Objectives
This unit is designed to fit into the International Baccalaureate (IB) program for biology, which is a two-year course taught to juniors and seniors. The course follows a strict and well-defined scientific curriculum but also has the flexibility to provide relevant and meaningful connections to students. Students should have already had a year of "pre-IB" biology and therefore have a superficial understanding of most of the topics in the unit. They should know the building blocks and function of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, that plants produce energy for all living organisms through the process of photosynthesis, that energy is released from sugars through the process of cellular respiration, and a general understanding of nutrition (i.e. that you should generally follow a diet low in saturated and trans fats, high in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, etc.) They should also recall basic biochemistry, such as elements and molecules, and cellular structures.
International Baccalaureate is a rigorous and demanding program and the objectives I am trying to achieve are quite complex. While I have high expectations for this unit and for my students, I feel that it is important to mention that these children are not in a magnet high school and are working at something of an academic deficit.
The course will provide greater detail and broader connections across other areas of science as well as issues in society. By the end of the unit, students should have an understanding of each of the macronutrients (molecular structure, synthesis and catabolism, specific functions), the human digestive process (different organs and their functions, how each nutrient is broken down and released to the bloodstream), metabolism and the release of energy from food molecules (aerobic respiration and anaerobic fermentation), the importance of energy and nutrient balance, and the consequences of food choice on our health.
Students should emerge from the course with an applicable knowledge of what foods will best nourish their bodies, which should be avoided, and how these choices (as well as other factors) will shape their health. The ultimate goal of this unit is to create a lasting impression of these ideas and to have students share them with their friends and family so as to improve the community overall.
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