STAV VCE BIOLOGY CONFERENCE 2008

Engaging activities for teaching VCE BiologyVojtech Markus

The King David Schoolvojtech.markus@kds.vic.edu.au

Engaging activities for VCE biology• Challenge students’ understanding• Need to communicate their

thoughts• Apply their understanding• Become familiar with terminology• Provide fun and varied activities• Find out what they know

Guess the picture!

• Context: units 1 and 3-cell biology• Knowledge of cell structure and

familiarity with diagrams• Students required to search

through their biological knowledge• Allows for lots of discussion,

clarifying misconceptions• Highlights the need to apply their

knowledge

EXAMPLE

Ecological issue conference• Context: unit 2-changes in ecosystems• Students required to research and

present at a ‘mock” conference, portraying a particular viewpoint in society

• PowerPoint provides background information to task and assessment

• Allows for lots of discussion, highlights the complexity of ecological issues

• Students enjoy the role-playing nature

Analogies

• Context: unit 3-enzyme interactions• Receptor-ligand binding is fundamental

to biology• Example 1: bucket, basketball, football,

golf ball• Example 2: baseball glove, baseball,

basketball, tennis ball• Allows students to visualise interactions

such as lock & key, induced fit and competitive inhibitor

• Followed by analysis of weaknesses and strengths of analogy (most important)

Linking terminology to label diagrams• Context: unit 4 revision• Lots of terminology and concepts• Students required to sort terms (180 of

them!) according to headings, eg meiosis, linked genes, gene expression, molecular cloning, patterns of inheritance

• Followed by labelling a series of diagrams• Groups compared each others finished

products• Lots of discussion and allowed for

identification of misconceptions

EXAMPLE

Simulations & analogies

• Context: unit 4-gene expression• Linking DNA sequence to protein formation

is difficult for students to make sense of• Use the analogy of a clothing manufacturer• Simulate process with laminated diagrams• Other simulations include liquorice, jelly

babies, toothpicks and chocolates (“Favourites”)

• Simulations foster discussion and provide another perspective to lecturing, animations, diagrams

Summary of activities

• Encourage students to explore their knowledge base and then USE IT

• Develop skills in communicating their ideas, verbally and in written form

• Encourage students to search for links between terms and concepts

• Provide the opportunity for fun as well as diversity in lesson activities