Curated OER
Characterization of the Bioluminescence (Lux+) Gene E. coli
Students grow E. coli strain HB101, which contains the plasmid pUCD607 with the bioluminescence (Lux+) gene. The plasmid containing the Lux+ gene is isolated from the E. coli, then characterized by restriction analysis.
Curated OER
How Do Antiretroviral Drugs Work?
In this biology worksheet, students watch a series of videos and complete 10 short answer questions right after. They explain how ART drugs interrupt the life cycle of HIV.
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...
Serendip
Using Molecular and Evolutionary Biology to Understand HIV/AIDS and Treatment
HIV mutates rapidly, making treatments challenging to find. Scholars learn about why it mutates so quickly and how scientists race to find treatments. The resource approaches the issue from both a molecular and evolutionary perspective...
Curated OER
Regulation of Cell Division
Supplementing the review of mitosis and meiosis, the detailed slides give information about growth factors, cell communication, and regulator genes. A fascinating topic, your class will be inspired by the applications and developments of...
Serendip
The Molecular Biology of Mutations and Muscular Dystrophy
Different types of mutations cause unique types and degrees of muscular dystrophy. Scholars learn about the types of mutations and the impact on the body. They compare the location of the mutations and draw conclusions about how it is...
Serendip
Soap Opera Genetics – Genetics to Resolve Family Arguments
Did she cheat on her husband? Did the hospital switch the babies? Should they have children? As much as this sounds like the plot for a soap opera, all of these questions fit into a single lesson on genetics. Scholars read about three...
Curated OER
Mutations and Cancer
High schoolers study how cancer cells mutate and affect cell division. In this investigative lesson students view a PowerPoint presentation learn the seven warning signs of cancer.
Curated OER
Tour of the Cell 2
As your class views each slide, they will be introduced to the organelles and structure of the cell. Details about structure and function are given and also some trivia about their frequency and population. There is also some...
Curated OER
Cell Respiration Worksheet
Beginning biologists demonstrate their grasp on cellular respiration, photosynthesis, and energy flow though ecosystems when completing this worksheet. Fifteen multiple choice and short answer questions test their knowledge. Because of...
Kenan Fellows
Unit 4: The Brain
Drugs interact with the brain to alter moods, emotions, and behaviors by changing the brain's chemistry, perceptions, and interactions. The final lesson in the Pharmacology unit shows scholars experiments, has them complete four labs,...
Serendip
How Eyes Evolved – Analyzing the Evidence
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...
Curated OER
PASSENGER PIGEONS: NOMADS LOST
Students explore the concept and implications of extinction using the example of the Passenger Pigeon, once an extremely abundant species that was completely eliminated by humans.
Curated OER
"Easter" Egg Genetics
Using plastic Easter eggs to represent parent phenotypes, genetics enthusiasts simulate the passing of alleles. They record the phenotype of each half of the egg, one representing the mother's and one representing the father's. They...
Curated OER
Endocrine Review Sheet
Starting with a diagram of the kidneys and urinary tract of the human, this sheet has questions about excretion, blood concentrations of hormones, gland feedback mechanisms and the effects of some hormones.
Curated OER
Genetically Modified Food (GMF)
Explore genetically modified foods through various experiments. For this biology lesson, students discuss the safety issues related to GMF's. They conduct a PCR analysis to identify the presence of genetic modification.
Curated OER
Where It Comes From: All About Heredity
Characteristics are not only inherited, but can be acquired through interactions with the environment.
Serendip
Where Does a Plant's Mass Come From?
Where does the mass for a growing tree come from? Scholars consider a few different hypotheses and guess which is correct. They then analyze data from different experiments to understand which concepts science supports.
Zebrafish in the Classroom
Worksheet on Genetics for Kindergarteners
Introduce the concept of genetics to your kindergartners with a science experiment about chromosomes in fish. After a quick overview of what chromosomes are, learners color different chromosomes to show that they come from the mom or the...
Curated OER
Gene to Protein
Mutation and auxotrophs are discussed. Next, the details of RNA transcription and how enzymes can control splicing and introns are given.
Curated OER
Tree of Life
Students study genetics and evolution. They evaluate a group of organisms and estimate their genetic relatedness. Then they use an online program to check the accuracy of their estimations and make a branching phylogenetic tree which...
Curated OER
Using Amino Acid Sequences to Show Evolutionary Relationships
Junior biologists compare the amino acid sequences from fragments of five different globin molecules. They count the letter differences between each species pair. They construct a graphic representation of the evolutionary relationships...
Curated OER
Who is the Sea Otter Related to?
Students examine the genetic relationships of different organisms. In groups, they discover the importance of genes and how different amino acids show various evolutionary relationships. They use an online database to continue their...
Curated OER
Mussel Ecology
Students are introduced to the marine environment of the mussel. The emphasis of the lesson is upon what human factors are present to influence the environment in positive and negative ways. They brainstorm in groups in order to conduct...