Welcome to Grant's N academy Biology class.
Biology is the study of life in its many forms. In this introductory class for 9th graders we will undertake this study in 5 units. The first is on populations and ecosystems. In this unit we will look at large scale phenomena, including what affects population sizes and what are the many interconnections among species in a community. The second unit will focus on viruses and bacteria. In this unit we will study cells, the spread of infectious diseases and begin to consider the wide range of living species on earth. The third and fourth units are on genetics and evolution respectively. We will go from the small to the large here – from how DNA codes for characteristics and how genes are passed through generations to how life has spread over the earth in its myriad forms. The final unit is on energy flow through living systems. In this unit we will consider photosynthesis, respiration and how we gain and store energy in our body, but also fossil fuels and our society’s energy habits.
Biology, like all science, is a way of thinking, and we will focus on what distinguishes that way of thinking throughout the year. We will generate and use data to test hypotheses. We will develop and test models. We will look for evidence constantly, and we will struggle with just how strong of conclusions our data will support.
Supplies:
Students should bring a three ring notebook and pencil to class every day. They may largely leave their text book at home for studying and homework.
