Biology

Welcome to the study of Biology! In this standard-level high school biology course, students use relevant topics to examine basic biology. The learning in this course is driven by real-world case studies and scientific news articles that engage students throughout each unit.

This course starts by having students explore the nature of science and provides them with opportunities to practice the necessary skills used by biologists studying the natural world.

Students will uncover the relationship between structure and function as they study macromolecules and cells, and their importance to essential life processes such as protein synthesis and homeostasis. In the genetics unit, students will explore questions that relate directly to their lives – why are calico cats almost always female? Are traits that are dominant always more common in a population? Why are there so many different shades of eye color? Students will explore Mendel’s experiments and the resulting laws of genetics, consider complex patterns of inheritance, and predict offspring probabilities using Punnett Squares. Students will reflect on how technology has impacted our understanding of gene expression and regulation as well as diagnosis and treatment of genetic disorders.

Once students understand genetics, they will apply their understanding to study the evolution of populations. Students will investigate the evidence behind the Theory of Evolution and uncover how natural selection is the mechanism that allows for changes in populations that can lead to both speciation and extinction. A focus on biodiversity will bridge the process of evolution with the impact of the environment, as students shift their attention to ecology. In the final Ecology unit, students will identify the organizational hierarchy of our planet, trace the flow of energy and cycling of nutrients through ecosystems, and uncover the advantage and delicate balance of biodiversity. In the final weeks of the course, students will examine their own impact on our planet, and discuss the importance of conservation and sustainability.

Throughout the year, students will conduct both hands-on lab activities as well as virtual lab activities to investigate these topics. Through these labs, students will be expected to make predictions, collect and analyze data using the materials in their lab kit, and support their claims using evidence and reasoning. The online interactive Ebook will provide background reading that examines biology through engaging case studies, and allows students to highlight text, take notes, and gauge their understanding through immediate feedback. In addition to quizzes and exams to assess understanding, students will share and analyze class data, communicate results through lab reports, and participate in independent and group projects. Students will also participate in weekly discussions around current event topics that are relevant to their learning and will create and analyze models of systems and processes in many of the units.

Biology is essential for all students, not only to understand their own bodies and how the choices that they make impact themselves, but also to better appreciate the role and impact those choices have on others and on our planet. The case study approach taken in this course allows students to ask questions and directly relate the topics to their own lives and enable them to be better informed global citizens. Students will also be well-prepared should they elect to take any advanced biology studies.

Acknowledgements

The course requires a lab kit that must be purchased for an additional fee of $198. The kit allows students to perform hands-on lab experiments on a regular basis. Students will need to care for kit contents responsibly, follow the directions carefully and work independently to successfully complete these labs. Lab kits shipped internationally may incur additional fees.

This course contains an end-of-course proctored exam. Instructions for students to identify an appropriate adult proctor are included in the course lessons.

Course Objectives

Course Essential Questions:

How can we use the scientific method to answer questions about the natural world?
What are the most important elements and molecules necessary for life?
How do organisms maintain a natural balance between their internal and external environments?
How does structure impact function as it relates to molecules, cells, organ systems, and ecosystems?
What role does DNA play in the control, growth and function of cells?
How does the hereditary information in our genes get expressed and passed on from one generation to the next?
What is the importance of Proteins?
How can we predict the inheritance of traits?
What processes impact the evolution of a species?
How and why has biodiversity changed over time?
What is the importance of specie’s interactions?
How is energy moved through living systems?
How have ecosystems changed over time?
What impact do humans have on our biome?
What is the importance of conservation and sustainability?

Course Learning Objectives:

Employ the scientific method to answer questions about the natural world.
Describe how the structure of living things, from molecules within cells to the largest unit of an ecosystem, impacts their function.
Explain how DNA controls cellular processes that code for the variety of traits of each unique individual and predict how those traits are passed on from one generation to the next.
Describe why homeostasis is important for the health and the survival of an individual and provide examples of homeostatic mechanisms.
Explain the mechanism for evolution and describe how it leads to changes in species over time.
Illustrate how energy flows through ecosystems while nutrients are recycled.
Discuss why biodiversity is important for the sustainability of our biome.
Evaluate the impact of humans on the health of the ecosystems on Earth.

Additional Requirements

Students will be asked to watch videos on YouTube to supplement or reinforce their learning experience.
Accessibility Note: Although every effort has been made to make this course accessible to all students, some resources or activities in this course, such as audio files, images of visual art pieces, or hands-on activities, may present accessibility challenges.
The following additional materials are required:
- Ice
- 3 eggs
- Spinach leaves
- Large round tray
- 200 counters (pennies, or similar objects or one color)
- Light source
- Student-supplied materials: craft sticks, glue, Legos, foam balls, clay rocks, sticks, etc.
- Multicolored fabric