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32 Standards Met with Wisconsin Fast Plants® Engage students and support NGSS with classroom-tested, tried-and-true Wisconsin Fast Plants®. A leading expert on the use of Fast Plants® in education recommends investigations and kits to support K–12 NGSS. View »
Bringing Real-World STEM Experiences to the Classroom by using miniPCR For schools grappling with budget constraints, biotech equipment costs can make it difficult to give students true-to-life learning experiences. One biology teacher has found a new resource that makes real-world instruction more affordable. View »
Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems Concepts from physics class are being applied to make modern vehicles more fuel efficient. View »
What's the Big Idea? Understanding the Laboratory Experience in the AP* Chemistry Curriculum If you teach AP* Chemistry, you’re already aware, or need to be, that changes to the course curriculum are here, which means you’ll probably have to change your classroom instruction. To help relieve your anxiety, here’s an overview of the course revisions, some important dates to remember, and 2 ways Carolina can help to ensure your success during this transition. View »
Coming into the Genome Age Part III: The Molecular Genetic Basis of PTC Tasting This experiment links genotype to phenotype and puts a contemporary spin on an old standby of classical genetics. View »
Coming into the Genome Age Part II: Exploring Human Variation and Evolution This article introduces an experiment that allows students to use their own DNA differences (polymorphisms) to explore human variation, relatedness, and evolution. View »
Coming into the Genome Age Part I: The Challenge to Science Education Explore resources and activities from the Dolan DNA Learning Center. View »
Coming into the Genome Age Part IV: Detecting Transgenes in Genetically Modified Food Molecular genetic techniques have been used to add transgenes into the genomes of a number of important food plants. View »
Let Wisconsin Fast Plants® Grow on You! What if you could provide your students with an experiment that takes up little space, can be tailored to fit the time you have available in the classroom, and meets NGSS? View »
All About Owl Pellets Owl pellet dissections are fun, hands-on, and educational for students of all ages.Plus the activity can build toward several NGSS standards across grade levels. View »
5 Steps to Teaching Inquiry in Your Science Classroom Worried about the inquiry lab requirement of the College Board's AP lab curriculum? Here are some great tips from an educator who's already done it. View »
Give Your Students That "A-ha" Moment Carolina is proud to announce its partnership with the educational outreach team of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology to provide educational kits that give students that “aha!” moment. The Institute’s educational products focus on addressing common student misconceptions and introducing students to potential career paths in biotechnology. The Institute also provides valuable FREE digital resources for educators. View »
Hydroponics Using a nutrient-rich water solution and a unique, time-tested approach, you can successfully grow plants with no soil. In a hydroponic system, water does the work. Find out more about this fascinating method and the advantages that make it both appealing and effective. View »
Using pClone Red for a Science Fair Project on Bacterial Gene Expression The emerging field of synthetic biology attracted the attention of one high school student planning his science fair project. His research—and its award-winning results—may suggest new ways that you can explore gene expression with your students. View »
Tied Up in Protein Synthesis (or Lost in Translation): A Kinesthetic and Inquiry-Based Approach to Teaching the Central Dogma of Biology In this exercise, students tie Windsor knots to create a translation product from mRNA instructions—a protein “necktie.” Your classroom is the nucleus, and the hallway is cytoplasm. View »
From Jellyfish to the Bench: How Green Fluorescent Protein Is Used in Research Students may be familiar with green fluorescent protein (GFP) from classwork or seeing transgenic animals in their local pet store. However, they may not know that it’s also an important research tool. Use this overview to help them discover how scientists use GFP to study many of the major questions in biology. View »
Phases of the Cell Cycle A concise take on the life cycle of a typical eukaryotic cell. View »
Infographic: Bring Your Genetics Lessons to Life with Model Organisms Carolina offers unique opportunities to work with model organisms—such as genetic corn (Zea mays), Wisconsin Fast Plants® (Brassica rapa), and fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster)—in your genetics labs. View »
Bacteriophages in Human Disease: Friends and Foes Help your students understand the connection between bacteriophages and human disease. This scholarly overview explores how bacteriophages have helped and hindered humans in their quest to overcome certain diseases. Use it as assigned reading or to kick off a classroom discussion. View »
Flipped Lessons Are Great, Now Try Layering! Getting the Most Out of Your Wisconsin Fast Plants® Lessons Tick-tock, tick-tock. Every classroom minute is precious, and teachers always look for ways to accomplish more during instructional time. Wisconsin Fast Plants® can help maximize your time while providing 3-dimensional learning recommended by the latest national standards. View »
A Brief Look at Cells: Shape and Function Discover morphologies of common cells and why they are shaped in such ways View »
Carolina's Recommended Reading for AP® Biology Teaching AP® Biology this year? Go beyond the textbook and take students on an exploration of key concepts with these teacher-tested and recommended books. View »
Infographic: Types Of Gears Learn about the many types of gears and where you may find them in the world around you. View »
Schoolyard Field Study Conduct a field study of your schoolyard with this activity. It’s an opportunity for students to apply what they’ve learned throughout the year. Students work in groups of 2 to 3 over several class periods. View »
Biology in the Movies See how you can use movies to facilitate engaging learning experiences for your students. Each suggestion includes a brief synopsis and talking points. Here’s to making your biology lessons even better than before. View »
The Science Behind Lactose Intolerance Rumbly tummy after that milkshake? It could be lactose intolerance. In this brief overview, we’ll examine its causes, symptoms, and genetic underpinnings—plus point you toward some resources for further investigation. View »
Infographic: Simple Machines This infographic profiles four of the six simple machines: inclined plane, pulley, lever, wheel and axle. View »
Studying Genomes in the Madagascar Forest Using miniPCR® When it’s difficult to bring DNA samples to a lab, why not bring the lab to the samples? Find out how a portable thermal cycler is changing the way a biological anthropologist performs her research. View »
Using Interactive Case Studies to Meet the New Science Standards Learn about the benefits of using Interactive Case Studies to teach science concepts View »
Getting a Handle on Variation of Traits This article is designed to help students and teachers think about the nature of various determinants underlying biological variation. View »
Video: Comparing DNA Sequences This engaging video by science teacher Paul Andersen shows you how to compare DNA sequences to understand evolutionary relationships. View »
Butterfly Necklace Use this activity to give students an understanding of the life cycle of the painted lady butterfly. Includes materials list and step-by-step instructions. View »
Meet the 12-Spotted Lady Beetle Explore the fascinating life cycle of the lady beetle with the help of this infographic. View »
Carolina’s Teacher- and Student-Focused Kit Development Process Carolina's kit development team approaches each kit as a tool to be honed so that it is easy to use, engages students, walks them toward success, and eases teacher workload. Learn more about the process in this short white paper. View »
Debunking the 4° C Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Myth Do samples need to be refrigerated immediately after PCR? No. You can leave them at room temperature overnight—and much longer! The founders of miniPCR® explore why. View »
How to Teach the Crosscutting Concepts with Wisconsin Fast Plants Lessons taught with Wisconsin Fast Plants engage students with natural phenomena, and they are some of the easiest to design with crosscutting concepts as the foundation. Learn how. View »