Biology Package

This laboratory-based high school biology course is the first biology course a college-bound student should take. It gives the student an introduction to how living organisms are designed, how they interact with one another, and how they interact with their physical environment. Students are taught how biologists classify life, the chemical processes that make life possible, the structures of RNA and DNA, and the designs of the different cells found in living organisms. Students also learn the means by which photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and cellular reproduction occur. They then learn the current state of biotechnology. With the molecular and cellular basis of life covered, the students are then given a survey of the different kinds of organisms found in nature: archaea, bacteria, protists, fungi, invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants. The students then learn the biogeochemical cycles that keep environments hospitable to life, which leads to a discussion of ecosystems. Throughout the course, students see that life is the result of design and that organisms have been given the ability to adapt to their surroundings. In addition, they learn various problems associated with the modern evolutionary synthesis.

The course consists of 180 hours of instruction, 40 of which involve hands-on experiments. The experiments include extracting DNA from fruit, examining the effects of temperature and pH on enzymes, exploring osmosis and diffusion, building a pedigree, culturing bacteria, growing and examining fungi, and analyzing the structure of a feather. In addition, there are several experiments that explore the microscopic world, including identifying the stages of mitosis, studying live bacteria that were cultured by the student, identifying budding in yeast, and analyzing the microscopic structure of plants and animals. There are also four dissection experiments: the earthworm, crayfish, fish, and frog.

This college-preparatory high school biology course is designed specifically for independent study. The course material is written to students in a conversational tone. Laboratory exercises are designed for the home. Students can find further help and study with the online supplementary materials.

This is an excellent, academically-strong course, designed for college-bound students. If your student finds it more difficult to learn by reading, or lacks a solid science background, you might consider an alternate biology course: Concepts in Biology. Using a simpler approach, it can serve as a high school biology credit for non-science majors, or as preparation for those who want to take Discovering Design with Biology the following year.

The Biology Package includes:

• Student Textbook
  The Student Textbook contains all student material, study questions, lab exercises, and module study guides with color photos and illustrations.

• Solutions and Tests Manual
  The Solutions and Test Manual contains answers to review questions, practice problems, tests, and test solutions.

• Daily Lesson Plans
  Developed by My Father's World, the Daily Lesson Plans schedule daily assignments (four days a week) for reading and labwork. The lesson plans are included free with the complete package.

NOTE:The required microscope, Discovering Design with Biology Dissection Kit, and Discovering Design with Biology Microscope Slide Kit must be purchased separately. They may be ordered from the following retailers:

• Berean Builders
• Cornerstone Educational Supply