Biozone Student Workbooks now available for IB Biology

IB Biology Student Workbook (Paperback)

By Tracey Greenwood, Lissa Bainbridge-Smith, Kent Pryor, Richard Allan

http://www.biozone.co.uk/workbooks.php

It is the unique combination of textbook explanations and structured questions on a single page which make Biozone books such a useful resource.  The content of these books is outstanding; the authors have obviously spent much time on research and the Biology concepts are illustrated by interesting and novel examples. Explanations are clearly written and there are plenty of data tables and graphs for students to interpret, all of them seamlessly woven into the resources. Diagrams are clearly drawn and well labelled, enhanced by the blue of the effective two colour layout.

I first encountered the Biozone books fifteen years ago while teaching A-level Biology in the UK and I was very pleased to find the new IB book this year.  The resources are comprehensive and well-suited to the most able IB students.  The collection includes a Student Workbook, a CDrom of resources for IB options, a huge database of biology links, a book of Model Answers and a Teacher's Guide including ideas for making best use of the resources in the classroom.

The workbook is divided into chapters according to the Biology, not adhering exactly to the IB Guide, but well structured including a variety of different types of activity.  There is a Chapter Topic Page for each topic which identifies key terms and learning objectives as well as the code numbers from the IB Guide.  I noticed one or two small differences in the content between IB Guide and the Biozone workbook so it is still worth checking against the IB Guide.

The SL and HL biology material is well integrated in one single volume which is great for students in a dedicated Higher Level class. Tabs in the bottom corner of each page are colour coded, blue for AHL material, but the colour difference is not very noticeable.  Standard Level students might find it difficult to separate the higher material from the standard level resources, but this shouldn't be difficult for the teacher.

One exciting innovation is the Biozone eBook app on the iStore.  Students can buy the workbook resources, and some revision units on their iPhone, iPad or iPod. We know how much time students spend using these devices so this could be a great revision tool especially leading up to exams. The reviews from enthusiastic teachers on the iStore seem to prove that the concept works.

When I tested the iPad App I found that there was a lot of flicking to do to find a page to buy, and a contents list would have been useful. It's unfortunate that the preview pages are too small to read and I didn't immediately find the free sample to download. The workbook materials are organised into small chunks and the full colour images look great on the iPad.  It may be a nice way to buy the books but, from what I have seen, it doesn't look to be much more than a digital text book. However this is the first serious IB resource available as an app that I have seen and should be applauded for embracing the new technology.  I wonder if an Android app is being planned.

Overall these Biozone resources are a great addition to the IB Biology textbooks already available.  They are most useful for able Higher Level biologists and with careful planning they are a good resource for Standard Level students too.

You can order a copy of the IB Biology Student Workbook Directly from Biozone or from this independent workers co-operative, who pay their taxes: News From Nowhere Bookshop.

Tag clouds for HL Bio Topics

http://www.tagxedo.com/art/56f65e4e34ff479e
Plants topic 9


http://www.tagxedo.com/art/94a3fdb598f04546


'via Blog this'

Tagxedo - Creator lovely

Tagxedo - Creator:

DNA - topic 7
http://www.tagxedo.com/artful/c5f4863449b14193



Topic8 Respiration & Photosynthesis
http://www.tagxedo.com/artful/bcbe3e1168194a44

2012 Photomicrography Competition | Nikon Small World

2012 Photomicrography Competition | Nikon Small World:

There are some outsanding and compelling images in this gallery.
Small World is regarded as the leading forum for showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope. ThePhotomicrography Competition is open to anyone with an interest in microscopy and photography. The video competition, entitled Small World In Motion encompasses any movie or digital time-lapse photography taken through the microscope.

'via Blog this'

ClickToCure

If your IB Biology class has just finished the Cells topic and has spent some time looking at the stages of mitosis in a microscope then your students could be ready to participate in real biological research.  Physics students have been looking for exoplanets for a while on Zooniverse and now it is the turn of the biologists.

ClickToCure: " It takes human intuition and the human eye to spot patterns, defects and anomalies-computer algorithms just aren’t good enough. The process is slow for a lone scientist, but with the collective power of hundreds of thousands of people, we can speed up this research by years."

In collaboration with Cancer Research UK, Click to Cure (http://www.clicktocure.net) wants to use the power of the Zooniverse  to speed up trials of new cancer treatments. By spending a few minutes looking at microscope images, and answering a few simple questions, students can assist in the effort to find cures for different cancers.

Why not set this as holiday homework and turn your IB Biology students into Biologists.  It might even look good on a university ap


'via Blog this'

Live Video Player - for Nobel Prize Ceremonies

Watch the Nobel Prize Presentations Live here:



'via Blog this'

The first successful cloning of an extinct species since Jurassic Park

Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica, or Bucardo) became extinct in 2000. The causes of the extinction seem rather mysterious, but suggestions include habitat destruction from overgrazing, hunting, and perhaps climate change.  The tragic detail of the last remaining member of the species being killed by a falling tree adds to the drama. It really is a good example to use in lessons.  It's more cute and furry than the Dodo or the Tasmanian tiger, and certainly more contemporary.

The story has been reported in many newspapers across the globe including The Independent in the UK, Scientific American in the USA, The Olive Press in Spain, and The Times of India. This makes it a great homework research project, and possibly a good ToK presentation subject.  The risks and benefits of cloning are well illustrated. Scientists took tissue samples and created 439 embryos, implanted 57 into surrogate mother domestic goats and one pyrenean ibex kid was born.  He lived for just seven minutes. There are details of other projects to clone extinct species in this newspaper article.

I'll be using this again next year without a doubt.
David Faure