Biology raw material
Student's Interview (1 Grade 11)​
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What is your name? Yuri
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Who is your teacher? Mr. Liang
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What are you learning right now? We are currently learning about energy transformation in cells
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Is this class difficult? If students study everyday, it is not too difficult at all!
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What is the most difficult thing about this class? The most difficult thing about this class is the exams, because sometimes they are more advanced than the materials Mr. Liang gives us.
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What is your average grade right now? 93%
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Do you enjoy this class? I love doing the labs that Mr. Liang gives us.
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Have you done any dissections yet? No, not yet.
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What is your favourite lab so far? I have not done any labs yet.
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Do you prefer group projects or individual projects? I prefer individual projects, since my groupmates sometimes are not the best.​
Student's Interview (2 Grade 10)​
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What is your name? Isaac
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Who is your teacher? Mr. Liang
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What are you learning right now? I am learning about DNA structures right now.
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Is this class difficult? The tests in this class are difficult, but I do well because I study.
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What is the most difficult thing about this class? The most difficult part of this class is the lab reports, since we have to put a lot of detail into them.
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What is your average grade right now? 85%
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Do you enjoy this class? Yes, I love learning about how our bodies work!
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Have you done any dissections yet? We have cut open a cow's eyeball so far.
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What is your favourite lab so far? My favourite lab so far was the cow eye dissection.
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Do you prefer group projects or individual projects? I prefer group projects because we all have our own individual strength, and together we can do better.
Curriculum
This is an introductory course intended to explore basic biological principles and study the varying complexities of living organisms. Students will study a range of organisms to understand the unique adaptations and abilities they have evolved. In addition, there will be an emphasis on using the scientific process and critical thinking skills for labs and class work. Laboratory work, including a variety of animal and plant dissections, will be an integral part of this course.
Topics include:
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Methods and principles of Biology
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Cell Biology: Cellular Structure and Processes
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Genetics, Evolution, and Taxonomy: The Diversity of Life
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Microbiology: Viruses, Bacteria, Protists
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Mycology: Fungus and their variants
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Botany: From Seaweed to Swordferns, From Spruce to Sunflowers
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Zoology: From Sponges to Seastars, From Fish to Foxes
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Ecology: The Interconnectedness of Life
Teacher's Interview (Mr.Pablico, 205​)
Q: Can you describe what you teach in biology class?
A: Biology? Well, I'm not teaching any biology classes right now, but I have taught Biology 11 and a little bit of Biology 12. It's now called Life Sciences 11 and Anatomy and Physiology 12.
I do teach Science 8 and Science 9, which both have a biology component, and I’ve also taught biology in Science 10.
Q: What’s the difference between Biology 11 and Biology 12?
A: Biology 11, now called Life Sciences 11, focuses a lot on evolution, animals, plants, and how organisms adapt to their environments. You go through many different phyla, classes, and
families of animals and plants.
Biology 12, or Anatomy and Physiology 12, is focused on human anatomy and the different body systems.
Q: Why do students take your biology classes?
A: Hopefully because they have an interest in biology. Some take it because they want to go into the sciences and need the required courses for their programs. Others are specifically
interested in biology after enjoying science in grades 8, 9, and 10. Biology is also very tangible—you encounter living things every day, so it connects directly to life.
Q: What do students like about your biology classes?
A: I think they enjoy the cool videos that show animals and organisms you don’t usually see in everyday life. They also enjoy connecting everything into an evolutionary story. Lab work
and dissections are also highlights—they’re very engaging.
Q: How does biology connect to students’ futures, studies, and careers?
A: There are many careers related to biology. Students can go into research, microbiology labs, or healthcare careers like nursing and medicine. Others might pursue zoology, veterinary
work, or animal-related fields.
Q: What dissections do students do?
A: Dissections happen in several grades. In Science 8, for example, students sometimes dissect an eye. In Life Sciences 11, we’ve dissect squid, sea stars, rats, frogs, and earthworms.
Q: What do you do to keep students engaged?
A: I use a variety of teaching methods—videos, guided notes, diagrams, readings, textbooks, and real-world examples. I also make it interactive with questions, discussions, projects,
and labs. Variety is key.
Q: How do you assess student learning?
A: There are quizzes and tests, with multiple-choice and short-answer questions. But I also assess through projects and labs. Some students show their learning better through hands-on work like dissections, where they can identify parts and explain systems.
Q: How does learning biology impact students’ daily lives?
A: Biology helps students appreciate the world and understand how living things and ecosystems interact. It connects to health, nutrition, medicine, and even the bacteria in our own bodies.It also shows how humans impact the environment
.Q: What do students find most difficult in biology?
A: Differentiating between very small concepts (like genetics and chromosomes) and very large concepts (like evolutionary processes). It’s hard to grasp both extremes. Also, some students find the memorization difficult—especially in anatomy, where there are many terms. Ideally, though, it’s not just memorization but understanding how everything works together.
Q: Any final thoughts?
A: I think biology is super important. There are living things all around us—including ourselves—so understanding biology helps us understand life.
