Serendip
http://www.bio.upenn.edu/faculty/waldron/
Dr. Ingrid Waldron and Jennifer Doherty, a graduate student, in the Biology Department at the University of Pennsylvania have developed these hands-on, minds-on biology activities for grades 6-12 in collaboration with colleagues at Penn and K-12 teachers. Please visit their Serendip site for a full index of lesson plans, materials required and teacher preparation.

Some favorites Genetics [pdf] : DNA [pdf] : Antibiotic Resistance [pdf] : Microorganisms Everywhere [pdf]

Learn Genetics - Genetic Science Learning Center, University of Utah
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/

The Genetic Science Learning Center is an outreach education program located in the midst of bioscience research at the University of Utah. Their mission is to help people understand how genetics affects their lives and society. Don't forget to register for even more teaching materials and resources. Then be sure to visit The Biotechniques Virtual Laboratory

Some favorites How to Extract DNA From Anything Living : DNA Extraction From Wheat Germ

myDNA - teacher's guide - Gene Almanac - Dolan DNA Learning Center, Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory
http://www.dnai.org/teacherguide/guide.html

“Download 15 lesson plans for use in your classroom. Plans include objectives, national education standards, student worksheets, and more!”

Some sites from the Dolan DNA Learning Center DNA from the Beginning : Silencing Genomes : DNA Interactive

Hila Road Science Camp - Hila Science Projects, DNA Extraction Instructions
http://www.hilaroad.com/

“Carol and Wayne Campbell are owners of the Hila Outdoor Centre. This 12 acre facility recently celebrated 25 years of science and nature education. During this period the centre was home to Hila Science Camp, a resident camp attracting clientele from all over the world. The centre also hosts workshops for teachers, students and clubs, covering topics ranging from nature photography and astronomy to alternative energy. ”

DNA Extraction series on YouTube: DNA Lab Part 1 : DNA Lab Part 2 : A YouTube search for DNA

MicrobeLibrary.org - American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
http://www.microbelibrary.org/

The MicrobeLibrary is an online collection of peer-reviewed teaching resources for undergraduate microbiology education supported by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). It is a subscription service and contains “Over 2,000 original, peer-reviewed resources for teaching undergraduate microbiology!” Additionally there are usually one or two free resources available. Take a look.

Teaching and Research: Bibliographic Essays - History of Science Society
http://www.hssonline.org/index.html

“Life Sciences in the Twentieth Century”, by Garland E. Allen, is a series of essays containing a lengthy bioliography of reading for teachers and students interested in the history of science. This series, although somewhat dated - last updated in 1988 - contains many primary sources.

The Registry of Standard Biological Parts
http://partsregistry.org/Main_Page
The mission of the Registry is to collect and provide standardized, reliable biological parts to enable synthetic biologists to design and construct biological machines. Parts are defined as bits of DNA that have been designed (and then often constructed) to have a particular biological function with defined inputs and outputs. The Registry acts as a clearinghouse for these parts as well as the biological devices and systems that are built from these parts.

Loosely related TED Talks

Paul Rothemund: Casting spells with DNA
“Paul Rothemund writes code that causes DNA to arrange itself into a star, a smiley face and more. Sure, it’s a stunt, but it’s also a demonstration of self-assembly at the smallest of scales — with vast implications for the future of making things.”

Neil Gershenfeld: The beckoning promise of personal fabrication
“MIT professor Neil Gershenfeld talks about his Fab Lab -- a low-cost lab that lets people build things they need using digital and analog tools. It's a simple idea with powerful results.”

Saul Griffith: Hardware solutions to everyday problems
“Inventor and MacArthur fellow Saul Griffith shares some innovative ideas from his lab -- from "smart rope" to a house-sized kite for towing large loads.”
See his Howtoons site.

The Exploratorium
http://www.exploratorium.edu/
“Housed within the walls of San Francisco’s landmark Palace of Fine Arts, the Exploratorium is a collage of hundreds of interactive exhibits in the areas of science, art, and human perception. The Exploratorium stands in the vanguard of the movement of the “museum as educational center.” It provides access to, and information about, science, nature, art, and technology.”

DNA at the Exploratorium

Teaching materials from Exploratopia