Full course description
Course Details
Duration: 12 Weeks
Commitment: 2-4 Hours per week (suggested)
Course Type: Instructor-Led
Requirement: None
Text Book: CK12 Biology Concepts
Instructor
Professor Aren Jurel
Jurel 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 Jurel won the dean's award for distinguished teaching in 2013 and 2014.
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/ (Links to an external site.). 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 (Links to an external site.) .
We will be using the text linked above along with other online and print resources as the basis for this course.