Eight sessions cover key content and methodologies for teaching biology in the high school classroom.
Session 1: Processes of Science
Participants identify processes common to all scientific investigations, and explore how using similar approaches in the classroom can foster habits of mind students need to understand how science works and how to conduct their own scientific research.
Session 2: Inquiry-Based Learning
Participants explore the benefits of an inquiry-based approach to teaching biology. They learn to assess levels of inquiry in various classroom activities, including their own, and then develop and practice strategies for increasing active learning.
Session 3: Teaching Genetics
Participants identify challenging genetics topics and use a combination of content knowledge and sound teaching strategies to develop effective teaching approaches for these topics.
Session 4: Teaching Applied Genetics
Participants assess their knowledge of applied genetics, explore how preconceptions affect learning, and identify a set of resources and a strategy for using them to deepen student understanding of this topic.
Session 5: Teaching Evidence for Evolution
Participants explore the role of evidence in scientific investigation and science education. They piece together evidence scientists use to explain evolution and identify evidence they can gather to assess student understanding.
Session 6: Teaching Processes of Evolution
Participants explore how they can use questioning to inspire inquiry, assess student understanding, and teach students to generate their own questions about the processes that drive evolution.
Session 7: Lesson Design
Participants identify the common components of effective lessons and use the approach called "backward design" to plan an activity on cell biology. They also begin work on a final curriculum design project.
Session 8: An Environment for Learning
Participants explore the role that classroom environment plays in learning. They identify strategies for developing a supportive learning environment and apply these strategies to topics in ecology as well as to their own lesson design.