example: How many oxygen bubbles are produced by a
plant located five meters below the surface of the water? The oxygen bubbles are dependent on the depth of
the water. This variable is placed on the Y-axis or vertical axis.
The SCALES for each Variable: In constructing a graph one needs to know where to plot the points
representing the data. In order to do this a scale must be employed to include all the data points. The scales
can (but won’t always) start with 0 and climb based on intervals such as: multiples of 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, or
100. The scale of numbers will be dictated by your data values. The scale should run the entire length of the
graph.
The LEGEND: is a short descriptive narrative concerning the graph's data. It should be short and concise and
placed under the graph.
The MEAN for a group of variables: To determine the mean for a group of variables, divide the sum of the
variables by the total number of variables to get an average.
The MEDIAN for a group of variables: To determine median or “middle” for an even number of values, put the
values in ascending order and take the average of the two middle values. e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10 Add 4+5 (2
middle values) and divide by 2 to get 4.5
The MODE for a group of variables: The mode for a group of values is the number that occurs most frequently.
e.g. 2, 5, 8, 2, 6, 11; the number 2 is the mode because it occurred most often (twice).

Rules and Tips for Graphing:

1. Always use a pencil to draw your graph. It’s easier to fix mistakes.
2. Always draw lines with a ruler. Do not freehand. Use at least half of your paper for the graph.
3. Make sure Independent Variable is on the X-axis and Dependent Variable is on the Y-axis.
4. Make sure you have all of the required parts.
5. If you are graphing multiple subjects, use different colored or patterned lines and explain what they are in
the legend.
Problem A: Diabetes is a disease affecting the insulin producing glands of the pancreas. If there is not enough
insulin being produced by these cells, the amount of glucose in the blood will remain high. A blood glucose
level above 140 for an extended period of time is not considered normal. This disease, if not brought under
control, can lead to severe complications and even death.
Answer the following questions concerning the data below and then graph it.

1. What is the dependent variable and why?

2. What is the independent variable and why?

3. What title would you give the graph?

4. Which, if any, of the above individuals (A or B) has diabetes?

5. What evidence do you have that supports your answer to #4?

6. If the time period were extended to 6 hours, what would the expected blood glucose level for Person
B?
 Problem B

A species of insect has been accidentally introduced from Asia into the US. The success of this organism
depends on its ability to find a suitable habitat. The larval stage is very sensitive to changes in
temperature and humidity. Exposure to situations outside the tolerance limits results in a high
mortality (death) rate. Study the data table below. Graph all data on ONE graph.

After you graph the data, use the graph to answer the following questions below.
1. Which areas of the US will this insect be able to establish a population? Hint: You may need to do
research into temps and humidity in the US.

2. Which areas of the US will this insect NOT be able to establish a population? See hint above.

3. What is the relationship between temperature and mortality?

4. What is the relationship between humidity and mortality?

Final Note:
Please make sure to sign up for Remind (instructions below). You may also want to make a
small investment into an AP Biology Study Book for next year. There are many good ones out there so
you shouldn’t have to spend a fortune on one. Just make sure you buy one made after 2015, as the AP
biology curriculum changed! As an FYI, due to a change in teachers, this year AP Biology is NOT dual
enrolled with UNO.
Don’t be intimidated, if you want to succeed you will. It will take lots of work, but I will provide
you with all of the tools necessary to be successful. However, I can’t do the work for you! That being
said- don’t procrastinate on your summer assignments, make sure to schedule some time just for AP
Bio, but the rest of the summer relax, unwind and get ready for a great 2016-2017 school year! If you
have any questions please email [email protected].