Biology for the Informed Citizen by Donna M. Bozzone and Douglas
S. Green, more than any other non-science majors biology book,
helps student connect the concepts of biology to the consequences
of biology - the consequences that students can and should see in
every facet of their lives, if only trained to identify them.
This text s to teach the concepts of biology, evolution, and
the process of science so students can apply their knowledge in
their everyday lives as informed consumers and users of
scientific information.
The book's Cases, Concepts, and Consequences approach connects
the concepts of biology to the consequences of biology through
the text's major themes - the process of science and evolution -
which help to show students not only "what we know" but also "how
we know what we know."
Cases: An engaging biological issue opens every chapter and is
revisited throughout
Concepts: Foundational biological ideas are introduced within the
context of important cultural and social issues
Consequences: The concepts and consequences of biology are
connected to enhance students' abilities to make informed
decisions about biological issues
This version of the text features a section on Physiology. For
more information about Biology for the Informed Citizen without
Physiology, please search for ISBN 9780195381986.
Features
*Rich Case Studies open each chapter to highlight an issue or
challenge with biological significance and focuses on the
consequences of biology. These cases motivate the material in
each chapter and demonstrate ways in which conceptual
understanding of biology can be used to make informed decisions
about important issues. Cases in the book include "le Cell
Disease, Malaria, and Human Evolution" (Chapter 4), "The
Infidelity Gene" (Chapter 1), and "Lactose Intolerance and the
Geographic Variation of Human Traits" (Chapter 9).
*The Process of Science is also demonstrated throughout the text
in two types of short, high-interest essays in each chapter:
--Scientist Spotlight essays show the process of biology with
biographical information and historical context about the real
individuals whose scientific discoveries have made tremendous
impacts on all of our lives. Scientists profiled include Rosalind
Franklin (Chapter 4) and Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher (Chapter 9).
--How Do We Know? essays look beyond memorizing facts to get
students thinking critically about how we know what we know.
These essays include "Pedigree Analysis" (Chapter 4) and
"Constructing Evolutionary Trees" (Chapter 9).
*Real -World Application essays help students learn and reinforce
biological concepts. The intersection of global issues, ethics,
and social responsibility with biological research, ideas, and
knowledge help students understand our culture in a fuller
context through two types of essays:
--Life Application essays, like "The Effectiveness of Genetic
Screening" (Chapter 4) and "Public Acceptance of Evolution"
(Chapter 9) present specific real-world examples illustrating how
biological knowledge can be used to help individuals and society
make informed decisions.
--Technology Connection essays like "Electrophoresis" (Chapter 4)
and "Genbank" (Chapter 9) describe specific methods and tools of
scientific research are being used to shape the world in which we
live.
*Every chapter in Biology for the Informed Citizen includes
carefully crafted pedagogical tools to help students learn and
reinforce biological concepts.
--Chapter Learning Objectives at the start of each chapter (based
on Bloom's taxonomy) correspond to the main headings and provide
a framework for the key concepts to help students focus on what
is most important.
--Questions-Based Chapter Titles and Section Headings model the
spirit of inquiry at the heart of the scientific process.
--Simple and Clear Illustrations in each chapter help students
visualize important concepts. The art program uses a consistent
format to help guide students through complex processes.
--Marginal Glossary defines key terms in the margins of the pages
on which the terms appear, so students can easily find
definitions and explanations when preparing for exams.
--Chapter Summaries at the end of each chapter are organized
around the chapter learning objectives, numbered chapter
sections, and highlight and reinforce the main concepts.
--Review Questions at the end of each chapter offer multiple
choice and short-answer, asking students to recall core
information presented in the chapter. Answers to the multiple
choice questions appear at the end of the book.
--The Thinking Citizen advanced questions at the end of each
chapter ask students to think critically and analytically about
the main chapter concepts.
--The Informed Citizen advanced questions at the end of each
chapter ask students to apply biological concepts to relevant
cultural and social issues.
*The book is written with the foundational concepts that comprise
a standard non-science majors biology course but it is organized
on a "need-to-know" basis, placing biological topics within the
context of important cultural and social issues, but without
excessive detail, organized into four units.
--Unit 1: The Scientific Study of Life
--Unit 2: Reproduction, Inheritance, and Evolution
--Unit 3: Interacting with Nature
--Unit 4: Interacting with Nature
*Biology in Perspective sections place the chapter concepts in
larger context.
