Biology Curriculum - FULL YEAR Bundle

This no-prep paper AND digital paperless bundle is a complete biology curriculum with ALL of the notes, labs, activities, practices, projects, quizzes, and tests you need to teach an entire year of biology.

Every major biology unit is covered and listed below. Everything is provided for two levels – CP (College Prep, or on grade level) and Honors (advanced) to aid in differentiating for varying levels of students. Not only that, but the student packets come in a paperless digital version that can be used in Google Drive™ and/or Microsoft OneDrive™.

Who is this curriculum best for?

This all-inclusive curriculum is perfect for:

• New teachers
• Experienced teachers new to teaching biology or who want to increase their Biology EOC exam scores
• Teachers with 3 or more preps who want their biology prep completely off of their plate and done for them
• Teachers with minimal to no science budget who want to do engaging labs and activities without breaking the bank buying materials
• Long-term subs or maternity leave
• Teachers in a 1:1 classroom or teaching virtually or in a hybrid distance learning setting

What content in this bundle?

• Biology Basics Unit
• Cells Unit
• Energy Flow Unit
• Genetics Unit
• Heredity Unit
• Evolution Unit
• Ecology Unit
• Add-on Extension: Plants Mini-Unit
• Add-on Extension: Homeostasis Mini-Unit
• Add-on Extension: Pathogens Mini-Unit
• Biology Yearlong Independent Research Projects *NEW*

To read more about my scope and sequence, as well as to access my free pacing guide for the course, check out this blog post here.

What resources are included?

I strongly encourage you to click the links to each unit above and download their previews. Each unit preview will give you 15-20 pages detailing what is included. In summary, you will be receiving:

• Over 3,500 pages of curriculum
• 653 animated and editable PowerPoint slides
• 37+ YouTube video lectures for every set of lecture notes
• 10 packets (1 per unit and mini-unit) of student handouts in printable and paperless digital formats that can be used in Google Drive™ and/or Microsoft OneDrive™ that include:
  • Cornell note outlines for every concept in 3 versions - original, fill-in-the-blank, and completely filled in
  • 46 activities
  • 12 sets of stations
  • 10 labs
  • 10 projects
  • 45 practice handouts for reinforcement
• Over 250 pages of teacher implementation notes
• Editable unit plans - with both 50-minute and 90-minute block pacing options!
• 37 study guides (1 per concept)
• 8 quizzes
• 9 tests (typically 1 per core unit, plus every test comes in a CP and Honors version for differentiation)
• PLUS detailed answer keys for ALL instructional resources, study guides, quizzes, and tests

Not only that, but in purchasing this bundle you will get free updates for LIFE for any content added to it. The newest additions to the biology curriculum include the yearlong independent research projects, binder covers, filled in Cornell notes and fill in the blank Cornell notes - both in the printable PDF packet format and the paperless digital Google Drive™ format.

**Want a video tour of what is inside this curriculum? Check out this one here!**

What materials are needed in addition to the resources provided?

Click the "Preview Included Products" button under the cover image for the full year curriculum bundle preview to see a compiled list of all necessary supplies for all 7 core units and 3 extension mini-units. I wrote this curriculum for the science teacher with minimal materials and budget, so the majority of the supplies needed can be purchased on Amazon or at Walmart!

What types of files are included?

Most of the documents in this product are secured PDFs, meaning you can print them but not edit or copy/paste the text. The paperless digital student packets will be accessed via a Google Drive™ link in a PDF file that students can type into but not change the essential content of. Editable versions are only included for the unit plans, quizzes, tests and some aspects of the activities for you to customize for your classroom. The PowerPoint lecture notes also have editable text. This is to protect the copyright and intellectual property of my own work, plus the work of many dedicated clip artists that are included in this product. If you have questions about this, please don’t hesitate to email me with them PRIOR to purchasing!

What standards are covered?

This entire curriculum was written to align with the DCIs in the *NGSS High School Life Science standards. The crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices are embedded throughout each unit so that the units reflect the three dimensions of the NGSS. An NGSS alignment document is included with each unit with suggestions for phenomena that can be used as you develop storylines specific to your students and their interests. My hope is that this curriculum provides you all of the foundational resources you need for figuring out "what" to teach, so that you can then focus your energy on "how" you want to teach.

