Biology: The Living Earth
Course Description
"Every Kid Has a bug period...I never grew out of mine."
- E.O. Wilson, Biologist, theorist, naturalist and author
Biology: The Living Earth
Torrey Pines Biology is a fast paced, comprehensive course that is closely aligned to the California State Science Content Standards and the standards set by the San Dieguito Union High School District. The San Dieguito Union High School District Standards exceed the basic life science standards set by the state of California. This is a result of the fact that the Biology course is a UC/CSU approved laboratory science. This approval dictates the rigor, depth, breadth and pace of the course. The course foundation is built upon the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Students entering Biology are expected to have graphing and graph reading skills and well established study habits. It is assumed that students come to Biology with a strong core of knowledge in the life sciences as they have completed a two years of middle school science focusing on the Next Generation Science Standards.
GOALS
To have every student become “scientifically literate”
To prepare students for college level biological science courses
For students to develop an appreciation and sense of wonder for the natural world around them
For students to develop critical thinking and analytical skills
For students to be able to distinguish “pseudoscience” from true science utilizing scientific methodology
For students to apply biological knowledge and principles to realistic & relevant problems
For students to utilize and understand proper lab procedures and lab safety practices
To have students competently use scientific technology in the classroom (presentation software, PCs and Chromebooks, graphing software, various data acquisition probes, compound and dissecting microscopes, etc.)
THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF SCIENCE LEARNING
Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard—or performance expectation—and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.
Crosscutting Concepts help students explore connections across the four domains of science, including Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering Design.
When these concepts, such as “cause and effect”, are made explicit for students, they can help students develop a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world around them
Science and Engineering Practices describe what scientists do to investigate the natural world and what engineers do to design and build systems. The practices better explain and extend what is meant by “inquiry” in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires. Students engage in practices to build, deepen, and apply their knowledge of core ideas and crosscutting concepts.
Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) are the key ideas in science that have broad importance within or across multiple science or engineering disciplines. These core ideas build on each other as students progress through grade levels and are grouped into the following four domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering.