Biology Labs

• 

  Genetics Lab - Introduction
  Free Student Handout Free Teacher Notes
  Lab In this genetics lab, students are introduced to genetics vocabulary, including meiosis, fertilization, Punnett squares, and pedigree analysis. Students flip coins to mimic the probability of genetics and use the coin flip results to answer inheritance questions.
  NGSS Standard HS-LS3-3
  Published by Ingrid Waldron and Jennifer Doherty

• 

  Chromosome Modeling Lab - Mitosis, Meiosis and Fertilization
  Free Student Handout Free Teacher Notes
  Lab In this chromosome modeling lab, students create pairs of socks models of chromosomes to model the processes of mitosis, meiosis, and fertilization. Students also build a foundation about meiosis and fertilization and how it relates to genetics and genetic disorders.
  NGSS Standard HS-LS1-4 HS-LS3-1 HS-LS3-2
  Published by Ingrid Waldron and Jennifer Doherty

• 

  Osmosis and Diffusion Lab
  Free Student Handout Free Teacher Notes
  Lab What is osmosis? In this diffusion lab, students make predictions about the effects of osmosis to try to answer this driving question. The experiment focuses on students designing experiments to test these predictions. Students should have prior knowledge of diffusion.
  NGSS Standard MS-LS1-2 (Cell Organelles)
  Published by Ingrid Waldron and Jennifer Doherty

• 

  Designing a Scientific Model Lab
  Free Lesson Plan (PDF) Lesson Plan (DOCX) & Answer Key with Membership
  Lab The goal of this scientific modeling lab is to have students make predictions based on data without ever finding out if their prediction is actually correct. Concepts like iteration, using data from experiments, and prediction make up the core of the lesson.
  NGSS Standard
  Published by NGSS Life Science

• 

  Carbohydrate Lab
  Free Lesson Plan (PDF) Lesson Plan (DOCX) & Answer Key with Membership
  Lab The goal of this carbohydrate lab is for students to test for the presence of carbohydrate monomers and carbohydrate polymers in food. Students experiment with different unknown substances (baby food, cereal, milk, etc) and test if they are composed of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
  NGSS Standard HS-LS1-6
  Published by NGSS Life Science

• 

  Populations & Ecosystem Stability Lab
  Free Lesson Plan (PDF) Lesson Plan (DOCX) & Answer Key with Membership
  Lab In this population and ecosystem stability lab, students participate in an activity that models predator-prey and how resilient a population can be when limiting factors are introduced or removed. Students will model biotic and abiotic factors and how those factors affect population size. At the end of the experiment, students will make a population growth graph based on the experiment and calculate the growth rate through many generations.
  NGSS Standard HS-LS2-1 HS-LS2-2 HS-LS2-6
  Published by NGSS Life Science

• 

  Photosynthesis Modeling Lab
  Free Lesson Plan (PDF) Lesson Plan (DOCX) & Answer Key with Membership
  Lab In this photosynthesis modeling lab, students act out the three parts of photosynthesis: photosystem 2, photosystem 1, and the Calvin cycle. Students at the end of the lab will learn the chemical formula for photosynthesis, how CO2 is used to build glucose and why oxygen gas is released as a waste product. This photosynthesis modeling lab is great for visual and kinesthetic learners.
  NGSS Standard HS-LS1-5
  Published by NGSS Life Science

• 

  Bacteria Transformation
  Free Lesson Plan
  Lab Students construct paper recombinant plasmids to simulate the methods genetic engineers use to create modified bacteria. They learn what role restriction enzymes, DNA ligase, and genes play in the modification of organisms. This activity will use the insulin gene and combine it with a bacteria's gene sequence (plasmid DNA) for the production of the protein insulin for medicine.
  NGSS Standard HS-LS3-1
  Published by Teach Engineering

More lesson plans are in the works.