Let’s assemble some Biology kits!

 I do a great deal of hands-on activities in my science classes: labs, simulations, games etc.  Today, I want to share some of the activities.  I put together my own kits.  This will save you some time this Fall.

1. During Ecology, kids learn about predator-prey relationships with The Lynx eats the Hare.  The activity requires a large number of hares, a few Lynx, and masking tape.  I mounted the Lynx onto card stock and keep the paper model in envelopes for each group.

2. Mark and Recapture Beans is another Ecology lab which teach kids one tool, population sampling.  This lab requires a bag of white beans, which kids mark, mix back into the sample and recapture.  The lab has a lot of counting. 

3.  For some Biology classes, I also use Capture-Recapture dinosaurs.  I use a box of dinosaurs and rubber bands.  The kids pull out a handful of dinosaurs, wrap a rubber band around each one’s neck and return all the captured dinos to the box.  Here is a bit about deer tagging.  

4. Cell Membrane Bubble Lab helps kids learn about the properties of cell membranes.  The lab uses either pipe cleaners or straws, string, dish soap, corn syrup, and trays.  We found the straws and flat trays work well.   I usually gather the materials into a bin or box to set aside until the lab.

5. DNA Extraction lab requires a blender, split peas, salt, alcohol, coffee filters, and meat tenderizer.  I keep a box with materials.  Dried peas and salt last forever.  I like to be sure I have coffee filters on hand.  Buy the meat tenderizer fresh; it’s the key to a successful extraction.

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6.  Part of Taxonomy is to learn how to make dichotomous keys, such as this Button Dichotomous Key.  The kits is a bag of different buttons.  I store packs in a bin.

 

7. Another favorite home-made kit is the Biomolecule or Macromolecule Tests lab.  The kit has gelatin, sugar, iodine, Benedict’s reagent, biuret solution, cornstarch, crackers, oats, beans, etc for testing.  Dry food is stored in tight containers.  We’re testing food, not tasting it.  It doesn’t matter if the chips or crackers are stale.  I like to store the goods into a box.  However, I pull out bins for the lab during class.