Q: Can you describe what you teach in biology class?
A: 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 teach Science 8 and Science 9, which both have a biology component, and I have 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. Students 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: Students take biology class 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—students encounter living things every day, so it connects directly to life.
Q: What do students like about your biology classes?
A: My students enjoy the videos that show animals and organisms you don’t usually see in everyday life. Students also enjoy connecting everything into an evolutionary story. Lab work and dissections are also highlights—since they are 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.
Biology article two: Teacher interview with Ms. Yun
Q: What dissections do students do?
A: Dissections happen in several grades. In Science 8, for example, students sometimes dissect an eye. In my Life Sciences 11 class, students have dissected squid, sea stars, rats, frogs, and earthworms.
Q: What do you do to keep students engaged?
A: I have a variety of teaching methods—videos, guided notes, diagrams, readings, textbooks, and real-world examples. I also make the class interactive with questions, discussions, projects, and labs. Variety is the key to teaching.
Q: How do you assess student learning?
A: I assess student learning using quizzes, tests, long answer questions, and short answer questions. Labs and projects also help me with marking and assessing the students to create report cards since different students have different ways to express their learning.
Q: How does learning biology impact students’ daily lives?
A: Biology is an integral part of the world, being in organisms, ecosystems, health, medicine, nutrition, and even bacteria. Biology also helps students understand about how humans impact the environment.
Q: What do students find most difficult in biology?
A: Students find the difference between small concepts like genetics and chromosomes and large concepts like evolution very hard to understand. Students also find memorizing terms difficult such as in anatomy.
In conclusion, Ms. Yun finds biology extremely interesting and believes it is extremely important in our lives.