Note: I have also read nearly every state's standards, and most state standards are covered as well. If you aren’t sure how your state standards compare to the NGSS, shoot me an email at itsnotrocketsciencestore@gmail.com with a PDF or link to your state standards for Biology and I will be happy to review them for you prior to you making a purchase!

I highly recommend to every teacher that you just purchase one unit first to test out before making such a large investment in purchasing the whole curriculum. This way you can see my style and make sure it is a good fit for you and your students first and minimizing the financial risk. If you like the unit and decide to go ahead and purchase the full curriculum bundle, you can submit your Order ID numbers for the bundle and unit to TpT on their Contact page (or email them to me at itsnotrocketsciencestore@gmail.com if you prefer I do it for you) and you can request a refund for the original unit purchased that you tested out. As long as this is done within one year of the original purchase and you have also purchased the bundle, TpT will honor this request as they see it as a duplicate purchase, which falls within their refund policy. If you have questions about this, feel free to shoot me an email prior to purchasing at itsnotrocketsciencestore@gmail.com.

How is this resource distance learning compatible?

This resource already comes with all of the student handouts in a packet format that can be used on paper (PDF to print) or digitally in a paperless version for Google Drive™ and/or Microsoft OneDrive™. All of the PowerPoint notes also come with a lecture video to help your students learn from afar. You can see all of my lecture videos on my YouTube channel here, and feel free to email me at itsnotrocketsciencestore@gmail.com for a free sample of a paperless digital packet so you can see what the formatting and usability is like prior to purchasing so you can tell if it is a good fit for you and your students.

*NOTE* I did not specifically write this curriculum for distance learning or homeschool settings, but this entire curriculum can still be used in a modified format. I include a document with tips for using the resources within each unit in a virtual teaching and/or homeschool setting to help you. If you have questions about which resources may or may not work from home, shoot me an email and we can discuss!

What is so great about the digital student packets that are included?

• You can go PAPERLESS in your classroom if you want – no more dreaded mornings at the copy machine!
• You still get all of the organization of my packet strategy, just now in digital format too!
• Students will be able to access their packets ANYWHERE. No more, “I forgot my binder so I couldn’t do (fill in the blank)”
• Students can print their filled in packets or an extra blank copy easily from home
• You can now have a mixed classroom with some students paperless and others not. You can also start with just doing a few units digitally and others on paper. Whatever works best for you and your students. The point here is that you now have OPTIONS!
• You have increased flexibility for students to easily learn and be connected outside the walls of your classroom.
• A built in opportunity to help students grow in their digital literacy.

Why should I use this product in my classroom?

If you are a first year teacher, new to teaching biology, going on maternity leave, or overwhelmed by too many responsibilities and classes to prep for, this resource was written for you. Designing curriculum for an entire unit, let alone an entire course like this one, that is organized, engaging, activity-based, and standards-aligned can be exhausting.

Especially if you are in a school with little to no science budget like I have been, it can be so hard to have a hands-on course without breaking your own bank to provide it for your students. This is why I began writing these comprehensive units - for the teacher who wants what is best for their students but doesn't necessarily have the time, energy, or resources to provide it for them (which was ME!)

Not only that, I also wrote each unit with enough detail for my own non-science long-term maternity leave sub to be able to use them. The level of detail, links to the video lectures for each set of notes, and low-budget materials list makes this product perfect for teachers new to this subject, going on maternity leave for a long-term sub, or even trying a flipped classroom strategy.

The mission of It's Not Rocket Science®️ is to provide creative and comprehensive resources that will engage students and simplify teachers' lives so that teaching doesn't have to be rocket science. This is the mission that drives me with every curriculum that I write, and I sincere hope is that every teacher who uses it is freed up to do more of what they love - actually TEACHING!

