Biology Week resources
Explore our Biology Week resources including activities, logos and branding.
RSB resources
Memory Games
What is a memory game?
Test your observational skills and short term memory recall, and see how many objects you can remember after 30 seconds. These games include images of everyday objects related to our A to Z of the Biosciences films and other guest researchers.
Once you've finished, head to the A to Z of the Biosciences, explore how the objects link to each biologist, and see if you can assign your own everyday objects to represent the research and work of the biologists featured in our video series.
This resource is designed to guide you through our A to Z of the Biosciences where you can gain insight into a whole range of different biology related careers and research.
For under-16s
You might like to use this game to inspire a lesson in school or at home on biology, careers, or creative writing. This resource would also make a suitable STEM club or community group activity.
For over-16s
Over 16s could use this game as a fun exercise before heading to our A to Z of the Biosciences to explore different biology based careers and research subjects. Our videos could be used for a journal club, networking, or you might be inspired to a specific career path!
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.
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
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
External resources
Animals on the Move: This resource is aimed at KS2 and covers the topic areas of all living things and habitats — produced by ASAB.
Behaviour of Brine Shrimp: This KS2 resource provides activity ideas for investigating whether brine shrimps shoal when swimming and if they prefer to swim at the edge or in the centre of a dish — produced by ASAB.
Biology Colouring Book: Enjoy 14 pages of pure colouring joy, drawn by scientists, featuring activities like masks and puzzles — produced by ASAB.
Birds and Nests: Marvels of Architecture and Design: This KS1 resource was developed to meet the needs for illustrative materials to help teach two aspects of the science curriculum: properties of materials and adaptation/life processes — produced by ASAB.
Buglife Surveys: Buglife have a variety of surveys that you can get involved in to help effectively monitor the state of our wildlife and deliver conservation action where it is most needed.
Bumblebee Conservation Trust — Flight of the Bumblebee Education Pack (KS1): Get creative with four curriculum linked lessons for art, music, PE and literacy, all themed around 'Flight of the Bumblebee' by Rimsky Korsakov.
Bumblebee Conservation Trust — KS2 Pollination Lesson Resources: Explore different parts of the flower, how they attract insects, how pollination works, and the vital role of animals in the lifecycle of plants.
Bumblebee Conservation Trust — KS3 Resources: These curriculum based resources include subjects on insect pollination, natural selection and survival, electricity and magnetism, factors affecting climate, nitrogen cycle and human effect, and practical fieldwork.
Bumblebee Conservation Trust YouTube Channel: The Bumblebee Conservation Trust YouTube channel provides a range of bumblebee educational videos, the perfect addition to a pollinator lesson or for some extra learning.
Butterfly and Moth Arts and Crafts: Butterfly Conservation invite you to get creative by providing ideas and resources for you to explore the world of butterflies and moths through arts and crafts.
Butterfly and Moth Children's Activities: Butterfly Conservation have a number of kids activities ranging from spotters guides and fact sheets to creating wild spaces for butterflies to thrive.
Butterfly and Moth Species Identification: Use the Butterfly Conservation's ID tips to classify which species you have found.
Butterfly and Moth Wild Spaces Guide and Lesson Plans: Butterfly Conservation have provided a series of lesson plans and activities for primary school aged children to explore the importance of habitats.
Citizen Science Surveys: The Countryside Job Service has a list of surveys you can get involved with from stag beetles to hedgerows.
Crawling Caterpillars: Aimed at upper KS2, this resource investigates whether moth caterpillars move in a straight line when they seek a refuge — produced by ASAB.
Finding Food: Aimed at KS2, this resource provides investigations, practical activities, worksheets, and puzzles on the topic areas of animals and habitats — produced by ASAB.
Foraging and Feeding: Five lesson plans and lots of games to teach KS1 and KS2 students about the behaviour of animals in natural environments — produced by ASAB.
