Teaching Resources

Introduction:

The goal of the Biomesh Teaching Resources is to provide learning materials showing the interconnected nature of science.   The materials provided relate Physics and Technology subjects to current active biological research.   The examples given are meant to stimulate curiosity to show how concepts of Physics and Technology are employed in the study of Biology.

The content below contains practical examples of the application of computers, technnology, and physics concepts to increase our understading of the natural world: data from the Arctic Tern Migration Project was used to explore concepts of movement and motion, high speed video of a lizard jumping was used to understand motion and estimate forces, and the geometry of alligator skulls was used explore simple lever mechanisms and structural analysis.

 Content by research project:

• Arctic Tern Migration Project - The Longest Animal Migration
  • Student resources
    • Displacement versus traveled distance
    • Average Speed and instantaneous speed
    • Vectors and scalars
  • Sample lesson plans
    • Vectors versus Scalars
    • Vector Addition
      
    • Measuring Speed
• Jumping Arboreal Lizard
  • Student resources
    
    • Measuring distance and velocity
      
    • Measuring acceleration
    • Estimating forces
  • Sample lesson plans
    
    • Measuring distance and velocity
    • Measuring acceleration
    • Estimating forces
• Crocodilian Jaws
  • Student resources
    • Jaws as levers
    • How strong is that jaw?
  • Sample Lesson Plans
    • Modeling jaws as levers
    • Solid mechanics

Content by subject area :

• Kinematics
  • Student resources
    • Arctic Tern Migration Project - Displacement versus traveled distance
    • Arctic Tern Migration Project - Average Speed and instantaneous speed
    • Arctic Tern Migration Project - Vectors and scalars
    • Jumping Arboreal Lizard - Measuring distance and velocity
    • Jumping Arboreal Lizard - Measuring acceleration
    • Jumping Arboreal Lizard - Estimating forces
  • Sample lesson plans
    • Arctic Tern Migration Project - Vectors versus Scalars
    • Arctic Tern Migration Project - Vector Addition
    • Arctic Tern Migration Project - Measuring Speed
    • Jumping Arboreal Lizard - Measuring distance and velocity
    • Jumping Arboreal Lizard - Measuring acceleration
    • Jumping Arboreal Lizard - Estimating forces
• Levers
  • Student resources
    • Jaws as levers
  • Sample Lesson Plans
    • Modeling jaws as levers
• Solid mechanics
  • Student resources
    • How strong is that jaw?
  • Sample Lesson Plans
    • Solid mechanics