Estudio intensivo de verano: biología de la escuela secundaria

In this course, students will receive in-depth instruction on topics studied in high school biology. My focus is on helping students understand the material in a relatable way instead of through memorization. 

We will focus on a specific subunit each week for each unit or jump in during the needed units. 

Summer 2025 Dates Listed

⭐Unit 1 - Chemistry of Life (June 2 & July 7)
- Review of Atoms, Molecules, and Bonds
- Water, Hydrogen Bonding, and Properties of Water
- pH and Calculations
- Biological Macromolecules
- Nucleic Acids and Protein Structure

⭐Unit 2 - Cell Structure and Function (June 9 & July 14)
- Review of Cellular Organelles
- Endosymbiosis and Compartmentalization
- The Plasma Membrane and Transport
- Water Potential and Calculations
- Osmolarity and Cellular Review

⭐Unit 3 - Cellular Energy and Communication (June 16 & July 21)
- Enzymes
- Photosynthesis 
- Cellular Respiration 
- Cell Signaling
- Cell Cycle

⭐Unit 4 - Heredity (June 23 & July 28)
- Meiosis 
- Mendelian Genetics Monohybrid
- Mendelian Genetics Dihybrid
- Non-Mendelian Genetics (Part I)
- Non-Mendelian Genetics (Part II)

⭐Unit 5 - Gene Expression (June 30 & August 4)
- DNA Replication and Types of RNA
- Transcription and Translation 
- Gene Regulation
- Mutations
- Biotechnologies 

⭐Unit 6 - Change Over Time (July 7 & August 11)
- Evidence of Change and Modern-Day Techniques
- Types of Selection
- Populations Genetics (Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium)
- Phylogenetic Trees
- Speciation

⭐Unit 7 - Ecology (July 14 & August 18)
- Energy Flow Through Ecosystems
- Data Interpretation
- Population Ecology
- Relationships in Communities
- Invasive Species and Review

Students will receive a packet each week with practice questions for the unit. I will include sites for additional information and resources. 

It is unnecessary, but students are encouraged to have supplementary material to help fill in any gaps if they are reviewing for AP exams. I will provide as much as possible, but most free materials do not include an assortment of high-level questions for students to practice. I recommend an AP Biology practice book, such as Barron's AP Biology Premium by Mary Wuerth, M.S., or Princeton Review AP Biology Prep. Compared to larger course books, these books are inexpensive and have many practice questions with answer keys. Some come with online practice exams.