Summer High School Biology Prep Course (Self Paced)

Do you have a learner taking high school Biology for the 2024-2025 school year? This course is designed to prepare students for their high school Biology classes by helping them build background knowledge about key concepts in life science. 

Here's a little information about how the class is structured:

This is a self paced course, which means there are no live meetings. Class sessions are pre-recorded, which allows students to watch them whenever they want during the duration of the six week class. There's no need to worry about fitting scheduled class sessions into a busy summer schedule. Students will have the flexibility to watch pre-recorded lesson videos rather than attending class live.

This course is designed to cover two topics a week. Of course, because this is a self paced course, students do not have to stick with a strict schedule. Even after the six week course ends, students will still have access to class materials for a period of time. 

This class will utilize Edpuzzle, an approved online resource that is free for students. This resource will allow me to embed questions in our lesson videos for students to respond to digitally, helping to check for student understanding and reinforce learning. Lesson videos are on average around thirteen minutes long, although the exact length of each video varies depending on the topic. Using Edpuzzle, I can provide feedback to students on their progress as they respond to questions in the lesson videos. 

Organizing notes can be challenging for many students, yet note taking is an important skill in high school. I encourage students to take notes during the lesson videos. To help students stay organized, I provide learners with fill-in-the-blank guided note sheets.

Along with the lecture videos, I will also provide review assignments to help reinforce concepts covered during the lesson. Students can return these assignments for teacher feedback. Assignments must be completed by the course end date in order for students to receive feedback. I typically provide feedback within about three business days.

I utilize Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for high school life science to guide my instruction.

Here is an outline of the topics I plan to cover during this 6-week course: 

Lesson 1: DNA Replication
Lesson 2: Protein Synthesis
Lesson 3: Levels of Organization
Lesson 4: Homeostasis
Lesson 5: Photosynthesis
Lesson 6: Cellular Respiration
Lesson 7: Carbon Cycle
Lesson 8: Introduction to Ecosystems
Lesson 9: Biomass & Trophic Levels
Lesson 10: Population Ecology
Lesson 11: Mitosis & Differentiation
Lesson 12: Meiosis & Genetic Variation

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me!