Mathew Said:

How can I incorporate self-esteem into a biology lesson?

We Answered:

Self-esteem is a bit of a squishy science. I think it's a combination of mood (manic/depressive, stress and everything in between), combined with psychological factors

The psychology is not within the scope of biology, but the many aspects of mood are certainly affected by the health of the human animal

So I can think of two approaches which would compliment one another. . .

1. Study the neurological aspects of self-awareness. I'm not sure where you'd begin with that. Perhaps look at MRI scans of people with different moods and the brain chemistry involved. There is a lot to work with there, but I don't know how you'd adopt it for a course. Perhaps get into the basics of how the brain functions, and which critical receptors are at play in determining different moods. Look at the role of serotonin and similar. Perhaps study how the various drugs change things in the brain; kids these days could benefit from knowing as much as they can about how both street drugs and prescription pharmaceuticals work. (I'd explore the dark and dirty side of both. The legal drug industry is a monster.)

2. Look at how nutrition and environmental factors (toxins in water, food, etc.), and general health can affect awareness, energy levels and neurology. I believe even light is a factor. There is a lot related to mood in even something as basic as eating a hamburger. (I know people who turn sad and angry every time they eat fast food or high sugar items. There are sound reasons for this. Hormones in milk and eggs and chicken can also really screw up a person. Soy is an interesting plant; it contains a female growth hormones which, while plant derived, can have a significant impact upon people who consume it; I've read accounts where male babies fed on Soy milk have been damaged.) Look at organic food alternatives to see how they affect the body.

Detoxification is a neat concept. Look at how it can be achieved through sweating, and how toxins and heavy metals are stored in fat cells. Maybe look at how fluoride affects the pineal gland, (which is the producer of melatonin in the brain, which affects sleep and dream states). I read a story which described how Nazi prison camps experimented with introducing different substances into the drinking water to make prisoners docile and easy to bully. Fluoride topped the list as the most effective. (I don't know how much self-esteem one can have when drugged into docility.)

Self-esteem is linked to sound mental health, which in turn is linked to sound physical health.

It's a very clever course you are investigating. There is tons of this stuff and it is absolutely fascinating. You can really help your kids by teaching this kind of course.

Kudos, and good luck!

Jackie Said:

imdoing a presentat. for biology class and i need,lesson plan/game 2 do with my grade 12 class,nE suggestions?

We Answered:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/…

Ricky Said:

Lesson plans in Biology using blooms taxonomy?

We Answered:

http://wwf.edula.com

Jimmie Said:

I need lesson Plans that are 20 minutes long, that are based on biology--->does anyone knows a website?

We Answered:

http://www.betterlesson.org/

http://sciencenetlinks.com/

http://www.bioedonline.org/

Tonya Said:

Is it possible to pass the AP Biology exam with just a test prep book?

We Answered:

It is possible, depending on a lot of factors, like your previous science classes, how much time you put into studying, etc. Two review books that have gotten good reviews from my students are Cliff Notes and Princeton Review.

To really help, though, many of my students have recommended http://www.brightstorm.com/ap/ap-biology as a really good supplement. It's a series of video lectures on a bunch of the tougher concepts from AP Biology, plus tips on how to ace the test. In your situation where your teacher's not doing a good job explaining things, and you haven't done most of the labs, I strongly recommend it. I know, for example, one of the bonus materials is a break down of the various labs and links to virtual versions of them. You can watch one of the videos for free to get an idea if it would be useful.

Shelly Said:

Any ideas for a fun lesson plan involving candy or some type of visual idea for Ap biology class?

We Answered:

In my class this past year, we used a bag of M&M's to understand the Chi-Square Tests. It was a fun activity on genetics, M&M style. We also did a lab called McMush. We blended a Happy Meal and then used different indicators to see the macromolecules. Hope this helps!