Teaching AP Science

Tips

Teaching an AP Class can be rewarding with interesting content and great students, but it can also be stressful and discouraging if you or the students fall behind. Here are 15 things to help start a great year in AP.

An AP class may have a variety of students from the typical honors kid who can read the textbook and learn material to a kid who is trying this level of course for the first time. A way to balance the needs to both is to do “sticky notes”  Sticky Note Methodology

FRQs are important for students to practice. Learn how to use and teach FRQs. 

Students also need practice with the rigor of AP multiple choice questions.  Learn how to find and use released Multiple Choice APES exams. 

Need help communicating the reasons why a flipped class helps students with higher level thinking skills?

Hacks

Have lots of AP kids? Learn ways to keep your sanity and grading load manageable in How to handle large numbers of AP kids. 

Peer grading can save a lot of personal time for the teacher while helping kids write better FRQs. Learn how to peer grade FRQs.

Want some ideas on how to fund your great ideas? Read how to find grants and money for the science classroom.

Buying Supplies for Ecocolumns

Ecocolumn Instructions: Step by step for students with pictures

Cutting and Filling the Bottles

Planting Seeds and Taking Data

Adding Worms, Bugs, and Leaf Litter

Making the Aquatic Chamber

Adding Fish (finally!)

Cheap Ecocolumns and What to Buy when you have some $

Who should take an AP Class?  Does passing the Exam in May matter?  Find out what the research says in To AP or Not to AP…What does the research say?

Thinking about Flipping your class? Find out about best practices, how to make videos, and what to do if kids don’t comply in Research About Flipping your Class. I flipped my class this year, this is why and how I did it.

How does the AP Exam correspond to levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy and Depth of Knowledge? The AP Exam is made up of mostly higher level questions.