The Joy of Biochemistry Mini (Edible) Labs!

Biochemistry is a hard unit for so many students. I previously wrote about this last year around this time. We just finished our unit, and I am waiting on the edge of my seat to see their test results.

I took a different approach to teaching it this year. I found students really struggled the most with macromolecules. There is so much information and it is easy to get it all jumbled together in their brain. For that section, I decided to give each macromolecule its own day and to really focus on understanding that one thing all day. Hopefully I will see the benefits of this in their scores!

I taught the macromolecules in order based on the elements they are made of: CHO, CHO (1:2:1), CHONS, and CHONP. This probably makes no sense to some of you, but the main idea is that I tried to find the most logical progression through these four macromolecules and started with the simplest: Lipids, Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids.

Each day was roughly structured like this:
1. Notes (Super short -- maybe five sentences)
2. Label Diagram and Color Code
3. Mini-Lab
4. Vocabulary Work

My favorite part of this whole system was the mini-labs! We did them together as a class -- no formal write up or questions for them to answer. We orally reviewed the ideas constantly as they were working on the lab. It made the material hands-on, memorable, and in some cases -- edible!

I think my students favorite mini lab we did was probably the mini enzyme lab. We set this up the day before we actually talked about enzymes. I presented them with a cute little story about messed up jello in the cafeteria -- was it caused by the canned pineapple or fresh pineapple? The students could each choose which type of jello they wanted to test in their cup. They wrote their name on their cup, along with what type they chose, and we put them in the fridge over night.

Fresh vs. Canned

Labeled Cups in the Fridge

The next day, they were so excited and anxious to see their jello. I passed out their cups, and some of them were shocked and disgusted that their beloved fresh pineapple didn't allow the jello to set and they had a runny watery mess.

It set up a memorable experience for them to recall how an enzyme becomes denatured (in this case, the heat in the canning process). The enzyme in fresh pineapple, bromelin, breaks down the collagen in jello and doesn't allow it to set into a firm matrix, but the canned pineapple has been heated, and the enzymes denatured, so it is able to set without issue.

The lab maybe took 15 minutes of class time, yet was something we could reference and talk about everytime we talked about enzymes and allowed students with a reference point for all of the concepts. I declare it a success.

For my favorite blog readers, I will give you a quick run down of all six mini-labs I did for the Biochemistry unit for FREE! Just click the link to view! The mini-labs are also included in my Biochemistry Unit Pack on my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

... Teach on.

Today is proving to be a difficult one. I find teaching extremely exhausting when I am not feeling my best. Today, I am tired and would love to have even just one more hour of sleep, but instead I'm waking up at my normal early hour and wearily driving into work to teach all day. I would love a day off, but I rarely take sick days. This isn't to say that I don't take time to care for myself, but I find missing school to be more hassle than help when I am feeling exhausted, and today, I am exhausted and I must teach on.


I feel like an acting class should be part of teacher education programs. Part of what makes content exciting for students is seeing their teacher excited about the content. I am an actor some days, acting as though I'm excited when in reality I'm exhausted. My acting chops get a work out.
So on days like today, when I am just not feeling it, I must put on my acting hat, take a deep breath, and teach on. On days when I am teaching material I myself find dull, but necessary, I teach on. When I want to lose my temper in class, I take a deep breath and teach on.
I am not my most enthusiastic or charming or understanding version of myself today, but my students are here. They showed up to learn, understand, and grow and in return I must show up to teach, communicate, and guide. 

On days like today when I'm feeling under the weather, I will inevitably have students who immediately notice and ask me if I'm sick or if I'm getting a sub (some ask excitedly, others concerned), and I do my best to smile and say that I just have a bit of a cold or allergies. It continues to surprise me how observant they are, and reminds me that I have to keep acting and keep teaching. 

For those of you that are wearing out your acting chops today, I want to remind you... 

You have a student who looks forward to you class every day. 

You have a student who will try their very best to make you proud today. 

You have a student who appreciates everything you do, even if they don't say it. 

You are allowed to be run down, to take a day off, and to be exhausted, but don't get discouraged. For those students, you must teach on. 

... I Have Struggled!

There are some topics that I sometimes feel like I will never enjoy teaching... biochemistry is one of them. 