Garden Bird Identification: Identification of birds found in most gardens. This resource could be used alongside the nest building and feed the birds activities — produced by ASAB.
Higher Education Resources: teaching, lab and video resources including ‘Activity levels in fruit flies depending on temperature’, ‘Vigilance behaviour in meerkats’, and more — produced by ASAB.
How to Find and Identify Reptiles and Amphibians Guide: Use these resources by Amphibian and Reptile Conservation to find out more about where to find and identify native species.
Insect Hunt & Record: A classroom-ready citizen-science activity for children aged 7-11 usable in school grounds, planters, or local green space — produced by the Royal Entomological Society.
Let’s Ask the Animals: This video looks at farm animals and the processes they share with humans — produced by ASAB.
Mini Animals: This resource links to the topics of mini-beasts and habitats, with activities and worksheets to use in outdoor areas to observe, record, and identify mini-animals — produced by ASAB.
National Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring Programme: This provides resources for budding surveyors to go out and record amphibians and reptiles by themselves, and submit sightings to the website.
Parental Behaviour of Blue Tits: This KS1 and KS2 resource includes a film showing footage of the behaviour of parental blue tits, and has a series of activity worksheets — produced by ASAB.
Scents and Sensibilities: A game for primary school pupils to explore the use of smell in social interactions — produced by ASAB.
Science Fair Activity Packs: Some animal behaviour resources which have been designed to use as practical activities for science fairs, exhibitions, and open days — produced by ASAB.
Secondary and Post-16 Educational Resources: These resources cover a whole range of animal behaviours from mammals to insects — produced by ASAB.
Small Creatures — Big Impact: A data-led science enquiry built around real Big Butterfly Count data, supporting secondary biology on ecosystems, food webs, and insect pollination — produced by the Royal Entomological Society.
Society for Experimental Biology posters: These posters were created based on recent scientific papers. They are excellent for discussing biology discoveries in a fun way.
What is an Insect? — Spot & Sort: A visual introduction to insects, designed to help young children aged 5-7, recognise them and tackle early misgivings — produced by the Royal Entomological Society.
Women in Animal Behaviour Science Posters: Posters celebrating women in animal behaviour science. Teachers can request hard copies for their classrooms by emailing education@asab.org — produced by ASAB.
Animation — Agarose Gel Electrophoresis: This animation, aimed at secondary school students, shows the steps for running an electrophoresis gel — produced by Wellcome Connecting Science.
Animation — DNA Extraction: This animation, aimed at secondary school students, shows the process of DNA extraction — produced by Wellcome Connecting Science.
Animation — Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR): This animation, aimed at secondary school students, shows the steps in PCR to make lots of copies of a DNA sample — produced by Wellcome Connecting Science.
Animation — Zoom in on DNA: This animation, aimed at secondary school students, zooms in through the organs and tissues to the cells and finally DNA — produced by Wellcome Connecting Science.
British Society for Immunology resources: These include resources and information on everything from vaccines to the immune system.
Ellie and the Unusual Creature: A story in which Ellie discovers about DNA. Aimed at KS1 & KS2, it provides a starting point for teachers to explore 'Animals and humans' and 'Living things and their habitats' further — produced by the ABPI.
See the DNA in Your Fruit!: A recording of an online follow-along experiment where you are invited to use household items to perform a DNA extraction — run by the Chapman Lab at the University of Southampton.
Engineering and Biodiversity: A resource and activity highlighting the role of engineers in creating new technologies and infrastructure for a ‘greener’ future — produced by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Engineering and Biomimicry: A resource and activity highlighting how engineers look for ideas and inspiration from the natural world to tackle and resolve global challenges — produced by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Engineering and the Living Planet: A resource and activity highlighting the important role of engineers in food production and sustainability — produced by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Engineering and Vertical Farming: A resource and activity exploring Scientist Paul Matovu's vertical farm designed to grow leafy greens in urban settings — produced by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Engineering and Flowers as Deployable Structures: A resource and activity exploring how engineers use the natural world to inspire the design of deployable structures — produced by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Engineering a Sustainable World Virtual Work Experience: This IChemE resource contains interactive tasks for 14 to 18 year olds to discover what chemical, biochemical, and process engineering is all about.
