Marine Biology
Teacher: Kathy Franda
Grades: 9 - 12
Meets: T/Th 3:00 - 4:00
Class Description:
The sea and the life in and around it are fascinating and, since the ocean encompasses 2/3rd of our planet, an understanding of the ocean is a necessity. This course concentrates on marine wildlife and marine habitats. In the fall, we’ll begin with an overview of basic geological, chemical and physical oceanography and then learn about the microscopic organisms that make life in the ocean possible, including details about their interesting habits and life cycles. As we learn about each biological kingdom’s marine members, we will also study anatomy and will dissect a clam, a starfish, and a shark. In the spring, we will learn how marine life and their physical surroundings form marine ecosystems such as intertidal zones, estuaries, coral reefs, continental shelf communities, epipelagic communities, and deep ocean communities. Additionally, we will add an additional squid dissection. The course ends with a study of marine resources and our relationship with the sea.
As with all Apologia HS courses, this course is structured into 16 modules. Homework will entail reading the text book, completing the questions, and writing up class labs. Class work will include visual and physical examples of marine life, topic discussion as well as the 30 labs/experiments. The 7 microscope experiments will be completed with 4-5 microscopes for low student/microscope ratios and live scope camera will also project the 2000X microscope for easier lab report drawing. Semester tests will be given. This course was designed by Dr. Jay Wile to follow Apologia’s high school biology course so basic biology knowledge (and some earth science knowledge) is assumed. Material cost includes dissection specimens, lab supplies, etc. but not the text. This class counts as an approved high school lab science.
Prerequisites: None
Maximum number of students: 10
Homework: 3 hr/week
Cost: $65 per month + $35 lab supply fee
Supplies that the students should bring to class:
Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Marine Biology by Sherrie Seligson
ISBN 1-932012-58-3 (textbook only)
Pocket Folder (for turning in homework)
3 Ring Binder with Dividers for Class Notes, Labs, Graded Work and Tests.
Colored pencils for labs
Notebook paper
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