The Keystone School · grades 6–12
Biology
From the crowded interior of a single cell to the tangled economy of a rainforest — the study of what is alive and why.
The smallest unit that counts as alive, and the molecules that keep it running.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~26 hours
Unit I — Molecules of Life
Water and the properties that make life possible · Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids · Enzymes and activation energy · pH and buffers in living systems
Unit II — Cell Structure
The cell theory · Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells · Organelles and their jobs · The plasma membrane and transport
Unit III — Cells at Work
Cellular respiration · Photosynthesis · The cell cycle and mitosis · Regulation and cell communication
How traits travel from one generation to the next, written in a four-letter alphabet.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~24 hours
Unit I — Mendel & Inheritance
Dominant and recessive alleles · Punnett squares and probability · Dihybrid crosses · Incomplete dominance and codominance
Unit II — Molecular Genetics
DNA structure and replication · Transcription and translation · The genetic code · Mutations and their effects
Unit III — Genetics Today
Meiosis and genetic variation · Sex-linked and polygenic traits · Pedigrees and genetic disorders · Biotechnology and genetic engineering
The single idea that ties every branch of biology together: descent with modification.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~22 hours
Unit I — The Evidence
Fossils and the geologic record · Comparative anatomy and homology · Molecular and biochemical evidence · Biogeography
Unit II — The Mechanism
Variation and heritability · Natural and artificial selection · Fitness and adaptation · Genetic drift and gene flow
Unit III — Speciation & Patterns
Reproductive isolation · How new species arise · Phylogenetic trees · Coevolution and extinction
Eleven systems, one body — how the parts cooperate to keep you upright, fed, and thinking.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~28 hours
Unit I — Structure & Support
Tissues and organ systems · The skeletal system · The muscular system · The integumentary system
Unit II — Transport & Exchange
The circulatory system · The respiratory system · The digestive system · The urinary system
Unit III — Control & Continuity
The nervous system · The endocrine system · The immune system · The reproductive system
Energy, matter, and populations — how living things fit together and where the balance breaks.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~20 hours
Unit I — Energy & Matter
Food chains and food webs · Trophic levels and energy pyramids · The carbon and nitrogen cycles · Primary productivity
Unit II — Populations & Communities
Population growth and carrying capacity · Competition, predation, and symbiosis · Ecological succession · Biodiversity and niches
Unit III — Biomes & Human Impact
Terrestrial and aquatic biomes · Habitat loss and fragmentation · Invasive species · Conservation and restoration