High School Biology Activities
Biology is the study of life and can be an interesting subject for high school students to learn. From investigative homework assignments to thought-provoking classroom experiments, biology presents vast opportunities for inspired teaching and learning. Combine hands-on activities with dynamic instruction to inject "life" into your high school biology class. This commitment to engaging activities can make biology a student favorite at your school.
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Dissections
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Specimen dissections allow students to view internal structures that are otherwise hidden from inspection. It also helps them gain a better understanding of the function and intricacies of biological life. Ease students into the dissection process by first identifying the tools and associated terminology. Explain that carelessly destroying specimens, or straying away from dissection instructions, will result in disciplinary action. Start with less complex specimens such as earthworms and starfish. Once students demonstrate desired competencies, progress to more complex specimens such as cow eyeballs and frogs. Consider pairing students into teams to provide extra support during the procedures and to reduce the number of needed specimens. Challenge students to identify the function of key structural components. Use microscopes and magnifying glasses to enhance these investigations.
Field Trips
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Leave the classroom to allow your students to experience plants and animals in their natural habitats. This immersion can help make lessons more relevant and relieve boredom. Suitable field trips include visits to zoos, planetariums and national parks. Match field trips with your lesson plans to make them more useful. For example, visit an aviary when teaching about birds, or a solarium when studying plant life. Challenge students to answer probing questions during and following class filed trips. Take your students on "nature walks" to study indigenous plant and animal life. Require students to maintain an "Explorer's Log" that details their fieldwork and investigative findings. Suitable assignments include drawings and in-depth analysis of their scientific explorations.
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Collections
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Assign students the task of collecting and identifying different biological specimens. This activity helps students understand and appreciate structural differences. It also challenges them to use research and reasoning to make final identifications. Leaf and insect collections make suitable assignments for high school biology students. Give students sorting keys and guidelines to aide in their investigative endeavors. Present students with collection instructions based on the type of specimens they're collecting. For example, advise students to wear protective gloves when handling unknown leaves, or to use alcohol to prepare insects for mounting. Consider requiring students to take pictures of insects, if they're opposed to working with live specimens.
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