Biology

Management Tips

  • All biology teachers should start the year by having students and parents/guardians sign a “Student Safety Contract” (word-doc). I have included an optional “Web Page Permission” form in the Word version in case you have a class web page in which you would like to include pictures. It can easily be deleted.
  • Show this “Lab Safety” video (requires Windows Media Player 10 or above) that was provided by Renee Diamond of the NSTA Listserve. The music in the video is from a band called “rhythm, rhyme, results.” Spaces in the song are meant for students to fill in the blanks with the correct lab safety procedure.
  • This Sponge Bob “Science Safety Rules” activity is primarily for middle school students.
  • For labeling beakers, flasks, etc., I find printing the labels and taping them with “invisible” tape the easiest for removing later. For permanent labels, I use transparent tape. Here is the document I use for making the beaker/flask labels (word doc) and the dropper bottle labels (word doc (one example left in tables).
  • All my lesson plans are printed using Word as well. Here are an example (word doc) and the template (word doc).
  • This generic graph paper (word doc) comes in handy when writing up your own labs.
  • Or have students make graphs online at “Create a Graph.”
  • All the biology reviews for Glencoe’s Biology: the Dynamics of Life (2000) are on www.quia.com and linked to this page.
  • Students and especially parents find having a class page with assignments and other class information very helpful. Here is an example of one of my former class web pages. You can create your own website with the free Microsoft Office Live Small Business tools. Just be sure to sign up for the Basic service.
  • Use these tips for “Teaching 90-minute Time Blocks” (word doc).
  • I created a page for the review of the biology core standards in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. It includes previous tests and links for further study. Find it at “MCAS Biology Review.”
  • If you use Glencoe’s “Biology: The Dynamics of Life,” I created a site for students at my former school with resources to accompany the chapters covered in that book at “Bristol-Plymouth Biology.”
  • Mrs. Michal Kreiselman, Ph.D., a biology teacher at Architecture and Digital Arts Magnet, Kennedy High-School starts her school year by sending this letter (word doc) home to parents. She also has students do a “Scavenger Hunt” (word doc) to get acquainted with her course and uses this scoring rubric (word doc). Finally, she uses this “Thinking Maps” (doc) PowerPoint presentation in her introduction to the students.
  • If you don’t have gradebook program, you might want to try the free Engrade online gradebook. It allows students and parents to check grades online.

Games, Puzzles, Songs, Videos

  • Paul Koenig has recently published a CD of “Bio-io-ology” songs. Listen to an mp3 preview of the “DNA” song or listen to all of the previews and purchase the CD or individual songs at cdbaby.com.
  • Play the “Global Handwashing Day 2011 Game” from the edugames4all website.
  • Use the “Science Jeopardy” Game (word doc) as a review for tests.
  • Review vocabulary with the “Science Taboo” Game (word doc)
  • Biology songs by Dr. Art are for sale at: http://www.biosongs.com/index.htm
    • Preview one of his songs: “Amino Acids are Surrendered.” (You can save the song by right-clicking on the link and selecting “Save Target As.”)
  • Create Wordsearches, Criss-Cross puzzles, and many more online with Discovery School’s Puzzlemaker” .
  • Convince your school district to purchase a license for videos at unitedstreaming.com. (You can even sign up for a 30-day free “homeschooling” trial.)
  • Here is a template (doc) for creating Jeopardy games in PowerPoint with the instructions (word doc).
  • Review for tests and quizzes with “Science Baseball” (word doc).
  • Scientific American publishes “Sci-doku” Puzzles monthly that contain science-related clues.
  • Jeopardy reviews, video clips, PowerPoints, and much more on various biology topics found at the “Copernicus Project.”
  • Biology Movie Worksheets from the New York Science Teacher.
  • Parade of Games” in PowerPoint contains 16 different games with examples and templates to download.
  • Who Wants to Win A Million Dollars” online science and math game from Jefferson Labs.
  • Frank Gregorio has several good introductory biology videos on his vimeo site.

Links

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