Biology open evening ideas

Open evenings are all about showcasing the science department and creating an enthusiasm for all things Biology.

Biology is all around us and it can be hard to pick a demonstration from the huge variety available. Our in house technicians have chosen some demonstrations which are perfect for Biology department open evenings

KS3 Biology open evening ideas

Use the opportunity of an open evening to give some close up investigations into the animal and plant life which surrounds us. 

Microscope with daphnia

This large-scale demonstration can be displayed in the lab using a USB digital microscope connected to a computer and overhead projector/whiteboard.  Before the open day, purchase a packet of live daphnia from your local pet supplies shop.

Set up a small petri dish containing a large number of the daphnia and the water they are contained in to observe the daphnia swimming around. You could also use a plastic pipette (with the fine end cut off) to transfer a single daphnia onto a microscope cavity slide along, with a few hairs of cotton wool, to immobilise the daphnia and view it close up. 

If using a single daphnia, be sure to refresh the slide every so often to prevent the daphnia from drying out. Have a discard pot available for used slides and pipettes.

You will need

1. USB digital microscope
2. Microscope cavity slides
3. Petri dishes
4. 3mm disposable pipettes
5. Cotton wool 
6. Live daphnia (available from local pet or aquarium supplies shops)

Making onion cell slides

Visitors can try making an onion cell slide, in order to view the cells under a microscope.  Red onion is the most convenient, as it does not require staining for the cells to be visualised.  Remove a thin layer of epidermis from the of red onion and spread it out onto a microscope slide.  Add a drop of water before carefully placing a glass coverslip on top of the onion.  The visitors can then view the onion cells under a microscope. 

Microscopes should be wiped down in between use with alcohol-free antiseptic wipes.

You will need

1. Microscope
2. Microscope slides
3. Glass cover slips
4. 3mm disposable pipettes
5. Alcohol-free antiseptic wipes:
6. Red onions

KS5 Biology open evening

By the time they have reached KS5, students will be seeking a more detailed knowledge of Biology.  Open evenings are a good time to demonstrate the array of in depth learning opportunities available to prospective students.  

Diffusion demonstration

Colour changing jelly is a good visual aid for the diffusion / transport topic.  A large amount of agar/gelatine is made using sodium hydroxide and universal indicator (to create a green-red colour change) or cresol red (to create a red to orange/yellow colour change).  Demonstrate the effect of surface area on diffusion by adding different sizes of coloured jelly cubes, cut with dissection equipment, to boiling tubes containing hydrochloric acid to see the difference in the time it takes for the cubes to change colour. 

You will need

1. Scalpel
2. Forceps
3. Ruler 
4. Acrylic tile
5. Stopwatch 
6. 24mm x 150mm glass test tubes
7. Agar powder 100g
8. Gelatine powder (150 Blume) – 250g
9. Universal Indicator Solution: Full Range (pH 1-14) - 2.5L
10. Sodium Hydroxide Pellets – 500g
11. Cresol Red - 5g
12. Hydrochloric Acid 1.0M - 1L
13. CLEAPSS Document GL366 Agars for Diffusion
14. CLEAPSS HazCards: 32, 47a, 91a

Dissection demonstrations

Dissections are done in more detail during A-Level Biology. A pluck or whole rat dissection will always draw attention and interest.  A student volunteer can demonstrate the dissection.  Dissection equipment should be closely monitored throughout the open evening.

You will need

1. Advanced dissection kit
2. Dissection board
3. Rat
4. Pluck
5. Nitrile gloves 
6. Plastic aprons
7. CLEAPSS document G267 Dissection a Starter Guide to Health and Safety

Field studies

If your school or colleges offers field trips, have an array of field trip equipment available for prospective students to view. This could include things like pond nets, quadrats, anemometers and identification cards chosen to reflect the location of any available field trips.

You will need

1. Pond nets
2. Quadrats
3. Anemometers
4. Identification cards

Immobilised enzymes to make lactose free milk

Enlist some student volunteers to make sodium alginate balls containing lactase enzyme, in order to make lactose-free milk.  Filter the full fat milk several times through sodium alginate balls inside a syringe. Then test the resulting solution for the increasing presence of glucose after each filtration. Eventually it will become lactose-free milk. This could incorporate further debate around food intolerances such as lactose intolerance.

You will need

1. Sodium alginate
2. Lactase 
3. 10ml syringe
4. Calcium chloride - 500g
5. Fine bore rubber tubing
6. Muslin – B8R07074
7. Glucose test strips
8. Hoffman clip 
9. CLEAPSS HazCards: 19A, 33, 95A
10. CLEAPSS document R8003 Alginate Beads

Get advice about Biology demonstrations for open evenings

If you have any questions about setting up Biology demonstrations for open evening, please contact our Technical Support Team via techsupport@philipharris.co.uk