SCI203: Biology

Course DesCription K12 High School Biology is a full year program that provides students with a standard–level, high school college–prep biology curriculum. The program consists of standard, direct lessons presented on–screen, an associated reference book, and hands–on laboratory experiments students can conduct at home. The course surveys all key areas that are commonly taught in high school biology courses and gives students the basic knowledge they need to master state and local examinations. It provides them with a prerequisite for high school AP Biology and college-level courses and gives them practical experience at implementing scientific methods.

Course Length: 2 semesters or 180 hours of instruction

MateriaLs: • Biology: A Reference Guide • Various Lab Materials (3 Kits)

prerequisites: Successful completion of XYZ

BioLogy a, unit 1: the science of Biology

Students explore biology as one of the sciences and confront the concepts of scientific methods. After exploring scientific processes as they apply to biology, students examine what “life” means as they investigate the characteristics that all living things share. Students then look at the importance of energy, what kinds of energy are significant when considering living things, and the relationship of structures of living things to their functions.

• Semester Introduction • Biology and Scientific Methods • Scientific Processes 1 • Scientific Processes 2 • Laboratory: Using a Microscope • The Characteristics of Life 1 • The Characteristics of Life 2 • The Characteristics of Life 3 • Energy and Life • Structure and Function

BioLogy a, unit 2: the Chemistry of Life

Students explore the chemical basis for life by examining the most important groups of organic compounds: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Students then examine water and how it is important for living things. In each case, students will focus on the relationship of the molecular structure of compounds to its function in living things.

• Chemistry Review • Chemical Bonds • Carbon and Life • Organic Compounds and Trace Elements • Laboratory: Investigating Biological Compounds 2

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ENG011: English Foundations II This course brings students up to grade level—guiding them through the reading, writing, and basic academic skills needed for success in high school. It offers skill building and strategy development in reading and writing. Semester 1 is a reading program designed to help struggling readers develop mastery in the areas of reading comprehension, vocabulary building, study skills, and media literacy. Semester 2 is a writing program that builds confidence in composition fundamentals by focusing on composing, grammar, style, and media literacy. The workshops stress high interest, engaging use of technology, relevant topics, and robustly scaffolded practice.

Course Length: Two semesters

MateriaLs: None

prerequisites: None

seMester one unit 1: introduction to reading skills and strategiesStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they are given an introduction to the course and review reading skills and strategies, the value of vocabulary, study skills, and media literacy.

• Course Orientation • About Reading Skills and Strategies • Reading Comprehension: Decoding and Reading with a Purpose • Introduction to Vocabulary Building • Building Vocabulary: Value of Vocabulary • Introduction to Study Skills • Study Skills: Study on Purpose • Introduction to Media Literacy • Media Literacy: Being a Savvy Media Reader

unit 2: introduction to reading processesStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they review the reading process, pre-reading, vocabulary tools, time management, and media terminology.

• Reading as a Process • Pre-Reading • Three Reading Process Strategies • Introduction to Vocabulary Tools • Building Vocabulary: Tools of the Trade • Study Skills: Managing Your Time • Introduction to Media Terms • Media Literacy: Knowing the Language

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unit 3: reading for entertainment: FictionStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. They review reading strategies, learn new vocabulary, and practice study skills. Students read Service by Nathan Fowler, take a quiz to assess their understanding, and respond to the reading in a journal assignment.

• Reading for Entertainment • Reading Comprehension: Strategies to Improve Enjoyment and Understanding • Introduction to Context Clues and Word Skipping • Building Vocabulary: 10 New Words • Vocabulary: Context Clues and Word-Skipping • Introduction to Silent Reading • Study Skills: Silent Reading

unit 4: reading for information: Magazine articlesStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. They review reading strategies, practice reading comprehension, learn new vocabulary, practice note-taking skills, and learn to evaluate media sources. Students read “The Nightmare after Katrina” from Time Magazine, take a quiz to assess their understanding, and respond to the reading in a journal assignment.

