Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities

In this minds-on activity, students are introduced to the concept of ecosystem services. Then, students analyze two examples that illustrate how some wild animals protect human health.

First, students learn how the widespread use of a veterinary drug poisoned vultures in India. This increased the populations of rats and feral dogs, which caused an increase in human mortality due to rabies and other infections.

Second, students analyze how a human-spread fungal infection killed millions of North American hibernating bats. The loss of insect-eating bats caused farmers to increase their use of insecticides, which led to increased infant mortality.

I have prepared two versions of the Student Handout. The more complete version will be suitable for most high school students, and the simpler version will be suitable for most middle school students and English language learners in high school.

In this analysis and discussion activity, students learn how meiosis produces genetically diverse gametes, by analyzing the results of crossing over and independent assortment.

Students figure out why no two siblings (except identical twins) have exactly the same alleles.

A final section contrasts sexual reproduction with asexual reproduction.

In this analysis and discussion activity, students develop their understanding of the effects of environmental factors on population growth by analyzing the recovery of endangered species and how growth of bacterial populations can cause food poisoning.

Students learn about the processes that result in exponential or logistic population growth, interpret data from several investigations, and apply their understanding to policy questions.

In this analysis and discussion activity, students learn about basic coral biology and coral bleaching.

Then, they research topics related to corals or coral bleaching.

In this analysis and discussion activity, students investigate several examples of plants that have grown in odd shapes.

As students analyze these anchoring phenomena, they learn (1) how the zones of cell division and elongation contribute to the growth of stems and roots; (2) how the effects of a plant hormone on cell elongation contribute to plant responses to light and gravity; and (3) how differentiated cells (xylem cells, phloem cells and photosynthetic cells) cooperate to supply all parts of the plant with needed molecules and ions.

In this activity, students interpret data from scientific studies, develop and refine scientific models, and answer additional analysis and discussion questions.

This activity can be used in a unit on cells or as an activity on development after students learn about cell division.

This minds-on, analysis and discussion activity introduces students to basic cancer biology, somatic mutations, and regulation of the cell cycle.

Students view an introductory video about a teen with melanoma and then complete six sections: “What is melanoma?”, “How does a melanoma develop?”, “Why do melanoma cells divide too much?”, “Environment and inherited genes influence your risk of melanoma.”, “Different Types of Cancer”, and “Research Challenge”.

Concepts covered include cell cycle checkpoints, somatic mutations, and DNA repair enzymes

Students begin by comparing the characteristics of whales, mammals and fish to decide whether whales should be classified as mammals or fish. To support their conclusion, students make a scientific argument (claim, evidence, reasoning).

Students learn about the evolution of whales and other cetaceans by analyzing evidence from comparative anatomy, embryology, fossils, and DNA and proteins. Finally, students make a scientific argument for the claim that whales and other cetaceans evolved from land mammals.

To begin this minds-on analysis and discussion activity, students learn about the correlated increases in global temperatures and CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere.

Next, students evaluate an example that illustrates that correlation does not necessarily imply causation. Then, they analyze several types of evidence to test the hypothesis that increased CO₂ in the atmosphere has been a major cause of the increase in global temperatures.

This learning activity concludes with a very brief discussion of how global warming has contributed to harmful effects on humans and possible actions to reduce these harmful effects.

This analysis and discussion activity introduces Victoria Gray whose severe sickle cell anemia was effectively treated by gene editing with CRISPR-Cas.

To begin, students review the molecular biology of sickle cell anemia, transcription and translation.

Next, they learn how bacteria use CRISPR-Cas to defend against viral infections and how doctors use CRISPR-Cas to treat sickle cell anemia. Then, students examine some of the research findings that scientists used to identify their target for gene editing.

Finally, students analyze the CRISPR-Cas gene editing treatment for sickle cell anemia.