Science meets mystery in Ward’s Biotech for Life Science Kit, Capturing a Bigfoot Is No Small Feat. With inquiry-based activities and built-in historical relevance, this kit earned our We Are Teachers Teacher Pick status because of its ability to spark scientific curiosity and critical thinking in high school classrooms.
Aligned to NGSS standards, this kit puts students in the role of forensic scientists. Classes investigate real-world scenarios with authentic lab techniques. They analyze hair samples and compare DNA and fingerprints. Most excitingly, students explore core biotechnology concepts using actual antibodies, antigens, and DNA/RNA—just like professional labs. This hands-on experience offers a realistic way to solve scientific mysteries.
To see how it performs in a real classroom, we asked high school science teacher Allison Dalton to put it to the test with her students. Here’s her Teacher Picks review and why she says this biotech lab is a hit for teaching DNA analysis and inquiry skills.
What grade levels/subject areas do you think the Ward’s Science Biotech for Life Science Kits are best suited for?
The Ward’s Science Biotech for Life Kits are best suited for high school Biology, AP Biology, Physics, or Anatomy and Physiology.
Is this product aligned with any specific standards or curriculum guidelines?
There are many areas of the NGSS Standards that this lab kit can apply to. I like that there is a wide range of applications for the activity. In our specific curriculum, it aligns with genetic variation, biodiversity, molecular structure of DNA, and more.
How did your students react to the product?
My students really enjoyed getting to learn the gel electrophoresis technique. Students loved using technology that is actually utilized in the real world to identify organisms. It sparked conversations about how scientists in different careers would use gel electrophoresis methods. Some students even did some extra research, which was interesting to hear about!
How easy was it to use and implement the Biotech for Life Science Kit in your classroom?
Overall, this lab was extremely easy to implement in my classroom. There were/are so many places this activity can fit within NGSS and our local curriculum requirements. Instructions for setting up the lab for students were clear and made the process a breeze. And the student instructions were easy for them to follow.
How will Ward’s Science Biotech for Life Kits save you time or make teaching easier?
The Ward’s Science Biotech for Life Kits can save me time by having everything as prepped as possible when I receive the kit. This made everything on my end so much faster. It only took me about half an hour total to have everything ready to go! It makes teaching easier as well because all of the supplemental materials about lab background, the electrophoresis technique, real-world application of electrophoresis, student lab handouts, assessments, and answer keys were provided.
Would you use this product in your classroom again?
I would continue to use this in my DNA units. It could work well as an inquiry into why different organisms’ DNA would result in different electrophoresis runs. This would lead into discussion that would bridge gaps between lower-level understanding that organisms all have different DNA toward higher-level thinking of understanding how the DNA molecule differs.
Is there anything else you’d like other teachers to know about your experience?
I really enjoyed using this kit with my classes. My students and I had a lot of fun, and this lab kit made it easy to do. There was less stress for me in terms of setup and less confusion for them completing the task with such comprehensive instructions.
Check out Allison’s video review:
Teacher Picks is a sponsored program available from We Are Teachers. All opinions shared in the review are honest and based on the teacher’s direct experience. To learn more about our guidelines and review process, click here.