Rethinking biology means rethinking the text, the visual program, and assessment.
Ordinarily,
textbooks are developed by first writing chapters, then making
decisions about art and images, and finally, once the book is complete,
assembling a test bank and ancillary media. This process dramatically
limits the integration across resources, and reduces art, media, and
assessments to ancillary material, rather than essential resources for
student learning.
Biology: How Life Works
is the first project to develop three pillars-the text, the visual
program, and the assessment-at the same time. All three pillars were
developed in parallel to make sure that each idea is addressed in the
most appropriate medium, and to ensure authentic integration. These
three pillars are all tied to the same set of core concepts, share a
common language, and use the same visual palette. In this way, the
text, visual program, and assessments are integral parts of student
learning, rather than just accessories to the text.