Biology, Level 3

Welcome to Level 3 Biology!

0825/0826 • BIOLOGY I (L3) FULL-YEAR COURSE 1 CREDIT / FIVE PERIODS PER WEEK Open to: Sophomores

Prerequisites: "A" in Physical/Earth Science (L2) or "B" or better in Physical/Earth Science (L3) and taking English II (L3) or (L4) concurrently, and teacher recommendation.

This course is designed to prepare the student for future advanced courses in science. This first year biology course will investigate characteristics and structures of organisms, ecosystems, evidence of change, human biology and biotechnology. Numerous activities are incorporated to help the student acquire a working scientific understanding of our world. Students should be aware that this course covers a significant amount of material and is labor intensive. This course is considered a science laboratory course for college admission

First Semester

I. What is Biology? (Ch. 1)
Themes of Biology                                 Biology movie
Scientific Methods                                  Duckweed Lab
Characteristics of Life                            Lab: Flame Lab
Measurement/Graphing (review)

II. Biochemistry and Transport (Ch. 2, 3,5)                  Lab: Molecules
Solutions and pH                                                            Lab: pH
Carbon Compounds and Enzymes                              Lab: Enzymes
Osmosis and Diffusion and Active Transport             Lab: Egg Lab

III. Cells (Ch. 4) Cell Project
Cell Theory                                                                      Lab: Cells
Plant and Animal Cells and Microscopy                      Lab: Microscopy
Cell Organization                                                            Lab: Cell Races

IV. Cell Energy (Ch. 6 and 7)
Photosynthesis                                                              Lab: Photosynthesis
Respiration                                                                     Lab: Respiration

V. Cell Division (Ch. 8)
Chromosomes                                                             Lab: Mitosis
Mitosis and Meiosis                                                    Lab: Meiosis

VI. Genetics (Ch. 9)                                                   Genetics movies

Mendel and his Peas                                                Lab: Gen. Simulations
Probability                                                                  Lab: Probability
Punnett Squares                                                       Lab: Punnett Squares

 

 

Second Semester
I. Nucleic Acids and Protein Production (Ch. 10 and 11)                    Lab: DNA Transcription
DNA and RNA                                                                                          Lab: Translation
Protein Synthesis                                                                                     Lab: DNA Extraction

II. Human Genetics (Ch. 12)                                                                   Genetics Project
Mutations

Genetic Diseases

III. Evolution (Ch. 14,15,16)
Biogenesis
Earth's History                                                                                  Lab: Time Line
Fossil Record
Evidence for Evolution                                                                    "Life" Movies
Theories of Evolution                                                                      Darwin Movie Activity
Patterns of Evolution
Rates of Evolution                                                                            Lab: Peppered Moth

IV. Classification (Ch. 18)
History of Taxonomy
Modern Classification                                                                      Lab: Classification
Six-Kingdom System
Dichotomous Keys                                                                           Lab: Dichotmous Keys

V. Viruses, Bacteria and Immunity (Ch. 24, 25 and 48)              Disease movies
Bacteria and Viruses                                                                      Disease project
The Immune Response                                                                   Lab: Killer Cholera!

VI. Ecology (Ch. 19,20, 21 and 22)
Ecology of Organisms                                                                    Lab: Food Web
Populations                                                                                      Ecology movies
Communities                                                                                    Lab: Ecosystem

Succession
Energy Transfer
Terrestrial Ecosystems                                                                   Biome project
Aquatic Ecosystems

VII. Comparative Anatomy

Frog Dissection

Frog/Human Anatomy