This class is taught in English.

By the end of this course students will be able to...

Distinguish between ecosystems and the biosphere
Use a food web and an ecological pyramid to represent the relationship between producers and consumers in an ecosystem
Differentiate between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Illustrate a typical cell and describe the functions of its parts
Explain how energy is stored in ATP molecules
Differentiate between transcription and translation
Give examples of factors that affect photosynthesis
Differentiate between aerobic respiration and fermentation
Differentiate between recessive and dominant traits
Explain how a gene mutation can affect a cell
Discuss the importance of classifying living things
Compare viruses to bacteria
Depict the structures and movements of common protozoans
Draw and label the structure of a mushroom
Diagram the structure of leaves, stems and roots

I have a bachelor's of science degree in chemistry with a minor in mathematics, and a master's of science degree in secondary education with a minor in chemistry.  I also currently teach adult education classes for at my local community college.  I have been a certified 8-12 science teacher in Texas for the past 10 years, spending 5 of those years teaching in public school and community college, 3 years teaching at a homeschool co-op and rest of the time teaching online. I am certified to teach and have experience teaching chemistry, biology, earth science, life science, forensic science, astronomy, integrated physics and chemistry in grades 8-12.

Homework Offered
Students may intermittently be given short assignments to complete outside of class meeting times.  These assignments will be given to help introduce new topics, practice skills learned, and/or reinforce learning goals. All assignments outside of class will be optional according to parental discretion.
0 - 1 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Formative assessments will be given regularly in each class meeting to assess student learning and connections. The grade for this course will be determined by weekly quizzes, a midterm exam and final exam.  All quizzes and exams are optional according to parental discretion but will be available to all students.
Grades Offered
All homework, quizzes and exams are optional, per the preferences of each family.  If assignments are completed, grades can be recorded in the digital notebook (provided in the course).  If requested, a formal grade report will be provided at the conclusion of the course.