My Favorite Novels to Use in Biology Class
July 7th, 2023
Length: 1400 words (about 5 minutes)
Interdisciplinary Learning
Hello, everyone! Today is a special day in my corner of the universe because it has been exactly one year since I launched Sarah Lynn Science in 2022. It was a big step for me to take, but looking back on the past year, the results have been truly amazing! Staying on theme with trying new things and taking risks, I want to talk about one of the more unconventional things that I do in my Biology classroom: novel study. That's right, my students are assigned to read fiction texts in science class. Sometimes this is for extra credit, sometimes it's a required part of the course load, and other times it's part of an integrated unit taking place in both their Biology and English classes. Either way, I make a point to use young adult (YA) novels in my classroom every single year!
There are many reasons why I do this, and I'll make a separate post later on that goes into more detail about why I love reading fiction in science class. For now, I'll just summarize my thoughts by saying that interdisciplinary learning helps students connect coursework to life experiences, which increases content comprehension (Bull & Dupuis, 2014). For anyone looking to get started with a biology-focused novel this school year, here are my suggestions!
Interdisciplinary learning helps students connect coursework to life experiences, which increases content comprehension.
1. Wilder Girls by Rory Power
"It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.
It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.
But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true."
Sensitive content warning: Some violence, gore, strong language, and romance (straight and sapphic). Know what will fly in your classroom and what won't!
Wilder Girls is a body horror slow-burn. It is one of my top YA choices because it can be used for Biology in isolation or in an integrated Biology/English unit. On the English side of things, this novel contains strong themes, imagery, and characters. There are even arguments for entire book being allegorical. On the Biology end, Wilder Girls features a mysterious disease that makes it perfect for a long-term case study. In my class, students try to figure things out as they go along in the story, citing both Biology coursework and evidence from the book to support their developing hypotheses about how the Tox works. I center this novel around my Cell Cycle Unit, so students are knee-deep in the details of cell division, DNA replication, and so on. However, the book also has opportunities for students to apply concepts of disease transmission, ecological relationships, and bioethics. The varied topics touched on in the story make it great for extra credit work, a grading period assignment (which is what I do), or a year-long project, and I definitely recommend it for older students and/or Honors students to ensure they get the most out of it.
I like this project so much that I'm currently working on a version to add to my online store (I'm on TpT and Classful!) to make it more accessible to other busy teachers. It'll come complete with chapter summaries, a collection of evidence for students' most popular lines of thinking, worksheet pages, and more! I cannot wait until it's ready to be published. If you can't wait on me to get started, please share in the comments below about your own Wilder Girls novel study -- I would love to hear how other teachers bring this book into their classrooms!
2. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
"Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?"
Sensitive content warning: Some strong language, violence, and illicit behavior. Use your professional judgement when bringing any material in your classroom.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox has consistently been quite popular among my students. I will admit that I, as an adult, do not enjoy this book as much as some others (you can read my full review of it here, if you like). Still, it's a great choice for use in a Biology class as either a piece of core coursework or an extra credit assignment. This novel takes places in a near future with advanced medical technology, which makes Jenna Fox's journey perfect for discussing the characteristics of life at the beginning of the year, or bioethics throughout! This is another addition to my store that is currently in progress, so hang in there if it's something you would like to see in the future!
Edit: There is now a Biology Book Report resource for this novel available in my TpT store! Check it out here if you're interested in using this text in your classroom!
I have never regretted [using these books in my science classroom], despite any pushback I've received, and I hope you will feel the same way!
3. Be Not Far from Me by Mindy McGinnis
"The world is not tame.
Ashley knows this truth deep in her bones, more at home with trees overhead than a roof. So when she goes hiking in the Smokies with her friends for a night of partying, the falling dark and creaking trees are second nature to her. But people are not tame either. And when Ashley catches her boyfriend with another girl, drunken rage sends her running into the night, stopped only by a nasty fall into a ravine. Morning brings the realization that she's alone - and far off trail. Lost in undisturbed forest and with nothing but the clothes on her back, Ashley must figure out how to survive despite the red streak of infection creeping up her leg."
Sensitive content warning: Some explicit language, sexuality, illicit behavior, and violence. You know what will and won't work for your kids!
Mindy McGinnis' Be Not Far from Me is a personal favorite, and you can check out my take on it as a reader here. This book features a headstrong female protagonist who is left to her own devices in the Great Smoky Mountains. It is full of trials both physical and mental, and -- of course -- it has plenty of connections to Introductory Biology! After reading this story, I ask students to explain some its events in terms of cellular respiration and homeostasis. This allows them to produce a really focused report, as these processes are both frequently disrupted throughout the book. Ashley consistently lacks food and water and is stuck in environmental conditions that are too hot, too cold, etc. Although this piece of fiction is a little less versatile the previous too, I have found to be worthwhile, as it prompts students to think about how cellular activity impacts bodily function and conscious decision-making on a much larger scale. Additionally, students tend to develop more empathy for the main character after they are forced to consider the challenges that her body undergoes throughout her journey. I have only ever used this novel as an extra credit assignment, but I'll take any opportunity to prompt students to read one of my favorites!
So, there you have it, my top three books to use in Bio! Please consider making one (or all!) of them an addition to your classroom in upcoming years. I have never regretted doing so, despite any pushback I've received, and I hope you will feel the same way! Please share your experience if you decide to give it a go. Even better, share some books below that you think would be a great asset in your Biology classroom. I can't wait to hear what you all are up to!
Reference: Bull, K. B. & Dupuis, J. B. (2014). Nonfiction and Interdisciplinary Inquiry: Multimodal Learning in English and Biology. English Journal, 103(3), 73-79. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24484156.
