Biology Week resources
Explore our Biology Week resources including activities, logos and branding.
Memory Games
What is a memory game?
Images of everyday objects chosen by bioscience researchers are featured in the games. Test your group's observational skills and short term memory recall, and see how many objects you can remember when they are covered after 30 seconds.
Once you have a winner, explore how the objects link to each biologist's research area and learn more about their work by reading their profiles.
For under-16s
If you are a teacher you might like to use this game to inspire a lesson in school on biology, careers, or creative writing. This resource would also make a suitable STEM club or community group activity.
You might also like to discover our A to Z of the Biosciences short videos, where you can meet biologists from a whole range of sectors.
For over-16s
The scientific papers included in this memory game are an opportunity to learn more about the featured research and scientists. This could be useful for interest, for a journal club, or if you are already at university — you might like to work on similar research or work with one of the featured scientists.
The scientists featured in this game are:
Dr Akanksha Bafna: BBSRC Discovery Fellow, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford — read their research paper
Dr An-Shan Hsiao: BBSRC Discovery Fellow, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham — read their research paper
Dr Bartek Troczka: BBSRC Discovery Fellow, University of Exeter — read their research paper
Dr Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras: Applied Scientist, National Oceanography Centre and Natural History Museum — read their research paper
Dr James Ronald: Research Fellow, University of York — read their research paper
Dr Jing-Yi Jeng: BBSRC Fellow, University of Sheffield — read their research paper
Justin Ephraim Isip: PhD Researcher, Natural History Museum and University College London
Dr Laura Nolan: Assistant Professor, The Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) — read their research paper
Dr Lizbeth Sayavedra: BBSRC Discovery Fellow, Quadram Institute Bioscience — read their research paper
Dr Luísa Jabbur: BBSRC Discovery Fellow, John Innes Centre and Vanderbilt University, US — read their research paper
Dr Peter Fretwell: Research Scientist, British Antarctic Survey — read their research paper
Dr Poonam Mehra: BBSRC Discovery Fellow, University of Nottingham — read their research paper
Dr Rowena Hill: Postdoctoral researcher, Earlham Institute — read their research paper
Dr Ruth Carmichael: Research Fellow, University of Exeter — read their research paper
Dr Samuel Wilkinson: BBSRC Discovery Fellow, University of York — read their research paper
Professor Shirley Hodgson: Professor of Cancer Genetics, St George's, University of London (SGUL) — read their research paper
We would like to thank the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) for their financial support which has made this resource possible.
Under-16s
If you are a teacher you might like to use this game to inspire a lesson in school on biology, careers, or creative writing. This resource would also make a suitable STEM club or community group activity.
You might also like to look at our A to Z of the Biosciences short videos, where you can meet biologists from a whole range of sectors.
Over-16s
The scientific papers included in our memory game are an opportunity to learn more about the featured research and scientists. This could be useful for interest, for a journal club or if you are already at university — you might like to work on similar research or work with one of the featured scientists.
The scientists featured in this game are:
Professor Alison Mather: Head, Microbes and Food Safety Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience — read their research paper
Professor Cait E. MacPhee: Professor of Biological Physics, University of Edinburgh — read their research paper
Professor Claire Domoney: Emeritus Fellow, John Innes Centre — read their research paper
Dr Diane Lees-Murdock: Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science, Ulster University — read their research paper Professor Diane Purchase: Professor of Environmental Biotechnology, Middlesex University — read their research paper
Helen K Mylne: PhD Researcher, University of York — read their chosen research paper
Professor Jennifer Littlechild: Professor of Biological Chemistry, University of Exeter — read their research paper
Dr Kerrie Farrar: Program Lead Resilient Crops, IBERS, Aberystwyth University — read their research paper
Professor Nathalie Juge: Group Leader, Quadram Institute — read their research paper
Dr Parvez Alam: Reader in Mechanical Engineering, The University of Edinburgh — read their research paper
Dr Rob Barringer: Research Associate, University of Bristol — read their research paper
Dr Rose K Davidson: Lecturer in Nutrition and Biomedicine, University of East Anglia — read their research paper
Professor Sandra Esteves: Professor in Bioprocess Technology for Resource Recovery: Energy & Materials, University of South Wales — read their research paper
We would like to thank the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) for their financial support which has made this resource possible.
