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: Biology A
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
- Summarize the levels of organization studied in ecology
- Analyze feeding relationships in food webs
- Identify factors that determine the Earth’s climates and how climate impacts the six major biomes
- Explain carbon and water cycling and its importance to the survival of an ecosystem
- Compare and contrast theories that influenced scientific debate over evolution
- Explain Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection
- Examine evolutionary relationships between species
- Describes how antibiotics work and the potential for antibiotic resistance
- Identify vascular vs. nonvascular plants, and categorize land plants based on other criteria
- Describe the structure and function of plant cells and tissues
- Describe reproductive organs, fertilization of flowering plants, and the process of reproduction
- Identify the defining characteristics of animals and describe the diversity of vertebrates and invertebrates
- Identify the major parts and functions of the nervous and circulatory systems
- Describe structure and functions of the human reproductive system
Course Outline:
Module 4: Earth’s Diversity
Module 5: Scientific Connections
Module 6: Classification and Diversity
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: 5 different colors of paper, multicolored fabric or newspaper, a timer or watch that counts seconds, a sink, blindfold, washable paint or food coloring, paper towels, and soap.
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.