Biology Week in Schools
Biology Week is a great opportunity to encourage enthusiasm for biology in and around the curriculum.
Activity resources for celebrating Biology Week in schools
| Quizzes | Test your science knowledge (secondary) |
| Activity guides | 21st Century BioChallenges activity guides (secondary) |
| BioArtAttack | Get creative with art and science (all ages) |
| Physiology Friday | Enter an edible #biobake (all ages) |
| Biology Changing the World | Celebrate amazing biologists of the past (all ages) |
| UK Fungus Day | Have 'fun with fungi' (all ages) |
| Nancy Rothwell Award | Specimen drawing art lessons (primary & secondary) |
| 18+ and Higher Education | BioSoc quizzes and resources (university students) |
Biology Week event guides
We have put together event guides to help you with some ideas to come up with your own Biology Week event.
Tell us about your activities!
We are always really impressed with the activities teachers put on during Biology Week. You are welcome to use the resources on this page and the Biology Week event materials. We would love to hear what you have planned.
Fun resources for organising events
- Free activity resources: downloadable resources you can print and use
- STEMNET and Speakeeze: invite a biologist to speak at your school
- Case studies from other schools
- Careers profiles: find out about careers in the biosciences
- Citizen science activities: contribute to scientific research
Quizzes
The Society, along with its Member Organisations, has put together quizzes for schools, to run either during lessons, tutor time or in science club.
- 13-15 year olds: Questions Answers
- 16-18 year olds: Questions contact us
This Biology Week we are launching a poll to invite the public to vote for their favourite UK tree species. Use these resources for classroom discussions and debates, or even host your own poll!
Find out more about the shortlisted trees and vote for your favourite.
21st Century BioChallenges activity guide
Schools can download guidance notes for excellent enrichment activities to support the secondary curriculum. Each activity introduces participants to new concepts, vocabulary and cutting edge science, with five topics including stem cells, antibiotic resistance and genetic modification.
BioArtAttack
Get young people thinking about biology in the world around them and communicate science through art. Take part in our BioArtAttack competition.
Physiology Friday
Bio-Bodies Bake Off: Each Biology Week, the Physiology Society challenges amateur bakers to produce a bake, savoury or sweet, representing physiology, the science of how your body works, for their chance to win some exciting prizes! There are also Physiology Friday activities, resources and citizen science projects available.
Celebrate the great biologists of the past in order to inspire those of the future.
The website, mobile app (available on apple and android) and schools resources are packed with information and activities about the biologists that shaped the world we live in.
There are also a number of classroom resources available for a 7-11 year old audience.
Visit the website or contact us for hard copies of the poster and teacher notes.
UK Fungus Day Competitions
Join in with UK Fungus Day public events at universities, science centres, museums, botanic gardens, nature reserves and National Trust venues, across the UK and Ireland.
There will be 'fun with fungi' activities for everyone to enjoy.
Higher Education and 18+ students
Our quizzes for university students, perfect for Biology Societies are now available to download.
Biosoc Quiz 2016: Questions Answers
BioSoc Quiz 2015: Questions Answers
Resources from BioMed Central: Examine some of the many scientific challenges facing the world, including: cancer, epidemics, antimicrobial resistance and ageing populations.
Free content from Oxford University Press, e.g. blogs and videos.
STEMNET and Speakeeze
Invite a STEM Ambassador into your school or arrange a speaker for inspiring and intriguing talks and activities. Learn about new careers and cutting-edge research of biosciences. Perfect for science clubs, assemblies or lessons.
Alternatively, get in touch with the National STEM Centre.
Case studies from other schools
School spotlight: Hereford Cathedral School and Bishop Thomas Grant School both organised great programmes of Biology Week activities for 2015 which might inspire you to get involved next year.
Use our posters to inspire students around your school.
Careers Project
There are a diverse range of careers available in the biosciences.
Find out more about technicians and research assistants working in a variety of fields around the country by reading and watching our technicians careers profiles.
More resources are available in our careers section.
Free activity resources
Supplement your lessons with free, interesting and interactive resources:
- Free activity resources: downloadable resources you can print and use
- Use activities from the British Society for Immunology, including an infectious disease card game, malaria teaching resources, and a secret life of snot activity
- Explore classroom resources from Science and Plants for Schools
- Science in the Bath youtube channel: all of your scientific questions answered by a man in a bath
- Learn about immunity with the Babraham Institute
- Discover more about cells and the human body with eChalk classroom resources
- Learn more about the human brain with Parkinson's UK's Brain: the inside story
- Test your reaction times with Understanding Life
- Learn more about the human brain with Alzheimer's Research UK's curriculum based resources
- Learn about gene editing and how it works with a free video produced by the Wellcome Trust.
- Explore the new schools website from The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
- Biology Week resources from BioMed Central, including quizzes, blogs and news articles on everything from ocean life to big data