This probably sounds odd since I teach both Biology and Chemistry -- Biochemistry should be the perfect happy marriage of the two! My problem isn't the content, but rather the delivery and reception of the audience.

Chemistry is taught in 10th grade, Biology in 9th. Biochemistry in the Biology course falls right after Ecology. The transition is difficult for my students. They have to transition from the "easy" content in Ecology that is a lot of review, to Biochemistry, which is in my opinion one of the most difficult units of the whole course. There is almost no prior knowledge of the content and it is so hard for the 9th grade mind to make the transition.

In previous years, I had "chunked" the unit into a few sections -- Atoms, Water, Macromolecules, and Enzymes. Within each of those chunks, I would give them all the information at once along with labs. It was overwhelming for them and for me! It was a lot of information for them to absorb in a short period of time.

This year, I had a different plan. We had a "transition day" where we reviewed the levels of organization again -- a topic we had previously covered at the beginning of Ecology -- and used that as a stepping stone into the levels of organization in Biochemistry. We made a foldable, gave examples, and looked at some sample molecules. It gave students a day to adjust and it gave them a preview to what we were talking about.

The other major difference I did this year was how I taught macromolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids). Previously, I taught them all at once and did lots of activities involving all four macromolecules over several days. This year, I decided to spend one full day on each one. Each day has a few components -- notes/information, mini-lab, color coding and diagram labeling, and vocabulary work. This approach gave me a full day to immerse students in the vocabulary (there is a lot of it!). Although its more work for me -- setting up four different labs in four days! -- but it is totally worth it if students are able to learn and understand the material better.

I am not a teacher who can sit back and do the same thing every year for every unit. Some things I was happy with and will keep relatively the same, but I am always looking for better ways to teach hard concepts. I have high hopes that Biochemistry will be more successful for my students this year, and going forward I'm going to try to plan more lessons that are student focused.

What topics do you struggle with? What are your strategies for redesigning those units?

Some of my biochemistry resources are available on my Teachers Pay Teachers store! Check them out!

Teaching with QR Codes

My husband insists that one of the reasons he loves me is because when I find a good idea, I become a bit obsessed with it. I see it as a fault, but that's not the point...

My newest "obsession" is utilizing QR codes in class. QR Codes Look like this and can be scanned with an app on any smartphone. Each QR code is specific to a link and will automatically bring up the linked webpage. There are many websites that will generate a free QR code for a link you provide.

I love them because it makes it so much easier for a student to find the exact article/website/video I want them to find. They don't have to type in a long website (and inevitably misspell some of the nonsense words) and they don't have to go to Google, search for XYZ, click link 47 on page 112... You get the idea. I find them to be faster than having them go to my classroom website for a link. They are easy and instant -- perfect for using in class!

Tonight, I was working on a CER writing assignment for my Biology class on Interactions in Communities. Part of the process is gathering evidence, so I started searching for articles, websites, or videos they could use to gather the evidence. Then I started thinking about how slim my chances of booking a computer lab for class on short notice would be... Then I thought about how lame the articles are without the stunning photos... Then I thought about the whining and groaning when I give them the articles that don't have pictures...

There has to be a better way!

Dramatics aside, this is the situation I've been in often so far this year. With a school of 3,000 students, computer use for an entire class is at a premium. I sometimes come up with ideas last minute and don't have the ability to get a computer lab last minute. Why not use the technology students already have in their pockets?

For the CER writing assignment, I decided to provide students with both the written form of the articles and the links to the online versions. I even included a few codes to videos on the topic. Since they are sharing a set of articles as a group, every person will have something to do, regardless of whether they have a smartphone. Those that do have a phone can easily share with their partner.

Utilizing smart phone technology has opened up so many possibilities in my classroom without the hassle of having to book technology.

My favorite ways to use QR codes in class: 

1. Self-Paced Videos: 

Lots of teachers (myself included) like to use a variety of videos to supplement instruction, many times providing a list of questions to answer while watching the video. We all know that students work at different paces. Why not give them a QR code to the video, have them use their headphones, and work through the video at their own pace!

2. Tutorials: 

For math-heavy chemistry units, I make tutorials on my SmartBoard for explanations on how to solve some of the trickier problems. Put a QR code next to tricky concepts on a study guide to provide easy access to remediation and help -- whether its linked to your own tutorial or another you find online.

