This is the fourth and final class in a series of four that will cover a full year of upper middle school (Level 1) or high school (Level 2) biology and is only offered in April each year. While it is not required, it is highly recommended that you take these classes in order, as later series refer back to information we’ve learned in earlier series. The other courses are as follows:
General Biology: Series 1 of 4- Chemistry and Ecology
General Biology: Series 2 of 4- Cells, Genetics, and Evolution
General Biology: Series 3 of 4- Kingdoms of Life

Recommended Ages: 13-17

Levels: Class is offered in 2 levels

Start Date: April 18. Class consists of 6 lesson plans.  Students have two weeks after the last class is posted to complete the course. No live classes- do the lesson plans on YOUR schedule.

Price: $120

Space Available: 

My degree is in Marine Biology (from Texas A&M University at Galveston), and I am truly a biologist at heart! I have a passion for this branch of science, and truly love sharing that passion with my students. And it’s my goal to make sure students come away with a deep understanding of the science of life. Because biology is not just a science, it is what we are! It is in us and around us and we are being it and interacting with it every second of our lives. I may be biased, but I truly feel that it is the most important branch of science students will ever learn. And I treat teaching it as a huge responsibility. This will be an academic, in-depth approach to biology. At the end of the course, students will have a firm understanding and working knowledge of all aspects of general biology. This foundation will serve them very well if they progress to an AP biology course in high school or for college biology. That said, it’s going to be engaging and a lot of fun as well!

In this class, we will be covering all of the major human body systems, including: Nervous, Skeletal, Muscular, Integumentary, Circulatory, Respiratory, Digestive, Excretory, Endocrine, Reproductive, and Immune. We will be going into detail on the characteristics, anatomy, and functions of each system. As this is a science class, the unit on the immune system will discuss the science behind vaccinations- including how they work within the body and within a population.

LESSON PLANS: This is a 6 week class. Students have 2 weeks after the last class is posted to complete all work. Weekly lesson plans are posted on Tuesdays by 5pm Pacific Time. There is no “live” component to this class, which allows students to work at their own pace. This is a great option for busy students who need to work on their own schedule, and students who live all over the world and can’t easily coordinate time zones.

Lesson plans are a combination of power point, graphics, video, and audio. Each slide is fully narrated for students who prefer to hear material read to them. There is no textbook for this course.
OPTIONAL: I provide all of the Bio needed for this course in the lesson plans. However, if you wish to use a textbook in junction with the course, pretty much any middle school/high school biology textbook will be covering the topics I am covering. I have taught live biology classes in the past, and used the following textbooks with great success. I never recommend getting the latest edition of any textbook. Save money by getting an older edition!
Level 1 Students: Glencoe Science: Biology- The Dynamics of Life
Level 2 Students: Prentice Hall: Biology- by Miller and Levine

DISCUSSION:We offer an “open talk” forum where students can have fun getting to know their classmates!

ASSIGNMENTS: This is a hands on class!! Each week, students get to choose from a list of exciting and fun hands on projects to let them really dig deep into topics in the lesson plan that interest them the most! The goal is to allow students to explore the topic while allowing their creativity to flow. We encourage out of the box thinking! Generally projects can be submitted in any format of the student’s choosing…written, presentation, poster, stop motion animation, minecraft, song, skit…we’ve seen it all!! Check out our facebook page for examples of student projects. All students receive instructor feedback on submitted work.

QUIZZES: Online quizzes are available each week as a tool for students to see how well they understand the material. Format is generally multiple choice, matching, true/false, and fill in the blank.

GRADES: All quizzes, labs, and online assessments automatically receive a grade in the system. You have the option of having your student’s individual projects graded or not (all assignments receive instructor feedback). Report cards are issued at the end of the course- one for ungraded students and one for graded students. These mean nothing other than for your own records or reporting purposes. We do not maintain copies.

TIME: In general, expect 2-4 hours to work through the lesson plan each week, and an additional 2-5 hours working on assignments (it really depends what assignment your child chooses to do and how they manage their time).

There are no in class labs for this session. My husband frowns upon the idea of me dissecting a human cadaver on the kitchen counter! 🙂 There are several labs that can be chosen by students to do as their assignment, none of which require anything other than normal household items.

OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
The Anatomy Coloring Book (Level 1)
The Anatomy Coloring Book (Level 2)