AP Biology Home Page
Welcome to the AP Biology page on Collea's Corner. This will be my 34th year teaching Biology.
I have had many teachers help me develop the course and ideas for this website. Many thanks go to the late Kim Foglia whose materials have been a starting point for me and many other biology teachers around the world. Without her passion and educational expertise, I would be years behind where I am now. My former colleague Jason Goldberg from Colonie High School who has supplied me with the many resources used throughout this course along with the design and format found on this website. Working with him was one of the many highlights of my teaching career. Thanks Jay!
This year we will be incorporating a style of learning that may be unfamiliar to you. For some of the time, our classroom we will be using a different instructional strategy in which you will watch videos, animations, movies, lectures and listen to podcasts while completing your AP Biology Interactive Guided Reading Packets at home (what you might normally do in class), then spend class time asking questions, developing hypothesis, designing and performing experiments related to our current unit of study in a smartphone-free environment all while staying abreast of what current research has to say about our topic at hand. This will give me the opportunity to assist you with your experimental designs which will foster your critical and creative thinking skills as well as incorporate what research shows to be a very effective method of teaching and learning biology.
Now let's get to work!
Research on Flipped Classrooms
Applying Science to the Teaching of Science - describes the effectiveness of the flipped classroom
Twilight of the Lecture - Harvard Review describes the effectiveness of flipped classrooms in college.
Flipping a Class, the Learn by Doing Method - outlines major advantages of flipped classrooms
Support for Experiments in Flipping - describes why the science favors flipping
The Value of Biology-Based Animations - an actual study supporting the use of animations
The Use of 3D Animations to Enhance our Study of Molecular Biology
How I Flipped my Class - A Cornell CTE Video by Sandi Connelly
I have had many teachers help me develop the course and ideas for this website. Many thanks go to the late Kim Foglia whose materials have been a starting point for me and many other biology teachers around the world. Without her passion and educational expertise, I would be years behind where I am now. My former colleague Jason Goldberg from Colonie High School who has supplied me with the many resources used throughout this course along with the design and format found on this website. Working with him was one of the many highlights of my teaching career. Thanks Jay!
This year we will be incorporating a style of learning that may be unfamiliar to you. For some of the time, our classroom we will be using a different instructional strategy in which you will watch videos, animations, movies, lectures and listen to podcasts while completing your AP Biology Interactive Guided Reading Packets at home (what you might normally do in class), then spend class time asking questions, developing hypothesis, designing and performing experiments related to our current unit of study in a smartphone-free environment all while staying abreast of what current research has to say about our topic at hand. This will give me the opportunity to assist you with your experimental designs which will foster your critical and creative thinking skills as well as incorporate what research shows to be a very effective method of teaching and learning biology.
Now let's get to work!
Research on Flipped Classrooms
Applying Science to the Teaching of Science - describes the effectiveness of the flipped classroom
Twilight of the Lecture - Harvard Review describes the effectiveness of flipped classrooms in college.
Flipping a Class, the Learn by Doing Method - outlines major advantages of flipped classrooms
Support for Experiments in Flipping - describes why the science favors flipping
The Value of Biology-Based Animations - an actual study supporting the use of animations
The Use of 3D Animations to Enhance our Study of Molecular Biology
How I Flipped my Class - A Cornell CTE Video by Sandi Connelly
Research on the Detrimental Effects of Smartphones
We all understand the joys of our always-wired world—the connections, the validations, the laughs…the information.
But we are only beginning to get our minds around the costs.
- Andrew Sullivan (2016)
Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity
How Smartphones are Hijacking our Brains
Are Smartphones Making Us Stupid
Taking a Break from Social Media Improves Wellbeing Through Sleep Quality
Smartphone Addiction and Dopamine
Anytime you (or your children) need to optimize attentional control and cognitive function,
keeping smartphones out of sight helps to boost brain power and minimize brain drain.
- Christopher Bergland (2017)
As an educator with 33 years of experience, NOW, more that ever I feel the need to create intentional time and space for my students away from their smartphones. Out of sight, out of mind. Taking advantage of the benefits of smartphone use shouldn’t cease entirely, but administrators, teachers, coaches and parents should make sure to create smartphone-free time so students can develop the important critical and creative thinking skills which allow them to continuously learn, question, define and solve problems - not to mention the ability to connect with other people socially FACE TO FACE!
- Dan Collea (2019)
Research on the Cognitive Advantages of Writing over Typing
Want to change the world?
Make your bed!
General Class Information
- AP Biology Course Description
- AP Biology Exam Description 2021
- Users Guide to AP Biology - a fantastic VIDEO overview of the course
- AP Biology Exam Users Guide - a useful tool to help you with various sections of the exam
- New AP Biology Exam Grading - a video showing that in order to get a 5, you REALLY have to know your stuff!