3. Stations Labs: 

It can be tricky to incorporate variety in labs during the macrobiology units like Ecology. Try creating stations where students gather information from a variety of sources -- articles, websites, videos, text books -- and have them answer questions, create an illustration or graphic organizer at the end. You can use the QR code to provide links to any (or all) of the resources. I usually have some of them printed out, and others only online.

4. Provide Visuals: 

There are so many articles online that include stunning photography. I typically cut these out of my copies for class to save paper and because the pictures don't look that great being photo copied! At the bottom of the articles, I provide a QR code to the online version with a blurb saying "For the full article and awesome pictures, follow the link!"

These are my very basic ways of incorporating QR codes into my classroom. There are lots of teachers out there who go way above and beyond what I have just started to discover. I do not use them on everything -- although I probably could! -- but I think they provide a great way to bring technology into the classroom, give students some control over their learning and pacing, and to differentiate and "spice up" what would typically be less engaging.

Do you use QR codes? I would love to get some more ideas!

Tips and Tricks for Your Class Website!

If your school is anything like mine, then each teacher has a webpage for each of their courses. Perhaps you have your own, or share one between subjects, but regardless of how its set up, its important that your website is functional for both you and your students.

Determining the best method for providing information to students can be cumbersome, especially if you are still learning the basics of how the technology works. Because each school has their own website design and system, I can't give much specific help there. I can, however, give you a list of things to consider for your website and examples of what I use on my websites.

Our school uses D2L (Desire 2 Learn) as our website platform. In the past, I have used Moodle. It took me a while to transition from one to the other, but some of the basic design elements exist in all of them. I have two sites that I share with students -- one for Biology and one for Chemistry. These pages are only visible to me and my students. I also have a page that is shared among all the Chemistry teachers and another with the Biology teachers. It allows us to easily share resources with each other. I also have several other sites I share with other faculty groups. I spend the bulk of my time creating resources on my course pages for my students.

The landing page for my courses looks like this:

Each year I pick a new banner and color scheme (for my own personal excitement, in all truthfulness). I have the same color scheme on both pages, but the top banners are different. It helps me remember which page I'm working on, while still allowing me to share resources between them without them "clashing." 

So, here we go. 

Top 5 Tips for Class Websites

#1: Stick to a Theme

Much like your classroom, it's much more pleasant to look at a page that has a clear theme and color scheme. Use the same theme throughout -- including colors, fonts, and styling. Of course, some things cannot be changed (such as the colors on the Google calendar in the above picture), but if you can change it to match, do it. This will make your website clean and inviting. Students have a higher chance of looking through your website if its neatly laid out and organized than if it looks like a page of random things you found online and thought were cute. 

I tend to like things a bit more muted and calm, but if you like them bright and colorful then go for it, just make sure its still easy on the eyes and organized. 

#2: Stick to a Layout

Once you find a layout you like, stick to it. Changing things up to much will make it confusing for students to find what they need. After all, the website is for the student to use. If its confusing or changes weekly, its going to be frustrating for them -- especially students who are not so good with website navigation (those students still exist these days!). 

My website is built using widgets that can be moved around and reorganized. I play with the placement at the beginning of the year, before students are using it regularly, and look for a layout that neatly fits all necessary things -- calendar, content browser, and news box. Most other things I would want to add can be adjusted once those are in place. 

#3: Organize Your Files

Like #2, if a student cannot find what they need, it will be confusing for them. I organize my files by unit. 

Why is there only one unit folder so far? It's only the second week of school so we are still in unit 1. Although I have files on my page that are for later units, I don't make them visible or accessible to students until we are in that unit. Again, my goal is to minimize frustration. If a student sees ten folders of units they haven't heard of, they will get frustrated and not know where to look. If I limit it to only folders they have heard of, it makes it easier for them to recognize where to go and what to do. 

Typically, I keep past unit folders still visible for students after we are finished with the unit. When it comes to midterms or finals, students have access to go back and look at the previous units and I don't have to worry about hiding them and un-hiding them. 

Within each unit folder, I organize the information based on topic. I used to create a list of every single resource for that unit, but the list was huge and even though I could find that one video we watched last Tuesday in class, I knew students would not have as easy of a time. This year, I am making topic pages. When you open up the unit folder, you now see a list of topics instead of a list of resources. 

