Can we skip chapters in Campbell's Biology?

[Grace is Sufficient]

The 55 chapter book arrived today... YIKES! (55 meaty chapters, too)

 

Anyone have any idea how to pare this down to something reasonable?

 

Thanks!

Debbie

[Jane in NC]

Does your student intend to take the AP exam in the spring? If so, I fear that there is no way to pare the book down. Sigh...

[emubird]

In theory, this is what the AP exam covers:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/biology/topic.html

In actuality, though, most classes don't get through everything, and that is why you can get a lot wrong on AP tests and still get a 5. They make the test so it can be taken by students who have taken a wide variety of courses that may focus on different things.

 

However, you don't have to learn all this stuff from Campbell, even if you are taking the AP test. You can go for the more fundamental stuff more deeply in Campbell and then do some quick and dirty learn-for-the-test with a prep book at the end and pick up all the pieces you didn't get to.

 

Also, the stuff at the end of the list tends to be the easiest to learn quickly.

 

But if you aren't doing the AP test, sure, cut it down. That's a whopper of a book full of lots of detail. It would be better to have a full understanding of some things than a superficial understanding of everything.

 

FWIW, the AP Bio test seems to fulfill about a one semester non majors course at a lot of colleges. Campbell tends to be a full year majors course text. I suspect this means the AP test is a bit superficial, but I wouldn't know what to suggest cutting (but a good prep book will give you a very good idea of what the student needs to know).

 

The sample AP test on the web strikes me as being pretty easy compared to what I would consider to be a decent test in a decent majors college bio course. Actually, I've taught non majors bio and the AP test seems somewhat easy in comparison to that course. So, no, in theory you shouldn't have to cover everything in Campbell, but (repeating myself) it's hard to know what to cut. It would be bits and pieces out of each chapter rather a lot of full chapters.

[Chris in VA]

Ds is taking Bio 101 at CC--we just got his book yesterday.

They only have 5 units in their book--it's Campbell's but "chopped down" to 34 chapters. The headings are

 

The Chemistry of Life

The Cell

Genetics

Mechanisms of Evolution

The Evolutionary History of Biological Diversity

 

I don't know what in the normal Campbell's they are leaving out, but that's what they cover in his class. He also has a lab book called, The Biology Experience, by Dearing/Eckerlin/Wolfe. It's shrink wrapped or I'd tell you what's in that.

 

Oh, and I bought ds the study guide for Campbell's, too.

 

ETA: Ah, in looking thru the study guide briefly, I see his Bio 101 leaves out chapters on

Plant Form and Function

Animal Form and Function

Ecology

[Grace is Sufficient]

I guess I'll just get one or two of the AP exam prep books, and use that as a guideline to figure out what to focus on...

 

Appreciate the info,

Debbie

[OLG]

I guess I'll just get one or two of the AP exam prep books, and use that as a guideline to figure out what to focus on...

 

Appreciate the info,

Debbie

 

When ds did AP Bio, the Cliff'sAP Bio prep book was the most useful!

 

Mary

[Heather in VA]

We are using Campbell/Reece this year with the DIVE dvds. It goes through all 55 chapters - some more quickly than others.

 

Heather