Tag: data

  • Case Study:  Can a Virus Cause Diabetes?

    Case Study: Can a Virus Cause Diabetes?

    This case asks students to examine data on children diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes after reading a short story about a young girl who was losing weight and feeling thirsty.  The content looks at a possible connection between diabetes and infection by the coxsackie virus, a virus that is responsible for “hand, foot, and mouth”…

  • Lab Report Guidelines and Template

    Lab Report Guidelines and Template

    Help students organize a lab report for any experiment, includes basic layout: title, introduction, hypothesis, materials and methods, data, and conclusions.

  • How to Use a Spreadsheet to Create a Graph

    How to Use a Spreadsheet to Create a Graph

    High school teachers often assume that their students know how to use basic word processing programs, internet browsers, and spreadsheets.  My students come to me with very little knowledge in how to do advanced tasks in those platforms, like inserting a graph or image.   I created this assignment to give students an introduction into…

  • Case Study:  How Did the Guppy Get His Color?

    Case Study: How Did the Guppy Get His Color?

    This case study examines evolution in guppies as evidenced by color variation in populations.  It is based on an iconic study performed by John Endler where he collected data on guppies by scoring the size, number, and brightness of spots. Students progress though the slides (lecture and discussion), and examine details of Endler’s study, such as where…

  • Investigation: What Factors Affect Lung Capacity

    Investigation: What Factors Affect Lung Capacity

    In this investigation, students use balloons and rulers to estimate the vital capacity of lungs using test subjects within the class.  To perform the test, subjects take a deep breath and blow into a balloon.  The diameter is measured and a graph is used to estimate the volume of air expelled based on the diameter…

  • Inquiry in Genetics Using Wisconsin Fast Plants

    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…

  • Quiz:  The Science of Biology

    Quiz: The Science of Biology

    This practice quiz aligns with chapter 1 of biology textbook where concepts such as the nature of science and the scientific method are discussed.

  • Case Study – Evolution and White Striped Clovers

    Case Study – Evolution and White Striped Clovers

    The production of cyanide by clovers with white stripes is an evolutionary advantage is some environments, but not others.

  • Growing Sponge Animals

    Growing Sponge Animals

    This simple activity provides an introduction to laboratory techniques and data collection. Students measure how a sponge animal toy grows when submerged in cold and warm water.