Yes, there are loads of paper dissections. The issue is cost. TPT is dominated by expensive paper dissections such as Origami Organelles. I’m digging for free or low-cost versions. TPT has an Octopus dissection. I downloaded it. Students color the parts and glue them to the Octopus. Not bad. I often have kids complete coloring sheets before a dissection to review the parts. The author, Biology Buff, has several dissections at $2.50 each.
It is no secret I like used books and kits. Guess what I’m open to used toys, too. If you have a Star Wars fan, consider Uncle Milton Star Wars Science toys. I bought the Jedi Force Levitator when Paul was younger. My husband used it for his static electricity unit in Physics. Are these kits really science? A little bit. However, they are fun. Buy them used. Good Will often has the Death Star or the Jedi Force Levitator available. Be sure to check shipping and compare the overall cost on Amazon, eBay, and Google shopping. These toys make terrific birthday presents. I didn’t know about the BB-8 spinner. I hope I win the bid on eBay; it will be perfect for Rob’s Physics class. He likes to add a bit of fun.
My kids cut up specimens, owl pellets, and synthetic kits (toys). If your budget is limited, just dissect a frog. Here is an excellent frog dissection guide. Keep scrolling for paper dissection links below.
If your family is a squeamish as Paul and my husband. Dissection these toys. Five Below has several types of kits. Be sure to dissect Gummi Bears, too!
If your budget just won’t allow for any dissections, substitute paper dissections: Paper Frog, Paper Salmon, and Paper Clam. Getting Nerdy has excellent paper dissection kits. They are pricey! The Frog Paper Model is $24.95. Ouch. See if your library has a copy of Foldout Anatomy, too. I’ll keep looking for affordable alternatives to dissections.
I’m using a snow day to plan ahead. I ran across Plan Science Practicals, with labs in several areas. The labs are simple, but not childish: Uptake of Water by Plants. Passive Transport (such as through the xylem), Rate of Osmosis (with potatoes), and several about Nutrients and Plant Growth. I use spinach leaves for a Photosynthesis lab and Plant Pigment Chromatography (substitute red cabbage for red Coleus leaves). Cornell has Becoming a Plant, designed for Middle School students, but easily adapted for younger or older students. Project Learning Tree (PLT) has several easy experiments for younger kiddos, too. Radishes sprout and grow quickly. Here are several radish labs, such as Phototropism. I bought seeds last summer I’m going to use for the Botany module. The first experiment will be germination rate—especially on the seeds I bought at the Dollar Store.
Okay remember when I said I wanted to make the Genetic Module meaningful in this post? Well a giant snow storm is about to hit our area. The time is right. Kids should have enough fre time to devote to a project. I’m using the Superhero Genetics Project as the model. However, the kids can substitute real animals and real traits, such as Poultry Genetics or Sled Dog Genetics. I have two challenging resources: Teaching Genetic Principles with Dogs and Complex Traits. The kids may chose one worksheet or activity to do exactly as described or study three traits and create their own problems with Punnett Squares. I posted a ton of resources for my kids on to the Google Biology Classroom. Let me recap. My kids can chose one project or worksheet and do it exactly as instructed. They may chose an animal, such as a chicken or German Shepherd dog, select interesting traits, and create their own problems, which they solve with Punnett Squares and describe the resulting genotypes and phenotypes. I’ll let you know how this goes. Here is my guide with links. I just saw Monster Lab and thought it would be fun to sew a Felt Monster with the baby monster’s traits.
Good Will online has a bunch of MEL kits, including a few Physics kits. BTW if there is a specific kit you want, try eBay. Generally, there are loads of kits for sale. I want a few for my husband’s Physics class.
I’m thinking a lot about tech right now. I’m sitting at the Apple Store watching my life bleed away as we restore seven iPads and an iPhone. This is our third trip over the past five days to the Apple Store. Yes! I’ve invested several hours with Apple support, too. I learned that contacting Apple Support from the Apple Store, when the background music was set on pound and associates were training One Single Customer with a Microphone wasn’t the best way to go. How do we use tech?
Largely, tech is a tool—not a mode of instruction. I spend a few minutes at the beginning of Co-op class reviewing assignments or broadcasting a few slides. My husband, Rob, likes to have a set of slides up for Algebra as a guide when he teaches. Otherwise, we use seven iPads and three laptops to write lab reports, take photos of notes or lab results, and create spreadsheets. Occasionally, I’ll let kids use Google to research a term f it isn’t in their textbook or how to create a MLA citation.
I’m a big fan of Google products. I like Classroom because I can load docs, pdf files, slide decks, etc. The kids frequently communicate through Classroom. Some upload their tests or lab reports directly to Classroom. All types of files can be saved to Drive. Yes, I purchased extra storage. We just save everything. Often the kids use a devise in class and just share the doc with their own gmail addresses.
While I like tech, it’s a tool. It doesn’t replace instruction; it supports it.
Do you watch Shark Tank? (This is different from Shark Week.) Did you see the Lectric Electric Skateboard? Kids build them from a kit. Here is their website. It’s not cheap! However, this might be a Co-op project. It looks like a cool way to teach coding. If you want an old school kit, try Skateboard Building kit. I look at new ideas, like this as inspiration. Maybe your kid might want to make a Skateboard lamp. I like to see what type of fancy STEM kits companies sell to schools. Don’t be discouraged because of the costs. Ask your teen what he or she could make.
Whenever I teach Genetics, I include blood types. Time permitting we’re doing the simulated blood tests today. Blood Types can be confusing. Start here with Genes and Blood Type. This Forensics slide deck has a brief overview, including a slide with human vs, animal blood. Here is the slide show I’m using today. Here is a blood type worksheet (Key). Below are notes and graphics I’m using in class, some of which are AI generated. One confusing note is Ao or IAi. Traditionalists use the I or i with blood types to show that the antigen is on the surface of the blood cell.
What is the difference between heat and temperature? Try to answer this question with Colorful Heat shown below. The author below added five drops of red food coloring to each. Each drop is a unit of heat. The Flinn activity, Colorful Heat, has a good explanation.
I’m betting many of you are battling the flu or other nasty viruses. Let’s do a round-up of lessons and resources. I’m starting my Biology series about microbes right after Genetics. This has a good overview about communicable diseases.
1. Let’s start with this Weebly, Viruses, Bacteria, and Diseases. Click on topics for a basic t-chart, Disease Brochure rubric, Dichotomous keys, and a host of good videos.
2. Adopt a disease. Make a brochure, infographic, or poster as in the Infectious Disease Project. I favor Ebola over COVID. I don’t know about you; I’m still tired of all the issues surrounding COVID. Hey, you do you. If COVID is fascinating , there are reams of materials.
3. Here is an Infectious Disease Project which is more of an activity. The kids read about symptoms and determine which infectious disease they have. Use this Communicable Disease Reference with the activity.
4. This slideshow has a good introduction about communicable and infectious diseases. This is a touchy topic. I found a good excerpt from Glencoe; however the chapter had an extensive discussion about STDs, a topic I believe is too sensitive for introductory Biology. I’m a firm believer that parents should determine the scope of any discussion about sexuality and the like. I just don’t.
5. Make a Least Wanted Pathogen Poster. This version has a good list of possible pathogens. However I would retype the list with common names and omit the STDs. Yes, I routinely censor any material I use for class, especially when I like the idea, but not all of the content.
