Weekly Biology Study Hall

This is the Outschool equivalent of a regular, after-school study hall for Biology, where peers and a competent tutor are together for an hour at a time, able to explain and encourage one another in the pursuit of Biological Sciences.  

We meet once a week.  The expectation is that students who join this study hall are enrolled in an Introductory Biology course elsewhere (including Honors or Pre-AP Biology), online or in-person, and need a bit more support.  Some students benefit purely from setting aside time each week for Biology - you don't actually need to talk to anyone to benefit from attending Study Hall.  Other students are acing their coursework but need more time to ponder why we care.  That said, I've taught and tutored Biology for decades, from elementary summer camps to introductory college courses, from remedial test prep to AP Biology and Environmental Science, and I'm ready to answer questions, lead discussions, and generally appreciate Biology.  Besides meeting together weekly, students will have access to the online classroom, as well, if questions arise outside our regular sessions.  

Students are expected to work on Biology assignments or participate in discussions during the hour-long sessions.  As an experienced tutor, I can generate relevant practice problems as needed.  Everyone will have an opportunity to ask questions, though students with greater needs may be encouraged to sign up for independent study.  Basically, this is the online equivalent of an after school study hall session focused on Introductory Biology.   

Class photo by Cátia Matos from Pexels.

What to Expect: 
Each session will start out with introductions and news - I like to ask new students about their Biology course: format, timing, and so forth.  (Save time by sharing this info in the forum!)  Student questions are encouraged and prioritized, so we'll figure out a rough order of who is going first or next.  (I generally answer questions in a first-come-first-served manner, unless someone is unduly stressed or has a looming deadline - but we can get through quite a bit of material in an hour!). If we run out of student questions, I may reference local or global news when it's related to life sciences.  Finally, we'll have a Topic of the Week to explore, if we run out of timely material.  

Topics of the Week:
Week of Feb 22-28
CELLS

Week of March 1-7
Biomolecules

Week of March 8-14
Energy and Biophysics

Week of March 15-21
Plant Show & Tell

Week of March 22-28
Plant Cells

Week of March 29 - April 4
Evolution

Week of April 5-11
Organs 

Week of April 12-18
Fungi

Week of April 19-25
Taxonomy

Week of April 26 - May 2
Climate Change