Honors Biology

What Students Learn

Grounded in national curriculum biology, this course combines scientific reading in English with laboratory inquiry in the style of AP Biology. Students investigate cellular processes alongside heredity and evolution, connecting these with regulation in organisms and ecological relationships. Models and experimental data support explanations of biological phenomena and build subject knowledge and language skills for subsequent AP Biology study.

Learning Focus

1. Cellular structure and function: connect cell components and transport with life processes.

2. Energy and metabolism: examine enzymes and changes in matter and energy during photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

3. Heredity and evolution: explore the transmission and expression of genetic information alongside variation and adaptation.

4. Regulation and ecology: examine internal regulation in organisms and interactions with the environment.

5. Scientific reading and argument: analyze biological materials and use evidence to support explanations and conclusions.

Methods and Laboratory Inquiry

Investigations may explore transport and metabolism, using agar cube diffusion or plant tissue osmosis to examine exchange. Inquiry into enzyme activity and photosynthesis can examine effects of environmental conditions. Across topics, students formulate questions and control variables, record and interpret data, evaluate methodological limitations, and explain results in English.

Learning Outcomes

Students connect cellular processes with the functioning of living systems, apply biological concepts to problems, and evaluate experimental designs and data. Scientific inquiry and communication in English prepare them for conceptual application and arguments supported by evidence in AP Biology.

Laboratory reference: College Board biology laboratory manual