The top page says "From Class..." and is where I post a weekly synopsis with links to PowerPoints and Videos from class. I wanted this to be the go-to spot for students when they miss class or needed to review something specific from class. 

The topic pages typically have a short video on the top that highlights the topic. Some of them are videos we have watched in class, some of them are funny songs. The page needed something engaging for students, but still educational. 

Below the video is a short summary of the content. Sometimes it will have key vocabulary or an important equation. It's not a wall of text, but more like a short blurb. You don't want to overwhelm a student who is struggling with huge paragraphs of text. 

I then listed several helpful websites. Usually, these are websites that have interactive help that we don't use in class. Sometimes they are tutorial videos, other times they are educational online games. I like to link things they haven't seen before and could be both fun and helpful. 

Keep in mind that students could access the webpage from home or school, so be sure that the websites are accessible from school. YouTube videos are blocked at our school, so I provide a safeshare link for them to be able to watch them at school. 

For each topic, my goal was to create a one-stop-shop for everything that will help them learn, practice, and master it. 

#4: Multiple Links to Helpful Pages

If you notice, I have a unit 1 folder and also a "References" folder in my content browser. The references folder is full of reference pages for reoccuring topics in class such as metric conversions, graphing, CER Writing, and lab equipment. I even made a Homework Tips page. 

Of course, I hope that students will look at these pages whenever they are struggling, but I know that isn't the case. In order for them to get to the resource, I need to link to it from where I think it would be helpful for them. In my topic pages, I add links that go back to references pages and back to my "From Class..." page. 

If a student is struggling with graphing, they can click the graphing page and watch a helpful video. If they need more help, they can click the reference page. If they want to see the practice from class, they can click the classroom page. As long as a struggling student can remember which unit we are in and identify which topic they are struggling with, I try to make all the applicable resources available from that point. 

#5: Discuss it In Class

Although most students are wizards at navigating iPhone apps, text messages, and video games, not all students are wizards at navigating websites. The best way around this is to discuss the website in class. Show them what it looks like. Give them a tour at the end of class. Before a test, show them where resources are to study from. Show them the website often so they are familiar with it and learn the layout. 

The first week of school, I give my students a tour of the website. I let them know what's available online and I ask them to login and look at it for their homework (world's easiest homework?). Before a test, I remind them of what the website looks like and where to find the resources. 

Periodically I will put an online quiz or project on my website that students are required to submit for a grade. I typically give them a window of opportunity to turn it in, and at the end of class each day during the window, we review where to go to turn it in and how to do it. 

If you want students to use the website, you need to teach them how to do it. 

Class websites can be a great resource for students to supplement their classroom learning. Remember your goal is to make it easy for students to use. 

What do your class websites look like? What tips and tricks do you have?

First Week of School Recap, Tips, and Tricks

First week of school is officially over! I feel like I'm starting to get my teaching groove back. It usually takes a couple of weeks for me to feel the rhythm again. I'm feeling awesome about the first week right now though!

First, I will say that my students have been absolutely stellar so far! I know, it's a honeymoon phase, it will pass... but the amount of thought and participation and effort they put in this week really makes me excited for the rest of the year!

I wanted to give you all a quick recap of what I did this week and some tips and tricks for the first week back!

The first day is always the most challenging for me. You want to get started with content right away, but you also want them to learn the procedures and expectations for your class. You want to keep them engaged, but you have information from administration/department that you have to share.

My plan is to think of our 55 minute classes in a few chunks. 15 minutes for business, 35 minutes for science, 5 minutes for review.

15 minutes of business: On the first day, the students get a syllabus (school required) and I briefly highlight a few key things (late work, class website, required supplies). I also introduce myself and give a few interesting facts about myself and give the students a chance to ask questions about me. I absolutely hated icebreakers when I was in school, so I don't do any of those, but I do give them a chance to learn a little about me. I feel like it really helps them create a connection quickly. During the first 15 minutes, I also have them fill out their homework log information (I'll post about this later!).

35 minutes of science: For all subjects, I start with a bell ringer each day. At the beginning of this portion I explain how the bell ringers will work, what they papers will look like, and what they are expected to do. The first day bell ringer is really simple -- "What are you most nervous for in _____?" Sharing the answers really creates some great discussion and helps calm some nerves. On day two I usually ask what they are most excited for to keep them excited for the year.

