Welcome to Biology at Animas High School

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I am so excited to embark on a journey studying life with you all!  This course will examine living systems, from local and global ecosystems to the microscopic world of cells and molecules.   More importantly, we will support each other in using the skills, attitudes, and mindsets of scientists to deepen our connection to the natural world and to solve problems surrounding our own health, and that of our human and ecological communities.  

Semester 1 Project - Cancer: Will we find a Cure?

Project Vision: Create an interactive museum explaining the biology and human experience of cancer, and showcasing the work of various teams of professionals involved in cancer care. 
Essential Questions:

  • What is cancer, and how can we understand it through investigation of biological systems? 

  • How does cancer affect the functioning of human body systems, and how does this impact the lives of those affected by it? 
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  • How can scientific practices be used to treat cancer, and to save or improve the lives of those affected by it? 
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Right around winter break in 2021, I got a call from my dad, and sensed before I even answered that there was more gravity to it than a typical check-in.  He had been diagnosed with colon cancer.  My stomach turned and I wondered with a mix of emotion and detachment how our lifelong connection would change in the coming months.  Now, eight months later, after surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy, things are looking good and I am resting easy knowing that we've got a lot more life to share.  

My dad's story connects my family to millions of others affected by cancer.  While its impacts can be devastating on individuals and families, the treatments that saved my dad's life speak to the amazing power that science has to work in service of our health when applied properly.  In this project, we will use cancer as a vessel through which to explore the role of science in serving our own health.  There will be lots of content to learn if we are to answer this guiding question; we will need to model the structure and function of cells, nucleic acids, proteins, DNA replication, genetics and the cell cycle to understand how cancer works.  We will also use all of the scientific skills to explore how cancer is identified and treated.  This project will culminate in a mock oncology clinic where students must identify different types of cancer.   
Fall Project:
What can Nature teach us about Sustainability?  

​Project Vision: 
Use your understanding of how ecosystems work to take action on a local or global environmental issue that matters to YOU. 

Essential Questions:
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  • ​​What is the definition of a sustainable system? 
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  • How do the parts, processes, and interactions in the global ecosystem enable it to support and sustain life?
 
  • To what extent are ecosystems resilient in the face of disturbances?
 
  • What are our collective perceptions surrounding environmental issues, and the health of our global ecosystem?  Which issues resound with us, or do we feel most inspired to take action on?  
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  • Can you combine the disciplines of biology, engineering, social science, and/or art to act on a solution to an environmental problem on a local or global level? 
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Your and my generations no longer have the luxury of looking away from issues of global environmental sustainability.  Instead the consequences will live increasingly at the forefront of our consciousness.  How can we support the resilience of the local and global networks that support all life, including us?  We can look to nature for a guidebook.  Ecosystems are dynamic, self-sustaining life-support systems that are resilient in the face of change.  Why not look the natural world for the insight and wisdom to guide us to a more sustainable future? 

This semester, we will explore sustainable systems in biology with an eye toward solutions to environmental issues.  We will study the processes driving evolution and the proliferation of species throughout the world that are both biodiverse and well-adapted to their environments and ways of making a living (niche).  We will unravel how these species work together to capture and transfer of energy through ecosystems by way of photosynthesis and respiration.  We will explore how a finitie supply of matter and nutrients are cycled continuously between the atmosphere, living beings, water, and soil.  We will model the many factors that support and maintain homeostasis, and make predictions about the resilience of ecosystems to recover from disturbances. 

Finally, we will use our expertise in these topics to take action on a solution to a real-world sustainability problem, using the natural world as inspiration. 
Student Feedback: "What should the teacher keep doing in this class?"
"Keeping the content engaging"
"Keep giving us engaging and fun projects"
"Keep having us make models or drawings instead of writing"
"Interactive Labs"
"The activities"
"Models"
What should the teacher keep doing?
"Keep letting us do our own research"
"Keep having us do projects that we can govern ourselves with support"

Thank you!