1. Can my class use the BIOLOGY Exploring Life textbook without the Web site?

The BIOLOGY Exploring Life textbook and Web site were constructed together, from the ground up, to unite Web resources and textbook content in a fully integrated curriculum. As each chapter was crafted, careful decisions were made about which content was best delivered in print and which was best delivered online. Consequently, there will be boxes and special features that you would expect to find in a typical textbook that you will not find in the BIOLOGY Exploring Life textbook. In our case, that content may be online or on the CD-ROM where it can be treated in a more engaging and interactive way. The publisher does not sell the BIOLOGY Exploring Life text without the BIOLOGY Exploring Life Web site/CD-ROM.

2. Why is there a CD-ROM and a Web site to go with this program and what's the difference between them?

The CD-ROM is a backup for the BIOLOGY Exploring Life Web site either for days when your school server is down or for a classroom (or a student) who might have a computer with a CD-ROM drive but no Internet access. All of the core concept activities for each chapter, all the Lab Online Companions, and the text narrative are duplicated on the CD-ROM. What is not on the CD-ROM are the BIOLOGY Exploring Life WebQuests and special features that involve links to external Web sites.

3. Why is the BIOLOGY Exploring Life textbook so much shorter than other biology books?

The BIOLOGY Exploring Life textbook is roughly 200–300 pages shorter than most high school biology textbooks. This shorter length is possible because of a sharp focus on a manageable number of key concepts. In addition to that key concept focus, special boxed features like Careers, History of Science, Science, Technology, & Society, typically found in most biology books, are in the BIOLOGY Exploring Life online environment providing maximum interactivity and exploration.

4. If the book is so much shorter, does the book leave out any major topics?

No. BIOLOGY Exploring Life is a complete program that covers all of the content expected for 9th/10th grade curriculum.

Click HERE for a specific list of hardware and software requirements. As with any Web site, your particular Internet connection will determine the speed of animations, movies, and the overall responsiveness of the site.

No. BIOLOGY Exploring Life is flexibly designed to work in many different situations — one computer or many, computers in the classroom or in the media lab, experienced teachers or those new to using technology. The program's built-in flexibility and the teacher resources will help you fit the materials to your particular needs.

7. Will this cost more than other high school products?

BIOLOGY Exploring Life is competitively priced with other major high school biology products.

8. What does the NSF research say about this program?

BIOLOGY Exploring Life was the subject of a three-year evaluation grant (IMD-9986610). Through this grant, 64 pilot test classrooms around the country have used sample material (text, Web, and labs) with their students. The results are very positive. Student pre- and post-test scores showed marked improvement, teacher and student attitudes toward the program were very positive, and teachers commented that their students were highly motivated and interested in the program. Further information about the NSF grant can be found at the evaluation Web site: http://www.lehigh.edu/~inexlife/.

9. What are the advantages of having a biology program online?

The BIOLOGY Exploring Life authors and developers believe that technology can help teachers bring active science to their students. And of all computer technology, the Internet is the most promising new environment for active learners. The World Wide Web shares the three main features of CD-ROM's: hypermedia, multimedia and interactivity. But the Web adds two more qualities — it is organic and it is social. Organic in that it can be constantly changing and growing and social in the very real sense that it is a meeting place where students and teachers can collaborate, even over long distance.

Some schools and districts are forced to use the same textbook for many years — as science changes, their teaching materials do not. The tight integration of the BIOLOGY Exploring Life text with its Web site allows you and your student to have a consistently updated source of information correlated to your book.

10. What problems might we encounter if we use this program?

Of course, with any new program there are always risks. The BIOLOGY Exploring Life developers, with the help of our numerous pilot testers, have tried to anticipate and mitigate the risks you might encounter. For instance, technical support is just a phone call away, the back up CD-ROM will assist for those "bad technology days", and the rich teacher support materials will help guide your day-to-day decision making about how to use this new program.

11. What kind of teacher support comes with this program?

The BIOLOGY Exploring Life package includes abundant support for teachers. In addition to the Teacher's Edition textbook, testing software, classroom management tools, and numerous print supplements, there is online teaching support for each chapter. Check out the BIOLOGY Exploring Life-At-a-Glance grid on this Web site for a complete list.

12. Where does the BIOLOGY Exploring Life Web site reside and is it a secure site?

The BIOLOGY Exploring Life Web site resides on Prentice Hall servers capable of handling tremendous user volume. The site is secure and redundantly backed-up.

Return to What is BIOLOGY Exploring Life?