Course Activities

Course Description

Biology 1 is a 4 unit course with Transfer Status: CSU/UC

This course is an introduction to the basic principles of biology, focusing on the flow of genetic information through cells and generations and the flow of energy through cells and ecosystems. Topics include processes of science, cell structure and function, genetics, molecular biology, evolution, ecology, and a survey of the diversity of life. An emphasis is placed on the critical analysis of current biological issues, including threats to biodiversity and applications of biotechnology in agriculture and medicine.

Student Learning Objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Investigate the biographies and contributions of biologists, design a controlled experiment, and communicate experimental results to demonstrate an understanding of the process of science.

  2. Describe the flow of information in cells and between generations.

  3. Explain the evolutionary and genetic mechanisms that account for both the unity and the diversity of life.

  4. Interpret biogeochemical cycles and explain the flow of energy through cells, communities, and ecosystems.

  5. Compare and contrast the major groups of organisms on our planet and relate their structures to their functions.

  6. Apply biological principles, critically analyze evidence, and summarize scientific conclusions to explain personal experiences and issues at the intersection of biology and society.

Course Activities

I trust you. Our course is designed around the assumption that you are here to learn biology. You will get as much out of this course as you put into it. I have designed the course activities to help you learn biology, but if short cuts are taken they might feel like busy work. To get the most out of our course activities, dive into the resources provided and follow the step-by-step instructions to fully complete the activity. If you ever have a specific challenge with a course resource or activity and would like to discuss an alternate way to demonstrate your learning of that week's topic let’s check in!

To build a foundation of biology that you can use to evaluate information about biological issues throughout your life, you will complete the following learning activities in BIOL 1:

Study Guides

Start each week by completing the week’s study guide. Use the resources provided to answer the study guide questions. Record your answers to each study guide question in your notes. Writing the answers in your own words will help you learn the material. Email Melody to set up a Zoom appointment to fill in holes or muddy spots in your study guide. Your completed study guide will provide you with the foundation of biology needed to complete the weekly lab activities, curate information in your Synthesis Project, and review your co-learners' projects. You will confirm your completion of each study guide by submitting a study guide reflection each week. Each completed study guide will be recorded with a ✔️ in the Canvas Gradebook.

Lab Activities

Science is all about observations and questions, and the lab activities are designed to give you the opportunity to make observations, apply your learning from the study guide, wonder, and make connections. Complete 1, 2, or 3 lab activities each week. If you complete 1 lab activity a week you will be on track to earn a C in our course. If you complete 2 lab activities a week you will be on track to earn a B in our course. To earn an A in our course, complete 3 lab activities each week. Submit each lab activity and then review Melody’s feedback. Activities are reassigned if they are incomplete and need revision. Learning is a process and it is not expected that you will complete a lab activity on the first submission. Review the feedback provided, the activity instructions and resources, and then revise your submission and resubmit for more feedback. A complete submission is recorded with a ✔️ in the Canvas Gradebook.

Progress Checks

Each week you will submit a progress check to check-in about your progress in our course, including your progress on your Synthesis Project. These progress checks are designed to help you and your team follow the Synthesis Project timeline so your project is ready to share with the rest of the class at the end of Week 12. Each completed progress check will be recorded with a ✔️ in the Canvas Gradebook.

Synthesis Project

To demonstrate SLO 6: Apply biological principles, critically analyze evidence, and summarize scientific conclusions to explain personal experiences and issues at the intersection of biology and society, you will curate content, in a group or as an individual, on an issue of your choosing at the intersection of biology and society. Our goal is to produce a project, like an informative website or a children's book, that can be shared with future BIOL 1 students or the larger Butte College community. You will search for and consume content on your topic, curate the content, and finally collaborate with other groups by reviewing their curated content. Each weekly module in our course will include the information and instructions needed to complete one step of the project, you will share your progress in the weekly progress check, and when you have completed each weekly progress check you will have completed the Synthesis Project. You will share your Synthesis Project with the class at the end of week 12, and for the last four weeks of the semester you will be reviewing the content curated by your co-learners in the course, sharing feedback with the curators of the content you review, and revising your project based on the feedback that is shared with you.