AP Biology, Majorly Underrated
By Olivia Voth
Mrs. Ciancio has been a longstanding fan favorite for science students. Perhaps her smallest class each year is Advanced Placement Biology, with one hour of the day (fifth hour), that contains only 16 students. However, Mrs. Ciancio fills her classroom with nostalgic and relative activities that help university-level science make sense.
Photo of Mrs. Gail Ciancio at her Tea Party, taken by Olivia Voth
Mrs. Ciancio’s AP Biology class engages in many interesting activities and labs throughout the year to explore different concepts leading up to the AP exam. During the unit about cell membranes, students experimented with bubbles, representing the semi-permeability of a phospholipid bilayer, as well as other properties of cell membranes.
When learning about enzymes, students formed groups and created models out of clay displaying substrates reacting with the enzymes in question, as well as types of inhibitors that can prevent these reactions from going through. Student groups in her class also created domino tracks to observe the effects of energy on biological processes, as well as how the products of one reaction can become the reactants of the next, allowing for relativity in these scientific reactions.
Inquiry labs in the class are frequent and detailed, with lab reports being counted as a test grade. Water potential and osmosis, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, plasma membranes and other biological processes are explored through tactile labs that show real-time reactions in such a way that students can grasp and understand. By thoroughly graphing and explaining what has occurred during a lab report, students are able to describe these specific occurrences and relate them to a broader biological concept that will benefit their learning far better than reading a textbook page.
Learning is heightened even more so while students create their own Inquiry labs, using the initial lab for the concept as a control group. This grants some form of independent study while students condition themselves into conducting efficient and accurate experiments. These labs also allow for students to relate their findings to real world problems, such as ocean acidification, global warming or even everyday medical phenomena.
“That’s the thing I love most about teaching science, students can relate it to the real world,” Ciancio notes fondly.
Ciancio’s passion for teaching and exploring the scientific world makes her the perfect messenger to connect to students in her Biology classes. For the hands-on learner seeking accelerated study, or anyone who enjoys the science of life, AP Biology is the perfect course.