By: Kendall Hunt RPD with contributions from the writing team of ByDesign Biology

As students and teachers return to classrooms this fall, many are doing so in a hybrid environment, blending digital and in-person education to keep students and staff members safe in the world of COVID-19.

In many districts, students will attend in-person classes for only two or three days of the week, completing their work online on the other days. Others are allowing students to choose whether in-person or remote education works best for their families. And in all schools, staff members and students may be forced, either individually or on a school-wide basis, to take a two-week “vacation” if they test positive for COVID-19. Whatever happens, it seems highly likely that at some point this year, students and teachers may have to do at least a portion of their learning virtually, and schools are wisely preparing for that eventuality.

If you’re a teacher or administrator in this situation, chances are, you’ve already made the decision that content cannot be sacrificed even when the educational environment is atypical, and it’s especially imperative at the high school level that students stay on track. You need a curriculum that delivers remotely … and ByDesign Biology is that curriculum!

All four components to the ByDesign Biology curriculum—the Student Edition, the Teacher Edition, and the Student and Teacher Lab Resources—are available digitally through the online platform Flourish. The Student Edition is even available as a hybrid edition (print and eBook, with a six-year license). This means that every single aspect of the ByDesign Biology curriculum is available digitally, so you can plan your lessons remotely, and your students can learn remotely if the need arises.

What’s more, all these components are accessible at any time, a major bonus when COVID-19 wreaks havoc with normal daily routines. Whether having children at home forces you to prep and plan late at night or students taking care of younger siblings need to wake up early to complete their work, the ByDesign Biology curriculum allows you to teach and learn in the way that best fits your schedule.  

The digital Teacher Edition also makes remote teaching easy for the instructor by including answer keys, an assessment generator and test bank, and PowerPoint presentations reflecting key concepts. The teacher versions of student labs also provide additional information to adapt experiments, guide students through potential areas of difficulty, and answer student questions.

Finally, the digital components of the ByDesign Biology program are high-quality electronic products designed for easy use by both teachers and students. For example, the Teacher and Student Editions can be viewed in single-page mode and enlarged for easier viewing, and the Flourish platform even allows students to take notes in their eBooks.

In addition, the table of contents links directly to corresponding chapters, lessons, glossary definitions, and supporting labs, allowing students and teachers to quickly access the information they need. Students can even flip between chapters, reviews, and labs to create connections between concepts and review information from multiple chapters before assessments.

When it comes to COVID-19 flexibility, the best part about all these digital resources is that they alleviate the stress of trying to transition an in-person curriculum to a digital one at the drop of a hat, the frustration that many experienced this past spring when COVID-19 necessitated abrupt school closures. ByDesign Biology is designed to work as an in-person curriculum, but because all the program components are available digitally, you won’t need to spend time uploading worksheets and quizzes for your students or worry about whether they have access to the right information. We’ve done the technological lifting for you so that you can make the most of your time with your students, even if that time is virtual or hybrid.

ByDesign Biology gives schools and teachers the confidence that regardless of whatever unusual educational settings they find themselves in this fall, they have a science curriculum that will support their students’ and teachers’ needs. Contact Kendall Hunt Religious Publishing today to learn more about how our customized, faith-based high school biology curriculum could be the solution for your school!