First course in biology

About this book

"First course in biology" by L. H. Bailey and Walter Moore Coleman is a secondary-school biology textbook written in the early 20th century. It presents plant, animal, and human biology as a unified, practical course that favors observation, experiment, and everyday relevance over rote facts. Readers can expect clear explanations, abundant classroom and field exercises, and an ecological perspective that ties structure and function to environment. The opening of the textbook sets a reform-minded tone, advocating a single unit course in biology for secondary students and outlining flexible ways to sequence plant, animal, and human topics. A general introduction then builds essential chemistry and physics skills through simple experiments—testing acids and bases, starch, sugar, proteids, and fats; making oxygen; demonstrating oxidation; contrasting organic and inorganic matter; and analyzing a candle flame to reveal oxygen consumption, carbon (soot), and carbon dioxide. Plant Biology begins by stressing variation, environmental struggle, and selection (including human selection in breeding), then surveys plant societies (ecology), plant parts and life histories (annuals, biennials, perennials). It proceeds to seeds and germination with hands-on studies of beans, castor beans, corn, and gymnosperms, and concludes with root forms and functions—tap and fibrous systems, aerial and adventitious roots, root hairs and osmosis, nitrogen-fixing nodules, and the importance of moisture, temperature, and air—ending mid-discussion of root structure.