I’ve spent over 6 years creating this curriculum and nearly 800 hours perfecting it for you. With this curriculum I had a 96% pass rate on the state standardized End-of-Course exam for non-honors students and a 100% pass rate for honors students. This was at a South Carolina Public School with over 50% of the students being below the poverty line. My average score on the EOC (all 200+ students combined that I taught during my time there) was a 90%.

I believe this success is due to multiple factors, but I attribute a lot of it to the comprehensive and creative nature of the packet curriculum that I have designed. You can read more about my packet curriculum strategy (and why I don’t use interactive notebooks) by reading my blog post about it HERE.

What if I am not ready to make such a big purchase and want to test it out first?

I completely understand the investment this is for your classroom, as I too am a teacher and know every penny counts. I highly encourage you if you are considering this big purchase to buy an individual unit first to see if my style is desirable for you and your students. If you like it and decide to go ahead and purchase the full curriculum bundle, you can email me your Order ID at itsnotrocketsciencestore@gmail.com and I can put in a refund request for you to TpT for the original unit you purchased (so you aren’t having to pay for it twice!) Have questions? I’d love to discuss with you further. Shoot me an email or a Q&A!

Can I get a refund if I purchase and the resources don't work for me?

TpT handles all refunds. However, due to the nature of digital resources, they have pretty strict guidelines for providing refunds since you cannot “return” the resources you purchased once you’ve downloaded them (like you can return a shirt you purchased and didn't like.)  You can read TpT's full refund policy here. 

This is why I strongly encourage ALL teachers to purchase just ONE unit in the bundle first. Then you can make sure that my style works for you and the usability of the resources matches your specific needs prior to potentially making a larger investment in the full year bundle. If you do decide to purchase the full year bundle after testing out one unit, TpT WILL refund you for the initial unit you tested out as it is considered a "duplicate purchase" - as long as it has been within one year of the initial purchase.

Looking for other Biology resources?

My daily bell ringers, exam pack, and test review games are not included in this bundle, but you can find them for the entire school year by clicking the links below.

• Biology Full Year Bell Ringers or Exit Slips
• Biology Full Year Vocabulary Review Game
• Biology Midterm and Final Exam Pack

Looking for more comprehensive curriculum?

Check out the other full year curricula I have available!

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Chemistry
• Physical Science

What if I have a question?

Email me at itsnotrocketsciencestore@gmail.com I’d love to answer any questions you have!

Note: This bundle will only be discounted during the TpT sitewide sales that happen once a quarter. No further discounts will be applied at other points throughout the school year. You can also earn TpT credits to use towards future purchases by leaving feedback for past purchases. Head over to “My Purchases” to stock up on some credits!

Do you accept purchase orders?

YES! You can see all of the information for how to do that here.

What if my entire department wants to use this curriculum? Do you offer discounts for multiple licenses?

YES! You can purchase multiple licenses on TpT for 10% off. However, the only person who has access to the curriculum digital (and the ability to re-download as it gets updated) is the person whose account it is purchased through. I recommend purchasing through my resource shop on my website if you want to buy multiple licenses so that I can create a login for each individual teacher using so that everyone has their own individual access, but still gets the discount. Plus I can do larger discounts for buying 5 or more licenses at once. You can get more information from the purchase order page here.

How do I stay updated on new products, sales, blogs, podcast episodes and freebies?

Follow me on TpT, join my email list, or follow me on Instagram. These are the three best ways to keep up with what’s happening at It’s Not Rocket Science!

**TERMS OF USE**

You may:

• Use this item for your own classroom, students, or for your own personal use.
• Buy additional licenses for others to use this product at a discount by visiting your TpT “My Purchases” page.
• Review this product to recommend others buy it in blog posts, at professional development workshops, or other venues as long as credit is given to my store with a direct link to my store/product.

You may not:

• Upload this product to any unsecured website or server that other teachers can access for free.
• Give this product to others without the purchase of an additional license for them (this includes emailing, printing copies, or sharing through a website, cloud or other network.)
• Copy or modify any part of this document to offer others for free or for sale.
• Use the resources for commercial use, such as teaching a course on Outschool or a similar platform using these resources.

*Note: NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.