420 Conceptual Biological Chemistry CP

 Gr 9 & 10 |Two Year Course | 6 Class Credits |1 Lab Credit | Year-Long | 6x per Cycle

PREREQUISITE: Recommendation by the student’s special educator.

This two-year course is designed to give students an opportunity to develop prerequisite skills in order to build a working knowledge of biology. The course will focus on teaching students the key concepts in biology and chemistry that explain why living organisms function and exist. A highly supportive, differentiated teaching model will be used to ensure that each student has the opportunity to build their understanding. The curriculum will be primarily aligned to the Massachusetts Biology Framework but will also draw heavily on the Chemistry Framework so that students can develop a basic knowledge of chemistry to understand the basis of life. Students completing this two-year course will have met the graduation requirement from science. 

Essential Skills in the Conceptual Biological Chemistry Classroom

SKILL 1: Modeling and Visual Representation 

Students will be able to interpret or construct an effective model in a familiar context using all relevant biology content with appropriate scaffolding and support.  

SKILL 2: Concept Description and Explanation

Students will be able to construct an explanation for a scientific phenomenon using all relevant biology content in familiar contexts with appropriate scaffolding and support.  

SKILL 3: Scientific Methods and Argumentation 

Students will be able to successfully follow all steps of the scientific method and communicate arguments that establish claims and use sufficient evidence and reasoning to support those claims with appropriate scaffolding and support.  

SKILL 4: Data Gathering, Interpretation and Analysis

Students will be able to gather, graphically illustrate, analyze, and interpret data using all relevant biology content in familiar contexts with appropriate scaffolding and support.