Jump to content

Menu

AP Bio- patch together exam prep


Recommended Posts

Apparently, the combination of Apologia Biology and Advanced Biology add up to adequate preparation for the AP exam.

My dd is taking a co-op A+P course using the Apologia Advanced Bio text. She's considering going through the other material at home, with tutoring from family so though she wouldn't have an "AP Bio" course to transcript, she might have an AP exam score.

 

However, she doesn't like the Apologia materials, and would prefer something like the Campbell, at least for working through at home. I have downloaded several syllabi for AP Bio courses, including using Campbell's. But I'd like to coordinate it with  what is already covered in the Apologia she's getting in the classroom. She's more likely to accomplish this if she doesn't have to digest the entire second text, especially since Campbell's has soooooo much material. 

 

She had an honors level Chem course last year that included some organic and bio-chemistry.  Although she hasn't had a high school biology course, she seems to have enough background for the current A+P course.  

 

Has anyone used the Apologia route to prepare for the exam? Can you help me sort this out what she needs to study at home?

 

 

Thanks!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apparently, the combination of Apologia Biology and Advanced Biology add up to adequate preparation for the AP exam.

My dd is taking a co-op A+P course using the Apologia Advanced Bio text. She's considering going through the other material at home, with tutoring from family so though she wouldn't have an "AP Bio" course to transcript, she might have an AP exam score.

 

However, she doesn't like the Apologia materials, and would prefer something like the Campbell, at least for working through at home. I have downloaded several syllabi for AP Bio courses, including using Campbell's. But I'd like to coordinate it with  what is already covered in the Apologia she's getting in the classroom. She's more likely to accomplish this if she doesn't have to digest the entire second text, especially since Campbell's has soooooo much material. 

 

She had an honors level Chem course last year that included some organic and bio-chemistry.  Although she hasn't had a high school biology course, she seems to have enough background for the current A+P course.  

 

Has anyone used the Apologia route to prepare for the exam? Can you help me sort this out what she needs to study at home?

 

I don't know who told you this, but it isn't true.  A very large percentage of what's in Apologia isn't even covered or barely referenced on the AP Bio test.  Most of Apologia's TOC is taxonomy.  The "Advanced" course is Human Anatomy.  Neither of those are a main focus of AP Bio, in fact, I'm not sure they're even touched upon in the current form of the test.  AP Bio has four main foci (from the College Board description), of which one is completely absent from Apologia, and the others only have slight coverage in comparison to a standard AP Bio text like Campbell:

 

AP Biology Course Content
The course is based on four Big Ideas, which encompass core
scientific principles, theories, and processes that cut across
traditional boundaries and provide a broad way of thinking about
living organisms and biological systems. The following are Big Ideas:
 
• The process of evolution explains the diversity and unity of life.
• Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building
blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain dynamic
homeostasis.
• Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to
information essential to life processes.
• Biological systems interact, and these systems and their
interactions possess complex properties.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are some online courses (free) which she could add supplementally -- such as one by Carnegie Mellon University, the Bozeman Science videos (youtube), or AP Biology prep at Get a 5.  Between those resources, I'm sure you could find a way to shore up the Apologia course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I don't know who told you this, but it isn't true.  A very large percentage of what's in Apologia isn't even covered or barely referenced on the AP Bio test.  Most of Apologia's TOC is taxonomy.  The "Advanced" course is Human Anatomy.  Neither of those are a main focus of AP Bio, in fact, I'm not sure they're even touched upon in the current form of the test.  AP Bio has four main foci (from the College Board description), of which one is completely absent from Apologia, and the others only have slight coverage in comparison to a standard AP Bio text like Campbell:

 

 

 

Thank you Matryoshka.   Actually, I got that notion from the teacher who quoted the Apologia website and then slightly different wording from the current descriptions on that site.

 

However, as I said, I couldn't find any AP courses online or elsewhere that actually use Apologia, which is why I thought I'd ask here. OTOH, shouldn't the claim that the text will prepare a student for the exam indicate "blessing" from the College Board?  I thought they were fairly jealous of that description and Apologia has a high profile...

