Tag: lab

  • Urine Luck! – A Urinalysis Simulation

    Urine Luck! – A Urinalysis Simulation

    Examine urine samples from patients and suggest a diagnosis and treatment plan based on test results. Simulated urine, can be made with basic materials and models basic tests done on real urine.

  • Investigation:  Mitosis and Cancer Cells

    Investigation: Mitosis and Cancer Cells

    The first part of this investigation, students examine slides of mitosis in an onion root tip and count the number of cells in each phase of the cell cycle.  An equation is then used to estimate the percentage of time the cell spends in each phase and students  create a bar graph to display results. …

  • Investigation:  Taste Buds and Signal Transduction

    Investigation: Taste Buds and Signal Transduction

    As a part of the chapter on cell signal pathways, students perform a lab that examines how their taste buds are affected by Gymnema.    For this lab, I simply placed a question on the board “How does Gymnema tea affect your ability to taste sweet foods?”    I provided them with a list of…

  • Investigation:  Enzyme and Substrate Concentrations

    Investigation: Enzyme and Substrate Concentrations

    Students who complete the Enzyme Investigation lab can further explore enzymes with this lab on how concentrations of the substrate (hydrogen peroxide) and the enzyme ( catalase) can affect the rate of reaction.  In the first experiment, students simply made a judgement about the amount of bubbling to indicate reaction speed, though this is a…

  • McMush Lab

    McMush Lab

    I designed this investigation for AP biology though it could be modified to work with students in introductory biology classes.  First students learn the four macromolecules important to life: carbohydrates, lipids,  proteins, and nucleic acids. They can then venture into the lab where they use indicators to test for the presence of these molecules in…

  • Investigation: Comparing Plant and Animal Cells

    Investigation: Comparing Plant and Animal Cells

     This simple investigation asks students to view cells under the microscope and compare differences between plant and animal cells.   Students are instructed in the procedure for removing the epithelial cells of an onion and staining with iodine.  These cells are fairly easy to see and most beginning students will have no trouble locating the…

  • Investigation: Tools and Measurements

    Investigation: Tools and Measurements

    I designed this activity to help students become familiar with basic equipment found in the lab.  Students take volume measurements using a graduated cylinder, beaker, and a 3ml pipette.   Ultimately, they must determine how many single drops of water are in 1 milliliter by designing a way to test this given the tools provided.…

  • 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.

  • Investigation:  Why Are Cells So Small?

    Investigation: Why Are Cells So Small?

    This activity requires students to practice math skills by measuring the surface area and the volume of boxes.   Collect boxes for students to use, these can be any type of box, such as tissue boxes, food boxes, or shoe boxes.  Ideally, you want a range of sizes, with at least one box being overly…