Category: Worksheets
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Investigation: Habitat Selection in Flour Beetles
This activity was modified from an Advanced Placement Investigation for use with freshman classes. The instructions are clear and require students to examine data and create a graph. Then students collect their own data using Choice Chambers and can choose which variables they would like to test: wet vs dry, water vs vinegar, light…
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Inquiry in Genetics Using Wisconsin Fast Plants
Genetic Experiments can be intimidating for teachers due to the time and cost of breeding plants or animals in a classroom. These issues are further complicated in a public school setting which may have space issues, limited funds, and lack of access to labs. My favorite model for genetic experiments is the Wisconsin Fast…
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Meiosis Case: SRY not SRY
Students are given a scenario about a female athlete who was stripped of her medal when it was discovered that her cells contain a Y chromosome.
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Zoobiquity – Review and Discussion Questions
I try to read at least one non-fiction book per year to try to keep myself up to date and inspired with new knowledge and advances in medicine. I have a classroom set of “Stiff” that I require my AP Biology students to read during the unit on anatomy. Recently, in a graduate class…
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Comparing a Human and Avian Skeleton
Students often learn the bones of a human skeleton in health, but biology class can reinforce these lessons by comparing the human skeleton to that of other vertebrates. In this case, students color the skeleton of a bird and a human according to the directions. The colors will illustrate how many of the bones…
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What Does a Bird’s Beak Tell You About Its Diet?
In this activity, students examine images of birds and make inferences about the bird’s diet and lifestyle based on the shape of their beaks and legs. Birds are very diverse in their habits, spear-shaped beaks are used for fishing, short stout beaks are used for cracking seeds, and the curved beaks of raptors are used…
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Frog Anatomy Coloring Worksheet
This simple worksheet can supplement a lab or dissection of the frog. Each of the numbers on the frog image corresponds with a text description of the structure and instructions on how to color it. There are a few questions at the end, mainly matching the structure to it’s function, but overall this activity is…
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Investigation: Bacteria
This investigation asks students to take samples from the school and grow bacteria on agar plates. Students learn to use sterile technique to transfer and stain the bacteria and view under a microscope. Lab guide includes instructions for how to analyze and compare colonies and identify the three shapes of bacteria: bacillus, cocci, and…
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Case Study – What’s Wrong with Timothy?
The endocrine system can be a difficult subject to cover in anatomy. It isn’t as showy as the other systems where you can label organs or dissect an eyeball. Students must also memorize a number of hormones and their functions which have complicated names like thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine. When I first started teaching anatomy,…
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Investigation: How Does Temperature Affect Respiration Rates
This lab is focused on fish and the metabolism of ectothermic (warm-blooded) animals. The investigation also be useful for beginning students in reinforcing good lab procedures and graphing. I’m always surprised by how many students have difficulty reading thermometers and setting up a water bath. This lab has been redesigned to make it simple and quick.…
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The Anatomy of a Bony Fish
Learn the anatomy of the fish with this coloring worksheet. Student Activity This coloring worksheet. provides a basic overview of the anatomy of a bony fish. Students color the fish according to the directions with each organ and fins being labeled by number. Students will not need a reference to complete the activity, as…
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Activity: Which Disease Is the Worst?
In this activity, students work in groups to read about different types of diseases and ultimately rank them from the least dangerous to the most dangerous. There is no actual right answer to this, and the cards are designed to foster discussion and provide a basic overview of the types of pathogens that cause…
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Cow Eye Dissection
Students dissect a cow eye as part of a unit on anatomy or the senses. This guide contains step by step instructions on how to cut the eye and identify the major features. Cow eyes can be purchased from Amazon or biology supply companies. You can also use sheep eyes, which are slightly less expensive.…
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Investigation: Rat Dissection
Provides instructions for dissecting a preserved rat. Students start with the external anatomy, then locate muscles, bones, and then the major organs.
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Case Study – Lice and Human Evolution
Google slides present a case of human evolution and the evolution of body lice. Students read details and data and answer questions in small groups.