Ms. Didu's Biology Website
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| An Unusual General Biology Course? |
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| The General Biology (GenBio,
from now on) course taught at EARJ is far from being a traditional one.
Students (and parents!) come to GenBio expecting to hear about living
things and how they work, and the first thing they hear about is
TRASH! They watch videos on TRASH, they are required to collect and bring to class their own TRASH, they conduct a TRASH audit on their own TRASH, and they even have to bring in left over foods from home so that they can then compost that part of their TRASH! No, the GenBio teacher is not a graduate of the “TRASH University”, or any such thing! I am actually a biologist, a graduate from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and, whether you believe it or not, I am quite sane! (You can learn more about me under "Who is Ms. Didu?") We do start the year with a discussion of the environmental consequences of the wastes discarded by the 6 billion human beings on this planet, and we also examine some of the alternatives that could help us reduce the negative impact of our wastes on ecosystems. This topic serves as an anchor for our first unit, where we begin to explore the MATTER AND ENERGY needed to support life, whether it is the life of a cell or of a whole ecosystem. This unit also includes a review of chemistry and an introduction to two of the most important biochemical reactions: respiration and photosynthesis. Our 2nd unit explores the components and processes that make up ECOSYSTEMS. We explore the interactions between the various populations that share a common area, as well as their interactions with the non-living factors of that ecosystem, leading to the concept that EVERYTHINGISCONNECTED. Our third unit focuses on the process of EVOLUTION . We will compare and contrast how different theories of evolution attempt to explain the immense diversity of life forms we currently find on our planet. Our fourth topic is GENETICS, that helps us understand the process of evolution. In this unit we look at mendelian genetics in general, with a focus on some topics of human genetics. We also briefly explore molecular genetics and its applications in biotechnology. The fifth unit is centered on CELL AND HUMAN BIOLOGY. In this unit we investigate the organization and functioning of cells and of the human body, and how homeostasis is maintained in these systems. Please read the syllabus and class expectations below for more on this course. |
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São Sebastião / School Holiday / Campus Closed
US Presidential Mock Debate
