This template course was developed from generally available open educational resources (OER) in use at multiple institutions, drawing mostly from a primary work published by OpenStax College Concepts of Biology, but also including additional open works from various sources as noted in attributions on each page of materials.

This material is labwork meant to be used in conjunction with the Candela "Biology II" course.

Short Description:
In this survey text, directed at those not majoring in biology, we dispel the assumption that a little learning is a dangerous thing. We hope that by skimming the surface of a very deep subject, biology, we may inspire you to drink more deeply and make more informed choices relating to your health, the environment, politics, and the greatest subject that all of us are entwined in, life itself. This text also includes interactive H5P activities that you can use to evaluate your understanding as you go.

Long Description:
In this survey text, directed at those not majoring in biology, we dispel the assumption that a little learning is a dangerous thing. We hope that by skimming the surface of a very deep subject, biology, we may inspire you to drink more deeply and make more informed choices relating to your health, the environment, politics, and the greatest subject that all of us are entwined in, life itself. This text also includes interactive H5P activities that you can use to evaluate your understanding as you go.

In the adapted textbook, Concepts of Biology, you will find the following units: Unit 1: Principles of Cellular Life Unit 2: Principles of Inheritance Unit 3: Principles of Evolution Unit 4: Principles of Ecology

Word Count: 189879

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Short Description:
In this survey text, directed at those not majoring in biology, we dispel the assumption that a little learning is a dangerous thing. We hope that by skimming the surface of a very deep subject, biology, we may inspire you to drink more deeply and make more informed choices relating to your health, the environment, politics, and the greatest subject that all of us are entwined in, life itself. This text also includes interactive H5P activities that you can use to evaluate your understanding as you go.

Long Description:
In this survey text, directed at those not majoring in biology, we dispel the assumption that a little learning is a dangerous thing. We hope that by skimming the surface of a very deep subject, biology, we may inspire you to drink more deeply and make more informed choices relating to your health, the environment, politics, and the greatest subject that all of us are entwined in, life itself. This text also includes interactive H5P activities that you can use to evaluate your understanding as you go.

In the adapted textbook, Concepts of Biology, you will find the following units: Unit 1: Principles of Cellular Life Unit 2: Principles of Inheritance Unit 3: Principles of Evolution Unit 4: Principles of Ecology

Word Count: 189359

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

This learning video introduces high school students to a topic they would not ordinarily study in school, biotechnology, and to different applications of biotechnology that relate to the main theme of the module - making the desert greener. After reviewing traditional methods used for manipulating plants to produce desired traits, students will learn about the methods of making transgenic plants. Dr. Ziad discusses a real world problem that is critical in his country, Jordan, where much of the land is desert. A prerequisite to this video lesson is some background in biology.

There are almost as many types of bird beaks as there are types of food that birds like to eat. This collection of images shows a wide range of beaks and the types of foods handled by each.

By paying attention to the sounds and behaviors of birds, students are introduced to a whole new way to experience and observe what’s happening in their surroundings, both during their field experience and back home. In this Focused Exploration activity, students pay attention to the birds around them. After listening as a group, students imitate calls and notice differences between them. Students think about and discuss the different messages birds might communicate, then they individually watch and listen to birds from a Sit Spot. When the group gathers again, students compare their observations and make a large map of the bird vocalizations and behaviors they observed.

Stare at one color—but see another. You see color when receptor cells (called cones) in your eye’s retina are stimulated by light. There are three types of cones, and each is sensitive to a particular color range. If one or more of the three types of cones adapts to a stimulus because of long exposure, it responds less strongly than it normally would.

In this Nature video, learn about the extraordinary impact that birds have on the agriculture of a small Indian community.

Students tend to be fascinated by colors and patterns of organisms, and by thinking and learning about these and other adaptive strategies. Colors and patterns in nature are a great entry point to understand adaptations. This activity focuses on how organisms’ patterns and colors help them stand out or blend in with their environment, and how this helps them survive. Students observe the main colors in the landscape, then search for plastic animals hidden there, noticing which blend in with their surroundings and which stand out. Then, students discuss what made the animals blend in or stand out, construct explanations for how this could help the animals survive, and learn four categories for color and pattern adaptations: camouflage, mimicry, warning, and attraction. Students apply these concepts as they search for real organisms in the area, then discuss how patterns and coloration might help the organisms survive in their habitat.

The eye’s retina receives and reacts to incoming light and sends signals to the brain, allowing you to see. One part of the retina, however, doesn't give you visual information—this is your eye’s “blind spot.”

The purpose of this lesson is to teach students about blood and its components while instilling an appreciation of its importance for survival. The lesson takes a step-by-step approach to determining the recipe for blood while introducing students to important laboratory techniques like centrifugation and microscopy, as well as some diseases of cell types found in blood. It also highlights the importance of donating blood by explaining basic physiological concepts and the blood donation procedure.

In this video segment, adapted from NOVA, Dr. Judah Folkman uses the scientific method to discover how cancer cells induce the formation of new blood vessels, which in turn nourish those cancer cells.

Throughout the day, your nervous system monitors and makes endless adjustments to your body's basic systems -- all to keep you alive. This interactive feature illustrates the complexity of such a task.

This resource is a Nearpod lesson about the Bonney Butte HawkWatch site located in the Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon. It was created as part of the Reimagine Teaching program by HawkWatch International. HawkWatch International is a non-profit organization in Salt Lake City, Utah that works to protect raptors and our shared environment through scientific research and public education.

Find out how serious head concussions can be in this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW.

This video segment from The Human Spark observes the brains responses to a series of cognitive tests.

This presentation of a digital story (narration, images, and soundtrack in a short video) features the polar regions. The story was produced by the free, online magazine Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears.

Construct a protein through cereal additions. Model the central dogma of molecular biology by constructing a colorful chain using a simple code (and some delicious cereal).