We know that the beginning of the school year can be an especially hectic time for educators. To lessen the burden a bit, we've put together a hand-picked collection of our favorite introductory science materials, hands-on and virtual activities, and interactive lab materials for you to use in your science classroom.

Don't see what you need? Check out our full library to explore all 34,000+ free learning resources from LabXchange, PhET, HHMI BioInteractive, OpenSciEd, Science Buddies, and our many other collaborators!

🦠 Getting Started in Science

These collections of resources ("clusters") offer introductions to some of the fundamental fields of science, like biology, chemistry, and physics. Each cluster is broken down into learning pathways, which are guided learning experiences that go into more detail about a topic.

Science Essentials

• Scientific Reasoning (high school)
• Research Foundations (high school), including pathways about The Scientific Method, Experimental Design, and Lab Etiquette and Safety

Biology

• Life Science (middle school)
• Introduction to Biology (high school)
• Genetics (high school)

Advanced Biology (AP® Biology)

• Core Concepts in Biology (advanced biology)
• Biochemistry, Cells, and Energetics (AP Biology, Units 1–3)
• Cell Communication, Heredity, and Gene Expression (AP Biology, Units 4-6)
• Evolution and Ecology (AP Biology, Units 7–8)

Chemistry

• Introduction to Chemistry (high school)

Data Science

• Data Science and Biotechnology (high school)
• Data Science and Earth Science (high school)

Physics

• Introduction to Physics (high school)

🎨 Hands-on and Virtual Activities

Hands-on classroom activities and interactive virtual activities offer fun ways to explore scientific concepts. Try these out to spark learners' creativity and curiosity for science!

Hands-on Activities

• Fruits Gone Bad? Discover Enzymatic Browning (teaching guide; middle school)
• Shrink a Potato with Osmosis! (teaching guide; middle school)
• Use Chemistry to Lift Ice Cubes (teaching guide; middle school)
• Pipe Cleaner Neurons (teaching guide; middle school)
• Catch Me If You Can: Collisions and Newton's Third Law (teaching guide; middle school)

Check out our full library of teaching guides for more hands-on activities.

Virtual Activities

• 3D Virtual Frog Dissection Lab (simulation; high school)
• 3D Exploration of Eye Structure and Function (simulation; high school)
• Mitosis: Evaluating the Effects of Lectin on Onion Root Tip Cell Division (simulation; high school)
• Meiosis: Measuring Crossover Frequencies in Sordaria fimicola (simulation; high school)
• Fruit Fly Behavior Lab (simulation; high school)
• Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration (simulation; high school)
• The Egg Lab (simulation; middle school)
• Plant Dissection Lab (simulation; middle school)
• Modeling DNA (interactive; middle school)
• Stomata Exploration (simulation; middle school)

Discover more simulations here.

🔬 Lab Practice

These resources introduce the importance of following proper lab safety and procedures and allow learners to practice fundamental lab techniques, including making a solution and micropipetting.

Lab Rules & Safety

• Using a Light Microscope (simulation; middle school)‍
• Parts of the Microscope (interactive; middle school)‍
• Lab Safety (interactive; high school)‍
• How to Use Laboratory Glassware (method video; high school)

Lab Techniques

• BLAST Virtual Lab (simulation; high school)
• Osmosis Data Analysis and Interpretation (simulation; high school)
• How to Make a Solution (scrollable interactive; high school)
• Gel Electrophoresis (lab simulation; high school)
• Introduction to the Micropipette (scrollable interactive; high school) and Micropipetting Solutions (lab simulation; high school)‍
• Transforming Bacteria (lab simulation; AP Biology) and Plating Transformed Bacteria (lab simulation; AP Biology)

🧑🔬 Career Exploration

Inspire your students to explore diverse careers in science through interactive career simulations and skills guides on CareerXplorer.

Career Profiles

• Biological technician
• Data scientist
• Genetic counselor
• Molecular and cellular biologist
• Process engineer

Career Simulations

• Testing Molecules to Develop New Antibiotics
• Investigating Disease Through Data
• Investigating a Bacterial Infection
• Preparing Biological Data for Meaningful Analysis

📚 Teaching Strategies & Resources

Educators are learners, too! These resources offer teaching strategies, advice, and ideas for educators.

• Introduction to LabXchange (free self-paced course for educators with certificate option)
• Advancing Equity in STEM through Inclusive Teaching (cluster)‍
• Growth Mindset and Metacognitive Approaches to Teaching (pathway)‍
• Active Learning Strategies (infographic)‍
• Scaffolding New Material (pathway)‍
• Five Teaching Ideas for a New Semester (pathway)‍
• Create Your Online Class on LabXchange (pathway)‍
• Simulations as a Teaching Tool (teaching guide)‍
• Online Courses for Teachers on Summer Break (Harvard Online article)

In addition to checking out the materials above, we encourage educators to explore our Subjects page to find content in their area of focus, our Curricula page to find resources aligned to their specific curricula and standards (such as NGSS), and our Teacher Resources page to learn more about the many types of resources you can find on LabXchange. We wish you a successful school year ahead!

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