Full course description
Course Details
Duration: 6 Weeks
Commitment: 2 Hours per week (suggested)
Course Type: Instructor Led
Requirement: None
Text Book: CK12 Biology Concepts
Instructors
Professor Tom Steinbrunner
Professor of Science
Professor Steinbrunner has been teaching science at the university level for over thirty years. His academic record includes a history of research that has led to numerous publications including as a major contributor to a cover piece published in Cell (1996). Professor Steinbrunner won the dean's award for distinguished teaching in 2013 and 2014.
Christine Pepin
Instructor
Christine Pepin earned her masters degree in education in 2007 at Namur State University and has been teaching biology online for seven years. In addition to cultivating her passion for biology, Christine's work as an education reform advocate and curriculum designer has taken her to meetings with teachers and administrators in all 50 states.
Description
This course is designed for pre-college and returning college students preparing for introductory biology courses.
The class is structured around two distinct areas: the classroom and the laboratory. We will study class topics in depth at our virtual desks and then perform an experiment at our home laboratory to more deeply explore that topic.
- Unit 1: Introduction to the Laboratory
- Unit 2: Introduction to the Scientific Method
- Unit 3: Logical Fallacies in Science
- Unit 4: Ecology
Students will also learn about safety int he science laboratory, microscope and virtual microscopy, and how to start and maintain a scientific notebook.
Objectives
This course meets the current standards for biology. These standards state that at the end of this course students will understand:
- That living organisms interact with one another and their environment.
- That all organisms are composed of one or more cells that are made of molecules, come from preexisting cells, and perform life functions.
- The relationship between structure and function of organs and organ systems.
- That genetic information coded in DNA is passed from parents to offspring by sexual and asexual reproduction. The basic structure of DNA is the same in all living things. Changes in DNA may alter genetic expression.
- That biological diversity is a result of evolutionary processes.
Resources
The book for this course is available online at: http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Biology-Concepts/. To use this resource and others on the C-12 site please register at CK-12 and join the group I set up for class by following this link: http://www.ck12.org/join/group/?accessCode=yrwh3.