Written by: Lisa Wyatt

What Are Biology Bits?

Biology Bits stories take large concepts and break them down into pieces that are very tiny – bite-sized – so students can digest a little at a time. Teachers will appreciate the smaller approach to big concepts: use Biology Bits as an introduction to a textbook chapter, or implement them as your primary text. Biology Bits are a great way to focus on Biology reading comprehension. We further that comprehension by pairing the text with engaging illustrations. These provide visual models for many of the ideas presented. You can use the whole set of cards or just a few – it’s up to you!

What Topics Are Available?

The topics for Biology Bits are in the life sciences – hence, the “Biology” part of the name. Right now, the following topics are ready to use, and there will be more coming in the next few months (including Bones, Biomes, Molecules, and more). These cards can be used for many grade levels, but we've provided some guidance for the different sets in the table below. The card format also allows teachers to preselect cards to include or exclude depending on student reading and comprehension level.

Why Should I Use Biology Bits?

Biology Bits stories support concepts in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Although Arizona has not yet adopted NGSS, the Arizona Department of Education encourages teachers to “…begin to shift your instruction to align to the vision of the Framework for K-12 Science Education.” This includes embedding the AZCCRS Literacy Standards in Reading and Writing “…to develop a deeper content understanding and support the practices of constructing explanations, developing and using models, engaging in arguments from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating and communicating information in science.”

How Can I Use Biology Bits?

You can use the Bits in many different ways. Here are a few ideas to get you started…if you have other ideas, please share them with us using our feedback form.

Core Concepts Cards

True/False

Teaching Standards

Our Biology Bits are mostly written at about a 5th or 6th grade level, but they can easily be used across many grades. Below, we’ve picked out the Common Core and Arizona Science Standards with which we think each set of Bits best aligns. For Common Core, we list the grades at which the bits will help with biology-related reading comprehension. Check at the bottom of the page for more info on the standards.

* To gauge Common Core alignment, we measured the complexity of the text using a variety of readability indicators which are used together to create an overall grade level score on read-able.com. This is to help teachers figure out which Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity each set of bits fits under.

While these help with basic biology reading comprehension, it can go a step further as well. If students complete the associated activities (listed above), it will also contribute to meeting requirements for Craft and Structure standards at that grade level.

Though we've listed specific grades, we realize that some older students may benefit from continued practice of lower level text complexity, so do not be discouraged from using these for higher grades. Depending on each individual student, this may be appropriate for younger or older learners.

Some bits align with multiple grades for Arizona Science Standards. In these cases, the Bits would likely be a good place to start as a refresher on the subject for the students at higher learning levels. For grades or learning levels below the reading complexity level, it would be best for teachers to help students get through the texts.

Lisa Wyatt received her Master of Education degree from UCLA. She served in the Peace Corps and then taught in high school and community college for fifteen years. She now teaches grades 4-7 at Montessori Day School in Chandler, Arizona.