Open Textbook Collections
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E.O. Wilson’s Life on EarthLife on Earth is an iBooks Textbook consisting of 41 chapters in 7 separate units and can be downloaded for free from the iBooks Store.
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Lumen Learning – BiologyLumen Learning provides a Biology text with various chapters such as The Chemical Foundation of Life and Osmotic Regulation and the Excretory System.
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Lumen Learning – MicrobiologyLumen Learning provides a Microbiology text with various chapters such as Cell Structure of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryotes and Pathogenicity.
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MERLOTMERLOT is a curated collection of free and open online teaching, learning, and faculty development services contributed and used by an international education community.
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The National Academies Press (NAP)This is a great resource that provides textbooks on biology and life sciences.
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OER CommonsOER Commons provides a curated collection of textbooks and resources for biological studies including zoology, botany and ecology.
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OpenStax CNX – BiologyOver thirty open textbooks covering Biology.
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Open Textbook LibraryBrowse a wide selection of textbooks on biological science topics.
Courses and Videos
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Biology & Life Science Courses – edXTake free online biology courses in genetics, biotechnology, biochemistry, neurobiology and other disciplines. Courses include Fundamentals of Neuroscience from Harvard University, Molecular Biology from MIT and an Introduction to Bioethics from Georgetown.
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Future Learn – BiologyGet an introduction to science-based skills through simple, exciting, hands-on physics, chemistry and biology experiments of get an introduction to the different components and systems in the body that keep us alive and healthy.
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Future Learn – ZoologyLearn how important animal viruses are transmitted between animals and humans, and understand the diseases they produce or become familiar with One Health, a promising concept, and the effective solutions it provides for urgent health problems.
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HHMI BioInteractive LecturesHoward Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) BioInteractive offers lectures on biology topics, such as; human evolution, genetics, and reporting scientific results, that range from 30-60 minutes.
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Khan AcademyHere you will find lecture videos and educational videos that are 1 min-30 min in length, related to a variety of topics: evolution and natural selection, cell division, heredity and genetics, tree of life, cellular respiration, photosynthesis, human biology, and immunology.
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MERLOT CoursesOnline courses and lectures on a variety of biology topics.
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MIT Open CourseWareUndergraduate and graduate level courses on a variety of biology topics, from ecology to neuroscience. Includes video lectures, course notes, and readings.
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The Open Learning Initiative (OLI)OLI is a grant-funded group at Carnegie Mellon University, offering innovative online courses to anyone who wants to learn or teach.
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TED TalksTED will link you with 5-25 min talks on Biology. You can browse by subject, length, or rating to inspire your students to learn more.
Labs, Simulations, and Interactive Resources
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Biology Labs On-LineBiology Labs On-Line is an open access web site that offers a series of 12 interactive, inquiry-based biology simulations and exercises designed for college and AP high school biology students.
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Classroom ExplorationsClassroom Explorations offers activities that will teach you about traits of life, microscopy, math in science, research tools, genetics, and developmental biology.
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The LifeDiscoveryEd Digital LibraryThe LifeDiscoveryEd Digital Library is an online resource portal for biology education in ecology, plant biology and evolution.
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Virtual Biology LabVirtual Biology Lab is a free, online educational resource provided for educational purposes. VBL simulates natural environments with the way life responds to changing conditions.
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The Virtual Biology LabsRutgers University offers lab exercises in cell structure, cell reproduction, and chromosome structure and meiosis. Students will work through the labs with step by step instructions.
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Web Adventures From Rice UniversityThis website offers interactive games that will teach students about the Scientific Method, Cholera, or the Pox Virus as if they were the scientist researching the disease.
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XVIVO Scientific AnimationXVIVOs award-winning animation studio creates compelling visual productions for pharmaceutical, medical device and biotech companies, advertising agencies, educational organizations, museums and broadcast companies. From script to screen, we provide custom education and communication services for every client.
Taxonomic Keys & Guides
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California Native Plant SocietyIdentifying native California plants using interactive distribution maps, keys, and photo guides.
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The Jepson eFloraDichotomous key to California vascular plant families.
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USDA PLANTS Interactive ID KeysInteractive online and downloadable guides to grasses, legumes, gymnosperms, wetland monocots, and Ericaceae on a state by state basis.
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MykowebPhoto guide to the fungi of California.
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Google Books – Flora of CaliforniaFree access to a variety of texts on the flora of California.