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Learn High School Biology
by Ginna Baker
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Overview
Learning biology can be a huge task. There are hundreds of terms and processes that are introduced in high school biology, and you can master them by following a few guidelines.
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Reading Your Biology Text
Biology can be a big challenge, but it doesn't have to break your GPA. Strategic studying can go a long way toward making biology a lot easier to understand.
First, read your textbook--but don't speed through it. Take time to look at the illustrations, and even copy those that seem most important. When you come across a word you don't know, copy it into your notebook and look it up. Try not to get bogged down, but also try not to skim over the content so much that you can read a whole chapter and still not have a clue. Try this: whenever you get to a bold heading, summarize the section you just read in one sentence, either out loud or on paper. The questions at the end of each chapter are a great way to test your knowledge.
If you have tried all this and are still lost, your book may not be right for you. Go to the library and look through their beginner level biology books; you may find one that is easier to understand. Don't let a bad textbook get in the way of your eduction.
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Learning the Vocabulary
All the new words in biology can be overwhelming. Figure out those that are most important and make notecards to help you study them. On one side, write the word, and on the other side, a description or definition of the word. Try using only the word side and saying the description yourself. Then flip the deck over and use only the description to help you come up with the word. Keep these cards with you at all times; that way you can study them when you have a few extra minutes between activities. You'll be amazed at how much you can learn in a short period of time.
Don't limit yourself to the book's pictures and diagrams. Create your own diagrams to help you remember metaphase and anaphase. Make them into cartoons with dialogue. Craft some Popsicle stick puppets and arrange them in the correct order. Make up silly rhymes or advertising jingles to help you remember difficult words. Do whatever it takes to make biology interesting.
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Test Preparation
Before a test, look through your biology notes. Write questions, comments and page references in the margins. Look up unfamiliar terms. Take different colored highlighters and highlight the most important parts. If a section seems difficult to understand, look it up in the book and create new notes on the topic with arrows and drawings.
For a fun hands-on activity, make your own cell out of jello. Use small pieces of fruit to create the nucleus, golgi bodies and other cell parts. At the end, add whipped cream and dig in!
If studying on your own is not working, look for a study buddy who also wants to get better at biology. Practice making up your own test questions and quizzing each other. Your teacher is an excellent resource; feel free to ask him questions about things you don't understand. Most teachers will happily stay after school with you to offer help.
