Honors Biology Course Description
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” ~Robert Swan
Sustainability is defined as the ability to meet the needs of a community without compromising the needs of future generations. Students enrolled in biology will learn how the globe has been impacted by humans in the past and present by discussing social, economic and environmental indicators. The question then becomes, how do we change the present course of human action to create a sustainable future? This issue oriented, inquiry based science class will engage students to make a personal connections and build their understanding of sustainability.
Students will journey through the topics of ecology, cell biology, genetics and evolution all while focusing on the overarching idea of sustainability. Find out what can happen to an environment when people cause pollution while studying ecology. Gain knowledge about invasive species and their impacts on established ecosystems. Investigate how different management strategies affect the sustainability of fisheries. Examine several diseases and their social, environmental, and economic consequences while learning about structure and function of cells. Learn about the mechanism of these diseases at the cellular level and how to address global health problems. Investigate how genes and patterns of inheritance function in organisms and generations of organisms during the genetics unit. Also, students will master the procedures and results of genetic modification and about some of the benefits and tradeoffs of producing specific genetically modified organisms. Finally, during the evolution unit, students will investigate the levels of biodiversity and the evolutionary processes that increase, decrease, or maintain biodiversity.
During this full year course, students will gather information about these ideas through labs, investigations, modeling, reading and discussion. Along with this, honors students will also learn important literacy skills that will increase their success if considering a career in the sciences.
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” ~Robert Swan
Sustainability is defined as the ability to meet the needs of a community without compromising the needs of future generations. Students enrolled in biology will learn how the globe has been impacted by humans in the past and present by discussing social, economic and environmental indicators. The question then becomes, how do we change the present course of human action to create a sustainable future? This issue oriented, inquiry based science class will engage students to make a personal connections and build their understanding of sustainability.
Students will journey through the topics of ecology, cell biology, genetics and evolution all while focusing on the overarching idea of sustainability. Find out what can happen to an environment when people cause pollution while studying ecology. Gain knowledge about invasive species and their impacts on established ecosystems. Investigate how different management strategies affect the sustainability of fisheries. Examine several diseases and their social, environmental, and economic consequences while learning about structure and function of cells. Learn about the mechanism of these diseases at the cellular level and how to address global health problems. Investigate how genes and patterns of inheritance function in organisms and generations of organisms during the genetics unit. Also, students will master the procedures and results of genetic modification and about some of the benefits and tradeoffs of producing specific genetically modified organisms. Finally, during the evolution unit, students will investigate the levels of biodiversity and the evolutionary processes that increase, decrease, or maintain biodiversity.
During this full year course, students will gather information about these ideas through labs, investigations, modeling, reading and discussion. Along with this, honors students will also learn important literacy skills that will increase their success if considering a career in the sciences.
Textbook
SEPUP. (2016). Science and Global Issues: Biology, 2nd ed.
Units include
SEPUP. (2016). Science and Global Issues: Biology, 2nd ed.
Units include
- Sustainability
- Ecology: Living on Earth
- Cell Biology: World Health
- Genetics: Feeding the World
- Evolution: Maintaining Diversity