This Biology course is designed to give students a fundamental look at the characteristics of living organisms and their environment. Students will be introduced to the structure, function, diversity and evolution of living matter. The course provides scientific inquiry and discovery by incorporating hands on labs and a variety of web-based activities that engage the student in their study of the biological life that surrounds us all.
Prerequisites: None
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
- Identify what is considered science and what questions can be answered by science
- Compare the structure and function of various types of microscopes
- identify that water is a compound common to living things and recognize the importance of hydrogen bonding to the properties of water
- Explain the connection between the beginning of life and the universal genetic code of almost all organisms
- Compare the structure and functions of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
- Differentiate between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, and describe cellular structures as appropriate
- Identify energy sources used by organisms
- Describe cellular respiration
- Explain the process of photosynthesis and compare it to cellular respiration
- Describe the structure of a chromosome and follow the chromosome through the processes of mitosis and cytokinesis
- Differentiate between body cells and gametes in various ways
- Describe the work of Mendel, including the patterns of inheritance that Mendel’s data revealed and Mendel’s Law of Segregation
- Describe how genes influence the developments of traits and describe patterns of inheritance
- Describe the structure of DNA and the process of DNA replication
- Describe and distinguish between different types of mutations
- Discuss biotechnology and its impact on individuals, society, and the environment
Course Outline:
Module 1: Foundations of Biology
Module 2: Life’s Origin
Module 3: Cell Reproduction
Resources Included: Online lesson instruction and activities, opportunities to engage with a certified, online instructor and classmates, when appropriate, and online assessments to measure student performance of course objectives and readiness for subsequent academic pursuits.
Additional Costs: Students will need the following items to complete their hands-on lab assignments: a raw egg, a string/yarn, ruler, white vinegar, tap water, jar with a lid big enough for the egg.
Scoring System: Michigan Virtual does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue diplomas. A final score out of total points earned will be submitted to your school mentor for conversion to their own letter grading system. Total course points may vary per student based on the items students test out of. The total points in the course may vary per student based upon the number of lessons which each individual demonstrates mastery through scores earned on lesson pre-tests. Students will be exempted from the points possible on a lesson quiz associated with successfully passing a related lesson pre-test.
Time Commitment: Semester sessions are 18-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1 or more hours per day in the course to be successful. Summer sessions are 10 weeks long: Students must be able to spend a minimum of 2 or more hours per day, or about 90 hours during the summer, for the student to be successful in any course. Trimester sessions are 12-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1.5 or more hours per day in the course to be successful.
Technology Requirements: Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube.
Please review the Michigan Virtual Technology Requirements: https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/technical-requirements/
Lightweight devices such as Apple iPads, Google Chromebooks, and tablets have limited support for Java or Flash which still appear in a small percentage of our catalog. While FLVS does not offer technical support for these devices, FLVS is working to remove Flash from their remaining course content. Students will need extra work-around steps or alternate browsers to engage with some portions of those courses. FLVS recommends students have a Windows or Mac based computer available to complete coursework in the event that your selected mobile device does not meet the needs of the course. Fully supported Operating Systems for FLVS courses include Windows (10 or higher) and MacOS (11 or higher). Supported Browsers include the most recent versions of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari on devices that support Java and HTML5. Browsers need to be up to date, and some FLVS courses may require installation or enabling of the following Plug-ins: JavaScript enabled, Cookies enabled, Java installed. https://www.flvs.net/student-parent-resources/more/system-requirements
Instructor Support System: For technical issues within your course, contact the Customer Care Center by email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 889-2840.
Instructor Contact Expectations: Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.
Academic Support Available: In addition to access to a highly qualified, Michigan certified teacher, students have access to academic videos and outside resources verified by Michigan Virtual. For technical issues within the course, students can contact the Michigan Virtual Customer Care by email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 889-2840.
Required Assessment: Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, instructor-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments.
Technical Skills Needed: No special skills are required beyond being able to operate a computer and use word processing software.
Additional Information: This course permits students to test out of content and therefore are not NCAA eligible. If you are enrolling a student athlete for Credit Recovery purposes, we recommend our full-length Plus courses.