Teaching resources

This section contains tools for teachers to enhance scientific learning in the classroom. From experimental ideas to drive home core scientific concepts and research skills to videos to make learning more enjoyable, we hope these resources will help to inspire the next generation of researchers. This page is part of the redeveloped resources section on the Node, you can find out more about the update here.

For school teachers

Experiment ideas

A collection of links to ideas for performing science experiments with school-age students in the classroom.

Learning videos

These links are for a range of individual videos and channels that use video to educate about key scientific concepts suitable for use in the school classroom.

Miscellaneous learning resources

Links containing a variety of resources for teachers to assist with science education for all school ages.

For universties

Assorted resources for university students, mainly undergraduates, to further their understanding of developmental biology concepts.

Experiment ideas

The Royal Institution page of easy and interesting experiments for school age students.
Image from Manchester Fly Facility

Fun easy classroom neuroscience experiment ideas from Backyard Brains.
Interactive labs available for American school students at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Experiment ideas and learning resources using fruit flies from the Manchester Fly Facility.
Educational experiments using planarians in the classroom by the Sánchez Lab.
Experimental ideas for the classroom using simple, affordable microscopes from Microscopes for Schools.
Ideas for using microscopes in classroom experiments from Microscopes for Kids.
Manchester Fly Facility: droso4schools: online resources for school science experiments using the fruit fly
Image from Manchester Fly Facility

Drosophila.
BioEYES: ideas for school experiments using zebrafish.
Environmental monitoring projects for schools using SENSE IT.
Hama Bead Patterns of several model organisms to educate about the use of model organisms in science.
Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado’s lab explores ‘Hands-On Classroom Activities for Exploring Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology with Planarians‘
An X request for fun and short STEM activities got a whole bunch of useful replies

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Learning videos

Generation Genius hosts next generation science videos for Key Stage 1 & 2.
Videos from CurioCity to help teach key science concepts to schools.
YouTube channel of Armando Hasudungan who draws out many scientific processes.
Stated Clearly videos to teach the basics of genetics and evolution at a school level.
Educational science videos on a wide range of topics from NOVA.
‘Science with Tom’ YouTube channel with videos communicating science through music and rap.
Rosalind Franklin vs Watson & Crick science history rap battle.
Video from the Royal Institution: Why science is NOT ‘just a theory’.
YouTube video explaining why leaves change colour.
YouTube video explaining mitosis through rap.

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Miscellaneous learning resources

Resource collection for school science teachers from the Association for Science Education.
Teaching resources for primary and secondary school science education from BBSRC.
School learning resources from Research Councils UK.
Royal society summer science exhibits.
Image from Manchester Fly Facility

Howard Hughes Medical Insitiute educational resources for science education.
Resources from the American Physiological Society for K-12 science education.
Educational resources from the Royal Society of Biology for Primary schools.
Educational resources from the Royal Society of Biology for Secondary schools.
Royal Insitution teaching resources.
Resources from CurioCity for teaching science concepts in schools.
The Welcome Trust’s Big Picture journal to bring science into the classroom. They also provide practical advice on extended science projects.
Resources from STEM for teaching science in the classroom.
Vast collection of STEM teaching resources for schools.
Resources for teaching STEM in the classroom from the Nuffield Foundation.
Learning centre for schools – Centre of the Cell.
Online science educational resources from The Science Museum.
Colouring children’s books to teach key biological concepts from Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory Press.
Resources for science education in schools in New Zealand from the University of Otago.
Resources from the BBC for primary school students.
Resources for teaching kids about the brain from the DANA foundation.
Cheeky neurons, a resource to explain epilepsy to children.
Resource for teaching evolution to primary schools.
Science and engineering hub from the University of Manchester.
Interviews with established scientists on how they got into science.
The online DNA learning centre.
Pokemods, the model organisms play card game
The Science Art Writing Trust provides projects that break down the barriers between art and science in the classroom
Our own ‘A Day in the Life…‘ series celebrates and informs about the diversity of model organisms used in developmental biology
The Embryo Project Encyclopedia is full of fascinating articles and multimedia on the science and people of developmental biology

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For universities

SDB Core provides collaborative resources for learning developmental biology
Online university courses in developmental biology.
Undergraduate resources from the American Physiological Society.
Educational resources from the Royal Society of Biology for University Students.
Resource for undergraduate neuroscience education from Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience.
Laboratory ideas for undergraduate practicals from the Genetics Society of America.
iPhone app for learning genetics and evolution.
Embryology wiki.
PLOS Sci-Ed Blog covers various aspects of science education.
Cell Signalling Technology’s ‘Cellular Landscapes‘ – interactive, photo-realistic and pretty stunning renderings of various cellular structures
KnowEnG’s SequencEnG is an interactive learning resource for next-generation sequencing techniques
A list of books by SDB members
Development’s ‘Advocating developmental biology‘ series provides case studies arguing the importance and excitement of the field, a resource for researchers, educators and students alike
PNAS has a site devoted to Teaching Resources, including powerpoint slides
The Allen Cell Explorer site has a neat Visual Guide to Human Cells
The Journal of Visual Experiments (JoVE) makes videos of scientific experiments from the top labs around the globe. They have over 500 videos in their Developmental Biology collection.
Knowable Magazine, the digital publication from Annual Reviews, publishes in-depth features, explainers, articles, essays, interviews, infographics, slideshows, and comics about the latest science. Check out their Building Bodies collection on developmental biology.