- Score Distributions for all AP Exams
- AP Biology Equations and Formula Sheet
- AP Pass
- Test Analysis Instructions
- AP Biology FRQ Powerwords
- FRQ Power Words
- CliffsNotes AP Biology Review Book: Recommended AP Biology Review Book
- How to Write a Lab Report - something that you will find very, VERY important throughout the year
- LabWrite - a fantastic website provided by NC State University to help you with your lab reports
- How Labs are Graded - the rubric used to grade formal lab reports
- Lab Report Checklist - use this make sure your lab report contains all the necessary elements
- Guidelines for Making Data Tables
- Sample Lab Report
- Actual Scientific Human Study
- Reading primary Literature in Biology
- The 9 BEST Scientific Study Tips
- The VARK Questionnaire - Quiz yourself to find out how you learn best.
- Spaced Repetition Learning
- College Recommendation Questionnaire
Information for Parents
- Letter to Parents
- Open House 2023
- Help Your Child Succeed in AP Biology
- The 9 BEST Scientific Study Tips
- Recommended AP Biology Review Book - Best to get early in the year.
- New AP Biology Exam
- Score Distributions for all AP Exams
- AP Exams vs SAT Subject Tests: What's More Important?
- Effects of Exercise on the Brain
Excellent Animation Sites and other Resources
Biotopics UK
Campbell Animations
McGraw Hill: Basic Biology
McGraw Hill: Online Learning
Mader - Biology
Mader - 11th Edition
Biology Junction
BBC - Baby Chicks Jumping Off a Cliff
The Sourcebook for Teaching Science
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) - BioInteractive
Sumanas Inc.
Learn Genetics
NoblePrize.org
DNA Learning Center
ADAM - The Inside Story
3-D Biology / Hybrid Medical
Nucleus Medical Media
Visual Health Solutions
Ted-Ed
3D Molecules
Lab Bench
PhET
Newsela
Gregorio Educational Productions
Criticalrace.org
DnaTube
EuroVolvox.org
Penguin Prof Channel
Allen Brain Atlas
The Biology Corner
Biomimicry Institute
Behind the Black
MIT Open Courseware
Macmillan Learning
GapMinder
NSTA Lab Collection
Ninja Nerd Science
Ask Nature
Shape of Life
Ricochet Science
The Virtual Cell
Smart Biology
Vcell Animations
Cerebroz EduTree
wehiMovies
Amazing World of Science with Mr. Green
Ninja Nerd
BioNinja
VisibleBody
APBioPenguin
Austin 3D Animations
LabXchange
Nucleus Biology
BioMan
Shomu's Biology Academy
WEHImovies
AP Biology OpenStax
OpenStax.org
Data Nuggets
NATURE - YouTube Channel
Excellent Video Sites
Bozeman AP Biology
Bozeman Regents Biology
Kahn Academy
Crash Course Biology
Biology Videos
PBS: NOVA
Biotopics UK
Campbell Animations
McGraw Hill: Basic Biology
McGraw Hill: Online Learning
Mader - Biology
Mader - 11th Edition
Biology Junction
BBC - Baby Chicks Jumping Off a Cliff
The Sourcebook for Teaching Science
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) - BioInteractive
Sumanas Inc.
Learn Genetics
NoblePrize.org
DNA Learning Center
ADAM - The Inside Story
3-D Biology / Hybrid Medical
Nucleus Medical Media
Visual Health Solutions
Ted-Ed
3D Molecules
Lab Bench
PhET
Newsela
Gregorio Educational Productions
Criticalrace.org
DnaTube
EuroVolvox.org
Penguin Prof Channel
Allen Brain Atlas
The Biology Corner
Biomimicry Institute
Behind the Black
MIT Open Courseware
Macmillan Learning
GapMinder
NSTA Lab Collection
Ninja Nerd Science
Ask Nature
Shape of Life
Ricochet Science
The Virtual Cell
Smart Biology
Vcell Animations
Cerebroz EduTree
wehiMovies
Amazing World of Science with Mr. Green
Ninja Nerd
BioNinja
VisibleBody
APBioPenguin
Austin 3D Animations
LabXchange
Nucleus Biology
BioMan
Shomu's Biology Academy
WEHImovies
AP Biology OpenStax
OpenStax.org
Data Nuggets
NATURE - YouTube Channel
Excellent Video Sites
Bozeman AP Biology
Bozeman Regents Biology
Kahn Academy
Crash Course Biology
Biology Videos
PBS: NOVA
AP Biology Exam
Thursday, May 16th, 2024
12:00 - 3:00 pm
(Students must report to school at 11:30 am)