Open or close class using these teaching manipulatives. I have one set of plant cell mitosis cards and another set of animal cell mitosis. Students get to use their brains and their hands when they practice putting the steps of mitosis in order. You can use both sets together to demonstrate similarities and differences in the mitosis of plant and animal cells.

Once you get a class set of each prepared, you can use them over and over again.

Download animal cell mitosis cards
Download plant cell mitosis cards

In a place like Massachusetts, seasonal changes are rather noticeable. However, it seems as if many students go right through high school without spending some time investigating these changes. Why is winter so different from summer? Where do all the bugs go? Why do birds migrate? What happens to the leaves in the fall? These are all fundamental questions, rooted strongly in biology, so…why not teach them?

I fit these investigations into the curriculum by tying seasonal changes in with the study of photosynthesis and respiration. I think it makes things much more interesting and engaging. Plus, if you time it right, you can use it as an excuse to go outside and collect leaves, make observations on a nature walk, or talk about seasonal adaptations.

I have two coloring sheets here. One is a summer scene, the other is the same scene in winter. It is a great springboard for a number of writing prompts, and it gives the kids some time to relax a bit and color. Never underestimate the power of coloring in high school. Give them a break every now and again. You’d be surprised how much they retain from a silly coloring sheet. Make them take notes on it too!

Download the summer/winter coloring sheets

Download the teacher notes

Teaching students how to use a microscope is an essential component of any high school biology class. I was surprised at how many of my 9th graders had never used one before, so I had to go back to basics to develop introductory activities for them. My goal was to have my students use the equipment safely, get a basic understanding of how the microscope works and get the opportunity to see various things up close. The key here is safety. I think my kids never used microscopes because their teachers didn’t trust them with expensive equipment.

Give them a general background, lay down the rules, teach them the parts, and let them do a lab. This is my approach for using microscopes as a lead-in to a unit on cell structure.

Microsope notes: teacher version

Microscope notes: student version

How to use a microscope: checklist

Microscope lab with teacher notes