VCE Biology 2006-2009: Suitable Resources Update
This is an update of resources for VCE teachers to use with the VCE Biology Study Design accredited 2006-2009.
At the time of publication the URLs (website addresses) cited were checked for accuracy and appropriateness of content. However, due to the transient nature of material placed on the web, their continuing accuracy cannot be verified. Teachers are strongly advised to prepare their own indexes of sites that are suitable and applicable to the courses they teach, and to check these addresses prior to allowing student access.
General
Books
Mulhall, D 2002, Our Molecular Future: How Nanotechnology, Robotics, Genetics and Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Our World, Prometheus Books, New York.
Student classroom workbooks/study/revision resources
Biozone: Workbooks for students and a broad range of presentation materials.
www.biozone.com.au/index.html
Stevenson, B 2007, Talking Molecules, Thomson Nelson, Australia
Innovative and highly visual student classroom workbook that introduces students to concepts in molecular biology relevant to both Unit 3 VCE Biology and VCE Unit 3 Chemistry. Good for students without a chemistry background.
Borger, P 2006, JumpStart, Thomson Nelson, Australia
Intended to assist students undertaking Unit 3 VCE Biology who have not done Units 1 and 2 VCE Biology.
Standard Textbooks
Evans, B et al 2005, Heinemann Biology 1 (4th edn) and 2005, Heinemann Biology 2 (4th edn), Heinemann, Australia
Textbook, student CD, student workbook
Kinnear, J and Martin, M 2006, Nature of Biology Book 1 and 2006, Nature of Biology Book 2 (3rd edn), Jacaranda, Australia
Textbook, CD, activity manual, teacher resource manual
Semple, A et al 2006, Nelson Biology VCE Units 1 and 2 and 2006, Nelson Biology VCE Units 3 and 4 (2nd edn), Thomson Nelson, Australia
Textbook with CD, student activity manual, teachers’ CD
Online Journals and articles
Shine, J 2004, ‘Humanity’s heritage: The human genome and stem cells’, National Press Club Address, 21 July 2004.
www.science.org.au/events/npc2004.htm
Velocity: science in motion, ANSTO
Quarterly magazine featuring stories on breakthrough Australian science
http://velocity.ansto.gov.au/velocity/ans0021/index.html
Electronic resources
ABC Shop: a range of DVDs particularly for Units 1 and 2.
http://shop.abc.net.au/
ClickView Pty Limited 2003
Innovative digital video delivery software and digital video library containing videos and teaching resources
www.clickview.com.au/home.php
Websites - general biology
ABC Science - search
Extensive site for science topics
www.abc.net.au/science/search.htm
Australian Academy of Science
www.science.org.au
Australian Department of Climate Change
www.greenhouse.gov.au/
Australian Synchrotron, State Government of Victoria
www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au
Business Victoria: Biotechnology
www.biotechnology.vic.gov.au
Biozone
Biozone’s Biolinks database provides free access to an extensive range of online resources and animations
www.biozone.com.au/links.html
‘Enough Rope with Andrew Denton’
Interview with Professor Ian Frazer, 24 April 2006
www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1622464.htm
Helicobacter pylori Research Laboratory
Drs Barry Marshall and Robin Warren (Western Australia) 2005 Nobel Prize winners for medicine and physiology
www.hpylori.com.au
Kimball’s Biology Pages
An online Biology textbook
users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/W/Welcome.html
NOVA Science in the News, Australian Academy of Science
Information and activities suitable for Units 1 to 4 including Biology, Health and the Environment (updated regularly)
www.science.org.au/nova/index.htm
Profiles in Science, National Library of Medicine
Short biographies of prominent twentieth and twenty-first century scientists in the fields of biomedical research, health and medicine, and fostering science and health
http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov
Victorian Government Specialist Science Centres
Ecolinc
Workshops for both Unit 3 (Detecting and responding: examine the effects of auxin and cytokinin on root and shoot development) and Unit 4 (Heredity: detect genetically modified organisms in foods using PCR and gel electrophoresis techniques).
