Biology I Semester 1

Enrollment Message

Students need access to a webcam or video recording device.

Course Description

Biology is the scientific study of living organisms and their interactions with the environment. For this first semester course, students will explore core biological concepts, including cellular processes, energy flow, and begin genetic inheritance. Utilizing virtual and physical laboratory experiences, learners will apply the principles of the scientific method to design experiments, gather data, and interpret results to draw logical conclusions. This course integrates the crosscutting concepts of patterns, cause and effect, and systems and system models to build a coherent understanding of biology's role in addressing environmental and global challenges.

• Fulfills the Biology requirement for all diplomas

Course Goals

Upon completion of the course, students will…

• identify and explain the characteristics that define living organisms, including homeostasis, metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli, and apply these concepts to distinguish between living and non-living things.
• explore the four major types of macromolecules (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids), their structure, function, and role in biological processes, and understand their significance in cellular activities.
• study the structure and function of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, recognizing key organelles and their roles in cellular processes, including the nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, and chloroplasts.
• investigate the structure of the cell membrane and explain how substances move across it, including passive transport (diffusion and osmosis) and active transport (pump mechanisms and endocytosis).
• describe the role of enzymes in speeding up biochemical reactions and how factors like temperature, pH, and concentration affect enzyme activity, focusing on the enzyme-substrate relationship.
• explore the process of photosynthesis, including the light-dependent and light-independent reactions, and how plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose, emphasizing its role in energy flow through ecosystems.
• describe the stages of cellular respiration (glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain), the production of ATP, and the connection between cellular respiration and the overall energy flow within living organisms.
• analyze the relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration, comparing and contrasting their processes, products, and how they contribute to the cycling of energy and matter in ecosystems.

Indiana Academic Standards

• Biology I

Units of Instruction

• Unit 1 Characteristics of Life
• Unit 2 Macromolecules - The Building Blocks of Life
• Unit 3 The Cell
• Unit 4 Energy - Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

Grading/Evaluation

Indiana Online does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue transcripts or diplomas. A final score reported as a percentage of total points earned will be sent to students upon completion of a course. Your school of record can also access this score within the Student Information System, Genius. The final score will be shown as a percentage in Canvas and Genius. The student’s school of record will determine the letter grade based on their specific grading scale.

Students must complete at least 70% of the course and take all parts of the final exam(s) to have a score reported to their school of record. Failure to meet these requirements will result in a score of 0 reported to the school of record.

Assessments

Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, teacher-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments. The course includes the minimum number of assessments

• 5 Discussions
• 19 Assignments
• 14 Quizzes

The assessments for this asynchronous course are weighted as follows

Teacher Contact Response Time

Students can use email or the private message system within Genius or Canvas to access highly qualified teachers when they need teacher assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside Canvas. The Teacher Information page of their course may describe additional communication options.

The teacher will respond to student inquiries (email, text, call) within one business day. Assignments will be graded and posted within two business days.

Expectations for Academic Conduct 

Student Handbook 

It is your responsibility to read the student handbook to understand all aspects of taking an online course including expectations for academic conduct. Contact your teacher if you have any questions. 

Assistance for Students with Accommodations

Indiana Online supports an inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that hinder your full participation, such as inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos and podcasts, reasonable accommodations can be arranged.

Technology

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 Indiana Online’s Technology Requirements.

Technical Skills Needed 

Basic technology skills necessary to locate and share information and files as well as interact with others in a Learning Management System (LMS), include the ability to

• download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
• download and install software
• use a messaging service similar to email
• communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
• open attachments shared in messages
• create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
• save a file as a .pdf
• copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
• insert images or links into a file
• search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
• work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
• activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
• use presentation and graphics programs
• follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
• use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
• create and maintain usernames and passwords

Technical Questions?  Please contact the Indiana Online Helpdesk.