Over half of the activities give students the experience of conducting controlled experiments. Six of the labs ask the students to apply previously learned skills in designing their own controlled experiments. Each experiment contains an introduction section with background information, a materials list, and a stepwise set of procedures. Questions direct the students to review the experiment's concepts and consider further research. Line drawings illustrate the experimental setups and organisms under investigation.
Space is provided for data collection and analysis.
Topics covered in the book include biochemistry, cell biology, and animal and plant physiology as well as development, evolution, and ecology. In one experiment, the students compare the rates of respiration between germinating peas and mealworms. A graphing calculator and gas pressure sensors are used to measure the oxygen consumption of the two organisms. The directions tell the students to determine the masses of peas and the mealworms. The book then explains how to set up the calculator and the sensors.