www.ecolinc.vic.edu.au/index.php
Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC)
A range of full-day programs for VCE biology students that satisfy School-assessed Coursework requirements in Unit 3 and Unit 4 Biology. Students work at the laboratory bench with young scientists and are supported by excellent lectures using Microsoft PowerPoint animations. The website has a range of bioinformatics tasks relevant to Units 3 and 4. Teachers can download worksheets from Cells Online. GTAC also conducts revision classes for VCE Biology students and holds seminars for first time teachers undertaking Units 3 and 4 VCE Biology.
www.gtac.edu.au/site/home.html
Victorian Space Science Education Centre
Workshop for Unit 3: Signatures of Life – Detecting and Responding Outcome 2.
In the workshop students investigate calcium homeostasis and the effects of microgravity on bone density. The investigation also explores the possible connection between calcium depletion and space anaemia.
www.vssec.vic.edu.au/
Organisations
Box Hill TAFE
BioSkills, Specialist Centre for Biotechnology Training
Information about workshops for teachers and students. ‘Flower Pirates’: students prepare samples for PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and use gel electrophoresis to determine if flowers are copies or Florigene originals. These techniques are the same as those performed in the laboratories of Florigene.
www.bhtafe.edu.au/Centres/BiotechnologyandAnimalSciences/bioskills.htm
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Workshops for Unit 4: Genetic engineering - students separate DNA fragments by gel electrophoresis and transform bacteria using plasmid DNA. They also participate in an interactive lecture and discussion of topical issues in biotechnology.
www.csiro.au/services/VicGeneticEngineering.html
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Secondary school programs in Melbourne and Cranbourne.
www.rbg.vic.gov.au/education/secondary
The University of Melbourne
Workshops for Unit 4 - A practical activity using first-hand data to investigate Mendelian patterns of inheritance using Drosophila melanogaster and a practical activity on a DNA manipulation technique (both practical activities conducted in a single, half-day session). Vinegar Fly kits, demonstrating Mendel’s First Law of inheritance - the principle of segregation.
www.genetics.unimelb.edu.au/community/vce_students.html
Unit 1
Websites
Arizona State University: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Vermaas, Wim 2007, An Introduction to Photosynthesis and its Applications
http://photoscience.la.asu.edu/photosyn/education/photointro.html
Chute, R E 2007, Anatomy and Physiology Resources
Interactive animations from Lone Star College
http://faculty.nhmccd.edu/rchute/
BBC United Kingdom: GCSE Teachers - Biology Animations
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/teachers/biology/activities.shtml
BBC United Kingdom: Humans as Organisms - Revision Bite - Homeostasis
A variety of examples and contexts accompanied by simple animations
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/biology/humansasorganisms/6homeostasisrev1.shtml
ThinkQuest: Cellupedia
Interactive repository of cellular information
http://library.thinkquest.org/C004535/introduction.html
Johnson County Community College, Kansas - Enzymes
http://staff.jccc.net/PDECELL/metabolism/enzymes/enzymes.html
Molecular Expressions: Optical Microscopy Primer - Virtual scanning electron microscopy
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/electronmicroscopy/magnify1/index.html
Mycologue Publications 2003 - Kingdoms, Classification and Biodiversity
www.mycolog.com/CHAP1.htm
Unit 2
Websites
Analyzing an Ecosystem (interactive)
www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/multimedia/uploads/alberta/Ecosystem.swf
Missouri Botanical Garden: Biology of Plants
www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/adapt.html
National Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
www.nceas.ucsb.edu/
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library
Extensive range of materials including interactive maps
http://maps.grida.no/
Wikipedia (2008): Reproductive strategies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproduction#Reproductive_strategies
Unit 3
Electronic resources
‘Atoms Alive’: ABC Schools Television
An eight-part video series about DNA and genetics (available from ABC sale)
