Biology in a Box

A Science Education Outreach Project

Biology in a Box is a fun and challenging way for entire schools to enhance their life sciences curriculum at all grade levels, and to encourage student interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. The program employs a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to teach the wonders of the living world, as well as introducing the scientific methods and math skills we use to understand that world. 

Each thematic unit has exercises that are designed to enrich science curriculum content for students from the elementary grades through high school. The goal of each unit is to pique the interest of even low-ability students on a particular biological theme. The more advanced activities in a thematic unit, furthermore, have been designed as curriculum enrichment for very bright students who need a challenge.

The Biology in a Box program is especially valuable to teachers in schools that have limited resources for extra materials. The materials needed for completion of the exercises, presented in each thematic trunk, are totally reusable and are generally not commercially available. It is also an excellent program for schools with a limited science faculty, since no prior knowledge of the subject matter is needed for a teacher to explore a box theme with his or her students.

We are presently limited to serving counties in Tennessee (teachers can check the partnership page to see if their school system is enrolled in the project). Anyone can access the ideas, exercises, and concepts on our website, however.

Get Involved!

To find out if units are currently available for your school, please check the list of current box keepers HERE.  The list is arranged alphabetically by county.  If your school system currently has one or more box keepers listed, simply contact a Box Keeper in your area to arrange a pickup or delivery of the unit(s) which you desire to use in the classroom.

To enroll in the Biology in a Box program, a school system’s Superintendent or Curriculum Coordinator must send a letter of interest to the Project Director by email, fax, or by U.S. mail, using the contact information below. The letter should include the name and contact information for a “Box Keeper,” who will serve as the primary liaison between the school system and the University of Tennessee, and will take responsibility for circulating boxes among teachers.

Once the letter is approved, one or more sets of boxes will be sent to the school system, depending on its size and needs. The Box Keeper will lend the units to schools who request them within the school system, and will interact with UT to obtain any replacement materials for the boxes.

Explore the links on the left of this page to learn more about the Biology in a Box program.

Current boxholders, click HERE to go to our Wiggio group site to communicate and share with other boxholders and the Biology in a Box team!  If you are not already able to access the Wiggio group, and would like to, please email Sarah Duncan or J.R. Jones for more information.

Keep up to date with the latest Biology in a Box news by following us on Twitter!

Permission to copy, use and disseminate the materials provided herein is hereby granted for educational, non profit uses. All other rights reserved.

Contact Information

Dr. Susan Riechert
Project Director
Professor
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
569 Dabney Hall
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
37996-1610

Tel: 865-974-3065
Fax: 865-974-3067
Email: sriecher@utk.edu