Curated OER
Mastering the Parts of a Cell
There are great lessons and tricks you can use for teaching your students about cellular organelles.
Cornell University
Shedding a "Little" Light on Cancer Surgery
Many types of cancer treatments now depend on nanotechnology—a big "little" discovery. Scholars begin by removing "malignant" tissue from simulated brains, one using fluorescent markers thanks to nanotechnology and one without. This...
Curated OER
The Absorption of Solar Energy
Two sequential parts to this instructional activity introduce your class to the electromagnetic spectrum, the ability to absorb radiant energy, and the pigments in leaves that are responsible for collecting sunlight to be used in the...
University of Minnesota
Dendritic Spines Lab
This is your brain on drugs ... literally! Your neuroscientists-in-training examine the evidence of drug use on the human brain and how neurons change their connectivity when altered by drugs. They then work together to create testing...
LABScI
The Digestive System: Where Does Food Go?
Would you believe that your digestive system stretches to five times your height?! Help your pupils to understand this relationship as they work through the laboratory exercise. The first instructional activity of a 12-part series is a...
Virginia Department of Education
Classification of Organisms
Searching for the perfect indoor/outdoor activity that allows class members the opportunity to learn about organism classification? Here, pupils research organisms and categorize them according to domain and kingdom over the course...
LABScI
Enzymes: The Spit Lab
Enzymes in our bodies each have a job to do. Learn the factors that affect the activity of some enzymes using the third activity of an informative 12-part biology series. A three-part laboratory activity asks teams to investigate how...
NOAA
Individual Species in the Deep Sea
A tube worm's outer covering is made of chitin, the same material that makes up the shells of lobsters and crabs. Scholars create tube worms and analyze and discuss the longevity of organisms living near cold seeps. They then discuss and...
ESL Kid Stuff
Prepositions of Location
Over, under, beside. Language learners practice using prepositions of location to answer the question, "Where is . . ."
Nuffield Foundation
Dissecting Lungs
Here is a lab activity where teens experience the respiratory system first-hand as they dissect lungs and identify key structures within the system. Although the website is written in British English with some slightly different verbiage...
Curated OER
DNA Extraction
Students are able to extract and observe a visible amount of DNA from Escherichia coli cells. They discuss the properties of DNA. Students confirm the presence of DNA by a reaction with an indicator.
Curated OER
AP Biology Lab Review
A seventy-two slide PowerPoint that reviews several lab explorations done in an AP Biology course. For each lab there is a description, concepts, and conclusions. Many pictures and graphics make this visually appealing, but it would not...
Curated OER
Protists - The Protozoans
Five pages provide thorough coverage of three protozoans: euglena, amoebae, and paramecia. For each, junior biologists read factual text, label the organism, and write answers to several questions. This neatly organized assignment is...
Virginia Department of Education
DNA Extraction from Strawberries
Has your class ever been astounded by the complexity of DNA analysis? Have they ever asked why genetic engineering has become so important to our daily lives? Young scientists perform DNA extraction on strawberries and explore how the...
Serendip
Is Yeast Alive?
Through two investigations, life science learners determine whether or not yeast is alive. They perform tests for metabolism by providing sugar and observing if gas is produced as a byproduct. They incubate some of the sample for at...
Curated OER
Neurons and the Nervous System
The highlight of this series is activitiy #4. Anatomy pupils examine slides of three unknown cells. With the function of the nervous system in mind, they consider the structure of each and try to guess which one is part of that system....
Curated OER
Neuron Cookie
Find out just how enticing learning about neurons can be by creating models with sugar cookies, icing, and candy. With great background information for you and an easy procedure for the kids, studying cells has never been more fun or...
University of Minnesota
Sheep Brain Dissection
Bored with frog and earthworm dissections? Had your fill of fetal pigs? Anatomy students will be intrigued by the sheep's brain, and you will be prepared with guiding questions, extension activities, and pictures as they dissect one —...
Illustrative Mathematics
Hexagonal Pattern of Beehives
Young geometers and biologists investigate the math of nature in an activity that is just the bee's knees. Participants will study the tessellations of hexagons in a beehive, along with the natural rationale behind the specific shape....
Teach Engineering
Algae: Tiny Plants with Big Energy Potential
My, what big energy potential you have! Scholars learn about the energy potential of using algae as a biofuel. A PowerPoint presentation first describes the structure of algae and then how researchers use algae as biofuel to produce energy.
Curated OER
Nervous System
After reading through this presentation about nerve impulses, students should be able to complete the sentences given with the correct terms and scientific vocabulary. The basics of the ion channel behavior are detailed along with a...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
HIV Protease Inhibitors
How do doctors fight a virus that's constantly mutating? Show science scholars how we fight HIV using one of its own most fundamental processes through a thoughtful demonstration. The lesson focuses on how protease inhibitors prevent HIV...
Curated OER
Genetically Modified Organisms
High Schoolers complete a variety of activities as they examine the ethics of (and take a position concerning) genetically modified organisms in the field of agriculture. They complete a PowerPoint demonstration to go along with the unit.
Curated OER
Semipermeable Membranes and Bioaccumulation
Beginning biologists place a drop of food coloring into water of differing temperatures to observe the effect on the diffusion rate. They remove the shells from raw eggs and then experiment with osmosis over the remaining membranes....