• Gaining and Retaining Information • Reading Comprehension: Scanning Key Points—Questioning and Using Graphic Organizers • Reading Comprehension: Identifying Facts and Opinions • Introduction to Word Roots • Building Vocabulary: 10 New Words • Building Vocabulary: Word Roots • Introduction to Note Taking • Study Skills: Taking Notes • Introduction to Evaluating Sources of Visual Media • Media Literacy: Go to the Source

unit 5: reading for information: newspapersStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. They practice reading strategies and comprehension, learn new vocabulary, practice outlining skills, and learn to compare and contrast media. Students read an editorial from The Times-Picayune, take a quiz to assess their understanding, and respond to the reading in a journal assignment.

• Introduction to Strategies for Reading Newspapers • Reading Comprehension: 5 Ws Synthesis and Evaluation • Reading Comprehension: Identifying Argument Logic • Introduction to Prefixes • Building Vocabulary: 10 New Words • Building Vocabulary: Prefixes • Introduction to Outlining • Study Skills: Outlining • Introduction to Comparing Media • Media Literacy: Comparing and Contrasting Media Coverage

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unit 6: reading for information: essaysStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. They practice reading essays, learn new vocabulary, review how to interpret charts and graphs, and learn about media design. Students read Last Great Words of Great Men by Mark Twain, take a quiz to assess their understanding, and respond to the reading in a journal assignment.

• Introduction to Reading Essays • Reading Comprehension: Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and More • Reading Comprehension: Identifying Different Text Structures • Introduction to Suffixes • Building Vocabulary: 10 New Words • Building Vocabulary: Suffixes • Introduction to Charts and Graphs • Study Skills: Charts and Graphs • Introduction to Discovering Meaning through Design • Media Literacy: The Impact of Design

unit 7: reading to Complete a task: school textsStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. They practice reading strategies and comprehension, learn new vocabulary, practice spelling strategies, and learn about culture in media. Students read a textbook excerpt, take a quiz to assess their understanding, and respond to the reading in a journal assignment.

• Introduction to Reading School Texts • Reading Comprehension: SR2 • Reading Comprehension: Identifying Main Idea and Supporting Details • Introduction to Spelling Strategies • Building Vocabulary: 10 New Words • Building Vocabulary: Spelling Strategies • Introduction to Memory Strategies • Introduction to Culture in Media

unit 8: reading to Complete a task: Functional DocumentsStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. They practice reading functional documents, learn new vocabulary, practice making inferences and memorization strategies, and learn about persuasive techniques in media. Students read sample business letters, take a quiz to assess their understanding, and respond to the reading in a journal assignment.

• Introduction to Reading Functional Documents • Reading Comprehension: Critical Questioning and More • Reading Comprehension: Making Inferences • Introduction to Prior-Knowledge Connections • Building Vocabulary: 10 New Words • Building Vocabulary: Connections to Prior Knowledge • Introduction to More Memorization Strategies • Study Skills: Personalizing Memorization Strategies • Introduction to Persuasive Techniques in Media • Media Literacy: Persuasive Techniques in Media

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unit 9: reading to analyze Literature: poetryStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. They review visualization and figurative language, learn new vocabulary, practice test-taking skills, and learn about emotional and intellectual effects of media. Students read The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, take a quiz to assess their understanding, and respond to the reading in a journal assignment. They practice literary response and analysis.

• Introduction to Analyzing Poetry • Study: Reading Comprehension: Visualizing • Reading Comprehension: Interpreting Figurative Language • Introduction to Synonyms and Antonyms • Vocabulary Building: 10 New Words • Building Vocabulary: Synonyms and Antonyms • Introduction to Test-Taking • Study Skills: Test-Taking • Introduction to Media Effects • Media Literacy: Emotional and Intellectual Effects of Media

unit 10: reading to analyze Literature: proseStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. They practice reading literary analysis, learn new vocabulary, continue to practice test-taking skills, and learn to become critical readers of media. Students read The Red Room by H.G. Wells, take a quiz to assess their understanding, and respond to the reading in a journal assignment. They practice literary response and analysis.

