essay 1
Biology at R.C. Palmer Secondary School
Selena Lai Grade 9
September 19, 2025
Most people think of biology classes as - simply to put it - educational courses. Though science taught in our classrooms is by far the most educational anyone’s ever seen, biology, at Palmer, is way more than just listening about plants and animals.
You see, the teachers here aren’t just extremely professional and trained – they're more than just talking devices. Teachers at Palmer provide interactive classes that reach out to students in special ways. For example, instead of the standard teaching style of letting students take their own notes in notebooks, Palmer provides notes packages that require students to fill in the blank spaces while listening to slideshows. This teaching method requires students to pay attention during class activity and truly take in the information.
On top of that, the school provides intricate dissections (cow’s eyeball, frog, etc.) for the students to experience a hands-on learning opportunity. To ensure the best experiments are handed to students, Palmer has hired its own scientist to help prepare materials for the experiments.
Palmer also provides PLT weekly, allowing students to catch up on subjects they have difficulty with. This helps the school community by giving them time to catch up on biology.
Biology classes at this school are more than just ordinary. They give the students eye-opening memories that will linger with them long after graduation, no matter if it’s a disgusting dissection incident or a regular session.
essay 2
How can Biology help students in the future?
Selena Lai Grade 9
October 1, 2025
Biology is the study of cells, organisms, and all living things around us. It helps students grasp a better understanding of how things grow, develop, and reproduce. Biology is simply everything around us, from strawberry seeds to elephants.
In the world today, Biology helps students in the future by providing information on human anatomy. Doctors, fashion designers, artists, and many more professions require knowledge of human anatomy to succeed in the field of career. Other than human anatomy, there are also different types of biology. For example, biology also includes the study of plants. Nutritionists, farmers, gardeners, florists, and other jobs require this level of education to work properly.
Biology helps people understand how things are grown or structured, and how they work to gain knowledge on how the world works.
essay 3
What Do Grade 8 Students Learn in Biology?
Selena Lai Grade 9
October 10, 2025
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The first-year students at R.C. Palmer Secondary take a mandatory science class that covers chemistry, physics, and biology. Biology is considered the longest unit in that class, taking up almost half of the timeline.
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Biology in grade 9 focuses on asexual and sexual reproduction, such as mitosis, meiosis, and human sexual reproduction. All those main points circle back to the same lesson – cells, chromosomes, and DNA.
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First, to understand asexual and sexual reproduction, we must understand what reproduction is. “Reproduction” is known as living organisms creating offspring with either the same or similar DNA. Mitosis and meiosis are the processes of reproduction, but in different cells and contain different phases and standards.
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Mitosis and meiosis are both forms of reproduction. Mitosis splits cells into two identical daughter cells with the same DNA as the mother cell, and meiosis produces gametes (sperm and egg cells) for human reproduction to occur.
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Mitosis has five phases – Prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase with cytokinesis.
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Prophase and prometaphase are technically the same phase, just separated by the early and late stages. Prophase is the early stage where the cell produces more proteins to prepare for the cell division process, while prometaphase is the late stage where the cell’s chromosomes are fully condensed and ready to break down.
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Metaphase is the third stage of mitosis where the chromosomes all line up at the metaphase plate (in the middle) in preparation to get through the first checkpoint. The checkpoint makes sure that everything is in place. If not, then the process will be delayed until the problem is solved.
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Anaphase is the fourth stage where the separation begins physically. The glue that held the sister chromatids together is now broken down, and they are separated into two sets, which make four.
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Telophase is the fifth stage of separation, where the cell is almost done dividing and begins to build back its original structures. Cytokinesis is the physical phase of separating the cell into two. It first pinches the cell (in the animal cell). If it's a plant cell, the cell wall is too thick for it to be pinched, so instead it builds a cell plate to become a wall.
essay 4
Tips to Study for Biology
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Selena Lai Grade 9
October 17 2025
Biology is considered a difficult subject for its constant need for memorizing and its concepts. Ever feel overwhelmed because of biology homework and realizing that the test is tomorrow? Here are some tips to ensure that studying goes well.
1. Writing and re-writing
Sometimes it’s helpful to just read off the information but writing it down after reading it can improve memorizing. For example, use a nearby textbook as references and jot down important notes. Then, close the textbook and re-write the information without looking at the content. Go back and note down anything missing. Re-do this until you can easily write down every piece of information in that section. I recommend studying in small sections first, to reduce too much information.
2. Same senses
While studying, try chewing a piece of strawberry gum. Then, during the test, also chew a piece of strawberry gum (if allowed). This manipulates your brain to unintentionally think of the time you studied, and memories come back. Though this sounds easy, keep in mind that this should only be used as a booster, not as the full boat.
3. Money motivation
Why do we study? “To get good grades to get into a good university”. Why should we get into a good university? “To get a good job to get money”. Money is ultimately most people’s end goal. If studying sounds like a devastating chore, place some cash, or even a picture from your wish list, and think of it every time you don’t want to write anymore. This method is called the motivation method and can also get varied by treating yourself to something nice after a hard day of studying.