AP Biology

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Course options: Live or Asynchronous

Grades: 10th – 12th | Prerequisite: Successful completion of high-school level Biology course

Course dates: August 17, 2026 to May 2027 (AP exam)

Course length: Traditional, full year

Live sessions - attendance required: (choose 1)

Section 1: Wednesday | 8-9:30 a.m. Eastern
Section 2: Wednesday | 2-3:30 p.m. Eastern

Course size:

Live: 15-18 students/section
Asynchronous: 10 students

Instructor: Bekah Hilton

Cost:

Tuition: Live: $875 | Asynchronous: $835
Digital website access: $60 (includes course eBook)
Lab kit: approximately $50

More about Bekah Hilton

Bekah Hilton is a big fan of learning "how things work.” She was homeschooled K-to-12 by a mathematician and an engineer, so she learned to always question the “how” and “why” of nature and its processes. She carried that interest into Campbell University’s science department, where she obtained a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, and where she held student jobs in various Biology and Chemistry courses.

During her final year at Campbell University, she took a job in the library and decided to pursue graduate school for Library Sciences--a beautiful combination of technology, education, and

community outreach. Working in the Wake County Public Libraries, she applied her love of teaching and communication to create fun and educational STEM programs for school-age youth and teens in her community.

Bekah loves coming alongside others as they strive to learn--especially in the sciences. She employs both live and text-based group discussions and the Socratic method to help her students achieve academic success in the sciences in a fun and team-focused way.

Bekah is married to her best friend Jacob (who was also homeschooled), and they have 2 beautiful young children. Bekah loves watching science happen in real-time through gardening, baking bread, and cheesemaking-with her love of the simple, she may very well be a hobbit.

Feedback on Bekah Hilton

Required

Your digital website access ($65) is purchased through Blue Tent Online and includes:
- an eBook of McGraw Hill's Biology (AP edition,(2019) by Sylvia S. Mader and Michael Windelspecht.
  - This comprehensive text designed specifically for the AP curriculum framework, with instruction and diagrams well adapted for quick translation to notecard format and study.
- McGraw-Hill homework platform and interactive resources aligned with class text
- eMind software for virtual dissections
Other requirements:
- Barron's AP Biology 2027 (needed in second semester)
- Any PDF reader (free)
- Technical resources - required for live students
  - A reliable internet connection
  - A computer with a web-cam
  - A working microphone
- Technical resources recommended:
  - Earbuds or a headset with a microphone (but your computer microphone will work)

Lab Resources and Supplies

A list of common supplies that can be purchased online and at your grocery store will be provided by the instructor before class begins.

"Hello Mrs. B, this is our first year homeschooling and we feel extremely lucky to have stumbled upon your class [AP Biology]. I am grateful and in awe of your great teaching, clear communication, and dedication to the success of our kids. Thank you so very much!! Wishing you love and joy with the new addition to your family. I hope our paths cross again soon."

"Ms. Bekah is one of the best teachers I've ever had. Never have I been more motivated to pursue biology in some form in my future career and the sheer encouragement and joy she brought to her class is amazing, even when she was sick. Highly recommend this class [AP Biology], it prepares you well for the AP Exam and teaches you biology from back to front, even outside the AP syllabus."

"I think this class [AP Biology] was extremely helpful in prep for the exam, and I couldn't be more grateful to you for taking the time to answer extra questions I had, or review things with me, it definitely helped me a lot, I was especially surprised by the amount of effort you put in after spending so much time in the public school system where things weren't as academically focused. I think the most important assignments were stressed equal to their value in the class, especially the practice exams. This class has been THE best structured curriculum I've ever seen."

"This course [AP Biology] gave me every tool I needed to ensure I was confident and prepared for my AP exam."

"Thank you for teaching [my student] AP Biology. This is his first AP course that he has taken, and found it very hard in the beginning of the semester and kept telling me how difficult it was. Considering the vast content and difficulty of the AP biology course, you did a fantastic job of teaching and preparing him for the AP exam. It was very evident from the way he felt at the end of the year. It was absolutely because of you. Thank you for being so supportive and taking time to guide him amidst your pregnancy morning sickness and stuff. As a parent, I am grateful from the bottom of my heart."

See the 2025 AP Biology exam scores our students earned HERE

Course Details

This live online AP Biology course is a rigorous, college-level course designed for high school homeschoolers who have previously completed a high-school-level introductory Biology class. It complies with the AP course audit and has been approved by the College Board.

