Labs+and+Activities

Inquiry?!?
A concern I've heard frequently from AP Biology teachers is how to transition to more inquiry based labs. This is an valid concern as inquiry instruction is the heart of the new course. Below is a great document that outlines how to convert verification labs to inquiry. I'll be adding links for inquiry versions of each of the Dirty Dozen. Yes, they can be made into inquiry-based labs! Links to the new thirteen will be added as well. If you've got a great lab or other inquiry activity please share. [|AP Annual Conference- Cheap and Powerful Inquiry Lessons for AP Science]

The lab requirement
Let's be absolutely clear. 25% of your class time should be laboratory. This is not a new requirement. The College Board is requiring two inquiry based labs for each Big Idea. That's eight labs. Eight labs from __anywhere__ (Dirty Dozen, new thirteen or other) that are inquiry based. For those teachers that are new to AP Biology make eight your goal for this year. Intermediate and Advanced, my recommendation is to flip your favorite labs to inquiry and try one or two of the new labs.

The table below lists each of the original Dirty Dozen and aligns them with the new thirteen (where applicable). 9 Restriction Enzymes ||
 * __**Dirty Dozen**__ || __**New Labs**__ ||
 * 1 Diffusion and Osmosis || 4 Diffusion and Osmosis ||
 * 2 Enzyme Catalysis || 13 Enzyme Activity ||
 * 3 Mitosis and Meiosis || 7 Cell Division ||
 * 4 Photosynthesis || 5 Photosynthesis ||
 * 5 Cellular Respiration || 6 Cellular Respiration ||
 * 6 Molecular Biology || 8 Bacterial Transformation
 * 7 Genetics of Organisms ||  ||
 * 8 Population Genetics || 2 Hardy Weinberg ||
 * 9 Transpiration || 11 Transpiration ||
 * 10 Circulatory Physiology ||  ||
 * 11 Animal Behavior || 12 Fruit Fly Behavior ||
 * 12 Dissolved Oxygen ||  ||
 * || 1 Artificial Selection ||
 * || 3 BLAST ||
 * || 10 Energy Dynamics ||

Kits
I've had a request to include information on lab kits as well as how to conduct labs without kits. This information is included in each of the lab links.

Probeware
Regardless of the platform (Pasco, Vernier etc), probeware can be incorporated effectively to make lab work more efficient. I'm a HUGE fan of probeware so the links also include how to utilize probeware in the lab.

Mini posters


[|Mini posters] changed my life as an AP Biology teacher. I used to have students write lab reports for each of the Dirty Dozen. Ugh. Mini posters are an efficient way to get students to articulate their work and understandings.

Statistics
In response to the the 2014 FRQ, here are some statistics resources.

Other labs and activities

 * Battling Beetles
 * Bean Brew
 * Building macromolecules
 * [|Cell craft]
 * [|Descendent discs]
 * Famous Beaks
 * [|More minds-on activities for Biology]
 * Paper plasmid
 * Pathways with friends
 * [|PBL]
 * Toothpickase
 * Shh Silencing the Hedgehog Pathway
 * [|The Story Behind the Science]
 * Teddy Grahams
 * Who's the Father?