Butterwalkers
Every spring Carolina ships thousands of boxes of butterfly larvae all over the country. Most of those larvae become butterflies with no issues, but every once in a while, we get comments like this one: “I order my painted lady butterfly larvae every year from Carolina as part of my 2nd grade teaching curriculum. The […]
Owl Pellet Safety Guidelines
The dissection of owl pellets can provide a valuable learning experience for students at all grade levels. The following guidelines will help to ensure that this activity is done in a safe fashion. Use sterilized owl pellets, such as those sold by Carolina Biological Supply Company. Owl pellets contain the remains of small animals that […]
Using Planarian Reproduction as a Path to Hands-On Inquiry Learning
Planarians are fascinating animals best known for their ability to regenerate from even very small pieces of their bodies. A common classroom lab involves cutting planarians into an anterior and a posterior half and watching them regenerate. What some people don’t realize is that splitting in half—voluntarily!—is also a planarian reproductive strategy. Devising experiments to […]
Introductory Genetics with Drosophila
Carolina LabSheets™ Overview Drosophila is one of the most popular model organisms for the study of genetics. This LabSheet can be used with a variety of our Drosophila cultures and sets in studies of monohybrid, dihybrid, and sex-linked crosses. The following crosses are especially recommended for introductory genetics activities although many others can be done. See our complete […]
Introduction to Drosophila: Phenotypes
Carolina LabSheets™ Overview In this lab students compare phenotypes of mutant Drosophila to wild type. The activity is intended as a student’s first experience working with Drosophila. It may serve as a stand-alone activity or as a pre-lab to our Introductory Genetics with Drosophila LabSheet Download Student Lab Sheet Needed Materials Wild-type Drosophila culture (172100), 1 per team of four to […]
A Classroom Model for Teaching Natural and Artificial Selection on Your Schedule
Think you don’t have enough time for students to observe the results of selection pressure on plant populations in real time? Whether you’re teaching natural selection or plant breeding for desirable traits, it is beneficial for students to take an active part in their learning. This 75-minute webinar will show you how to accomplish that. […]
Introduction to Fungi
Carolina LabSheets™ Overview This lab introduces students to the Kingdom Fungi through study of two phyla, the zygomycetes and basidiomycetes. Download Student Lab Sheet Needed Materials Phycomyces (+) plate culture (156182) Phycomyces (–) plate culture (156183) Coprinus mushroom, c.s. (298176) Potato Dextrose Agar plates (821902) scalpels* Bunsen burners alcohol lamps eatable mushrooms from grocery stereomicroscopes […]
Introduction to Prokaryotes: Archaea
Carolina LabSheets™ Overview In this lab, students are introduced to Halobacterium, a representative of the Archaea, one of the three domains of life (along with Bacteria and Eukarya). Halobacterium is an extremophile, requiring a hypersaline environment for its growth. At the saline levels found in the human body, Halobacterium will lyse. This makes it one of the safest microbes for […]
Introduction to Planaria
Carolina LabSheets™ Overview In this lab, students examine the anatomy and behavior of the planarian, a simple animal with bilateral symmetry. The activity does not cover regeneration.For that, see our 132900 Carolina BioKits®: Planaria Regeneration or our Carolina™ Protozoa and Invertebrates Manual. Download Student Lab Sheet Download Planarian Anatomy Sheet Needed Materials Planaria (132950 or similar culture) for […]
Wisconsin Fast Plants® and Product Testing
CAROLINA LABSHEETS Overview Materials Teacher Preparations Quick Links Close Quick Links Open Quick Links Overview Materials Teacher Preparations Overview Materials Teacher Preparations Overview In this activity, students conduct experiments to determine if a commercial product effects the germination of Wisconsin Fast Plants® seed. In doing so they practice basic science skills including collecting and graphing […]