Texas Biology A/B

Texas Biology is a two-semester course designed to develop and enrich students’ knowledge of several core areas of biology. It has lessons on cells, organs and organ systems, and heredity.  Students will examine cell processes, the functioning of the human body systems, and inheritance patterns. Students will then learn how genetic variation, natural selection, and environment lead to adaptations in organisms. They will also classify organisms based on their physical and developmental characteristics. Further, this course will introduce students to the basic concepts of biochemistry. Students will develop models to study photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Toward the latter part of this course, students will learn about the factors that affect the biodiversity of an ecosystem and solve 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.