As the number of cells in a microbial culture increases, turbidity increases. In this experiment students calculate doubling time and growth rate constant using absorbance as the measure of growth. Turbidity is caused by suspended cells in the growth medium scattering light, and may be measured using a colorimeter...

This experiment is a continuation of Determining Doubling Time. Students create a standard curve of absorbance against yeast concentration, and use this to determine the concentration of yeast produced over time.

The standard curve (dry mass, grams per litre) is generated from known concentrations of dried...

This SATIS Revisited resource is a structured group discussion activity, which looks at the use and abuse of drugs to enhance sporting performance.

The unit provides a rationale for teaching about ethical issues in science for students age 14–16. The aim is to introduce the idea that the discussion of...

This resource provides background information for students about the structure of DNA, DNA replication, genetic engineering, cloning, genetic testing and DNA fingerprinting.

The activities for students include a practical activity where students extract their own DNA from cheek epithelial cells or plant...

Produced by the Science Museum, this resource sees students working in groups to explore the issues surrounding genetic testing. Students receive a sealed secret box, that contains a chance card. Opening the box represents taking a genetic test. Students have to decide whether they would want to open the box. In...

This Science upd8 activity draws on clinical trials. Eight young volunteers had been in clinical trials before, but this time things went horribly wrong. Six of the eight were left fighting for their lives. In this discussion activity students consider whether new treatments should be ever tested on human...

These three activities, from Centre of the Cell, demonstrate how double blind trials are run, explaining what a placebo is and how the placebo effect works, how bias is removed as far as possible and how participants and trial medicines are randomised. Through these activities, students investigate the placebo...

As human population increases our appetite for meat is growing but very soon demand will outstrip supply. Farming large animals puts a strain on our natural resources and creates polluting waste. Scientists are proposing eating insects to help solve this problem. In this activity students are asked to plan a menu...

Ebola can spread quickly with devastating consequences. To help fight it scientists are developing drugs and vaccines. In this activity students are asked if they would trial a new Ebola vaccine. They gather information from different sources, weigh up risks and benefits and apply what they know about genes to...

Ecology is one of the titles in the series of ASE Lab Books that were published in the early 1970s for the Association for Science Education by John Murray. Each title covered one or two topics and brought together the best of the teaching notes and experimental ideas...

These activities allow students to model how environmental scientists compare diversity in different ecosystems by using ordinary playing cards as ‘species’ to generate data to calculate Simpson’s Diversity Index. This can be completed in a single lesson. Some students find the concept of species diversity quite...

Cell structure and function. This Science upd8 activity focuses on the medical careers students could pursue, by applying knowledge about cells, tissues and organs and their science skills.

Students take on the role of a hospital Family Liaison Officer who has to research various aspects of cell biology and...

In Background Stories for Teachers, the authors of the ‘Teaching about why things change’ project illustrate a new approach to the fundamental question 'why do things change?'. They do so with the help of stories about some scientific topics which show how the topics...

In this SATIS Revisited resource students investigate how scientists monitor seismic activity and warn of impending volcanoes, the limitations of the scientific data collected, and resulting precision level of warnings.

A Year 11 module from the Salters’ Key Stage Four double award science course. The module begins by considering variation within humans and in other species and how this could arise. The gene theory of inheritance is then studied, and finally the structure and function...