Biology Education Articles for Teachers

Science and art, the two subjects seem like opposites. Science makes people think about logic and reason; art brings to mind the creative and spontaneous. However, these two subjects do not have to be opposing forces. Scientists need creativity to solve problems, and there are many ways to integr...

As many teachers move through the school year, they are constantly faced with increasing pressure of high-stakes testing and new education standards. With this push for higher standards, we teachers have to work harder to continue to focus on learning outcomes rather than just testing outcomes. O...

In science, distinguishing fact from fiction is at least as important as it is in other subjects. Because the scientific process actually uncovers facts, the difference between fact and opinion is a crucial distinction. As a teacher, my goal is to teach students how to seek knowledge and learn, n...

Whether you are a teacher or a parent, still on summer vacation or participating in year-round schooling, learning does not have to end when the school bell rings. Learning is a lifelong process that can be a part of our daily lives. Even a trip to the beach can help you, your children, and your ...

When you think of kindergarten, you may visualize the poignant images of a five-year-old strapping on a backpack and heading out for his first day of school, while the parent waves, smiles, and maybe cries a little. I always envisioned my child’s first day of school a little like that. Howe...

Without the process of aerobic cellular respiration, life as we know it wouldn't exist. Simple microbes, such as anaerobic bacteria survive using the small amount of cellular food they create and subsequently break down. Large, complex, multicellular life (like humans), depend on the products of ...

There is an amazing diversity of living things on Earth. About two million species have been discovered and described, but scientists estimate that anywhere between five and 30 million species are present on Earth. Strangely, the number of kingdoms also seems to be in question. Various textbooks ...

Strange as it may seem, science has a language all its own. I have joked with my students that there are more vocabulary words in our biology course than there are in an introductory foreign language class. Excellent teachers use a variety of techniques to help students learn this new vocabulary....

Just like many adults, my high school students complain about the price of gasoline. Blame it on the government or a corporate conspiracy, or just a fact of nature, but rising gas prices are an unfortunate reality. Of course, this also makes it even more important to teach students about the pros...

When studying kingdoms in science,  protists  do not get enough attention. If you ask a student to name the kingdoms of organisms, protista are often forgotten. The protists are grouped together mainly because they do not fit into the other kingdoms. However, even though it can be somewhat of a ...

One of the most fascinating parts of environmental science is the interaction between ecology and sociology. Ecologists study the parts of an ecosystem and how organisms interact with each other. Sociologists study how humans interact with one another in societies. Our environmental problems and ...

Looking at a rock, you wouldn’t think that it changes very much. Geological change is not easy for humans to observe because it happens over such a long period of time. However, it is important for students to understand rock cycle dynamics because rocks affect living things and even human societ...

It seemed harmless enough when sailors dropped off a few goats on the Galapagos Islands to use as food at a later date. But as the goat populations grew and ate the native vegetation, they destroyed the habitat and competed against native species, such as the giant tortoise. Most species introduc...

Without the logic and simplicity of dichotomous keys, many good biology students would be lost.  There are so many species out there that memorizing them all is impossible. Unlike many facts that you can simply ‘Google’, identifying an unknown organism can be difficult without the right key. Fiel...

Earth is the blue planet, so one would expect to never worry about having enough water for human use. Unfortunately, most of that water is either salty or frozen in glaciers. Fresh surface water accounts for only 0.007 percent of all water on Earth. Yet, somehow, this provides water for the almos...