Core Concepts: Biology

Grade Level Gr 6 and UpCost Subscription pricing is tiered based on student enrollment or cardholder numbers and begins at $595 per year.Ease of Use and Visual Appeals The site boasts a simple and uncluttered landing page, with a basic search bar, intuitive navigation tabs, and two centralized boxes: one featuring a spotlighted Core Idea (which for this review viewing was Plant Adaptations), and another containing a brief synopsis of a biology subject and a short video clip. Users have the option to search articles and topics on the site by browsing alphabetically arranged hyperlinked items. Clicking on individual entries reveals a visually appealing, well-arranged layout complete with a colorful photo or two, the occasional chart or diagram, and numerous hyperlinked terms that work well for cross-referencing.Using accessible and contextually applicable writing, articles lay out the basic facts. Left side tabs allow users to navigate sections of larger articles, resources for further research, and a glossary of pertinent terms. Each section has citations for MLA, APA, and Chicago formats. Also included is the text-to-speech from ReadSpeaker for challenged or ESL readers.Content This database tackles the basics. The navigation tabs on the landing page include the categories "Animal Systems," "Biology Basics," "Cell Biology," "Ecology," "Evolution," "Genetics," "Human Body," "Microbes," "Plant Structures," and "Reproduction," with four additional tabs for "Scientist Biographies," "Plan-It Earth: Cause & Effect," "Explore, Create, and Learn," and "Resources for Teachers and Librarians." Clicking on any of the subject tabs reveals a brief blurb about the topic and a listing of subcategories with a thumbnail image and a "Read More" option. For example, the "Cell Biology" tab contains such subcategories as "Cell Basics," "Inside the Cell," and "The Cell Cycle."Also useful is the "Scientist Biographies" section, which offers well-written overviews of seminal scientists, such as Alexander Fleming, Louis Pasteur, and Charles Darwin. Under the "Explore, Create, Learn" tab are tools that students can use to create a multimedia presentation, podcast, public service announcement, or a social media campaign. The interactive time lines allow students to explore the distinctive science in the proper historical context, with embedded video clips along the way. This tab also contains several solid interactive elements: users can delve into video galleries and interactive time lines, study with biology flash cards, or explore a number of other experiments and hands-on activities. Another tab, "Plan-It Earth Cause and Effect," is also of note. Here, students are presented with brief scenarios and asked hypothetical questions; the answers show how the seemingly simplest events have long-lasting consequences.Resources for Teachers and Librarians Curriculum correlations are offered for Next Generation Science Standards and other national, state, and provincial standards for science, language arts, and mathematics, as well as Common Core State Standards for English language arts and mathematics. These are searchable by selecting one's state, subject, and grade. Also featured are lesson plans for each subject and online training.Verdict Rosen has taken a usually complicated subject and presented it in a seamless format that instructors will find incredibly useful and students easily accessible.—Brian Odom, Huntsville, AL