Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

The Cell Cycle and Mitosis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What a packed lesson! Provide your class with the opportunity to learn about the cell cycle in several exciting ways. Biologists first learn about the theory behind mitosis, then proceed to view onion tips under the microscope and create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DNA in a "Snap"

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students observe a model of DNA and answer probing questions like, "What does this model represent?" They then work in small groups to construct an accurate model of DNA per rubric provided and present to the class explaining their model...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biotechnology/Bioinformatics Activity

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students demonstrate the genetic principles of Heredity. They discover that each species has a unique Genetic fingerprint and that people can use "Genetic fingerprints" to solve a number of problems. They discuss examples of uses of DNA...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DNA Chips

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover what they need to know about DNA chips. They extend this knowledge to analyze gene expression data to diagnose two kinds of leukemia.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DNA Chips

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore issues surrounding DNA microarray technology. They focus on a single area of biomedical research to help them explain how science, people, ethics, and history all fit together. They analyze gene-expression data.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DNA

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore the basics of DNA and its history.  In this DNA lesson plan students extract DNA from fruits and understand how it is used in forensics.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DNA Extraction

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students extract the DNA from a strawberry. In this DNA technology lesson, students describe what they think DNA looks like. They use a procedure to isolate and extract the DNA from a strawberry.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Evolutionary Relationships Based Upon Comparative Genetics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate the protein cytochrome c in an attempt to use its genetic chemistry to study possible evolutionary relationships between organisms. The lesson integrates technology with the use computers to perform DNA analysis.
Lesson Plan
LABScI

Taxonomy: Who is in My family?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Find similarities in seemingly unlike organisms. The second instructional activity in a series of 12 builds the concept of a taxonomy and explores the use of a dichotomous key. Learners begin in part one by attempting to group a set of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DNA Dry Lab

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students use a DNA strand to identify the component parts. They discuss an RNA molecule, protein fragments, and nucleotides. They explore how the order of nucleotides determines the order of amino acids in proteins.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building a DNA Molecule, Mitosis in Motion and Mutation Gossip

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore three lab experiments involving DNA, mitosis, and mutation. They complete activities and play games to review DNA, mitosis and mutation concepts. They build a DNA molecule and create flip cards representing mitosis in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Macro-DNA: Doing DNA Fingerprinting and Gel Electrophoresis

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners create numbered DNA sequences by taping together the order of the sequence. They count the number of bases in their RFLP's and shade the boxes on their Gel Electrophoresis sheets that represent individual fragments. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DNA Fingerprinting: You Be the Judge!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers use their knowledge of DNA fingerprinting to evaluate the use fingerprints in courts, and will address the ethics of establishing a national database of fingerprints.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DNA Fingerprinting: You Be the Judge!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore DNA fingerprinting. Students discover how DNA fingerprinting is done and judge the validity. They evaluate the use of certain prints in courts and address the ethics of establishing a national database of fingerprpints.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Strawberry DNA Extraction

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the DNA of strawberries. In this science lesson, students extract the DNA of strawberries. Students complete a lab report.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DNA, Genes, and Chromosomes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners review the structure and function of DNA, genes, and chromosomes and are engaged by a demonstration illustrating the relative size of DNA, genes and chromosomes. They also describe through analogy and model the structure and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Restriction Digest + DNA Comparison

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students compare different DNA and run a gel electrophoresis.  In this DNA instructional activity students complete a DNA activity that allows them to better understand its structure and function. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

DNA Isolation from Plant Tissue

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students perform an experiment to extract and observe DNA from plant Tissue. They read about the procedure and relate it to the procedure used to isolate DNA from an endangered plant species. This is lesson three in a nine lesson unit...
Worksheet
Curated OER

DNA Fingerprinting Simulation

For Students 8th - 10th
In this DNA fingerprinting simulation worksheet, students perform an activity that represents using a gel electrophoresis. Students decide who commits a crime in a forensics style lab.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Are You Gellin

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners conduct an investigation of differentiating between different types of DNA. This is done with a simulation activity of being a scientist in charge of selling different sets of DNA for research which requires different...
Lesson Plan
Western Kentucky University

Understanding Genetics: Punnett Squares

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Can scientists really predict genetic outcomes or are they simply making a lucky guess? Scholars first learn about Gregor Mendel and how to make Punnett squares. Then they extract DNA from a strawberry in a lab with included conclusion...
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Winogradsky Columns: Microbial Ecology in the Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Winogradsky columns are ideal for observing the role of bacteria and other microorganisms in an ecosystem. This student activity guide is complete with data tables for observations and analysis questions for processing what was observed....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pharmaceuticals and Treatments

For Teachers 12th - Higher Ed
Young scholars 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...
Worksheet
Curated OER

An Inventory of My Traits

For Students 5th - 7th
In this biology activity, students identify and describe a number of easily observable genetic traits and compare the traits they have with other students. Then they identify and describe that some traits are common while others are not...