Assign your students a group project to survey a nearby park for animal or plant life. Assign each student a different animal or plant species. The students should research their topic, determining what if any previous surveys have been made in the area. The students must then create the methodology by which they will conduct the survey, carry out the survey and deliver the results in a class PowerPoint presentation. They should compare their results and conclusions to any prior data they uncovered in their research.
Many students can be a bit squeamish when it comes to constantly doing dissections. And the truth is, it is often hard for them to differentiate one organ or system from the next. One way to address this is to use 3D models. Several applications such as Poser and Daz Studio can help to an extent. For example, you can use skeleton models to show the movement of bones in relation to each other, something you would have a hard time doing otherwise. You can also apply "muscle textures" to characters, allowing you to show the actions of muscles in movement.
A project that will give your students a better appreciation for the field of biology and its history is a biographical essay on a famous biologist. Because it would be better for each student to do a different biologist, you should create a list of names and assign one to each student. The goals of the paper should be to look both at the events of the biologist's life, such as when and where he lived and his education and employment, as well as the contributions he made to the field.
Have your students do a collaborative project documentary on the effects of pollution in your community. They could create video footage of any damage there is, and then intersperse this with interviews of local ecologists and biologists discussing the cause and effect. For example, if your city is experiencing fish kills on a regular basis, students could look at the possible causes. They should also discuss in the video any possible solutions. Once the documentary is finished, it can be shown to the whole class at one time.