AUDRA BROWN WARDAudra Brown Ward is an Upper School Biology teacher at the Westminster Schools of Atlanta, where she teaches AP ® Biology and Honors Biology. Audra is a College Board Workshop Consultant, and a reader and table leader for the AP ® Biology exam. She has led numerous AP ® Biology Summer Institutes and one-day workshops and has contributed to various teacher guides and ancillaries for AP Biology textbooks. Audra received the 2007 NABT Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Georgia, a 2021 O. Wayne Rollins Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching at Westminster and a 2023 William A. Parker, Sr. Mentoring Faculty Award at Westminster. Audra is a member of the National Association of Biology Teachers, where she serves as Region VI Coordinator. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., and the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Twenty Pearls Foundation, Inc. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Audra received a B.S. in Biochemistry from Spelman College and an M.S. in Biochemistry from Georgia Tech. |
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AP BIOLOGY COURSE DESCRIPTION
Over the course of this 4-day workshop, new and experienced teachers alike will become familiar with the newly updated Course and Exam Description (CED) in AP Biology. The updated CED organizes the course into eight commonly taught UNITS
Unit 1: Chemistry of Life Unit 5: Heredity
Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation
Unit 3: Cellular Energetics Unit 7: Natural Selection
Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle Unit 8: Ecology
Participants will learn about the AP Biology Curriculum Framework, how to incorporate inquiry into the AP Biology curriculum, and perform selected laboratory investigations, and share ideas for implementing these activities in the classroom. We will conduct laboratories that will satisfy the requirement for 25% of the AP Biology course to be laboratory-based.
We will take a deep dive into the 2023 AP Biology exam, trends and patterns noticed in student responses, and strategies for improving student performance through intentional instructional design. There will be time allotted for teachers to work on syllabus development and lesson design. Participants will also learn strategies for making their courses accessible for all students through creation of equitable learning environments and equitable course design.
You’ll also learn about completing the digital activation process at the start of the school year that will give you immediate access to the new resources and will help ensure that your students can register for AP Exams by the new fall deadlines.
By attending this APSI, you’ll gain deeper insight into the following key takeaways, among several others: Understand the Course; Plan the Course; Teach the Course; Assess Student Progress; and Engage as a Member of the AP Community. In addition, specific attention will be paid to the following AP Classroom resources: unit guides, personal progress checks, AP teacher community, and the AP question bank. Teachers will leave prepared to successfully teach AP Biology, including audit approval, College Board curriculum alignment, and preparing students for the AP Biology exam.
Over the course of this 4-day workshop, new and experienced teachers alike will become familiar with the newly updated Course and Exam Description (CED) in AP Biology. The updated CED organizes the course into eight commonly taught UNITS
Unit 1: Chemistry of Life Unit 5: Heredity
Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation
Unit 3: Cellular Energetics Unit 7: Natural Selection
Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle Unit 8: Ecology
Participants will learn about the AP Biology Curriculum Framework, how to incorporate inquiry into the AP Biology curriculum, and perform selected laboratory investigations, and share ideas for implementing these activities in the classroom. We will conduct laboratories that will satisfy the requirement for 25% of the AP Biology course to be laboratory-based.
We will take a deep dive into the 2023 AP Biology exam, trends and patterns noticed in student responses, and strategies for improving student performance through intentional instructional design. There will be time allotted for teachers to work on syllabus development and lesson design. Participants will also learn strategies for making their courses accessible for all students through creation of equitable learning environments and equitable course design.
You’ll also learn about completing the digital activation process at the start of the school year that will give you immediate access to the new resources and will help ensure that your students can register for AP Exams by the new fall deadlines.
By attending this APSI, you’ll gain deeper insight into the following key takeaways, among several others: Understand the Course; Plan the Course; Teach the Course; Assess Student Progress; and Engage as a Member of the AP Community. In addition, specific attention will be paid to the following AP Classroom resources: unit guides, personal progress checks, AP teacher community, and the AP question bank. Teachers will leave prepared to successfully teach AP Biology, including audit approval, College Board curriculum alignment, and preparing students for the AP Biology exam.