Biology Curriculum Overview

Biology is the study of life—from the tiniest cells to the complex systems that sustain ecosystems and shape our planet. In this course, students will explore the science of living things using hands-on labs, real-world phenomena, data analysis, and critical thinking. Aligned to the Arizona State Science Standards, our curriculum emphasizes not just learning facts, but applying knowledge to explain the world around us.

This is a lab-based course designed to promote deep understanding through investigation, collaboration, and discovery. Students will learn how to think like scientists, ask meaningful questions, design experiments, and build models to explain natural processes.

The course is divided into six major units, each driven by an essential question and grounded in real-life applications. Students will develop scientific explanations using data, evidence, and models.

Unit 1: Describing Life

• Essential Question: What does it mean for something to be alive?

  • Explore the characteristics of life, the structure of living organisms, and how scientists classify the living world.

  • Investigate unusual organisms like slime molds and viruses to determine what qualifies as “living.”

Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function

• Essential Question: How do cells carry out the functions of life?

  • Analyze the components of cells, differences between cell types, and how organelles work together.

  • Explore photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and how cells maintain balance through transport systems.

  • Apply understanding to phenomena like why saltwater fish can’t survive in freshwater and how space affects human cells.

Unit 3: DNA and Molecular Genetics

• Essential Question: What are the causes and implications of DNA mutations?

  • Study the structure and function of DNA and RNA, how proteins are made, and how errors in DNA lead to variation and disease.

  • Learn how cell division creates new cells and how science uses this knowledge in medicine and research.

Unit 4: Heredity

• Essential Question: How do genetic principles influence our understanding of heredity?

  • Explore how traits are passed from parents to offspring through Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance.

  • Analyze pedigrees, genetic probability, and how genetic testing is used in real-world contexts.

Unit 5: Evolution

• Essential Question: How does evolution drive change in a population?

  • Use fossil, genetic, and anatomical evidence to understand how populations change over time.

  • Investigate how natural selection works and how genetic technology (like selective breeding and gene editing) impacts society.

Unit 6: Ecology

• Essential Question: How do living and non-living things impact each other and the Earth?

  • Explore ecosystems, food webs, energy flow, population dynamics, and the effects of human activity.

  • Examine real-world ecological issues such as climate change, invasive species, and habitat loss.

This course supports students in becoming scientifically literate citizens who can:

• Ask testable questions and define problems

• Plan and conduct investigations

• Analyze and interpret data

• Construct explanations based on evidence

• Engage in scientific argumentation

• Use models and simulations to communicate understanding

These practices are embedded in every unit and aligned with the three dimensions of science learning from the Arizona Science Standards: Science & Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas in biology.

Hands-on labs are a critical part of biology. Students will conduct investigations using microscopes, data collection tools, simulations, and modeling software. Lab safety will be taught and practiced consistently.