A multi-faceted lesson immerses AP biologists into the world of the stem cell. Using PowerPoint presentations, you introduce your class to diabetes and the possibility of finding cures through stem cell research. Online animations and...

Donate old socks for science! Young biologists model mitosis and meiosis, using socks as chromosomes and a balloon as a nucleus. This ingenious idea for modeling cell division will be more memorable to your young biologists than any set...

Did you know that there are over 200 different types of cells in the human body? One type, the stem cell, is the focus of the fifth of six installments in the Cells unit. The lesson asks the class to discuss stem cells and their...

Identify the different cell organelles in prokaryotes. Modelling the cells using Jell-o and candies will be a fun way to experience the cell in a hands-on way (different to using play-doh!). They observe cells under a microscope and draw...

The solar energy industry in the United States added more jobs in 2015 than the oil and gas extraction and pipeline industries combined. With the field growing so rapidly, it's essential to understand what solar energy is and how it...

I can move about freely, but you cannot. The class models the movement through cell membranes by way of passive and active transport. Members of the class play the roles of various proteins, atoms, compounds, and cell actions and mimic...

Use this resource to have your class learn about the cell. This resource walks learners through the construction of a model of a cell. This project is completed in a cooperative learning group, and  reinforces the higher-order...

Students experience a "hands-on" activity to get visual evidence of the physical nature of DNA and the process of DNA purification. They explore one method of chromosomal DNA isolation and DNA extraction.

Pairs work together to determine whether unknown solutions are either acids or bases by using a red cabbage indicator solution. After determining the general pH of the unknown solution, classmates blow into the same indicator after...

Are you eukaryotic? (Answer: Yes.) The first of six installments in the Cells units teaches pupils about the similarities and differences of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. It also covers the functions of various cell components in both...

Do you know how much water you have had in the last 24 hours? Do you know how much your body needs? In this hands-on activity, your class members will estimate how much water our bodies lose each day by filling and emptying one-liter...

Nature provides a rainbow of colors at one's fingertips. A hands-on activity uses natural plant materials to create all-natural dyes. Plants range from fruits and vegetables to flowers and greens. After extracting the pigments, eager...

At one point, all mammals carried only two color receptors, but now most humans carry three. An informative presentation and hands-on activity demonstrate how this evolved through genetics. By participating in the activity, pupils...

Create a model to study a microscopic phenomenon. The seventh of 12 lessons uses an egg (without its shell) to represent a cell membrane. Using different solutions, learners explore the concept of cell diffusion. They monitor...

Introduces your class to random processes in networks with an activity that uses information about disease spread using the susceptible, infectious, resistant (SIR) model. Participants determine whether a susceptible person becomes...

In the first of two activities, your charges prepare wet mount slides of cork and bean sprout cells in imitation of Robert Hooke's historical investigation. An excerpt from his notes is included. Then, investigators compare animal cells...

Get up close and personal with DNA! A two-part hands-on activity has learners extract DNA from a small organism and then their own cheek cells. Scholars then explore DNA replication using questions to guide their analyses.

Learners design a proportional model of blood out of red gelatin, a plastic bag, and rice. They study the components that make up blood and investigate what happens when the arteries in different scenerios. They work in pairs in order to...

Carbon is the most common element on earth, so the innovative discovery of a new type of carbon molecule won the 1996 Nobel Prize. In the ready-to-go lesson, scholars learn about C60 and how it has opened up the entire area of...

You can breathe easily now that you've found a winning resource. Young biologists learn about the process of cellular respiration, primarily through teacher-led discussion and instruction. They also consider the concept of...

Teach your class how to get out of a cell — or break in. The third installment in a seven-part series introduces the class to cell membranes and their functions. The lesson plan includes information to present to the class,...

These are four classic activities used for instructing upper elementary electricians. The first involves experimenting with the Van de Graaff generator. The second is a series of hands-on experiences with static. In the third activity,...

In a series of activities, high schoolers research and compare batteries of different chemistries (such as nickel-cadmium), measure current and voltage, and use multimeters and math to compute their capacities. In the end, they try to...

Learners will learn about the pioneers who discovered the cell and its parts. They will be able to relate advances in microscope technology to the discoveries. Students diagram a time line and answer questions at the end to check for...