This lab activity will not only draw on students' real life experiences but will also draw on student's previous lab experiences in proper laboratory techniques and data analysis performed in previous activities. The lab will incorporate the use of scientific inquiry methods and strategies while students develop reasonable answers to the questions asked.

This example Socratic questioning page provides an outline for leading a classroom discussion regarding whether or not nanobacteria exist. Sample questions, resources for background information, and tips and assessment information are provided.

This example Socratic questioning page provides an outline for leading a classroom discussion regarding whether or not viruses are alive. Sample questions, resources for background information, and tips and assessment information are provided.

In this inquiry activity, students generate investigable questions to explore the link between hygiene/cleanliness and bacteria growth/population. The students will present their conclusions, and video clips containing additional information will be discussed.

Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum module. Students tabulate and graph data on bacteria density vs. time for a culture. Data start with innoculation and progress through the peak and decline.

This exercise contains two interrelated modules that introduce students to modern biological techniques in the area of Bioinformatics, which is the application of computer technology to the management of biological information. The need for Bioinformatics has arisen from the recent explosion of publicly available genomic information, such as that resulting from the Human Genome Project.

Biology 2e is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester biology course for science majors. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the biological sciences, and offer everyday applications. The book also includes various types of practice and homework questions that help students understand—and apply—key concepts. The 2nd edition has been revised to incorporate clearer, more current, and more dynamic explanations, while maintaining the same organization as the first edition. Art and illustrations have been substantially improved, and the textbook features additional assessments and related resources.

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Identify and describe the properties of life
Describe the levels of organization among living things
Recognize and interpret a phylogenetic tree
List examples of different subdisciplines in biology

A pest is any organism that is unwanted or causes harm. How might we use these pest species to find out if they have any beneficial traits, such as antibacterial or antimicrobial properties? Students will learn techniques that allow a closer inspection of the microbiomes of insects in order to look for bacterial resistance and natural antimicrobial properties. This unit features 3 lessons and 10 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

In vitro collecting (IVC) is the process of starting plant tissue cultures with minimal disturbance to the plants when viable seeds are not available. Become the field researcher and learn how to collect tissue samples in a non-sterile environment using aseptic techniques. Use standard laboratory operating procedures (SLOPs) to prepare media for the IVC process. This unit features 3 lessons and 7 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Soil is an ecosystem, full of both living organisms and nonliving factors. These factors interact within the ecosystem to support one another. Find out what methods are used by soil scientists and microbiologists to measure the diversity of life in soil. Students will be given a scenario and led through this series of activities to determine the healthiest soils. This unit features 3 lessons and 9 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Create models to understand DNA and the gene transfer process used in biotechnology. Explore questions: Are there harmful side effects of biotechnology? Can biotech solve world hunger? Should GMO foods be labeled? This unit features 5 lessons and 5 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

About 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Microbes in food are the culprits. The purpose of these protocols is to investigate the effectiveness of bio-based cleaners at reducing bacterial counts on lab stations. This unit features 4 lessons and 10 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Have you ever looked on a food label and seen soy products on it, even though it wasn’t made from soybeans? This unit explores the various uses of soy in foods and how soy can be used to accomplish various functions in food science by asking students to measure the nutrient content of various foods, determine the function of soy in foods, and shows how fermentation of soy can be used to make different foods. This unit features 4 lessons and 17 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Explore some different areas of study in the life sciences.

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This cell biology lesson explains and illustrated the different phases of meiosis. Includes vocabulary and assessment links as well as othe related resources.

This interesting site focuses on unusual microbes that inhabit an extreme environmental niche on our planet. Individual articles are written in a tone suitable for general audience.

This group learning activity involves students in an engaging review of concepts of microbiology. The review is set up as a power point presentation in the style of the "Jeopardy" gameshow where students groups compete against each other to answer review questions.