All posts by Brad Grey

Coronavirus Worksheet and Class Activity

In this coronavirus activity, students will simulate an outbreak much like the we are currently experiencing with COVID-19. In this class activity students receive a test tube with some “bodily fluids.”

Students will receive a test tube or cup with simulated bodily fluids in it. One or more people (you choose, see teacher notes) in the room have bodily fluids that are infected.

To simulate how some viruses like SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) spread, students will use a pipette to exchange droplets from their test tube to another person’s test tube.

Determining how a virus is spread is crucial in preventing the spread of a virus. Finding patient zero, the first person known to become infected, is a critical part of this process. After scientists determine patient zero it can help them determine the origin of a virus and allow them to inform the public to prevent future infection.

Directions for students:

Obtain a test tube or cup and a pipette from your teacher.
When directed by your teacher, you will move around the room and when told you will exchange 4 drops of simulated bodily fluids from your test tube to the other persons test tube.

-This simulates the exchanging of bodily fluids from a simple handshake, sneeze or cough.

Repeat until you have exchanged “bodily fluid” with 5 people.
When everyone is done you will take you test tube to your teacher to test whether you have become infected using a chemical indicator. If your sample turns pink, you are infected.

Teacher Tips:

Recommended Materials:

If you do not have the materials listed below you can creatively substitute materials. See the teachers notes attached to the download.

Phenolphthalein indicator solution (see notes for making the solution)
.1M NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide) or other base that will result in a positive test for phenolphthalein indicator solution. This works well because it appears the same as water.
Distilled water
Test tube (recommend plastic) for each student
Pipette for each student

Increase the challenge:

Start with two infected people from the start. This will only work with larger class sizes. Five exchanges with one patient has worked fine for classes as low as 18 and high a 30. For two infected patients I stick with my higher level (honors classes) and larger classes.
Do not give students the handout until they are done. Then ask them to record the names of the people they interacted with. Many students will find it to be a challenging task to list the names even though it happened only minutes earlier. This helps students understand some of the challenges that come with remembering people they encountered.

#coronaviruslesson #biologyteaching #outbreakactivity

biology curriculum, Biology Lesson Plans, classroom management

“Why Do I Need to Learn Biology?”

November 5, 2019 Brad Grey Leave a comment

Let’s face it, as Biology teachers we are constantly asked the question: ” Why do I need to learn Biology?

What do you say?

You can share over at our “Facebook Group “Biology Teachers” or in the comments below.

What do I say?

Usually when I am posed the questions I go off on a rant for 20 minutes tying in every relevant current event with the topics we just covered in class.

And then…I realize their mission had been accomplished. I was derailed. Just when you think you won their hearts into a love for Biology you realize they effectively got out of thinking for a solid 20 minutes.

I Will Not Be Defeated!

To help me briefly and effectively communicate to my students why they need to learn the content I have dedicated my life to teaching them, I have created two different posters that will help reinforces the “Why”.

Now all I have to do is point to the posters and now you can too!

Download Your Free Poster!

10 Reasons Why You Need to Learn Biology

The following “10 Reasons” are available on two posters (5 reasons on each) that you can print and hang in your classroom. Various sizes are available.

Why Do I Need to Learn Biology?

1.) Improve your ability to learn.

You are going to figure out how you learn best by being challenged in a subject you know little about. Let’s face it, you will eventually need to know how to remember things, write reasonable sentences, problem solve, and be an effective contributor to this world. All of those skills are used in Biology!

2.) Basic knowledge of Biology helps you understand what your body needs to perform optimally and feel your best.

Do you know exactly what you are putting in or on your body? From macronutrients to micronutrients, having a fundamental understanding of the make-up of your body and what it requires can help you live a longer, healthier, happy life.

3.) Biology can help you make informed decisions about your own health.

Healthcare professional are amazing dedicated professionals however, sometimes mistakes are made. Having a fundamental understanding of Biology can help you better understand and communicate with medical professionals. You may even identify an error or suggest an alternate solution…if you understand Biology.

4.) Learn how to follow directions in an efficient manner.

If you don’t know how to do something, what do you do? You may look up the instructions or watch a how-to video. Biology will help improve your ability to interpret directions in a variety of formats and help you solve problems more efficiently.

5.) An understanding of Biology can help keep you safe!

Throughout Biology you will know learn how various molecules can influence cells. Guess what! You are a big lump of cells! Understanding how cells behave in various condition can help you better understand how to care for your body. For example, having some background knowledge of Biology will tell you why you get thirsty when you eat salty food (osmosis) or lots of carbohydrates. Understanding Biology can help you be more in-tune to your body and allow you to detect when something is wrong more quickly (ABCD’s of Skin Cancer, Mitosis). That could save your life!

6.) Biology teaches practical skills that you will use daily.

This subject will teach you how to think logically and solve real-world problems. You will undoubtedly have problems to figure out during your lifetime and the strategies developed in this class will help you solve them. The prerequisite skills learned in this class can apply directly to your everyday tasks. For example,…. almost everything that you do!

7.) Helps you understand current events.

