Description
** This is a full year course that teaches the fundamentals of biology. Both semesters need to be completed to receive credit. If you only pay for Fall initially be sure to buy the Spring semester before that starts.**
This course will provide an introduction to biology. For most of the year, the focus is on molecular biology -biological molecules, parts of the cell, metabolic pathways, DNA replication, and the cell cycle. The unit on genetics is always a favorite, and the year concludes with units on ecology. If there is a need, additional optional modules will be added to address content requirements in other states. Other topics will include medical applications of biology and methods used to design experiments and collect and analyze data. While evolution will be covered, it is primarily discussed in one unit in the second semester.
In this class, the textbook is a useful resource that has much better drawings than the teacher’s, but it is not the primary source of material. Video lectures explain the ‘how’ and also the ‘why do we care?’. Biological molecules are related to dietary advice – students will know the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats and why one is solid at room temperature. DNA replication, chromatin structure, and transcription are important in understanding cancer biology – what has to go wrong for a tumor to form?
Although there are some traditional elements – homework questions, quizzes, and monthly tests – students are also able to be more creative (or not – it’s up to them) with projects for each unit and article reviews.
Labs
Most modules have at least one hands-on activity. Because the labs are intended to align with the course material, the number and type of activities vary to align with the content. There are three experiments that require lab reports and two others are ‘wet lab’ activities like DNA extraction that do not require lab reports. Other activities include simulating the processes of mitosis and DNA replication with office supplies and classifying local wildlife using a dichotomous key. Only one lab requires ordering specific chemicals. The others can be done using supplies that can be obtained at normal stores. The supplies for the course are listed in a document available at the start of the semester. There are also links to videos of the experiment being done, explanations of the experiment, and pooled class data as appropriate so that students who are unable to do the lab will still have access to the material
Required Materials: Biology by Miller and Levine, Prentice Hall publishing, 3-Ring binder with paper OR spiral notebook for notes and a folder for handouts/tests, may need graph paper to plot data and blank paper for drawing cells.
To learn more about this class you can read this interview with Dr Underwood.
Instructor: Dr Dana Underwood (dana@fundafunda.com)
For: Grades 9 -12
Hours: 4-5 hours each week
Credit Hours: 1 High School Credit (on completion of both semesters) – students can elect to take the class at an Honors level.
Syllabus: Available here
Fall Dates: August 19 – Dec 13 (with a week’s break over Thanksgiving)
Spring Dates: January 10 – May 2 (any week in March can be taken for Spring break)
**Links to resources may be affiliate links. You don’t pay anything more but we make a small percentage of each sale.
Lori (verified owner) –
Our 15 year old daughter is currently wrapping up the biology course and had a wonderful year! Dr Dana was extremely informative, organized and helpful. Due to the strong videos and organizational structure, our daughter learned a great deal. We highly recommend this course.
Emily Smith –
My favorite part of this class was definitely the genetics section. Dr. Dana did an amazing job with keeping up with my (many) questions. She also provided detailed explanations and helped me to the best of her ability when I was having trouble. Overall this class was great!
Derek H. –
My favorite part of this class was genetics, followed closely by ecology. I didn’t really have a least favorite part of this class. I really liked the balance of video learning, textbook learning, labs, and quizzes/homework. There is nothing that I think should be changed.
Grace Peters –
Dr. Dana is a fantastic teacher with experience in teaching. She makes difficult concepts easy to understand and wants to make sure all her students are doing well in her class. The homework assignments and tests are relevant to the information given in the lectures, so there are no surprises on the tests. I would highly recommend this class, especially if you go on to take biology in college, as it will give you a good foundation in biology to tackle a college level course.
August Smith –
I took the 2015-2016 class, this was before it went online, and I would highly recommend it. It taught me a lot about how cells work, and gave me an idea about just how intricate life, even in the simplest forms, is. Unlike many other classes I’ve taken, the homework was regular; it was graded and returned on time; and, while homework was never the easiest, it was comprehensive, on-topic, the answers could be found either in the text book, your class notes, or by a quick google search.