In a fun and interactive two-day lesson, learners sort anole lizard pictures by appearance. Next, they watch a video about the anoles and re-sort based on the information in the video. In addition to physical characteristics, budding...

Everyone loves a good mystery ... can your class actually solve one? Partnered pupils take on the role of forensic investigators during a three-part activity focusing on DNA evidence processing. Learners discover the methods used to...

How do reverse transcriptase inhibitors work? Young virologists examine the function of azidothymidine, a drug doctors use to treat HIV patients, during a hands-on modeling activity. Groups create a strand of DNA from an HIV RNA strand...

Times have changed—and so have science practices. An introductory lesson describing the components of DNA begins with a discussion of the discovery of DNA and its perception in different cultures and genders. Scholars then learn about...

Students see DNA as a physical building block of organisms and comprehend the basic structure of DNA and the specific components in its structure. They can explain the specific nature of base-pair matching in DNA and that DNA bases form...

How does HIV operate at the molecular level? Pupils discover the progression from a healthy immune cell to one infected with HIV, watch an animation of the HIV life cycle, and finally identify each of the stages with illustrations...

Can your biology class crack the Case of the Crown Jewels? Junior forensics experts try their hands at DNA restriction analysis in an exciting lab activity. The lesson introduces the concept of restriction analysis, teaches pipetting and...

Did you know that meat tenderizers contain DNA cutting enzimes? Did you know that you can isolate your own DNA? Or the DNA of fruit? Explore with your learners the DNA world with a series of experiments using readily available materials...

Students are able to identify start and stop sequences in DNA. They are able to model using restriction enzyme and ligase to remove sections of DNA and reattach them. Students are introduced to the process of recombinat DNA through the...

What happens when genes change? Junior genetic investigators examine the effects of mutation in the third unit of a four-part Biotechnology series. Individuals discover the types of mutations through a series of PowerPoints, then partner...

Are women's eggs similar to chicken eggs? Scholars compare eggs from various species to better understand embryonic development. Connections to evolution through hands-on activities help to cement the new vocabulary introduced.

High schoolers describe a spool of light colored thread that the teacher holds in his/her hands. They are asked what substances (cotton and wood) are present and what structures (thread and spool) are present. The teacher conclude that...

Students describe the process of DNA Recombination and its uses. They are asked what genetic effect is associated with the exercise? Students discuss other opportunities of DNA recombination. They are given a worksheet, and students...

Explore the science behind Earth's amazing diversity of life with this lesson on genetics. Looking at specific traits in piebald deer, carnations, and roan cattle, young scientists use Punnett...

Students use the exercise as a prelude to a "wet" lab or as a substitute for such a lab. It correlates well with colony transformation labs. This lab is recommended for students what have difficulty with the abstractions that genetic...

Young scholars learn that heredity comes down to the flip of a coin with this cross-curricular math and science lesson. Using smiley faces as a model, students toss coins to determine which dominant or recessive traits...

Students explain why cells reproduce and draw a diagram of each of the stages in mitosis. They put the stages of mitosis (interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis) in the correct sequence, from the beginning...

Students use this activity as a logic problem that is based on real organisms and real data. The problem is to develop phylogenies for seven related populations of lizards living on the Canary Islands. Three phylogenetic charts are...

One of the most striking pieces of evidence for Darwin's Evolution of Species was his observations of finches and how their beaks differed from island to island, depending on their primary food sources. So what would happen to the theory...

Does where we live influence how our bodies express genetic traits? Explore variation in human skin color with an activity that incorporate video and hands-on learning. Individuals model the relationship between phenotypes and genotypes,...

Need an a-maize-ing lesson to show your class how regulatory genes work? If you use the well-written resource, they'll be all ears! Biology scholars discover the gene responsible for the evolution of the modern-day corn plant through a...

Octopodes existed for hundreds of thousands of years before humans, yet our eyes share many similarities. Scholars analyze the evidence to determine if the evolution of eyes best fits a homology or analogy model. They discuss the issue...

You may not know if that zebrafish in your fish tank is a model citizen—but it is definitely a model organism! What can we learn about ourselves from a tiny zebrafish? Discover more about the polygenic trait of skin color through a...

If you knew that you were likely to develop Alzheimer's disease in your future, how would it affect your life in the meantime? This and other similar thought-provoking questions are discussed in a lesson plan about the availability of...