 

My primary aim was not an AP Bio course. My aim is to get the most mileage out of this course, which is a good fit for my daughter's schedule and preferences. A good score on the AP exam would be great on her transcript.  But if that's not likely, we can look at the SAT Bio test.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

However, as I said, I couldn't find any AP courses online or elsewhere that actually use Apologia, which is why I thought I'd ask here. OTOH, shouldn't the claim that the text will prepare a student for the exam indicate "blessing" from the College Board?  I thought they were fairly jealous of that description and Apologia has a high profile...

 

My primary aim was not an AP Bio course. My aim is to get the most mileage out of this course, which is a good fit for my daughter's schedule and preferences. A good score on the AP exam would be great on her transcript.  But if that's not likely, we can look at the SAT Bio test.  

 

Apologia has a high profile among Christian homeschoolers.  I'd be surprised if anyone at the College Board has even heard of it.  My brother's an AP Bio teacher and he'd never heard of it till I showed it to him (and he almost fainted at the content).

 

By definition, Apologia couldn't be used in any public school classroom because of the Christian content (separation of church and state) and lack of evolutionary content (which is required in all public school Bio standards).  It's just not on the radar of the mainstream.  A claim from the publisher is not a blessing from the College Board.

 

A blessing from the College Board their approving Apologia's syllabus as an official AP course.  Since the Apologia and AP syllabi barely overlap, I'm not sure how that could happen...

 

The SAT2 would probably be a better option.  There are two different versions E (Ecology?) and M (I think this is Microbiology?) - you could buy a prep book and see what they each entail (Prep books would cover both versions, and you can take sample tests of each to see which your student scores better at).  Still not much about Taxonomy or Anatomy, though.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apologia claims this because it sounds good. They do not consider themselves prep for the AP exam. They claim they "cover the entire AP curriculum." Unfortunately that is impossible with a text that does not address evolution. They describe themselves as "college-prep," which translates to rather light on the rigor end of things. We use the initial texts ( not the advanced) as middle school curriculum here.

 

It is not terrible curriculum and if your daughter views the co-op/Apologia stuff as a supplement then there is no reason she can not study more rigorous materials at home. Many libraries have a nice selection of AP prep books and materials. I'd check a few out and cross reference to get an idea of just what exactly the co-op is covering and what they are not. That would give you the best bet on where to fill in the gaps. My experience is that Apologia touches on a subject then moves on rather quickly without giving enough depth. So though the coursework might mention all the areas which the AP course does, it does not prepare a student for the exam.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, you all seem to have nailed that.  I emailed Apologia about this claim on their site the same day I last posted here, and have gotten no response.  :huh:

 

DD has enough on her plate without stretching this course into something it is not. The instructor is experienced enough and serious enough to not rely totally on the text, and I think that this answers dd's curiosity nicely enough for now. 

 

Thanks for helping to answer that puzzle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, you all seem to have nailed that.  I emailed Apologia about this claim on their site the same day I last posted here, and have gotten no response.  :huh:

 

DD has enough on her plate without stretching this course into something it is not. The instructor is experienced enough and serious enough to not rely totally on the text, and I think that this answers dd's curiosity nicely enough for now. 

 

Thanks for helping to answer that puzzle.

 

I am going to play devil's advocate here.

 

I realize that you probably have spent good money on that co-op biology course. That said, time most high school students' schedules is precious.  If your dd doesn't like Apologia and it doesn't sound like it meets her academic goals, then why not cut your losses?  She sounds like she's a bright girl and could probably study this on her own with the Campbell text. Unless you have a religious need that is met using the Apologia material, why would you waste a bright student's time?

 

I have the new 10th edition Campbell AP Bio book and the whole thing is centered on evolution. We have a student on board who self-studied for the AP test. I don't think it would be too difficult to set your dd up on the same plan or something similar. You'd probably have to do labs at home, but again, it's all possible.

 

To me, it sounds as though you are trying to corkscrew a less than ideal academic choice into a sort of workable plan.  Why?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...