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How to Write Papers for an AP Biology Class
USINFO | 2014-01-03 14:44
Writing papers for an AP biology class can be nerve-racking. AP biology subject matter is challenging, and your course grade is at stake when you write a class paper. They also help you prepare for the AP biology test, which determines if you receive college credit for your high school class. Techniques exist that lead to successful, well-written AP biology papers.
Instructions
Before Writing
●Carefully read and annotate the assignment sheet or prompt. Before beginning to write, you should understand what is expected of you. Annotate the assignment sheet by writing questions for your teacher, any ideas for research or a subject for your paper.
●Meet with your teacher to discuss your questions, and ask for your teacher's feedback on your topic or angle. If you don't understand the given topic, prepare a draft that describes the topic to the best of your understanding. Then ask your teacher to read your draft and discuss your mistakes before the due date.
●Determine the biology subject area for your paper. By placing the required topic within a category, planning your research and narrowing your outline will be easier. According to the College Board, which creates and runs AP tests, AP Biology is designed to address three categories: molecules and cells, heredity and evolution, and organisms and populations.
●Do your research. Thorough research will allow you to understand the concepts and writing topic, instead of simply memorizing and using a handful of key terms or buzz words. Read the pertinent areas in your textbook, instructor-provided supplemental materials or websites, other credible websites such as those that end in .edu or .gov and library books.
●Pay attention to the verbs your teacher uses in the question or prompt, as different verbs call for different kinds of writing. For instance, if you're asked to discuss an experiment's results, you'll likely address the results, why they occurred, alternate results and implications. If you're asked to describe the experiment's results, you'll spend almost the entire essay using sensory detail to explain exactly what happened during the experiment. Some common verbs used on the essay portion of the AP test include describe, discuss, identify, design and summarize.
●Write a thesis statement. This should be the main point and a short summary of your paper. It should contain the writing topic and a claim, which is your statement about the topic.
According to AP Study Notes, you should restate your thesis later in the paper, especially in your conclusion. If you can connect the thesis and the big picture (a debate, idea or current event in biology, for instance), you can improve your paper.
●Complete an outline, which can help you determine what you'll write before you begin. It can help you create a unified, well-developed essay. Begin your outline with your thesis, and then develop major points and sub-points that you'll use to support or prove the thesis.
Writing Process
●Start writing about what comes to you or what interested you most from your research. Don't worry about structuring, proofreading, or spell-checking your essay at this point. You can use your outline and spelling- and grammar-check software to polish your paper when you're finished writing.
●Use your outline and colored pencils or highlighters to structure your paper. Highlight all information that should go under your outline's first sub-header in one color, all information that should go under the second sub-header in another color and so on. Reorder the information and re-read it to make sure it flows together well and is properly placed.
●Proofread and edit the paper, looking for errors you're prone to making, such as comma mistakes and run-on sentences. Circle any words that might be used incorrectly and look them up in a dictionary or in your biology textbook. Check for spelling and grammar using your word processing software. Print your paper and read each sentence backwards to check for typos, spelling mistakes and accidental large gaps.
Post-writing
●Ask a friend, parent or teacher to review your paper. Ask her if she understands the claim you're making and can believe that claim. Ask this person to identify any awkward or confusing parts of the paper.
●Put the paper aside for a few days or a few hours, depending on the available time. Review the paper like you're reading it for the first time. Circle anything that is wrong, confusing or awkward.
●Ask your teacher to review your paper with you, after you've gotten your grade, explaining his comments and identifying any weaknesses or patterns of error. This way, you'll prepare for your next AP paper and the AP biology test.
Tips & Warnings
●Be specific when you're writing an AP class essay to show you understand the topic. Avoid using pronouns, and explain how and why your claims are true.
●If you use material from your textbook or another source, paraphrase, summarize or accurately quote the information you've copied and include the source. Without a source, this can be considered plagiarism, leading to a failing grade on the paper.
Instructions
Before Writing
●Carefully read and annotate the assignment sheet or prompt. Before beginning to write, you should understand what is expected of you. Annotate the assignment sheet by writing questions for your teacher, any ideas for research or a subject for your paper.
●Meet with your teacher to discuss your questions, and ask for your teacher's feedback on your topic or angle. If you don't understand the given topic, prepare a draft that describes the topic to the best of your understanding. Then ask your teacher to read your draft and discuss your mistakes before the due date.
●Determine the biology subject area for your paper. By placing the required topic within a category, planning your research and narrowing your outline will be easier. According to the College Board, which creates and runs AP tests, AP Biology is designed to address three categories: molecules and cells, heredity and evolution, and organisms and populations.
●Do your research. Thorough research will allow you to understand the concepts and writing topic, instead of simply memorizing and using a handful of key terms or buzz words. Read the pertinent areas in your textbook, instructor-provided supplemental materials or websites, other credible websites such as those that end in .edu or .gov and library books.
●Pay attention to the verbs your teacher uses in the question or prompt, as different verbs call for different kinds of writing. For instance, if you're asked to discuss an experiment's results, you'll likely address the results, why they occurred, alternate results and implications. If you're asked to describe the experiment's results, you'll spend almost the entire essay using sensory detail to explain exactly what happened during the experiment. Some common verbs used on the essay portion of the AP test include describe, discuss, identify, design and summarize.
●Write a thesis statement. This should be the main point and a short summary of your paper. It should contain the writing topic and a claim, which is your statement about the topic.
According to AP Study Notes, you should restate your thesis later in the paper, especially in your conclusion. If you can connect the thesis and the big picture (a debate, idea or current event in biology, for instance), you can improve your paper.
●Complete an outline, which can help you determine what you'll write before you begin. It can help you create a unified, well-developed essay. Begin your outline with your thesis, and then develop major points and sub-points that you'll use to support or prove the thesis.
Writing Process
●Start writing about what comes to you or what interested you most from your research. Don't worry about structuring, proofreading, or spell-checking your essay at this point. You can use your outline and spelling- and grammar-check software to polish your paper when you're finished writing.
●Use your outline and colored pencils or highlighters to structure your paper. Highlight all information that should go under your outline's first sub-header in one color, all information that should go under the second sub-header in another color and so on. Reorder the information and re-read it to make sure it flows together well and is properly placed.
●Proofread and edit the paper, looking for errors you're prone to making, such as comma mistakes and run-on sentences. Circle any words that might be used incorrectly and look them up in a dictionary or in your biology textbook. Check for spelling and grammar using your word processing software. Print your paper and read each sentence backwards to check for typos, spelling mistakes and accidental large gaps.
Post-writing
●Ask a friend, parent or teacher to review your paper. Ask her if she understands the claim you're making and can believe that claim. Ask this person to identify any awkward or confusing parts of the paper.
●Put the paper aside for a few days or a few hours, depending on the available time. Review the paper like you're reading it for the first time. Circle anything that is wrong, confusing or awkward.
●Ask your teacher to review your paper with you, after you've gotten your grade, explaining his comments and identifying any weaknesses or patterns of error. This way, you'll prepare for your next AP paper and the AP biology test.
Tips & Warnings
●Be specific when you're writing an AP class essay to show you understand the topic. Avoid using pronouns, and explain how and why your claims are true.
●If you use material from your textbook or another source, paraphrase, summarize or accurately quote the information you've copied and include the source. Without a source, this can be considered plagiarism, leading to a failing grade on the paper.