Biology Week at Home
Have you ever wondered why insects like butterflies have long, thin mouth parts? Find out more about how butterflies drink using our easy to follow experiment. This activity is especially suitable for primary aged children, with supervision, help and support from an adult to help with the practical tasks.
You will need:
-
- Three types of drinking straw (wide, medium and narrow)
- One petri-dish (or other flat, shallow container)
- Sellotape
- Red food colouring
- Felt tip marker pen
Experiment instructions:
- Fill the petri dish with water and add food colouring.
- Take the three types of straw – wide, medium, and narrow – and tape together so the bottom of them are lined up.
- Place the straws in the water, making sure they don’t touch the bottom of the petri dish, and hold there for 30 seconds.
- Mark on each straw with a felt pen where the water reached.
- Use a ruler to measure and record the distance travelled in mm.
Tips for parents and guardians:
- Ensure children are clear on how to carry out the activity and that they do not attempt to suck the liquid up the straw.
- Test your knowledge!
- Once complete, test your knowledge with our downloadable worksheet.
You can make your own slime, and learn all about how slugs and snails move upside down and up the sides of your fences and walls. This activity is especially suitable for children aged 7-14 years old, with supervision and support from an adult to assist with the practical tasks.
You will need:
- Two small bowls
- Two teaspoons
- Cornflour
- Toothpaste
- Water
Experiment instructions:
1. Put four teaspoons of cornflour into a bowl.
2. Add water bit by bit, stirring constantly until it gets ‘gloopy’ – you need to stir slowly.
3. Try the following experiments and record your observations
- Gently tip the bowl from side to side.
- Move the spoon quickly through the mixture and then move it slowly.
- Pick up some of the mixture in your hands and squeeze it hard.
- Release the mixture through your fingers.
- Prod and tap the mixture.
4. Dispose of the mixture in the bin (not the sink).
5. Squeeze some toothpaste into a clean, dry bowl and repeat the experiments.
Tips for parents and guardians:
- You may need to add more than four teaspoons of cornflour to achieve the desired consistency, so don't be afraid to add a bit more slowly, in small quantities.
- Make sure you dispose of the mixtures when you are done in a bin, do not pour down the sink!
Test your knowledge!
Once complete, test your knowledge with our downloadable worksheet.
Set up your own chromatography lab and explore why leaves change colour in the autumn from green to red and yellow. This activity is most suitable for children aged 10 years old and above, with supervision of an adult during the practical work.
You will need:
- White coffee filter paper
- Small container of nail varnish remover (acetone)
- Small transparent beaker
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Cocktail stick
- Fresh leaves from spinach, coriander, or basil
Experiment instructions:
1. Cut your filter paper into a strip roughly 2cm wide and 10cm long.
2. Draw a pencil line on your filter paper about 2cm from the bottom.
3. Roll up and pinch a few leaves between your fingers.
4. Squeeze the leaves tightly between your fingers and rub them into a small dot on the middle of the pencil line.
5. Build this dot of pigment up by rubbing a few times and letting it dry.
6. Place a small amount of acetone into a beaker (no more than 0.5cm depth)
7. Wrap the top of the filter paper around a cocktail stick and secure with a paperclip, or poke the cocktail stick through the top of the filter paper.
8. Hang the filter paper into the beaker so that it dips into the acetone. Make sure the green dot is above the acetone.
9. Watch as the pigments move up the filter paper and separate (this may take up to 10 minutes). What colours do you see?
Tips for parents and guardians:
- Buying fresh leaves or herbs, such as spinach or coriander, enables you to do this experiment all year round. We recommend using herbs to ensure your leaves aren't toxic.
