Life Science

The K¹² Life Science program invites students to investigate the world of living things—at levels both large and small—by reading, observing, and experimenting with aspects of life on earth. Students explore an amazing variety of organisms, the complex workings of the cell, the relationship between living things and their environments, and discoveries in the world of modern genetics. Practical, hands-on lesson activities help students discover how scientists investigate the living world. Students perform laboratory activities and a full unit investigation to learn about the application of scientific methods.

Students will study a variety of topics in biology, including:

• The chemical building blocks of life. 
• Fundamentals of ecology and life’s environments. 
• The biology of organisms from bacteria to mammals. 
• The life processes of plants.
• The variety of cell structure and how cells perform the tasks necessary for life. 
• Fundamentals of genetics.

Standard Curriculum Items

• Graduated cylinder (100 mL)
• Compound microscope
• Radish seeds
• Microscope slides (set of 12)
• Slide cover slips (set of 12)
• Transparencies (set of 12)
• Petri dishes
• Agar vials
• Rhizobium bacteria
• Green bean bush seeds
• Blue Fescue grass seeds
• Safety glasses
• Magnifying glass
• Advanced thermometer

NOTE: List subject to change.

Total lessons: 96 lessons; 7 laboratory lessons

Lesson time: 50 minutes per reading lesson; 90 minutes per lesson

You might choose to split the lessons into smaller segments and take breaks as needed. The K12 online lesson tracking system allows you to pick up wherever you left off in any given lesson.