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AP BIOLOGY FINAL PROJECT

PART 1: CHILDREN’S BIOLOGY BOOK

50% of your “final” grade for this class.

One way to truly learn a subject is to teach it to someone who knows nothing about

the topic. This first requires you to closely exam the subject and distill it down to its

important concepts and then you need to develop simple ways to explain those

concepts — maybe metaphors, analogies or simple models.

With this in consideration, you are given this year’s AP Biology Final Project Part 1.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

1. Choose one concept or topic in biology and develop a children’s book teaching

young children about that topic. Your target audience should be from kindergarten to

third grade.

2. The book needs to include both words and illustrations.

a. You may use humor.

b. Think about how to make your topic interesting to kids.

c. You may use a variety of media: drawings, photos, cartoons, paint, crayons,

etc.

d. As an example, I will now read you a story

3. You may work singly or in pairs.

4. Here is the schedule of work:

Task Date Due

Choose Topic Monday, May 16

Storyboard book Friday, May 20

Progress Check 1 Thursday, May 26

Book Complete Wednesday, June 1

Presentations Thursday, June 2GRADING SYSTEM:

PART 2: BOB’S YOUR UNCLE

For the second part of your final project, you will complete one of the following

written options. This portion of your final project is due by no later than Monday,

June 13

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. There will be a 10 percent deduction for every day that it is late.

General Formatting Instructions (for all options that are not a game):

• Double-Spaced, 12-point font.

• 1.25 inch margins left-right. 1 inch margins top-bottom

• No Title Page.

• Page numbers, please.

• As close to grammatical, aesthetic and spelling perfection as you can possibly

make it.

• It should go without saying that any evidence of plagiarism will earn you a 0 on

this portion of the project.

“Book Report”

a. Assignment: Here is a list of books that you can read and discuss for your final

project. Each book is listed with the framework of the discussion that you must

use if you are going to read it. Please remember that you are not to write a

discussion with a lot of plot summary (I have read the book). While it is

acceptable (and expected) that you will discuss plot points in reference to your

discussion, any discussion that is largely a regurgitation of plot details will not

earn much credit from me. I am much more interested in your ideas about

how the book deals with the framework listed. If you want to use any other

Task Value Grade

Topic Chosen (on time) 10

Storyboard Check 10

Progress Check 10

Book Complete (70) ——

On Time 10

Accuracy of Information 20

Quality of Work 20

Creativity 20

TOTAL 100 references, make sure they are cited in APA format and that you include a

works cited page. I will be checking to make sure that your work is your own.

b. PS- Each of these books is awesome and totally worth your time to read.

c. Page Limit: 4-page minimum (not counting any sources).

LIST OF BOOKS

Fiction:

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (Framework: Biotechnology)

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart (Framework: Ecology)

Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut (Framework: Ecology and Evolution)

The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut (Framework: Exobiology)

Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers (Framework: Bioethics)

Non-Fiction:

The Cannon by Natalie Angier (Framework: Scientific Understanding)

On the Origin of Species... by Charles Darwin (Framework: Evolution)

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins (Framework: Ecology)

King Solomon's Ring by Konrad Lorenz (Framework: Animal Behavior)

The Knife Man by Wendy Moore (Framework: Anatomy and Physiology/ History

of Medicine)

The Lives of The Cell by Lewis Thomas (Framework: Science as a Process)

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard (Framework: Ecology)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Framework: Bioethics)

The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner (Framework: Evolution)

Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin (Framework: Evolution)

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman (Framework: Ecology/Human Impact)

The Future of Life by E.O. Wilson (Framework: Ecology)

Non-Zero by Robert Wright (Framework: Evolution)

Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer (Framework: Evolution)

Planet of Viruses by Carl Zimmer (Framework: Evolution)

Perhaps you have another book you want to read that is not on the list? Discuss it

with me and I might just okay it (though I probably won’t if it has been made into a

movie).Short Story

a. Assignment: Write a short story related to any topic that we discussed this

year.

b. Page Limit: 10-page minimum.

One Act Play

a. Assignment: Write a one act play related to any topic that we discussed this

year.

b. Page Limit: 15-page minimum.

Research Paper

a. Write a research paper related to one of the articles that I will give you.

b. Your research paper must include information from at least ten sources other

than the paper that I give you. They should be included in your paper and in

your works cited list in proper APA format.

c. Page Limit: 5-page minimum.

Game:

a. Make a game that models a concept from the course.

b. Submit the game, all required pieces and parts, and complete instructions.

c. You must play the game with Mr. Knuffke on or before Monday, June 13

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(and arrange for however many other players are needed).