www.abc.net.au/schoolstv/atomsalive/default.htm
Websites
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)
Range of curriculum materials and interactive relevant for Unit 3 and Unit 4
www.abpischools.org.uk/page/resource/age/subject.cfm
Beginner’s Guide to Molecular Biology, Rothamstead Research, UK
www.rothamsted.ac.uk/notebook/courses/guide/
ThinkQuest: Cellupedia
Intricacies of cells and cell biology
http://library.thinkquest.org/C004535
Chemical Education Inc: Chemistry Comes Alive! - Like Dissolves Like - Demonstration
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCESoft/CCA/CCA2/MAIN/LIKEDIS1/CD2R1.HTM
Chute, R E 2007, Anatomy and Physiology Resources
Interactive animations from Lone Star College
http://faculty.nhmccd.edu/rchute/
Farabee, M J, Protein Synthesis
www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPROTSYn.html
Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC): Cells Online
Bioinformatics, protein structure, rational drug design
www.gtac.edu.au/site/home.html
Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC): Cells Online
Images of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; worksheets for use in the classroom
www.gtac.edu.au/site/cells_online.html
High-quality Automated and Manual Annotation of Microbial Proteomes, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
Automated and manual notation of microbial proteomes
http://au.expasy.org/sprot/hamap
Introduction to Photosynthesis, University of Arizona
http://photoscience.la.asu.edu/photosyn/education/photointro.html
Mazzarello, P 1999, ‘A unifying concept: the history of cell theory’ in Nature Cell Biology
www.nature.com/ncb/journal/v1/n1/full/ncb0599_E13.html
Unit 4
Books
Finkel, E 2005, Stem Cells: Controversy at the Frontiers of Science, ABC Books Australia.
Feature articles
Gipps, J 2005, ‘Deadman Talking: What skulls can tell us about human evolution’, Teaching Science, Australian Science Teachers Association, vol. 51, no. 2
Venville, G and Donovan, J 2005, ‘Searching for clarity to teach complexity of the gene concept’, Teaching Science, Australian Science Teachers Association, vol. 51, no. 2
Electronic resources
The Logical Interface
Range of genetic simulations, natural selection and population dynamics
www.logint.com.au/biology.htm
Websites
Biotechnology Australia: Biotechnology Online School Resource (ceased operations June 2008 but accessible)
www.biotechnology.gov.au/index.cfm?event=object.showContent&objectid=EC530EFF-BCD6-81AC-1A7CEA8E7B3DA243
DNA Interactive
Extensive information about DNA and techniques used in gene technology (the DNAi DVD is available from the Genome Technology Access Centre (GTAC) and is a simpler option for most teachers
www.dnai.org/index.htm
Drag and Drop Genetics (Selected by the SciLinks program, a service of National Science Teachers Association, USA)
www.zerobio.com/drag_gr11/mono.htm
The National Fragile X Foundation
What is Fragile X syndrome?
www.fragilex.org/html/what.htm
Genetic Drift
Interactive simulation
http://darwin.eeb.uconn.edu/simulations/jdk1.0/drift.html
University of Utah: Genetic Science Learning Centre
Relevant for Unit 4 but includes a section on pharmacogenomics (Unit 3 – drug design)
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/
Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics – Get into genes!
www.acpfg.com.au/education/getIntoGenes.aspx
Modern Human Origins
Historical perspective
www.modernhumanorigins.com/
University of Utah: Genetic Science Learning Centre – The Basics and Beyond
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/index.cfm
National Geographic – The Genographic Project
Seeks to chart new knowledge about the migratory history of the human species by using sophisticated laboratory and computer analysis of DNA
www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html
Organisations
Australian Museum - Australia’s Lost Kingdoms
Online exploration of evolutionary change in Australia: Australia’s reptiles, birds and mammals from the Cretaceous to the present
www.lostkingdoms.com
Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC)
Bioinformatics, molecular evolution, discovering phylogeny, protein evolution and phylogeny. Includes a section on Gene Issues
www.gtac.edu.au/site/home.html
Australian Stem Cell Centre
Current information and research related to stem cells
www.stemcellcentre.edu.au
