Dive into the captivating realm of biology, where the intricacies of living systems unfold. This asynchronous 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.LS2: Ecosystems

Week One
HS.LS2.1: Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.

Week Two
HS.LS2.2: Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.

Week Three
HS.LS2.3: Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Week Four
HS.LS2.4: Use mathematical representations to support claims for the cycling of matter and flow of energy among organisms in an ecosystem.

Week Five
HS.LS2.5: Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.

Week Six
HS.LS2.6: Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.

Week Seven
HS.LS2.7: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.

Week Eight
HS.LS2.8: Evaluate evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.