Virginia Department of Education
Prokaryotes
Lead your biology class on a cell-sized adventure! Emerging scientists construct models of prokaryotes, then design an experiment to properly grow a bacterial culture. They conclude the activity by viewing the culture under a microscope....
Curated OER
Transformation of E. coli with Antibiotic Resistance
High schoolers participate in an experiment in which they transform an E. coli cell. They discover how the genetic make-up of the cell can be changed by added foreign DNA. They answer questions to complete the lab.
Curated OER
Disease & Epidemics: Architects of History
Students explore disease and its relationship to history and literature. They investigate issues that range from early biological warfare and historical disease treatments, to observing today's race for the cure against current emerging...
Curated OER
Superbugs
Students research deep sea communities and discover strategies for combating antimicrobial resistance and write reports on it. They consider overprescription and prophylactic uses of antibiotics as causes for their ineffectiveness.
Curated OER
Natural Selection
Students use discussion questions, handout information and research topics to explore several issues related to natural selection and evolution. They examine Darwin's research on the finch and antibiotic resistance.
Curated OER
Ode to a Nightingale
Students read poems about Tuberculosis by John Keats. Using the poems, they identify similies, metaphors, personification and imagery. In groups, they make connections about the author's outlook on life and how his disease impacted his...
Curated OER
Applied Evolution: How Will We Get There from Here?
Students explore the basic process of natural selection and how people can manipulate that process today. The consequences of natural selection on daily life and the implications of evolutionary biology in basic and applied science is...
Curated OER
Sex and the Single Bacterium
High schoolers become familiar with microbiology and biotechnology laboratory techniques and observe the results of antibiotic resistance transfer from one bacteria to another via conjugation. They then calculate the "mating efficiency"...
Curated OER
Micro-organisms and Human Life
In this biology worksheet, students identify and locate various vocabulary terms that relate to micro-organisms and human life. There are 20 biology terms located in the word search.
Curated OER
Infection Control Word Search
In this word search worksheet, students search for terms related to infection control and community health. Words include infectious agents and other health terms.
Curated OER
Determining the Effectiveness of Handwashing
Students participate in an experiment in which they grow bacterial colonies. They examine the effects of antibiotics killing the germs. They discuss their findings to end the lesson.
Curated OER
DNA Transformation of Bacteria-Ampicillin
Students demonstrate how genes can be transferred from one bacteria to another. In this experiment, they take a plasmid with a gene for resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin which is used to transfer the resistance gene into a...
Curated OER
Germ Warfare
Students research superbugs. In this personal health lesson, students visit selected websites to investigate the use of antibiotics and the prevalence of staphylococci.
Curated OER
And the Bacteria Ran Away with the Petri Dish
Sixth graders complete a think, pair, share activity on an antibiotic overhead. In groups, they participate in an exercise in which they can see how germs behave and how they are treated. To end the lesson, they discuss how a...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Living Things Share Common Genes
Everything evolved from a common ancestor, but how did modern plants and animals develop so many more genes? Scholars use an online interactive to learn about the process. They begin to understand common genes with an animation, multiple...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Genes Can Be Moved Between Species
Biotechnology changes lives every day, but how did it all start? Learn about Cohen and Boyer's technique for recombinant DNA and the founding of this new scientific study. Then, scholars use the online interactive to discover how Hanahan...
Curated OER
A Little More Advanced Biotechnology Tools: Better Plasmids
A nice set of information that will help your students understand the process of using recombinant plasmids. DNA hybridization and blotting mechanisms help illustrate expressed genes and the concepts behind the Human Genome Library....
Curated OER
A Little More Advanced Biotechnology Tools; Better Plasmids
After using this DNA and plasmids slide show, the steps of the delicate procedures of southern blotting and DNA libraries should be more clear to your students. Students will read the guidelines and are also prompted to answer questions...
Curated OER
Exploring Evolution Lesson Plans
There are evolution lesson plans that can help teachers get past the controversy to increase student understanding of natural selection.
Curated OER
The Brain Eater
Students view a video clip about Mad Cow Disease. They identify the challenges of health professionals in dealing with the disease. They work together to complete a Public Health Task Force worksheet. They make recommendations on how...
Curated OER
Bacteria Aren't All Bad!
Teaching students about the diversity of the Bacteria Kingdoms and their importance to humans
Curated OER
Pharmaceuticals and Treatments
Learners perform an experiment involving reverse transcriptase-polymerized chain reaction HIV replication to better examine the biotechnology used by scientists in pharmaceutical research of infections diseases like HIV. Students examine...
Nuffield Foundation
Following Gene Transfer by Conjugation in Bacteria
After the lab, you'll be able to solve this analogy: Natural selection is to vertical transfer of genes as ___ is to the horizontal transfer of genes. Young biologists conduct an experiment on E. coli bacteria to explore the process of...
Curated OER
Bacterial Transformation - Biology Teaching Thesis
Students explain the following processes: bacteria transformation, genetic recombination, and antibacterial breakdown of bacteria. They follow lab protocol and use the scientific method: to make predications, and to explain an unexpected...