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.
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Expand All Guide SectionsHigh School Biology Resources for Students
Need help with biology homework or want to enhance your understanding of biology concepts? High School Biology Resources for Students include online games and activities to help make the subject a little more fun.
Insights for High School Biology Student Resources
- 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.
Top Sites for High School Biology Student Resources
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 the categories listed near the top of the page.
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. Visit the FAQs to find topics such as bread molds, effects of caffeine, catalase and plant pigments, to name a few.
For biology games and activities …
zeroBio is a site for biology games and quizzes. Students need a current version of Flash 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
Look for biology resources for high school teachers, such as biology lesson plans, worksheets and links to Web resources, that can help you foster scientific aptitude and interest in your students.
Insights for Biology Resources for High School Teachers
- 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.
Top Sites for Biology Resources for High School Teachers
For biology lesson plans and curricula …
ActionBioscience 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.
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 biology 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.
The 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 biology activities …
Serendip, a Web site of Bryn Mawr College, has a selection of hands-on activities for high school biology teachers with extremely detailed preparation notes. 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 and DNA fingerprinting. Each experiment includes several “Try This” ideas for additional hands-on activities to help enrich students’ understanding of the subjects.
For biology reference …
BioInteractive, a Web site of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute with the motto “Teach ahead of the textbook,” is a collection of resources for biology teachers that 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 parent resources for high school biology, below, can help you help your teen with biology.
Insights for High School Biology Parent Resources
- There are countless opportunities for parents to integrate the study of biology into everyday life. Family trips to zoos, aquariums, planetariums and botanical gardens 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 programs.
Top Sites for High School Biology Resources for Parents
For biology activities and discussion …
ScienceDaily offers the latest in biology news and developments. Browse the site or print particularly relevant or interesting articles to discuss with 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.
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. Search by subject, city or state. Museum Web sites often include science articles and interactive galleries that can be great resources for your teen.
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