Dive into the captivating realm of biology, where the intricacies of living systems unfold. This asynchronous flex class, based on our incredibly popular weekly Visual Biology Ongoing class,  allows middle and high school learners with any schedule and any any time zone are to embark on an exciting journey that combines their creativity and collaboration skills with the exploration of recent research in biology. Through the engaging practice of sketchnoting, a visual note taking technique, students will develop creative notes that summarize the latest scientific discoveries. 

Our teaching methodology, sketchnoting, is a visual note taking technique that harnesses the doodling many of us naturally do during classes and enhances learning by focusing those drawings into workable notes. Weekly assignments are administered through Padlet, a distance learning tool. Learners use a link posted in the classroom to work through all of the activities on the Padlet for that week.

Each week's module will explore a different objective aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for high school learners. Each module will include an article covering recent research and a recorded video lesson with the teacher explaining how this article ties to a the bigger biology concept from the NGSS through drawing and visual note-taking. Something to draw on and something to draw with is all that is needed. The remainder of the module will include several extension activities and videos, all administered through Padlet, along with short answer questions to check for understanding. Learners will receive weekly video messages from the teacher through their Outschool messages evaluating the work they have submitted, and a grade can be provided if requested. 

Here is the breakdown of topics for this course: 

HS.LS1: From Molecules to Organism

Week One
HS.LS1.1: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells.

Week Two
HS.LS1.2: Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.

Week Three
HS.LS1.3: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Week Four
HS.LS1.4: Use a model to illustrate the role of cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms.

Week Five
HS.LS1.5: Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy.

Week Six
HS.LS1.6: Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.

Week Seven
HS.LS1.7: Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.