What a course is, and what it is not#
A course here is a sequence that builds. Each module assumes the module before it and sets up the one after, so working through it in order gets you somewhere a pile of separate explanations will not. That is the difference between these and the study guides, which are single pages about one specific thing people get stuck on and are written to work whether or not you have read anything else.
Every module is both a set of short videos and a written page. The videos show a mechanism moving, which text cannot do. The page puts back the qualifications, the exceptions and the history that will not fit in sixty seconds. Neither is a summary of the other.
These are study materials, not an accredited programme. There is no certificate, no credit and no enrolment. They are built to line up with introductory college and high school syllabi so they are useful next to a course you are already taking.
The courses#
Biology
From what separates a living thing from a rock, through cells, energy, information, inheritance and evolution, to ecosystems and the technology built out of all of it. Module 07, photosynthesis, is the first one published.
Built on the eight College Board AP Biology units, the NGSS life science strands and the scope of OpenStax Biology 2e.
See the 23 modules →Chemistry
The same treatment, running from matter and measurement through atoms, periodic patterns, bonding and stoichiometry to equilibrium, thermodynamics, electrochemistry and organic chemistry. The course map is written; the videos are not made yet.
Production starts with the first six modules, because those establish the visual language of particles, atoms, electrons, bonds and molecular shape that nearly everything later depends on.
Why biology and chemistry are being built together#
Most of the things students find hardest in biology are chemistry they were never quite taught. Why water behaves strangely, why an enzyme speeds a reaction without being used up, why ATP is worth anything at all: each is a chemistry idea doing a biology job. The two courses are planned as one set so the same explanation serves both, using the same diagrams and the same molecules on screen.
| Chemistry module | Answers a question biology asks in |
|---|---|
| Molecular shape, polarity and intermolecular forces | Water, membranes and protein folding |
| Thermochemistry, and free energy and spontaneity | ATP, respiration and photosynthesis |
| Chemical kinetics | Enzymes |
| Acids, bases and pH | Blood chemistry and homeostasis |
| Redox and electrochemistry | Photosynthesis and cellular respiration |
| Organic chemistry | Macromolecules and metabolism |
If a course is not what you need today#
The study guides cover specific sticking points across maths, programming and science, and several of them are further along than these courses are. Kestrel Exams .org carries the longer science writing with citations attached, for when you want the evidence rather than the explanation.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the difference between a course and a study guide?
A course is an ordered sequence where each module builds on the last. A guide is one self-contained page about one thing, useful on its own.
Are the courses free?
Yes, and there is nothing to sign up for. No account, no email, no paywall, no trial.
Is there a certificate?
No. These are study materials rather than an accredited programme, so no certificate or credit is offered.
When will chemistry be available?
There is no date. Biology is the course in production, and chemistry starts once biology is far enough along that the shared diagrams and molecules can be reused rather than rebuilt.