This includes news about energy sources, product recalls (salmonella outbreaks), pollution, genetic engineering, bioethics, the environment, and technological advancements. Do you truly comprehend what is going on in the world today? With a fundamental understanding of Biology, you will be a more educated, well rounded citizen.

8.) It is worth observing things and nature and determine how the function.

“Our world is built on biology and once we begin to understand it, it then becomes a technology.”

-Ryan Bethencourt (scientist, entrepreneur, and biohacker)

Living things have evolved a solution for almost all problems that nature has thrown at them. When we understand how organism are solving problems and solving them human can then harness that “technology” to solve problems of our own like curing disease or finding alternative sources of energy. Being in-tune to Biology could be very lucrative or better yet solve the worlds problems.

9.) Biology builds interpersonal skills and opens up career options.

Interpersonal skills are crucial to be successful in life and in the workplace. In Biology you will learn how to exercise self-awareness, communicate verbally and nonverbally in a clear manner, be respectful of others, show empathy and understanding, engage in active listening, behave appropriately, and be receptive to feedback.

There are many careers in Biology. The skills that you learn and obtain in this class will be helpful in any career that you choose to partake in. You will be dealing with Biology and those skills, regardless of what career(s) you choose in life.

10.) This is a fun subject if you give it a chance.

When some people think of Biology fun may not be the first thing to come into their mind. However, if you give it a chance and truly dive into and develop an understanding of the language and the concepts of Biology you will develop a deep appreciation and amazement of the course and the world the we live in. Biology is you, understanding you and all that you are is simply amazing.

#biologyteaching #biologyposter

technology

5 Easy Ways to Integrate Technology Into Your Biology Classroom

June 27, 2019 Brad Grey 1 Comment

How to Integrate Technology in a Biology Classroom

I recently surveyed my audience and researched some of the most effective uses of technology for the Biology classroom. Below is a list of some of the easiest and best ways to integrate technology to help enhance your instruction.

Five Easy Ways to Integrate Technology into your Biology Classroom

1. Virtual Field Trip

Technology today is amazing! For only a $15 you can purchase Google Cardboard and instantly have the ability to host virtual field trips and 3D tours of things like the cell or the human body. If you cannot afford to purchase a class set just get enough for a few students and set up stations that your students can rotate through. A great source for Virtual Field Trips is Youtube! Another source is the Expiditions App by Google.

For Youtube, all you need to do is type in your the topic followed by 360 VR . Here is a Human Body 360 VR video!

2. Skype a Scientist

Skype a scientist matches scientists with classrooms of students from around the world. This is a great opportunity for your students to learn about daily life as a scientist. Students sometimes have a hard time seeing themselves in certain careers. This is a great way to get students exposure to some really awesome career and to learn more about what the scientist are doing.

With a quick search you can find a bunch of Biologists, Geneticists, Plant Scientists, Microbiologist, Medical Doctors and so much more!

3. Podcast

Podcasts can introduce a unique way of learning for your students. This is a great way for those auditory learners to engage with meaningful content. Students can listen to podcasts and complete activities like sketch notes, a concept maps, story lines and more.

Some great podcasts for Biology are:

Radiolab-Great story telling that includes documentaries, interviews from scientists and authors.
The Life Scientific– Host professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientist about their work and their life.
60 second science– Great for introducing content or even a quick exit. This show gives a short snip of the news and commentary for the day. A great way to start class
Brains ON!– kids co-hosts each episode to explore fun science concepts through songs, interviews and mini plays.

4. Harness Quizzing Apps

Socrative

There are a variety of online program and apps that you can use to enhance student learning that can also save you time. For example, I like to use socrative.com for administering short quizzes about homework, as exit tickets or even warm ups to pre-assess student knowledge.

Quizlet (My Favorite!)

Quizlet is definitely one of my favorites. I like it so much that I created a Quizlet for every single unit in the High School Biology Curriculum here at USBiologyTeaching.Com

Why do I like it so much?

First, it serves as a vocabulary learning platform for students through a wide variety of activities that they can choose. It also offers quizlet.live where student compete against other groups using vocabulary terms. But that isn’t all. You can also generate quizzes automatically based off the flash cards that you or students created.

Our members love it. If you want to become a member and have access to a Full Biology Curriculum with all of the Quizlets done and become part of the community check it out here: Full Biology Curriculum.

5. Collaboration

It wasn’t long ago when we had to email a paper or hand a paper back and forth just to add our touches and read each other’s work. Those days are gone. Harness the power of Office 365, Google Docs/Slides so your students can work collaboratively to build reports or conduct research.

I love watching my students create their first lab report collaboratively using Google Docs. It is amazing to see them work through the process together. Check out the lab report rubric and tem1plate is use.

Share your ideas below!

If you think I missed an important easy way to integrate technology share yours ideas in the comments below!

#biologyteaching #teachingwithtechnology

assessment, biology curriculum, evolution

Evolution Research Project

April 14, 2019 Brad Grey Leave a comment

Evolution Project

Check out this evolution research project! You students will choose an organism and research it’s evolutionary history.

This aligns perfectly with all of the Next Generation Science Standards for evolution by natural selection.

The evolution worksheet can be downloaded below.