Online Climate Game: Can You reach Net Zero by 2050? This IChemE game brings to life some difficult decisions and the consequences of making them.
Teaching Resources: Discover IChemE resources that explain to students how chemical engineering impacts daily life and how it links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Why Become an Chemical Engineer?: Discover and explore, with IChemE, what it’s like to be a chemical engineer working in different industries.
Everyday Fungi: This collection of games and resources covers the role of fungi throughout history, in current human health and society, and in the future of the planet — produced by BMS.
Fascinating Fungi Resources for Secondary Education: Learn all about the fungi behind zombie ants, Napoleon’s assassin, and Otzi the Iceman through educational videos and leaflets — produced by BMS.
Fascinating Fungi Resources (ages 16+): Interested in fungi beyond GCSE level? Learn about their scary side with resources and games covering human and plant fungal pathogens — produced by BMS.
Fungi in the Woods Craft Activity: This activity, for ages 7-14, could form part of an art and craft session using different materials whilst learning about the role fungi play in woodland habitats — produced by BMS.
How to Make a Spore Print: Fungi spores are like plant seeds but are microscopic. Here children aged 5-16, can learn how to make a fungi spore print to see them in their thousands — produced by BMS.
Let’s Pretend to be Fungi: This activity takes children, aged 7-14, through the life cycle of a filamentous fungus and explains how, from a single spore, a fungus grows and feeds — produced by BMS.
Habitat Mapping: This National Education Nature Park mapping resource links to both the KS 1-2 and KS 3-4 habitat resources (listed below).
Habitats: Biotic and Abiotic Factors (KS 3-4): This National Education Nature Park resource offers profiles of some of the diverse range of habitats within the UK.
How Hungry are Foxes in Minecraft?: In this activity, you will become a Minecraft Ecologist, doing experiments to untangle the ecological relationship between two Minecraft animals — helping children to understand the real world — produced by the SEB.
Introduction to Habitats (KS 1-2): This National Education Nature Park resource introduces learners to UK habitats, guiding them through classifying different habitats in the UK.
Kitchen Classification: Use plants found in your kitchen — herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables — to create a classification diagram — produced by Science & Plants for Schools.
Nature's Calendar: Help the Woodland Trust track the effects of weather and climate change on wildlife near you. You could contribute to a long biological record that dates back as far as 1736.
Noticing Variation in Plants: Discover the variation in the plants around you, whether it’s houseplants, gardens, or wild spaces — produced by Science & Plants for Schools.
Nuts About Classification: Explore the classification system of life by examining the relationships between different nuts — produced by Science & Plants for Schools.
Science & Plants for Schools' Growth Hub: The Growth Hub is a place to grow your plant science knowledge and skills. Use the resources here to explore different ways of thinking about teaching and supporting biology.
Science & Plants for Schools' Secondary & Post-16 Teaching Resources: Resources by SAPS with student sheets, teaching guidance, and technical notes for your secondary and post-16 teaching.
Science & Plants for Schools' YouTube Channel: Watch educational videos to learn about the importance of plants and the relevance of plant science in modern life.
Teaching Microscopy Using Plants: This series of articles from Dr Chris Graham (visiting teacher at Science & Plants for Schools) explores how plant specimens can be used to support teaching microscopy.
Teaching Classification and Evolution Using Plants: Explore engaging ways to use plants to teach classification and evolution, inspiring students to connect with nature — produced by Science & Plants for Schools.
Treezilla: A citizen science project that encourages people to collaborate in mapping, measuring, and monitoring trees across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
'What is Toxicology?' and 'Risk vs. Hazard' Videos: Informative and educational videos provided by The British Toxicology Society.
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