Students with strong religious convictions may have problems with some activities in biology classes. These concerns tend to be especially pronounced in activities centered around paleontology and evolution. Many strongly religious people do not accept that the earth is billions of years old, or that humans evolved from a earlier primate life form. Students with these convictions may object to activities based around geological timelines or Darwinian evolutionary theory. For these students, you may suggest seeking permission from school administration to sit out certain units in biology class. You may also suggest that these students take electives in religious studies. Be clear that you cannot change curriculum simply because students don't like it.
Some students may have moral concerns over classroom activities. Some students may object to sex education activities, drug awareness activities or activities using graphic or violent media. For students who have these kinds of concerns, you may suggest sitting out the parts of the class that they find morally objectionable. Students do not need administration permission to sit out activities that are graphic or controversial. Simply ask the student for a parental permission note authorizing them to sit out these activities.
Some students will have concerns over culturally charged classroom activities. Many students and teachers do not understand how cultural stereotypes affect people from the culture being discussed. For example, while many Westerners find the stereotype of Asians as martial arts masters to be positive, some Asians find the stereotype somewhat campy, if not offensive. For students with these types of concerns, you may actually withdraw the lesson, as cultural tension should not be promoted in the classroom. You may also suggest that the student propose an alternative lesson to give the class a better sense of their culture.
Some academically gifted students do not see the point of many classroom activities. These students may write off assignments as "busy work" or may describe their academic career as one of "just going through the motions." For these students, you may suggest taking on independent projects that are more appropriate to their interests. Ask administration for permission to include these projects as graded work. If administrators cannot authorize this, suggest that the student speak with the guidance counselor about transferring to an accelerated program.