The worksheet serves as a guide for students as they research the evolutionary history of the organism. There is also a rubric that can be downloaded in the members area of USBT.

Tips for Using this Evolution Activity

My student have produced some amazing presentations using this evolution research project.

BEWARE: One of the most challenging aspects of the assignment for the students is going to citing evidence for a specific type of speciation that occurred with their organism.

I always tell my students to use a phylogenetic tree to help them identify the divergence between two species. I have them research the type of speciation that occurred between those two organisms.

Evolution Worksheet

Your students will need to dig in and do real research on their organisms.

First, students will identify the organism by the Genus and Species name.

Next, your students will answer a series of questions about the evolution organism they chose to research.

Evolution Research Questions

What are some of the most recent common ancestors of the organism you are researching?
Search for the phylogenetic tree or a cladogram of the organism.
Analyze the phylogenetic and include a discussion about the shared characteristic in your presentation.
HS-LS4-1. What evidence supports your organism having the common ancestors you describe above?
HS-LS4-3 What advantageous heritable trait(s) does the organism have that has resulted in organisms with the trait to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait?
Identify and cite evidence for one type of speciation that occurred in the evolutionary history of your organism.
HSLS 4-5 Based on your research what types of selective or environmental pressures does/did your organism face?
HS-LS2-8 Does the organism you researched engage in a group or individual behavior that increases the chances for the individual or species to survive and reproduce?
What types genetic variation exist in individuals in the species due to mutation and sexual reproduction?
What competition exists/ed for limited resources for your organism?
What makes your organism better able to survive and reproduce in the environment.
HS-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence from your research for how natural selection leads to adaptations of populations in your organism.

After completing their research, students will build a presentation. I give my students options for the type of presentation that they can do.

Some of my students even implemented a green screen for recording their videos!

You can access the rubric and editable versions of this assignment inside the USBT community.

You can also access everything we have ever created, a FULL BIOLOGY CURRICULUM! all in one, nice, organized place with instructions on how to use it.

#biologyteaching #teachingevolution @USBioTeaching

assessment, Inquiry Lab, Lab, Lab Report

How to Teach Scientific Writing in Biology

February 17, 2019 Brad Grey 2 Comments

Teaching Students to Write Scientific Articles and Lab Reports

The importance of being able to understand and explain in clear language the meaning of fundamental scientific concepts is central to science literacy. One study examining factors that influenced student success in scientific writing found that the only accurate predictor was prior scientific writing experience.

Students need practice, and it is up to science instructors to require students to write in their classes and to seek the best ways to teach them to write effectively.

Other studies have demonstrated that an explicit focus on building students’ scientific writing abilities also improves students’ critical thinking skills, their ability to read and understand scientific literature, and their overall success in the biology curriculum. Thus, for multiple reasons, there is a real need for practical tools to facilitate scientific writing instruction.

Click here to download the lab report rubric and template

Students make the most progress in their writing when assignments are broken into small chunks. When discussing any research study, it is essential to understand the purpose, the process, and the findings.

A successful ‘Results’ section weaves together all three of these aspects, so it is a good place to start. Have students work in pairs or small groups and read the ‘Results’ paragraph of a published article. They will then answer the following five questions:

1) WHY? was the experiment performed. What question was it trying to answer?

2) HOW? was the question approached; what was actually done? Summarizing the procedure helps students make connections between their experimental question and the data. The details of the procedure should be sufficient to interpret the data, but not as detailed as in the Materials and Methods section.

3)WHERE? In which table or figure are the data shown? For example, “As shown in Table 2…” or at the end of a sentence (Figure3).

4) WHAT? A full description of the actual results of the experiment is next. This is not a list of all the data, but it should describe overall trends over time and differences between samples at each time point.

5) So? This is a discussion; based on the results, what is the answer to the original question? In scientific writing, it’s important to connect the WHAT? (what you observed in the experiment) to the SO?, ie. the original question the experiment was trying to answer. From there, the conclusion could go on to compare the data from this study to other published data from similar studies, and then to a proposal for further follow-up experiments or a suggestion of the broader implications of the results.

Once students have thoroughly dissected the article, assess them by having each student write a ‘Results’ section for an experiment they have performed in class. You can click here to download the Mealworm Lab! Once they master ‘Results’, other sections can be introduced in similar fashion.

References:

1.Jerde CL, Taper ML. 2004. Preparing undergraduates for professional writing: evidence supporting the benefits of scientific writing within the biology curriculum. J Coll Sci Teach. 33:33-36.

2. Libarkin J, Ording G. 2012. The utility of writing assignments in undergraduate bioscience. CBE Life Sci Educ. 11:39-46.

3. Quitadamo IJ, Kurtz MJ. 2007. Learning to improve: using writing to increase critical thinking performance in general biology education. CBE Life Sci Educ. 6:140-154.

4.Brownell SE, Price JV, Steinman L. 2013. A writing-intensive course improves biology undergraduates’ perception and confidence of their abilities to read scientific literature and communicate science. Adv Physiol Educ. 37:70-79.

#biologyteaching #scientificwriting

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All posts by Brad Grey

Outbreak Activity: Finding Patient Zero