After some searching, I was surprised at the lack of quality lesson plans I could find online. The sites I found were difficult to navigate, and it was hard to evaluate the quality of these materials -- oftentimes, there were just too many hoops I had to jump through to even download them!
I thought to myself, "If only this process was simplified and came pre-packaged, it'd save me a ton of time and ensure my students learn everything I'm supposed to be teaching them.”
I decided to take this project upon myself. I wanted to make the best lesson aids anyone had ever seen, and build an online community of Biology teachers in the process. One thing I love almost as much as Biology is design. Graphic design was almost my chosen career path until I decided it was equally satisfying as a hobby. My love for making beautiful layouts certainly helps in this endeavor. This is why I'm confident that my work is as good, if not better, than what you might expect from a major publisher.
Hundreds of hours later, I’ve created a “starter-pack” for Biology teachers. It’s a massive collection of teaching aids that will help students meet your learning objectives. I can’t tell you just how proud I am of this product. I hold myself to the highest of pedagogical standards, and I made the MBC with my students in mind. I believe you’ll find similar value in it, and see student performance increase with the use of this program.
In this product, you will find nearly everything you need to run your class on a day-to-day basis. The Magistra Biology Course includes:
- Our complete set of over 700 lecture slides. These slides are the centerpiece of the Magistra Biology Course. All major topics are covered in this set, including biochemistry, cells, DNA, proteins, genetics, ecology, evolution, and human biology. The slides are in PDF format for easy viewing and guaranteed compatibility.
- Our “word clouds” that preview units and allow students to quickly see key terms. These can be projected or printed out and handed to students at the beginning of each unit.
- 200 critical-thinking questions that can be used to create student journals. It’s highly recommended to present these questions at the beginning of each class – you’ll have a new question for every day of the year.
- A set of 10+ crossword puzzles that are ready to be printed and used as worksheets.
- Free bonus content that will be announced periodically!
Remember that this content was prepared by an actual Biology teacher! Everything is highly usable in real-life classrooms and no filler is included.
The Magistra Biology Course comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. You have 30 risk-free days to browse the content and determine if MBC is useful in your classroom. If you’re not fully satisfied, simply return the disc for a no-questions-asked refund. The crossword puzzles are yours to keep, as our way of saying thank you for trying our product.
Several samples from the Magistra Biology Course can also be found in the Free Stuff section. I’ve also made available a sampler set that contains an assortment of slides from selected units.
Full list of included topics
Introduction to Biology
Uses of Biology
Characteristics of life
Themes in Biology
Previews of each unit: Biochemistry, cells, DNA, genetics, evolution, ecology
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Atoms, elements, molecules, compounds, ions, isotopes, chemical bonds
Enzymes
pH
Characteristics of carbon
Monomers and polymers
Condensation and hydrolysis reactions
Cells
Purpose of cells
History
Cell theory
Organelles
Prokaryotes vs. eukaryotes
Plant Cells
Cell walls
Photosynthesis
Vacuoles
Cell Transport
Active transport and passive transport
Diffusion
Osmosis
Tonicity
Facilitated diffusion
Sodium-potassium pump
Endocytosis
Phagocytosis
Pinocytosis
Exocytosis
Cellular Respiration
Glycolysis
Respiration
Fermentation
Kreb's cycle (very brief overview)
DNA
Structure
History (Rosalind Franklin, Watson and Crick)
Semiconservative replication
Base pairs
Chromosomes
Karyotypes
Replication (leading/lagging strands, etc.)
Cell Division
Binary fission
Mitosis
Cell cycle
Cancer
Proteins
Genes
mRNA
Transcription
Translation
Codons
Genetic code
tRNA
Meiosis
Genetic recombination
8 stages
Genetics
Mendel
Traits
Alleles
True-breeding
Test crosses
Phenotype
Genotype
Dominant and recessive alleles
Punnett squares
Dihybrid crosses
Codominance
Incomplete dominance
Sex linkage
Mutations (substitution, addition, subtraction, deletion, inversion, nondisjunction)
Human genome
Gene therapy
DNA recombination
Plasmids
Gel electrophoresis
Cloning
Stem cells
Genetically modified organisms
Ethical implications of DNA technology
Ecology
Interdependence
Ecological levels (biosphere, ecosystem, community, population, organism)
Biomes + many examples
Food chains
Food webs
Niches, generalists, specialists
Habitat
Omnivores, herbivores, carnivores, detritivores, decomposers
Producers and consumers
Biological interactions (predation, mutualism, commensalism, competition, parasitism)
Symbiosis
Energy pyramids
Productivity
Apex predators
Biodiversity
Carrying capacity
Population dynamics
Invasive species
Biogeochemical cycles
Evolution
Darwin
Natural selection
Variation, inheritance, pressure, selection, time
Common descent
Speciation
Misconceptions
Evidence of evolution
Genetic drift
Artificial selection
Coevolution
Convergent and divergent evolution
Adaptive radiation
Sexual selection
Gradualism
Punctuated equilibrium
Taxonomy
Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
Several examples
Human Biology
Circulatory system
Respiratory system
Nervous system
Endocrine system
Skeletal and muscular systems
Immune system
Reproductive system
The Senses
Chemoreceptors
Mechanoreceptors
Photoreceptors
Thermoreceptors
Pain receptors
The eye
The ear
Balance