- Some leaves will leave a good smudge of pigment on the filter paper. However, to help extract the pigment from some leaves, you may need to cut the leaves up and crush them using a pestle and mortar, a bit of sand for abrasion and a tiny amount of acetone.
- When you place the filter paper into the beaker, make sure the dot of pigment is above the acetone.
Test your knowledge!
Once complete, test your knowledge with our downloadable worksheet.
Did you enjoy these activities? You can download these and another seven from our Gopher Science Lab resource booklet one for more hands-on bioscience activities using everyday household objects. The booklet includes instructions, a short explanation and questions that you may wish to ask a primary age child.
These posters were created based on recent scientific papers. They are excellent for discussing biology discoveries in a fun way.
This project was developed and delivered during two public engagement events the SEB hosted this year, where the attendees could ask questions for scientists and then check the answers on our website.
- For students: We are extending the reach of the projects, asking you to add your questions online now, too!
- For scientists: We need you to answer these thought-provoking questions. Have a look at the Ask a Scientist website and reply to the questions you feel comfortable with.
Why not get outdoors during Biology Week and explore your surroundings?
- Record ladybird sightings on the UK Ladybird Survey website, or on their app. They also have a guide for ladybird identification.
- Slugwatch: report your Spanish Slug sightings with #slugwatch.
- The National Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring Programme provides resources for budding surveyors to go out and record amphibians and reptiles by themselves, and submit sightings to the website.
- The Woodland Trust hosts Nature’s Calendar, a place where volunteers can record their sightings of the changing seasons and the effects that climate change might be having on our wildlife.
- Butterfly Conservation has year-round monitoring schemes for moths and butterflies.
- The Bumblebee Conservation Trust has a recording scheme and can help with identification.
- Buglife has surveys of beetles and aphids.
- You can record trees with Treezilla.
- If you are an experienced taxonomist, or keen to become one, the Biological Records Centre provides contact details of recording groups.
- The Countryside Job Service lists more surveys you can get involved with.
- Take some photos while you're out and about, please share them with us using #BiologyWeek.
School resources
Test your knowledge with our secondary school PowerPoint quizzes for ages 13-15 and 16-18:
Download classroom quiz for 13 to 15 year olds | Download answer sheet for 13 to 15 year olds
Download classroom quiz for 16 to 18 year olds | Download answer sheet for 16 to 18 year olds
Get creative with your class and put together a BioCraft 3D model.
Create a biology-inspired 3D artwork from recycled, or other, materials to enter into our BioCraft Competition — everyone is able to take part!
Discover our careers short video series. Each video has details of the qualifications needed to start in the specialisms featured and includes advice for future biologists.
We always love to hear what teachers and schools do to celebrate Biology Week, and the effort put in never ceases to impress us!
Let us know what you have planned via social media or by emailing us. Remember to use #BiologyWeek so we can see how your event goes!
We have put together an online event guide to help support you in running an event to celebrate Biology Week.
Activity resources: discover our range of experiments and activities
British Society for Immunology resources: including teaching resources and information on immunology
Science and Plants for Schools: interviews with scientists and resources for science practicals for primary and secondary students
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry: interactive content for ages 5-18 arranged by topic or by age range
Biology Teaching and Learning Resources: presentations, short answer questions, and videos for GCSE students.
Logos and branding
- Pine green: Pantone 327U | C84 M23 Y84 K8 | R28 G133 B77
- Poppy red: C0 M78 Y79 K0 | R242 G80 B53
- Sunflower yellow: C0 M37 Y91 K0 | R254 G175 B21
- Seaweed green: C65 M0 Y100 K0 | R93 G192 B11
- Coral purple: C49 M100 Y25 K12 | R49 G21 B107
- Peacock teal: C85 M41 Y24 K7 | R12 G117 B155
- Walnut brown: C47 M67 Y69 K71 | R67 G42 B32
- Chlorophyll green: C57 M0 Y100 K0 | R100 G251 B50
More Biology Week