Activities for High School Biology
Developed through the High School POGIL Initiative
Laura Trout, Editor-in-Chief
Published by
978-1-933709-35-2
Copyright © 2012 HSPI—The POGIL Project and Flinn Scientific, Inc.
Limited Use by Permission Only—Not for Distribution
10
9
8
7
6
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.
No part of this book or CD may be included on any website.
Reproduction permission for the student pages on the enclosed CD is granted only to the science
teacher who has purchased POGIL Activities for High School Biology, Catalog No. AP7553,
from Flinn Scientific, Inc. and is limited to making copies for use only by that teacher’s students.
Printed in the United States of America.
ii
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
Table of Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
High School POGIL Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii–viii
Nature of Science
Safety First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Scientific Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Experimental Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Analyzing and Interpreting Scientific Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Biochemistry
Properties of Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Biological Molecules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Cells and Cellular Processes
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Organelles in Eukaryotic Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Cell Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Membrane Structure and Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Transport in Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Photosynthesis: What’s in a Leaf? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Cellular Respiration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Photosynthesis and Respiration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
The Cell Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Mitosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Genetics
Meiosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
DNA Structure and Replication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
*Page numbers correspond to the Teacher’s Edition.
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
iii
Evolution
Evidence for Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Biological Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Evolution and Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Ecology
Nutrient Cycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Ecological Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Biomes of North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Energy Transfer in Living Organisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Ecological Pyramids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Succession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Population Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Population Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Body Systems
The Spread of Pathogens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Human Blood Cell Typing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
The Circulatory System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
iv
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
Preface
This activity collection is the product of a three-year effort (2008–2011) to bring student-centered,
guided-inquiry instruction to secondary level classrooms, based on the principles of Process Oriented
Guided-Inquiry Learning (POGIL), a group-learning, research-based instructional strategy.
In a POGIL classroom, students work cooperatively in self-managed teams, using carefully designed
materials, such as the activities included in this collection, that guide them to construct new understandings while they simultaneously develop key process skills, including critical thinking, problem solving,
and collaboration.
The POGIL Project (www.pogil.org) is an independent not-for-profit organization, housed at Franklin
& Marshall College, whose mission is to connect and support educators from all disciplines interested
in implementing, improving, and studying student-centered pedagogies and learning environments.
The POGIL Project has received more than $6 million in National Science Foundation (NSF) funding,
$600,000 from the U.S. Department of Education, and $564,000 from private foundations.
Since its inception in 2003, The POGIL Project has grown beyond its initial target audience of science
faculty at higher education institutions to include more than 1,500 practitioners in its network of implementers at colleges, universities, and high schools in every state in the country. The POGIL Project has
presented more than 250 workshops and events, which have been attended by more than 6,500 people.
These HSPI activities contain several features which make them easy to use. Each activity has a “Teacher
Resources” section, where you will find clear learning objectives, prerequisites, assessment questions, and
teacher tips about facilitating the lesson. Within the activity, you will find stop signs at strategic points.
These indicate good places for reporting out as a whole class or using other methods to check for understanding before moving on. Key icons mark questions containing important content which directly relate
to the learning objectives. Each of these HSPI activities also includes optional extension questions. These
questions go beyond the learning objectives stated in the teacher resources, and therefore truly are optional. They help to differentiate the learning experience in your classroom, and keep faster moving groups
occupied while others finish the required questions.
Understanding effective classroom implementation is essential for a successful experience when using
POGIL materials with students. We encourage everyone who plans to incorporate these activities into
their classes to learn more about effective classroom strategies for student-centered work. The POGIL
Project offers a wide array of training opportunities, including: webinars, presentations at regional and
national conferences (ACS, NABT, BCCE, ChemEd, NSTA), introductory workshops, multiday regional
workshops each summer, and custom workshops as requested.
Also available through The POGIL Project Web site is our interactive Implementation Guide. This webbased guide includes resources and materials to help you and your students get the maximum instructional
benefits from incorporating these activities into your classroom.
Visit www.pogil.org for more information about The POGIL Project, to access the Implementation
Guide, to see our events schedule and registration information or to request a workshop to be held at
your institution.
