The Biology Lab for teachers
Free biology calculators and simulations, each with a one-page printable activity and an answer key. Students need no accounts, and everything runs on school Chromebooks with nothing to install.
Classroom activities with answer keys
Each activity is a single printed page that walks students through the tool’s own presets and inputs, with a results table and 5–7 questions. Times assume students working in pairs.
Standards connections refer to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS); we list one only where the activity clearly supports it. “Common in AP Biology” describes topics many AP Biology courses cover; the activities are not endorsed by the College Board.
How to use the tools in class
Assign it in Google Classroom
Use the Share to Google Classroom button on any tool, lesson or activity to post it as an assignment or material, then attach the printed activity or paste its questions. Students open the link straight from Classroom.
Demo on the board
Project a calculator and ask the class to predict before you press a preset: what happens to the SA : V ratio when a cell doubles in size, or how many carriers a rare recessive allele has.
Pairs and stations
Students work through an activity in pairs on one device, or rotate between three or four tools every 15–20 minutes and compare results at the end. Each activity uses the tool’s own presets, so everyone gets the same numbers.
Worksheets and printables
Beyond the twelve activities, the site has printable material you can use as it is:
- Worksheet generator: printable sets of 8, 12 or 20 questions on cells, genetics, molecular biology and ecology, with an optional answer key.
- Printable diagrams: animal and plant cell diagrams to label, blank Punnett square grids and a pedigree chart, each with an answer key.
- Practice questions: self-marking quiz questions with explanations, for revision or homework.
- Concept notes: one-page explanations with a worked example and a common mistake for each topic.
Built for school devices
- Chromebooks and tablets: runs in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox, on Chromebooks, laptops, iPads and phones.
- No installs: no apps, plug-ins or extensions, so there is nothing for IT to approve.
- No logins: students never create accounts or type in personal details.
- Works on slow networks: calculations run on the device, so a tool keeps working once its page has loaded.
Student privacy
Students never create accounts, and the site never asks for names, email addresses or answers. Activities are completed on paper or in your own Classroom assignment, so student work never reaches this site.
Students who open a page from Google Classroom, Canvas or Schoology see no ads. The same applies to links shared with the Share to Google Classroom buttons on this site. To remember this, the student’s browser stores only an “ad-free until” date, for 30 days. This page and the answer keys never show ads.
To be transparent: the site uses Google Analytics to measure how pages are used (such as pages viewed, device type and approximate location), and it shows a few labeled Adsterra banner ads to other visitors to keep the tools free. The privacy policy has the details.
About the answer keys
Every number in an answer key is calculated by the same code that runs the tool, so students’ readings will match. Answer keys are not linked from student pages and are hidden from search engines, but they are not password-protected.
Tell us what you need
Using a tool with your class? We would love to hear what worked, what didn’t and which topic you would like next: info@thebiologylab.org.
Teacher questions
Wondering about the why? Start here.
Is the Biology Lab free for classrooms?
Yes. Every calculator, simulation, activity and answer key is free, with no sign-up and no limit on the number of students. Teachers can print as many copies as they need.
Browse all toolsDo students need accounts or logins?
No. Students open a link and start working. Nothing is saved to an account, and activities are completed on paper or in your own Google Classroom assignment, so no student work is sent to this site.
Read the privacy policyDoes it work on Chromebooks and tablets?
Yes. Everything runs in the browser, including Chrome on school Chromebooks and Safari on iPads, with nothing to install and no plug-ins. JavaScript must be turned on, and once a page has loaded the calculators keep working on a slow connection.
Try a toolWill my students see ads?
Not if they arrive from Google Classroom, Canvas or Schoology, or through a Share to Google Classroom button on this site: those visitors see no ads on that device for 30 days. Other visitors see a few labeled banner ads, which keep the site free. This teacher page and the answer keys never show ads.
How ads and analytics workWhich standards do the activities support?
Where an activity clearly fits, it lists the NGSS performance expectation it connects to, such as HS-LS1-1 for DNA to protein, HS-LS2-1 for carrying capacity and HS-LS3-3 for Punnett squares and chi-square. Water potential, chi-square and Hardy-Weinberg are also common topics in AP Biology courses. The activities are supplements, so use them alongside your curriculum.
See the activity tableAre the answer keys accurate?
Every number in an answer key is calculated by the same code that runs the tool, and automated tests fail if a printed answer ever drifts from the calculation, so the values students read from the tool match the key.
Open an answer key