BIOLOGY

Banana DNA Extraction:
Visualizing Deoxyribonucleic Acid
This at home lab shows how to extract DNA from a banana using salt, soap, and rubbing alcohol.

Battle of the Beaks: Modeling Natural Selection
This simulation lab models Darwin's theory of natural selection.

Carbon Dioxide Balloons: Visualizing Decomposition and Nutrient Cycling
This lab serves to introduce students to the role of decomposers in nutrient cycling.

Catalase Reactions: Measuring Enzymatic Rates
This lab demonstrates the structure and function of enzymes.

Egg Osmosis: Modeling Selective Permeability
This 4-day lab requires students to create a selective permeability with an egg, and observe how hypo and hypertonic solutions direct the movement of water. This can done with a gummy bear for a shortened, more simplified lab.

Environmental Effects of Leaching: Testing Your Drinking Water
In this lab, students test their drinking water and compare it to the control of distilled water.

Examining the Expression of Sickle Cell
Disease During Transcription & Translation
This activity applies the processes of transcription and translation to sickle cell anemia, a disease prominent in African Americans.

Immortal Cell Line of Henrietta Lacks
This activity introduces cell division and cancer by incorporating the story and contributions of Henrietta Lacks.

The Function of Organelles
This exploration can be done at home or in the school building. Students are required to research the functions of major organelles and then take photos of things around the building that can relate to each organelle. They must th...

Visualizing Calories: Energy in a Cheeto vs. a Marshmallow
This lab serves to introduce students to the function of macromolecules, more specifically carbohydrates and lipids. It examines the accuracy of nutrition labels, by physically burning calories in a Cheeto and a marshmallow.