Inquiry Based Biology 1: Common Ancestry and Speciation
In this five week intensive course, students will begin mastering biology standards through inquiry based learning as we use primary sources, models, simulations, and case studies to understand common ancestry, speciation, and extinction.
Malikai Bass M.A
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(325)
Popular
What's included
10 live meetings
8 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Learners will have a homework assignment after every class to develop independent learning skills and allow us to cover more material and develop skills.Projects
Learners will complete several projects throughout the course.Progress Report
Students will receive regular progress reports and written feedback on tasks.Class Experience
US Grade 8 - 10
Intermediate Level
This course is designed for small communities of learners and is a hybrid of individualized tutoring and traditional instruction covering biology one content. Each section has no more than six learners which provide a foundation for strong relationships, social-emotional learning, and truly individualized instruction. These classes are specifically designed for the inclusion of neurodivergent learners including dyslexia-friendly font, explicit executive functioning skills instruction, and support for AAC users and through the use of inquiry and project based learning strategies grounded in real-world context. In this unit, students will understand the future of bears and the arctic by learning about speciation, common ancestors, extinction events, and how humans can protect endangered species to preserve biodiversity in ecosystems. This series is designed according to the Next Generation Science Standards organized by subject area.This curriculum is designed to allow students to develop skills to help them in traditional academic settings including high school or colleges such as note-taking and self-led learning. The class meets two days a week and homework reading, activities, and text-based discussions are completed on two additional weekdays. Students will complete a science notebook, a printable designed by the teacher, using graphic organizers and traditional note-taking strategies.
Learning Goals
HS-ESS2-7:
Construct an argument based on evidence about the simultaneous coevolution of Earth’s systems and life on EarthHS-LS1-3:
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.
Syllabus
Standards
Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)10 Lessons
over 5 WeeksLesson 1:
How do changes in climate affect bear species coming together for the first time
We will introduce ourselves, develop classroom norms, and establish our grounding phenomenon the sighting of brown, black, and polar bears in the same area of Canada. We will begin working to understand each species of bear, how they are adapted to the arctic, and how they are impacted by climate change. For homework: we will continue learning by reading quotes from the Inuivaluit people on the ice, animals, and changing conditions from a research study and understand the Arctic Ecoregions. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Initial Models and Predictions
Based on what we have learned so far in the unit, we will create initial models of the situation, make predictions, and generate a driving question board to guide our investigation throughout the unit. For homework, students will begin to investigate the differences and interactions between species of bears using data and videos. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
How and why are bear species interacting and why might brown bears dominate?
We will conduct an investigation on thermoregulation in order to better understand key differences between polar bears and brown bears which might give brown bears an advantage in conflicts. For homework, students will continue to learn more about this topic using readings and data and connecting to previous learning experiences about cellular respiration. 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
How similar/different are the polar, brown, and black bears?
We will investigate the differences between the species of bear using a stations activity involving, videos, pictures, scientific writings to motivate further investigation into how the bears are related. For homework, students will use data and a computer simulation to identify similarities in DNA and construct a tree model to understand that bears shared a common ancestor and that polar bears and brown bears shared a more recent common ancestor than they do with other species. 50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
Class is led and developed by an AUDHD educator. Transcripts are available for all audio-video content and simulations. Dyslexia friendly fonts have been chosen and tested. A teacher created workbook supports executive functioning.
Parental Guidance
Learners will use nearpod. Nearpod is a third party online tool which does not require a login or collect any identifying information.
Pre-Requisites
Learners should have mastery of middle school biology and physics standards.
Supply List
Learners will need a teacher created printable workbook and note taking supplies. Lab supply lists will be provided at the beginning of the course.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
This class is based on open educational resources licensed for commercial use. This curriculum has won awards for it's alignment to the NGSS. It has been adapted by Malikai Bass for home learning and for neurodiverse and twice exceptional students including reading, writing, communication and fine motor supports.
"All OpenSciEd units are designed as open educational resources that are licensed as CC-BY-4.0. This license allows educators to use, modify, and reuse all of our resources to meet their students’ needs. This license does require appropriate attribution, which means you must give credit to the author, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made."
It was written by:
Kate Henson, Revision Unit Lead, University of Colorado Boulder
Douglas Watkins, Field Test Unit Lead, Denver Public Schools
Sara Krauskopf, Writer, University of Colorado Boulder
Wayne Wright, Writer, University of Colorado Boulder
Margee Will, Writer
Katrina Cable, Writer, Denver Public Schools
Will Lindsay, Writer, University of Colorado Boulder
Andres Rodriquez, Writer, Denver Public Schools
River Suh, Advisor, Science Educators for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice
The license can be found here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This class is not affiliated with or endorsed by the creators of this curriculum nor does it used their trademarks.
Lessons include additional scientific sources provided to the students.
Joined April, 2021
5.0
325reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
I have been working in science-based museums doing curriculum, programming, and education for students in a variety of settings for over fourteen years. I have been providing online science education for the past five years during which I have taken advantage of many professional development opportunities to learn about inquiry-based science education and teaching science online. I have completed a masters in museum education with a focus on science education at the University of Washington and was the first undergraduate student to ever be accepted to Vanderbilt University’s LEND program which includes a focus on genetics.
I worked at the Creative Discovery Museum on a pilot program which involved biological science and dissections for home educated students. I helped college level students with a variety of backgrounds and support needs obtain content mastery. I led programming on a variety of inclusive science based summer camps including those partnering with the local zoo and aquarium.
During my graduate degree, I worked on projects with the Seattle Aquarium and Burke Museum on science education concepts. I collaborated on the design of virtual field trips which supported concept standards in earth and life sciences and applied science through museum evaluation.. Last year, many of my students achieved above the 90th percentile on nationally standardized tests.
At East Tennessee State University I completed the following courses receiving near-perfect grades and
Integrated Stem for Education Majors, which I applied to the development and teaching of this course through the inclusion of math, technology and engineering principles and which prepares me well to teach them.
Concepts in Biology this course was designed for those wishing to teach Biology l and included teaching demonstrations, standards, and preparation for the Praxis exam for science concepts on which I scored in the 96th percentile.
Life in the Universe this course was an exploration of life science using an inquiry based model and which inspired my adaptation for this course. It covered a variety of life-science topics. Based on my performance in this course, I was nominated for nationally competitive research internships.
Science Education: Wildife Conservation: As part of a science education track, I took an honor’s section of this senior course focusing on wildlife conservation which included a variety of life science skills and strategies. I am a project Wild certified educator. Reviews
Live Group Course
$32
weekly or $160 for 10 classes2x per week, 5 weeks
50 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-16
3-7 learners per class
