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AP Biology Lab Manual Resource Center

Lab Manual Overview

The AP Biology Investigative Labs: An Inquiry-Based Approach was developed in collaboration with AP teachers, inquiry experts, and higher education faculty to support teachers in implementing the new focus on inquiry in their biology labs.

The manual's unique design enables teachers to guide students through experiments and procedures that are easily tailored to diverse needs and appropriate for small and large classes.

Note: This updated AP Biology lab manual (teacher edition) includes revised big ideas, enduring understandings, learning objectives, and science practices that align to the 2019 course and exam description. In addition, URLs and the equations and formulas sheet were updated. The changes highlighted in the supplement to the first printing have been incorporated. 

The Lab Manual

  • Features 13 student-directed, inquiry-based labs (teacher and student editions)
  • Aligns learning objectives with the AP Biology Course and Exam Description, which contains the course framework and sample exam questions
  • Aligns with best practices promoted by the National Science Foundation and America's Lab Report
  • Emphasizes scientific inquiry, reasoning, and critical thinking
  • Enables students to plan, direct, and integrate a range of science practices, such as designing experiments, collecting data, and applying quantitative skills
  • Includes lists of supplemental resources

Access the Lab Manual

The full AP Biology Teacher lab manual, which includes the Student Lab Manual, is now available for download.

Investigative Lab 3: Comparing DNA Sequences to Understand Evolutionary Relationships with BLAST

Download Directions

  1. Click on the files, select Download, and then save the zip file to your computer. Once the zip file is saved, unpack it by saving the individual file.

  2. Go to the BLAST site
  3. Click on the Saved Strategies from the menu at the top of the page
  4. Under Upload Search Strategy, click on Browse and locate one of the gene files you saved onto your computer
  5. Click View

A screen will appear with the parameters for your query already configured.

Important Note: Do not alter any of the parameters. Scroll down the page and click on the BLAST button at the bottom. After collecting and analyzing all of the data for that particular gene, repeat this procedure for the other two gene sequences.

Gene 1
Gene 2
Gene 3
Gene 4

Resources

Article

Investigative Labs: Comprehensive Links