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
v
Acknowledgments
The High School POGIL Initiative (HSPI) was supported by a generous grant from the Toyota USA
Foundation. This funding enabled The POGIL Project to bring together high school teachers from across
the country to serve as authors, reviewers, editors and classroom testers of these activities. We thank the
members of the HSPI leadership, the editors, content advisors and our writing partners for their contributions throughout the course of the project. Their tireless efforts made this endeavor a success.
Special thanks go to Laura Trout, Editor-in-Chief, and Cindy Wingenroth, HSPI Coordinator.
To Laura for her vision, her belief that high school students could benefit from this type of learning
environment, and her leadership that helped guide and shape this project.
To Cindy for her enthusiastic and unflagging efforts to keep this project—and all the people involved—
moving forward.
vi
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
High School POGIL Initiative
HSPI Leadership
Richard S. Moog, Director—The POGIL Project, Lancaster, PA
Laura Trout, Editor-in-Chief—Lancaster Country Day School, Lancaster, PA
Cindy Wingenroth, HSPI Coordinator—The POGIL Project, Lancaster, PA
Ellen Yezierski, Evaluator—Miami University, Oxford, OH
Associate Editors
Paula Butler, Chemistry—Cincinnati Country Day School, Cincinnati, OH
Leigh Foy, Biology—York Suburban High School, York, PA
James Hunt, Biology—Middlesex High School, Saluda, VA
Diane Krone, Chemistry—Northern Highlands Regional HS (retired), Allendale, NJ
Pat Ligon, Chemistry—Broughton High School, Raleigh, NC
Joanne Long, Biology—Franklin Township School District, Somerset, NJ
Stephen Prilliman, Chemistry—Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, OK
Susan Richardson, Biology—Wichita East High School, Wichita, KS
Amanda Zullo, Chemistry—Saranac Lake High School, Saranac Lake, NY
Editors-at-Large
Elizabeth Mancini, Biology—Cherry Hill East High School (retired), West Berlin, NJ
Linda Padwa, Chemistry—Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
James Wakefield, Chemistry—ChemPractice, Bend, OR
Content Advisors
Megan Hoffman, Biology—Berea College, Berea, KY
James Spencer, Chemistry—Franklin & Marshall College (retired), Lancaster, PA
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
vii
Writing Partners
Mahesh Alur, Chemistry—Charles Tindley Accelerated School, Indianapolis, IN
Audrey Armoudlian, Biology—Cranbook Kingswood School, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Mary Bartholomew, Chemistry —Smokey Hill High School, Aurora, CO
Greta Bryson, Chemistry—Proviso Math & Science Academy, Chicago, IL
Tom Cork, Chemistry—The Spence School, New York, NY
Sally Craven, Chemistry—Assumption High School, Louisville, KY
Don Davis, Biology—Harbor City High School (retired), Baltimore, MD
Linda Dukes, Biology—Tri-Cities High School, East Point, GA
Grace Ford, Biology—Kathleen High School, Lakeland, FL
Melissa Hemling, Chemistry—Beaver Dam High School, Beaver Dam, WI
Carrie Jacobus, Chemistry—River Dell Regional High School, Oradell, NJ
Romina Jannotti, Chemistry—Hagerty High School, Lakeland, FL
Stephanie Katz, Chemistry—Linden Hall, Lititz, PA
Michelle Lawrence, Biology—Kearney High School, Kearney, MO
Sheila MacIntyre, Biology—Bristol High School, Bristol, PA
Bill Palmer, Chemistry—Bellevue School District, Bellevue, WA
Rhoda Rush, Chemistry—McIntosh High School, Peachtree City, GA
Christine Sands, Biology—Buffalo Seminary, Buffalo, NY
Krista Seanor, Biology—Dover High School, Dover, NJ
Marcia Sprang, Chemistry—Esperanza High School, Anaheim, CA
Tracy Suggs, Chemistry—Vestal High School, Vestal, NY
Mare Sullivan, Chemistry—Bellevue Christian School, Clyde Hill, WA
Bruce Wellman, Chemistry—Olathe Northwest High School, Olathe, KS
viii
POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology