Honors Biology, and the study habits that come with it.
For many students, Honors Biology is their first high school science class and their first honors course. The content is manageable. The amount of it, and the way tests ask about it, is what catches people off guard.
- Course
- Honors Biology
- Usually
- Grades 9 to 10
- Before it
- None. Usually a freshman or sophomore course
- Format
- Live 1 on 1, online
What Honors Biology tutoring looks like with us
Honors Biology covers a lot of ground in one year: chemistry of life, cells, energy, genetics, evolution, and ecology. Tests often ask students to apply ideas to new situations, which is a different skill from recalling definitions.
Your tutor works through each unit as your class does, and teaches study methods that carry over to every science course after: active recall, simple concept maps, and practice explaining an idea out loud. We tutor regular (college prep) Biology too.
Many states end the year with a biology end of course exam (for example, the Keystone in Pennsylvania or the Biology EOC in Florida and Texas). We help with those as well.
What a typical Honors Biology course covers
| Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
| 01 | Science PracticesExperimental design, variables, graphing, claim evidence reasoning |
| 02 | BiochemistryWater, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes |
| 03 | CellsProkaryotes and eukaryotes, organelles, membranes, osmosis and diffusion |
| 04 | Energy in CellsATP, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, fermentation |
| 05 | Cell DivisionCell cycle, mitosis, meiosis, cancer |
| 06 | GeneticsPunnett squares, incomplete dominance, sex linked traits, pedigrees |
| 07 | DNA and ProteinsReplication, transcription, translation, mutations, biotechnology |
| 08 | EvolutionNatural selection, evidence for evolution, speciation, classification |
| 09 | EcologyFood webs, energy pyramids, cycles of matter, population dynamics, human impact |
| 10 | Body SystemsHomeostasis and major organ systems (varies by school) |
Order and depth vary by school and state. Your tutor follows your class.
Where students lose points in Honors Biology
Too much to remember
Students try to memorize every term. We show how ideas connect so there is less to memorize and more that makes sense.
Genetics problems
Punnett squares are easy until a test adds two traits or a pedigree. We practice the harder versions until they are routine.
Protein synthesis
Transcription and translation get mixed up constantly. A clear picture of where each happens and what it makes clears it up.
Application questions
Honors tests ask what would happen if something changed. We practice those questions directly instead of only reviewing notes.
What a typical session looks like
- First 5 min
Check in on class: what was taught this week, what is due, and when the next test is.
- Main block
Work through the topic that matters most right now, using your actual homework or class problems.
- Practice
Test style questions on the same topic, so the skill holds up under time pressure.
- Last 5 min
A short plan for the week, and the topic for this week's worksheet.
- After
Our support team sends the worksheet, marks it, and returns a written score report and a retest on the weak spots. Parents get a copy.
Honors Biology tutoring FAQ
Do you tutor regular Biology as well?
Can you help my child prepare for a state biology end of course exam?
Is Honors Biology good preparation for AP Biology?
My child does the work but still does poorly on tests. Why?
How much does Honors Biology tutoring cost?
Get help with Honors Biology this week.
Tell us where things stand in Honors Biology: current grade, next test, anything your teacher has said. We pair you with a tutor who knows this course and set up a free 30 minute trial session.
- A tutor who knows your exact course
- Sessions follow your teacher's syllabus and test dates
- Online, so any time zone in the US works
- Weekly worksheets, written score reports, and retests, all included
- A support team tracking progress and keeping parents updated