The big idea for an area of study that challenges students year after year but yet is essential to life processes is the relationship between matter and energy—how we get and use energy for life. If we put a phrase to this, it is all about cellular respiration. But to say this phrase without meaning is just another intimidating biology term. This is how the author set out to design a sequence of lessons for biology students. This area of study comes directly after students have studied photosynthesis.

After the lessons described in this chapter, students make connections between photosynthesis and cellular respiration, completing their understanding of matter and energy. This free sample chapter also includes the Table of Contents, About the Authors, Introduction, and Index.