High School Biology: Resources for Students, Teachers and Parents
Biology is one of the most diverse scientific fields: Physiology, botany, zoology, biochemistry, genetics and microbiology are just a few of the specialized disciplines that fall under the biology umbrella. But whatever aspect of the biological sciences you’re looking for, this High School Biology Web Guide spotlights the best online information, including biology help for students, guides for parents and teaching techniques for educators.
Expand All Guide SectionsHigh School Biology Resources for Students
Need help with homework, got a burning science question or want to enhance your understanding of biology concepts? The Web sites highlighted here have what you need to succeed in biology, as well as online games and activities to help make the subject a little more fun.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Many high schools give students access to online databases that are normally available to the general public only through paid subscription. Visit your school library’s Web site or ask your librarian for access to some of the useful databases not listed here.
- The findingDulcinea Science Web Guides are great resources for students seeking links to biology resources, including homework help, extra practice, quizzes and games. Try the Science of the Body and Science of the Brain Web Guides for links to the Web’s best human biology resources.
Dulcinea's Picks
For biology reference materials …
Biology Online’s
lengthy biology tutorials thoroughly explain such concepts as plant biology, cell biology, and genetics and evolution. Vocabulary terms are helpfully hyperlinked to the site’s biology dictionary. Browse biology articles by subject or use the site’s search engine.
Kimball’s Biology Pages
are a collection of explanatory pages on science topics that are arranged glossary-style in alphabetical order. These pages are all written by a former biology teacher and professor.
Science.gov’s
collection of links is a great starting point for any student interested in a specific aspect of biology and its real-life applications. Use the search engine or browse through categories like “Animals, Plants And Other Organisms,” “Ecology” and “Genetics and Molecular Biology.”
For biology homework help …
Infoplease’s
Homework Help section on biology offers explanatory articles on all the major categories of life science, including the body, cells, genetics, evolution, plants and the chemistry of biology. Some of the information may be too basic for advanced biology students, but the site is a good resource for basic homework help and memory refreshment.
MadSci Network
lets students ask questions of scientists or browse previously answered questions by topic and grade level. The FAQs also lists frequently asked questions on bread molds, effects of caffeine, catalase and plant pigments, to name a few.
For games and activities …
ZeroBio
is a site for biology games and quizzes. Students need a current version of Flash Player to play games like “Glycolysis Racing” and “Darwin’s Travels.” Each game is marked by colored flags indicating appropriate grade levels. Look for additional Flash animations that illustrate concepts such as photosynthesis and neutralization of stomach acids on the Mixed Flash page.
The Natural History Museum’s
picture gallery allows students to take a virtual tour of the Natural History Museum in London without leaving their computers. Browse slides by museum section for an up-close, interactive look at the fossils, plants and skeletons that populate the museum.
The Virtual Frog Dissection Kit
, part of the “Whole Frog Project,” allows virtual, interactive frog dissection. (A browser that supports forms is needed.) Students can also test their knowledge with the “Virtual Frog Builder Game.”
Biology Resources for High School Teachers
Usually students’ first high school science course, Biology can be a gateway to a lifelong love of science. In this section you’ll find biology lesson plans and worksheets as well as links to Web resources to help you foster that scientific aptitude and interest in your students.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Input from fellow teachers is extremely important for determining what concepts work well and which ones can be improved upon. Many of the sites listed below include content and feedback posted by other science teachers.
- FindingDulcinea’s Science of the Body and Science of the Brain Web Guides are filled with the Web’s best resources for the different body and brain systems. Teachers can find lessons plans and reference materials for all the body systems, including circulatory, digestive and reproductive, as well as information on teaching brain functions and neuroscience.
Dulcinea's Picks
For lesson plans and curricula …
ActionBioscience.org
provides original lessons by science educators in the categories of “biodiversity,” “environment,” “genomics,” “biotechnology,” “evolution” and “new frontiers.” Each lesson contains questions related to the article as well as a variety of additional activities and resources to help students continue learning about biology topics.
The SMILE program
Biology Index contains nearly 200 biology lessons in the areas of “Zoology,” ”Botany,” “Microbiology” and more. Because the lessons are written by lots of different educators, the quality and depth vary, but this award-winning site nonetheless offers a valuable resource for biology educators.
For worksheets and other printables …
Biodidac
is a searchable database of biology images and diagrams, from the inside of a chloroplast to slides of human hair follicles. Teachers can browse in categories such as “Eubacteria,” “Protista,” “Fungi,” Plantae,” “Animalia,” and “Human Biology.”
Biology Corner’s
worksheets are more mini-lessons in the categories of “Ecology,” “Anatomy,” “Scientific Method,” “Plants,” “Evolution” and more. There’s no teacher instruction or “Objectives,” but each worksheet outlines a complete activity for use in the classroom.
Access Excellence’s Graphics Gallery
collects images and diagrams that illustrate biological processes related to genes, cells, tissues, viruses and more.
For activities …
Bryn Mawr College’s Serendip
site has a selection of hands-on activities for high school biology teachers with extremely detailed preparation notes a supplies list, for instance, might include not only the Web site that sells the item but also the item number, price and quantity. Each activity has a companion student handout that’s available in PDF or Word format.
Michigan Reach Out
, a nonprofit mentoring organization, has a collection of easy-to-follow high school biology experiments on such topics as “AIDS,” “Body Fat” and “DNA Fingerprinting.” Each experiment includes several “Try This” ideas for additional hands-on activities to help enrich students’ understanding of the subjects.
For reference …
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s BioInteractive
site, with the motto “Teach ahead of the textbook,” is a collection of resources for biology teachers who want to incorporate the latest scientific research and developments in the classroom. Find articles, videos, lectures and animations on some of the most relevant topics in science today (for example, AIDS, stem cells and genomics).
Parent Resources for High School Biology
Biology, unlike math-intensive high school sciences like chemistry and physics, is particularly accessible to parents interested in encouraging scientific aptitude in their children. The following Web resources can help you integrate the varied aspects of the biological field into your home and into your teen’s outside activities and future plans.
Dulcinea's Insight
- There are countless opportunities for parents to integrate the study of biology into everyday life. Family trips to zoos, aquariums, planetariums, botanical gardens and other such public spaces can be a great way to sneak some education into your kids’ leisure activities.
- Channels like PBS, BBC and Discovery Channel offer science programming that can be both educational and enjoyable to watch with your child. Check the TV guide or browse the channels’ Web sites to find dates and times of biology-specific programs.
Dulcinea's Picks
For home activities and discussion …
ScienceDaily
offers the latest in biology news and developments daily. Browse the site or print out particularly relevant or interesting articles to discuss with your teen.
The New York Times
section on “Science Q&A” answers a new question daily, on such interesting topics as “Animals,” “Human Body & Mind,” “Plants,” “The Weather” and more. The questions are sometimes quirky and unexpected and can generate great biology discussions between you and your teen.
Furman University’s Department of Biology
presents this page with an extensive list of careers for biology majors. If your child expresses a particular interest or aptitude in the field, encourage your teenager to look at the many different careers that utilize biology. Click on links to learn more about necessary training and certification.
For science and natural history museums …
MuseumStuff
has an extensive list of science museums and exhibits that can help parents locate opportunities for educational outings. You can search by subject, city or state. Museums’ Web sites often include science articles and interactive galleries that can be great resources for your teen.
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