Zoology - Advanced Animal Science Studies Full Curriculum for Teens
What's included
12 live meetings
5 in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Students seeking to maximize their takeaway from this class should plan to bring a notebook or journal to class every week and should compile information learned in it through the duration of the course. This can be adapted to student needs and interests by including writing, sketches, printed materials, etc.Assessment
I am happy to provide a summarized assessment of student progress upon request, however no letter grades or mandatory assignments exist in this course. Parents can assess understanding of class concepts through their child's completion of hands-on class projects. Students are asked to maintain a journal for which they will be given guidance and suggestions for (optional) independent work. We also have one collaborative class project (shared Canva slides).Class Experience
This course covers advanced subject matter at a faster pace than my other zoology class meant for younger learners (found here https://outschool.com/classes/zoology-full-curriculum-semester-of-animal-science-XZPwHhUt) covering many awesome topics in just twelve weeks! Students receive supplemental information in the classroom, prompts for conducting their own investigation, and engage in classroom discussion/chat. My teaching style is very interactive. I encourage students to think for themselves and not just listen to a lecture. Though we only meet briefly in our weekly live meeting, a motivated student could easily have a full-curriculum class experience by creating a journal, conducting research expanding on topics covered, and classroom discussion throughout the week. Students seeking to maximize their takeaway from this class should plan to bring a notebook or journal to class every week and should compile information learned in it through the duration of the course. This can be adapted to student needs and interests by including writing, sketches, printed materials, etc. Weekly topics are as follows: week 1: Biomes and adaptations week 2: Extreme environmental adaptations week 3: Classifying Kingdom Animalia week 4: Dichotomous keys and cladograms week 5: Embryology and homologies week 6: Analogous structures week 7: Speciation and reproductive isolation week 8: Parthenogenesis and genetics week 9: R & K-selected species, carrying capacity, and survivorship curves week 10: Animal behavior and intelligence week 11: Keystone species and recently extinct species week 12: Human impact and loss of biodiversity There will be no formal assignments, only optional activities. Students with a genuine interest in animal science can expect to learn high level curriculum concepts in a fun and engaging way and receive suggestions for optional projects and further exploration.
Learning Goals
Students will gain an understanding of fundamental zoology concepts and learn to apply knowledge to determine inheritance, classify organisms, graph life history strategies, and more.
Syllabus
12 Lessons
over 12 WeeksLesson 1:
Biomes and environmental pressures
Ecosystems vs biomes, coniferous vs deciduous, soil variation, and environmental pressures which drive adaptations
25 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Adaptations
Three types of adaptations and extremophiles including tardigrades, chemoautotrophs, and bacteria in space
25 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Classifying Kingdom Animalia
Domains, kingdoms, animal phyla, characteristics, and binomial nomenclature
25 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Dichotomous keys and cladograms
Students will classify lizard models using a dichotomous key, and use a cladogram to answer questions about species shared characteristics
25 mins online live lesson
Other Details
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Students will access articles from Smithsonian Magazine, images and information from Wikipedia, and data from government webpages such as NASA. Canva may be used for whiteboards and collaboration. See materials section for links.
Teacher expertise and credentials
Virginia Teaching Certificate in Science
My teaching experience in the life sciences includes ecology, and biology. Before I became a teacher I worked with wildlife, in a microbiology lab, and also in animal welfare. I have always been called to work with children and have volunteered at girl scout camps, zoo camps and children's hospitals. As a teacher on Outschool I am committed to bringing visual and tangible content to the classroom. I believe teaching is more than just a lecture. My students learn best by seeing examples of concepts, and by breaking new content down into manageable pieces. I am always available for questions and support!
Reviews
Live Group Course
$14
weekly or $165 for 12 classes1x per week, 12 weeks
25 min
Completed by 10 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
3-10 learners per class