The rest of this portion of the class period looks different depending on the subject. For biology, I start with any activity that gets them thinking like scientists -- making observations, asking questions, creating hypotheses. You can learn so much from them by having an open discussion and brainstorming. I love using the Amazon Fly story on the first day. Students can take the discussion in so many directions!

For chemistry, I do a fun demo. My favorites are the traffic light demo and dehydration of sugar by sulfuric acid. Both of them have results that are baffling to them at first and help to get them excited about the impending doom of chemistry. This year, I used the demo to set up and start talking about CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) writing. We did a quick example together, then they did one on their own related to the demo. I helped facilitate some ideas and get them on the right track.

5 minutes for review: The last five minutes, I review some basic procedures like what to do when they get into the classroom, what supplies they need, and the procedure for late work. I repeat this throughout the week as a call-and-response.

After the first day, things get easier since you have more time for content and less "business" to talk about. Sometime during the week I am sure to cover my classroom expectations. I made this fun presentation of classroom expectations using memes! It got at least a few giggles (high schoolers are a tough crowd...). I also start every class period reminding them of procedures. After the bell rings I will ask "What should you be doing right now?" to which they will hopefully respond "Answering the question on my yellow sheet!" (in other words, their bell ringer...).

Tips for a Smooth Transition Back to School

#1: Don't ignore your content! 

Find a way to include something content related into every day. Make sure its something engaging and interactive so they are able to use their social skills and brains a little!

#2: Repetition, Repetition, Repetition. 

If you want students to follow your procedures, repeat them over the first several days, weeks, and months of school! They need reminders and it will hold you accountable to sticking to your plan! I find simple call and response works great for this and you can easily fit it in at the beginning or end of class.

#3: Have a plan for everything. 

Before school starts, have a plan for everything -- late work, make-up tests, group work, bell-ringers. Remind students of what they need to do in these situations. It will help you keep your sanity later.

#4: Introduce Year-Long Themes

Are you going to be doing notebooking throughout the year? Introduce it the first week. Plan on utilizing CER writing? Introduce it the first week. Have an organizational system you want them to follow? Introduce it the first week. Have a specific note taking method? Introduce it the first week. 

Students need time to learn and adjust to the rhythm and procedures of not only your classroom, but in all of their classrooms! Be patient with them, keep class exciting, and you will be sure to have a great start to the year!

... Using Technology to Spice up Boring Topics

Most chemistry classes begin with talking about lab safety and lab equipment. These are necessary, but mundane and boring. In our high school, students are required to pass a safety and equipment quiz as well as return a safety contract before they can do the lab. For teachers, this means at least a week before we can do any labs involving heat, chemicals, or glassware. So how exactly can you keep students engaged and excited to come to class every day when you are going over boring safety rules and equipment?

I find that anything that allows students to talk to each other, create something, and use technology does a pretty good job of keeping their attention. For lab safety and equipment, I decided to assign them a video project. The groups of 2 were assigned three pieces of lab equipment and two safety rules. Their task was to explain what the equipment is used for and describe the safety rules and why its important. I gave them [almost] two full class periods to work on it -- day one for planning and day two for filming. Since this was during our first week of school, many students don't know each other yet so I didn't want them to have to worry about finding time outside of school to work together.

The videos were short -- some less than 30 seconds! -- but I told them that as long as they included all the information and were thorough, the length wouldn't matter. Some students decided to put their shining faces on camera, while others chose to use paper to create signs with pictures and descriptions. They had options about how they would like to create the video, so each student could cater to their strengths and feel comfortable. This was during the first week of school, so some anxieties were already high! Some groups were more artistic and theatrical, and others were more informative.

Students recorded the videos with their phones and uploaded them to our class page. I looked through them and compiled some of them to watch on Friday after they take their safety and equipment quiz. Here's an example of one of the videos:

And yes, I do tell them the rule is "no shenanigans." It seems to help them remember, and it gave me a cool catchphrase to use during labs. 

I think overall the students did really well with this assignment! They were working hard both days (at least most of them) and became familiar with some of the common equipment we will be using. It was a great break from the typical back to school stuff. 

What do you guys think? Do you have any tricks to spicing up boring topics?