• Introduction to Analyzing Literary Prose • Reading Comprehension: Literary Terms • Reading Comprehension: Literary Analysis • Introduction to Cubing Vocabulary • Building Vocabulary: 10 New Words • Vocabulary Building: Modified Cubing • Introduction to More Test-Taking • Study Skills: More Test-Taking • Effects of Media on Perception of Reality • Media Literacy: Becoming a Critical Reader of Media

unit 11: Final review and examStudents prepare for and take the semester exam.

seMester tWounit 1: introduction to WritingStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they review the writing process and learn to avoid plagiarism.

• Course Orientation • The Writing Process • Prewriting • Drafting • Revising and Editing • Avoiding Plagiarism

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unit 2: the Building Blocks of CompositionStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they review punctuation, sentence, and paragraph rules, and the basics of essay-writing.

• Punctuation I • Punctuation II • Sentence and Paragraph Essentials • Essay Essentials I • Essay Essentials II

unit 3: paragraphs: example and illustrationStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they practice writing paragraphs, review parts of speech, learn about language style, and are introduced to text-based media.

• Composition: Example and Illustration Paragraphs • Writing Example Paragraphs • Writing Illustration Paragraphs • Grammar: Parts of Speech • Style: Making Language More Exact • Media: Text-Based Media

unit 4: paragraphs: process and Cause-and-effectStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they practice writing cause-and-effect and process paragraphs, review parts of sentences, learn about concision and precision, and are introduced to journalism.

• Composition: Process and Cause-and-Effect Paragraphs • Writing Process Paragraphs • Writing Cause-and-Effect Paragraphs • Grammar: Parts of Sentences • Style: Concision and Precision • Media: Journalism

unit 5: paragraphs: Description and Classification/DivisionStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they practice writing descriptive paragraphs, review verbs, learn about parallelism, and are introduced to art in the media.

• Composition: Description and Classification/Division Paragraphs • Writing Description Paragraphs • Writing Classification and Division Paragraphs • Grammar: Verbs • Style: Parallelism in Sentence Style • Media: Art and the Media

unit 6: essays: personal WritingStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they practice writing personal essays, review pronouns, learn about appropriate language, and are introduced to film studies.

• Composition: Writing Personal Essays • Grammar: Pronouns • Style: Appropriate Language • Media: Film Studies

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unit 7: essays: Compare-and-ContrastStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they practice writing compare-and-contrast essays, review adjectives and adverbs, learn about sentence emphasis and variety, and are introduced to television studies.

• Composition: Compare-and-Contrast Essays • Writing Compare-and-Contrast Essays • Grammar: Adjectives and Adverbs • Style: Sentence Emphasis and Variety • Media: Television Studies

unit 8: essays: persuasive WritingStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they practice writing persuasive essays, review modifiers, learn about figurative language, and are introduced to media and identity.

• Composition: Persuasive Writing Essays • Grammar: Modifiers • Style: Figurative Language • Media: Media and Identity

unit 9: essays: Writing about LiteratureStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they practice writing literary essays in response to prompts, review run-ons and fragments, learn about denotative and connotative language, and are introduced to new media.

• Composition: Writing Essays about Literature • Responding to Literature Prompts • Structuring and Developing a Literary Analysis • Grammar: Run-Ons and Fragments • Style: Denotative and Connotative Language • New Media

unit 10: Writing in the WorkplaceStudents begin with a diagnostic to find out what they know. Then they practice writing business letters, memos, and email; review mechanics; learn about formality and informality of tone; and are introduced to media in the classroom.

• Composition: Letters/Memos • Writing a Business Letter and Memo • Using E-mail in a Business Environment • Grammar: Mechanics • Style: Tone Formality and Informality • Media: Media in the Classroom

unit 11: Final review and examStudents prepare for and take the semester exam.

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