The College Board has structured AP Biology to be equivalent to two semesters of college Biology, with topics studied including the chemistry of life, cells and cell energetics, heredity, molecular genetics, evolution, diversity of organisms, structure and function of both plants and animals, and ecology.

This course is designed to help students develop a thorough understanding of biological concepts, view science as a process rather than an accumulation of facts, acquire personal experience in scientific inquiry, recognize unifying themes that integrate the major topics of biology, and apply biological knowledge and critical thinking to environmental and social concerns.

In their online Moodle classroom, students will interact and collaborate with their instructor and peers every week. Blue Tent AP Biology is designed to be a class where advanced homeschoolers will enjoy sharing, comparing, and learning with class friends.

This course can be taken live or in an asynchronous manner.

Live Option: Students choose which Section to attend upon registration. Students actively participate in live classes weekly, with cameras on.
Asynchronous Option: Students watch the recording of each week's live class and take turns leading a weekly discussion forum for their fellow asynchronous classmates.
- Please note: The asynchronous option is NOT a self-paced class.
The instructional content, assignments, and deadlines are the same for live and asynchronous (other than discussions).
Students will register for one mode (live or async) and stay in that mode during the year.

Format

Grade
- Recommendation: successful completion of Chemistry and Algebra 2.
- 9th grade-assessment for enrollment may be required
Students share an interactive online classroom and meet live on Zoom.
- Live sessions:
  - Students will be expected to keep their webcams on and participate.
  - These classes will be recorded for those who must miss a class or prefer to watch later.
Study Hall (Optional): Offered 2X per week for live and asynchronous students
- Thursday, 8-9:30 a.m. Eastern and 4-5:30 p.m. Eastern
- Students can utilize these study halls in two ways:
  - Drop in. They can drop in to a Zoom study hall at any time for a quick question.
  - Homework time. They can log in to a Zoom study hall--with microphones muted and videos on or off--to work on their science homework and then unmute to get immediate help when questions arise.
Labs, Case Studies, and Projects
- A variety of labs--both hands-on and virtual--will allow students to explore and apply their learning to real-world circumstances as they make observations, construct hypotheses, collect and analyze data, and formalize conclusions.
- Many of AP Biology's labs are virtual or research-based with an emphasis on critical thinking and guided and independent inquiry.
- In addition to completing virtual and wet labs, students will undertake research projects, case studies, statistical analyses, and one group presentation throughout the year.
Average weekly time estimate: 10-12 hours including instruction, homework assignments, and study expectations
All Blue Tent science courses are NCAA-approved.
See our FAQ for:
- age/grade guidelines, prerequisites, and class fit recommendations
- a complete list of days, times, and breaks
- a list of CA charter schools where this course is a-g approved

Foundational Elements

At the beginning of each week, the instructor will post a summary of topics, assignments, and supplementary resources on the online classroom.

The AP Classroom for Biology will be the course hub, where students access class material, participate in online discussions, and collaborate with their classmates.
Since AP Biology is a college-level course, students should expect college-level pacing. They will need to be disciplined in completing their weekly reading and assignments so they can come prepared and make the most of live classes--being ready to ask questions and discuss the week's material with the instructor and their peers.
The instructor will be available to answer questions throughout the week via class site messaging, discussion forums, or email.

Course Goals

The goals of the class are aligned with the concepts the College Board considers most important:

Chemistry of Life
Cell Structure and Function
Cellular Energetics
Cell Communication and Cell Cycle
Heredity
Gene Expression and Regulation
Natural Selection
Ecology

These units are categorized broadly into 4 “Big Ideas:”

Big Idea 1: Evolution | The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
Big Idea 2: Energetics | Biological systems use energy and molecular building blocks to grow, reproduce, and maintain dynamic homeostasis.
Big Idea 3: Information Storage and Transmission | Living systems store, receive, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes.
Big Idea 4: Systems Interactions | Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions exhibit complex properties.

This course will teach the aforementioned concepts and “Big Ideas” in as engaging a way as possible, while instilling underlying scientific practices that prep students for further Biological studies:

Concept Explanation: Explain biological concepts, processes, and models presented in written format.
Visual Representations: Analyze visual representations of biological concepts and processes.
Questions and Methods: Determine scientific questions and methods.
Representing and Describing Data: Represent and describe data.
Statistical Tests and Data Analysis: Perform statistical tests and mathematical calculations to analyze and interpret data
Argumentation: Develop and justify scientific arguments using evidence.

In addition, this class infuses the required 25% of course time focused on labs--both hands-on and virtual--and all discussing data and data analysis.

At the end of this course, students should be equipped with the information needed to succeed on the AP Biology exam.