Florida Biology A/B

Florida Biology is a two-semester course designed to strengthen students’ understanding of several foundational concepts of biology. In this course, students will learn to use scientific methods and tools to investigate biological questions. They will develop models to explore the functioning of different body systems and examine how the proper functioning of those body systems affects health. Students will expand their knowledge of the roles of mitosis, meiosis, DNA, and chromosomes in an organism’s growth and development. Besides this, students will study and compare the basic characteristics of bacteria, protists, plants, and animals. They will understand the effect of environmental changes on a species over time, and explore the conservation of energy as it relates to living things and ecosystems. Students will learn how the cycling of matter and energy interacts with biological processes, and study the factors that affect the carrying capacity and biodiversity of an ecosystem. They will also create a simulation to test a solution for a biodiversity problem. Online discussions, course activities, and unit activities help students to develop and apply critical thinking skills.Each lesson includes one or more inquiry-based activities that can be performed online within the context of the lesson. In addition, the course includes a significant number of hands-on lab activities. Approximately 40% of student time in this course is devoted to true lab experiences, as defined by the National Research Council (2006, p. 3).Lab materials note: Most hands-on labs employ relatively-common household materials. A few labs require specialized scientific equipment or materials, such as a microscope, slides, or biological samples. These few specialized labs are optional but provide valuable laboratory experience. School laboratories may be used for these specialized labs or single-student Edmentum Lab Kits may be purchased from Ward’s Science. Please refer to the Student Syllabus or Teacher’s Guide for details on lab materials.