One of the things that I think really is unique is SLA’s Integrated Biochemisty (Biology/Chemistry) course. We’ve found three or four other schools across the country where this experiment is happening, and we’ve talked to some others who are thinking along these lines.

So I wanted to post the big picture unit arc for the first year of the course. This was written by our two founding Biochemistry teachers, Gamal Sherif and Matt VanKouwenberg. As you can see, it’s a very different sort of look at both biology and chemisty, structured to combine concepts of both biology and chemistry to speak to larger understandings about our natural world. One of the things I’m really excited to watch is how Gamal and Matt use these larger conceptual frameworks as the way to teach the traditional concepts of biology and chemistry. One of things I really think they have done with this course is find a way to make the scientific world make a great deal of sense. As I hope their document shows, we can teach biology and chemistry in a way that makes it about much more than a sequence of discrete facts and skills, but rather gives kids a powerful lens with which they can look at the world.

As always, thoughts, ideas and comments are always welcome.