What defines the parameters of life and death? Why is a rock nonliving and a barnacle alive? How does a jellyfish function with no brain, no heart? Probe, observe, examine, dissect the three hearts of a squid, the taste buds of a fly, “fangs” on a spider, “breathing” apparatus on leaves, carnivorous plants. Record your observations in a journal, a sketchbook or blog. Discover a microbial wine and cheese. Get dirty and explore our school garden.
This course explores the universal processes of life from the tiniest microbe to a blue whale. All living things have common traits and interconnections. These traits can evolve and change in response to a changing environment. Our modern, urban life is accelerating environmental change at a rate that may exceed the ability for organisms to adapt. There are over 6 billion people on earth. 3 billion are in cities. By 2050, there will be 9 billion people on earth and 6 billion will be in cities. If all the cities are exactly like ours, we would need four earths. Biology 11 provides a biological, ecological context to inform our ability to design a sustainable future - which you must do within your lifetime.
The specific core competencies of this course can be found in this link here:
COURSE MATERIALS
Biology 11 textbook, as reference. lecture will be based on this text
Access to a computer and internet connection at school to download and print lecture notes, make blog posts, read blog posts made by other students. Laptop or netbook allowed but not required for note-taking.
Sketchbook or digital camera to record field observations.
WORKING GROUPS
individually or in a pair. Any bigger grouping will require a pie graph showing what each individual did and what % they contributed to the work. This pie graph will affect the final mark.
FIELD STUDIES
Students are expected to conduct field studies in any weather. Students are expected to arrive at the field location on their own and conduct themselves with exemplary behaviour. Any question about the ability of the student to comply with rules will result in revoking field excursion privileges. School drug and alcohol policy in effect.
EVALUATION
Students will be evaluated using lab assignments where students will demonstrate their learning by observing class specimens in the lab and in the field. Students will also participate in class presentations that demonstrate their knowledge & skill . Students will do quizzes to assess knowledge . These quizzes are worth 10%
Final marks will be assessed as a cumulative portfolio of student work. These assignments are worth 90% of the final grade
