BioCom, patterned after ChemCom, will focus on the study of a few, selected biological concepts in an environmental, technological and community context. Students will investigate an issue, discover appropriate biological principles and apply their knowledge actively, in context, allowing them to construct personal meaning in a setting where their explanation will be revealed. Students will investigate, study and analyze what is necessary to resolve issues in topics including Waste, Energy, Population Limits, Organismal Maintenance, Population Maintenance, Behavior, and Evolution. Project 2061 themes for biology and the human organism will be covered. The materials, the activities, and the ancillaries will be developed by a team of scientists, biology educators and high school teachers, guided by a national advisory board. The units will be carefully pilot tested and field tested in diverse locations. The major products of the project will be a student textbook, shorter than usual, a teacher edition, a looseleaf teacher resource book with additional investigations, project masters, test items, and a high-tech kit. The materials will be published by Kendall/Hunt, who will also support teacher enhancement.
