The course is available in FALL and SPRING Semesters, and they both run for 18 weeks. During the FALL Semester, you will study smaller-scale biology topics like cell biology and genetics. In the SPRING Semester, the course will include traditional anatomy/dissection, dissection alternatives will be used in preparation for or in place of dissection. You have the option to take a separate lecture course that complements the lab course.

Lab is our opportunity to observe the observable and test the testable. We can look and see for ourselves the things we have read about. Each lab will begin with a short introduction and overview of the day's lab. Learner's will practice recording observation and data in their lab notebooks. Labs will not be graded, just checked for completion (optional assessment). 

Most of these labs use simple household items ....including some that are edible household items. Edible items are just for fun, and can be substituted based on student dietary restrictions. 

Please note:  Many of the labs involve measuring and making observations,  but then quite a few labs in class will use a compound microscope. Technology has come a long way, you are able to find a quality student microscope for near $100. Your learner is welcome to sketch from the pictures on screen or that others share...but nothing compares to the amazement of looking under the microscope the first time and actually seeing something! The microscope labs included here however, do not stop there. We are not going to simply look at slides from a box, we will be making and viewing our own slides - Now, when you make and view your own slides, that is even cooler! (Handheld, digital microscopes and phone apps can give impressive viewing for some of these labs as well).

Science of Life
Week 1:  Introduction to Microscope  
 - Become familiar with the parts of a compound microscope, and any special features.
 - Prepare a slide to view under microscope, practice using microscope to focus and then sketch view of slide.
 - Optional: Practice taking digital picture through the microscope.

Chemistry of Life
Week 2: Food chain / Ectotherm Observation
 - Animal crackers are used to demonstrate food chain organization in an ecosystem. 
- Overview of key biological vocabulary in categorizing animals.
- Learners can watch video or test on real fish, observe behavior/ respiration in cold and warm water.
 Field Observation (Option) - Observe insects at different temperatures.

Week 3: Properties of Water
 - Explore how water bugs are able to walk on water by testing water properties.   
Effectiveness of an Antacid
-Investigate how antacids neutralize acids by comparing two different antacids as the pH is lowered. Procedure uses pH indicator strips to measure changes in solution.  Changes are recorded in a table, then graphed.
(Optional: Fragility of Enzyme)
     - Investigate the effect of heating pineapple on how Jell-O settles.

Ecology
Week 4: Carbon Dioxide & the Green House Effect
-Use closed system to compare temperature of air vs temperature when carbon dioxide in present 
(gas produced from baking soda/ vinegar reaction)
Week 5: Water Biomes
-Various STEAM activities involving marine/ freshwater biomes.
-Optional: Gather and view water sample under microscope. 

Cell Structure & Function
Week 6: Plant and animal cell structure
- Make slide and view onion epidermis, banana starch, and plant cells in an aquatic plant. 
- Compare plant cells with human cheek cells. 

Week 7: Osmosis/ Diffusion of animal cells
-Use gummy bears to demonstrate osmosis.
-Use skittles to observe diffusion
-Plasmolysis of plant cells using salt water solution observed under microscope.
(Optional outside of class: Osmosis in animal cells)
- Make observations of what happens to egg in hypertonic, hypotonic, and isotonic solutions.

Cellular Energy
Week 8: Pigments of photosynthesis paper chromatography
-Compare the pigments of green vs. red leaves using chromatography.
-Use skittles to demonstrate movement in photosynthesis/ respiration

Week 9: Cellular respiration and the fermentation of yeast
-Use balloons to compare rates of respiration
-Compare rate of respiration in yeast at different temperatures

MID-SEMESTER 

DNA, Protein & Cell Cycle
Week 10: DNA Extraction / DNA Base Pairing
- To extract DNA from split peas (or strawberry), observing DNA on macroscopic scale.
-Model DNA base pairing using Twizzlers and colored marshmallows

Week 11: Mitosis & Meiosis (model & view)
- To make cookie models of mitosis and observe mitosis on prepared slides (onion root tip, Ascaris mitosis)

Genetics
Week 12:  Making your own pedigree
- To determine pedigree based on phenotypes and genotypes based on observable traits
Week 13:
Comparing family fingerprints / lip prints 
-Compare fingerprints among family members to find similarities, view under microscope
( Optional - compare lip prints)

Evolution/ Competition
Week 14: Goldfish (cracker) Competition
- Use 2 kinds of goldfish to create experiment demonstrating competition between populations
- Choice case study - choose real population to study that has been impacted by competition
Classification System
- Using a biological key to classify animals

Prokaryotes & Viruses
Week 15: Viruses vs bacteria
- Use M&Ms to demonstrate how viruses and bacteria reproduce differently. 
- Option A: Prepare yogurt using starter bacteria and milk
- Option B: Prepare agar plates to grow bacteria from different places at home.

Week 16: Bacteria growth
-Observe experiment yogurt or agars, record observations.
-View bacteria from slide kit under microscope.