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Biology: Science for Life, 6th edition

Published by Pearson (January 23, 2018) © 2019

  • Colleen Belk University of Minnesota, Duluth
  • Virginia Borden Maier St. John Fisher College

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For non-majors biology courses.

Engage students in science with stories that relate to their lives

Biology: Science for Life weaves a compelling storyline throughout each chapter to grab students' attention in exploring current high-interest topics. The authors return to the storyline again and again to help students learn relevant biological principles and how science can help answer complex questions.

In the 6th Edition, new and updated storylines ensure currency and keep students engaged. The Big Question feature helps students use data to critically evaluate information. And active learning features and author-created resources help instructors implement the storyline approach.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Each chapter weaves in a story based on a current issue or hot topic that presents and explains biological concepts, examples, and applications.
  • Working with Data questions challenge students to analyze and apply their knowledge of biology to a graph or set of data.
  • Sounds Right, But Is It? activities at the end of each chapter address common student misconceptions about biology concepts.
  • Roots to Remember in chapter discussions help students learn the language of biology using word roots.
  • Visualize This questions encourage students to look closely at figures to more fully understand their content.

New and updated features of this title

  • Storylines: Chapter 5, Photosynthesis in a story about global climate change; Chapter 7, Fertility; Chapter 8, Does Testing Save Lives; Chapter 9, Biology of Wrongful Convictions; Chapter 13, Supposed human races and swimmer Simone Manuel's 2016 Olympic gold medal; Chapter 17, Ecological Footprints; Chapter 20, Health issues around e-cigarettes and the practice of vaping
  • The Big Question presents a topic followed by smaller questions to determine which of those questions science can answer. Data is presented and students analyze the data related to both the big and smaller questions.
  • Got it? questions help students assess their content comprehension through a series of fill-in-the-blank questions.
  • Make the Connection exercises ask students to connect statements about the storyline to its key scientific concepts, ensuring they understand the relationship between the story and the science.
  • Show You Know questions encourage students to think critically about concepts and serve as starting points for classroom discussions.

Highlights of the DIGITAL UPDATE for Pearson eText (available for Spring 2021 classes)

  • NEW: Storyline Questions appear as question #6 at the end of each “Got It?” section.
  • UPDATED: Storylines and content ensure up-to-the-minute currency to maximize student engagement, including two new storylines: Chapter 23: Toxic Stress and Chapter 10 is heavily revised but retains the title, Genetically Modified Organisms.

Highlights of the DIGITAL UPDATE for Mastering Biology (available for Spring 2021 classes)

Instructors, no need to create a new course. Digital updates have been added.

  • NEW: Pearson® Interactive Labs are structured around the process of science and feature real-world scenarios and guided feedback so students can make and learn from their mistakes.
  • NEW: BIAS test activities help students think critically about the validity of biology-related statements in the news or on social media.
  • NEW: Study Skills Modules help students develop study strategies, including test taking, studying vs. learning, time management, resource use, accountability, reading and note-taking.

Features of Mastering Biology for the 6th Edition; published 2018

  • Figure Walkthrough videos guide students through key figures with author-narrated explanations and figure markups.
  • Make the Connection Activities tie the chapter storyline to key scientific concepts, ensuring students understand the relationship between the story and the science.
  • GraphIt! Coaching Activities help students read, interpret and create graphs using real data to explore real environmental issues.
  • Working with Data questions in each chapter challenge students to analyze and apply their knowledge of biology to a graph or set of data.

Biology: Science for Life is available in the following versions:

  • Biology: Science for Life with Physiology contains Chapters 1-26
  • Biology: Science for Life contains Chapters 1-17
  1. Can Science Cure the Common Cold?

UNIT 1: CHEMISTRY AND CELLS

  1. Science Fiction, Bad Science, and Pseudoscience
  2. Is It Possible to Supplement Your Way to Better Performance and Health?
  3. Body Weight and Health
  4. Life in the Greenhouse

UNIT 2: GENETICS

  1. Cancer
  2. Fertility
  3. Does Testing Save Lives
  4. Biology of Wrongful Convictions
  5. Genetically Modified Organisms

UNIT 3: EVOLUTION

  1. Where Did We Come From
  2. An Evolving Enemy
  3. Understanding Race
  4. The Greatest Species on Earth?

UNIT 4: ECOLOGY

  1. Is the Human Population Too Large?
  2. Conserving Biodiversity
  3. The Human Footprint

UNIT 5: ANIMAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

  1. Organ Donation
  2. Binge Drinking
  3. Clearing the Air
  4. Vaccination: Protection and Prevention or Peril?
  5. Human Sex Diffrences
  6. Toxic Stress
  7. Study Drugs: Brain Boost or Brain Drain?

UNIT 6: PLANT BIOLOGY

  1. Feeding the World
  2. Growing a Green Thumb

APPENDICES

  • Metric System Conversions
  • Answers
  • Credits

About our authors

Colleen Belk and Virginia Borden Maier collaborated on teaching biology to nonmajors for over a decade at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. This collaboration has continued for an additional decade through Virginia's move to St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York, and has been enhanced by their differing but complementary areas of expertise. In addition to the nonmajors course, Colleen Belk teaches general biology for majors, genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology courses. Virginia Borden Maier teaches general biology for majors, evolutionary biology, zoology, plant biology, ecology, and conservation biology courses.

After several somewhat painful attempts at teaching the breadth of biology to non-majors in a single semester, the two authors came to the conclusion that they needed to find a better way. They realized that their students were more engaged when they understood how biology directly affected their lives. Colleen and Virginia began to structure their lectures around stories they knew would interest students. When they began letting the story drive the science, they immediately noticed a difference in student engagement and willingness to work harder at learning biology. Not only has this approach increased student understanding, but it has also increased the authors' enjoyment in teaching the course--presenting students with fascinating stories infused with biological concepts is simply a lot more fun.

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