| Course Name: |
Biology I
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| Description: |
“It’s alive!” You might hear this scream when the hero encounters an alien life form in a science fiction movie. But how does the hero know it’s really alive? What does it mean to be “alive”? How many different life forms are there? What keeps all the billions of cells in an animal's body or plant working together? You’ll have to take a tour with the BioVenture Travel Agency to find out.
This is a course with real relevance. It’s all about the living things on this planet, and the way they connect together. In this course, the BioVenture Travel Agency will send you on tours like Safari Quest, Classification Cruise, Genetic Park Excursion, and on an all-expense-paid trip to the Egyptian pyramids. You’ll also perform a series of lab experiments right in your own home.
Modern technology offers us many choices for manipulating and observing biological processes. The more we know about the science of biology the better.
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| Prerequisites: |
None
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Estimated
Completion Time: |
2 segments / 32-36 weeks
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Major Topics
and Concepts: |
Segment 1:
- Nature of Science and Biology
- Scientific and Experimental Method
- Measurement
- SI System and Metric Measurement
- Reading Graphs, Diagrams, and Data Analysis and Reporting
- Ecology and Environmental Principles
- Environmental Organization and Organism Relationships
- Cycles in nature
- Greenhouse Effect
- Population and Community Dynamics
- Influence of Man on the Environment
- Introduction to and History of microscope
- Discovery of cells
- Cell Theory
- Prokaryote and Eukaryote cells
- Comparison of plant and animal cells
- Structure of cell membrane
- Cellular Processes
- Cancer
- History of Genetics
- Principles of Genetics and Heredity
- Cell Division and Meiosis (honors)
- Relate asexual reproduction to mitosis, Cell Cycle
- Discovery of DNA and its role in genetics and heredity
- Transcription/Translation (Honors)
- Mutations
- Social Issues in Biology
Segment 2:
- What are fossils
- Uses of fossils
- Make a fossil
- Microevolution and macroevolution
- Taxonomy
- Need for organization
- Scientific naming
- Viruses are not considered living
- Classification of viruses
- How, when and why we use immunizations
- Introduction to the kingdoms of life
- Taxonomy of bacteria
- Reproduction in bacteria
- Helpful and harmful bacteria
- Viruses vs. bacteria
- Taxonomy of protists
- General characteristics of protists
- Helpful and harmful protists
- Taxonomy of Fungi
- General characteristics of fungi
- Helpful and harmful fungi
- Taxonomy of plants
- Vascular tissue of plants
- Adaptations of plants
- Structure and function in plants
- Importance of plants
- Plant reproduction, pollination
- Fruits, seeds, seed dispersal
- Photosynthesis and cellular respiration
- Plants tropisms
- Taxonomy of animals
- Characteristics of invertebrates
- Characteristics and adaptations of fish
- Characteristics and adaptations of amphibians
- Characteristics and adaptations of reptiles
- Characteristics and adaptations of birds
- Characteristics and adaptations of mammals
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Course Assessment and
Participation Requirements: |
Besides engaging students in challenging curriculum, the course guides students to reflect on their learning and evaluate their progress through a variety of assessments. Assessments can be in the form of self-checks, practice lessons, multiple choice questions, writing assignments, projects, essays, labs, oral assessments, and discussions. Instructors evaluate progress and provide interventions through the variety of assessments built into a course, as well as through contact with the student in other venues. |
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