Berkeley Engineering and Mentors
Darwin's Finches
Try a twist on the old finch beak and chopsticks activity by using M&Ms on a Twister mat. Spoons, knives, forks, and chopsticks represent beaks and are randomly assigned to your little birds, who must collect as much food as possible...
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Not Just a Bag of Beans
Students determine the types of natural selection and variation that exists in a population, using beans.
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A STEP IN SPECIATION
Students place different subspecies of a CA salamander are placed on grid map of CA according to where samples were collected. Then discuss patterns of their distribution, their likely evolutionary relationships, and probable sequence of...
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Darwinism: The Origin of the Species by Natural Selection.
The Darwin PowerPoint covers many of the Scientists that worked on similar concepts to Darwin and that were involved with famous theories. students are informed about the basic thinking behind natural selection and examples of...
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What Is a Species?
Students are able to recognize that scientists use different definitions of species. They are able to assess the strengths and limitations of species definitions depending on their context. Students are able to use definitions of...
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Reading: A Talk on the Effects of Music on Our Brains
In this reading an interview transcript worksheet, students read the transcript from an interview with Daniel Levitin who was a psychologist interested in the effects of music on the human brain. Students then answer 10 true and false...
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Using Color as Defense
Students explore mimicry and crypsis, participate in hands-on predator-prey activity, and practice calculating averages and graph results in histogram.
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Japanese Poetry: Tanka? You're Welcome!
High schoolers explore the structure and content of the Tanka form and to arrive at a definition of the structure in English. They analyze a tanka to determine its structure and intent and compose two Tanka; one in traditional form and...
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The Formation and Value of Temperate Grasslands
Students get an overview of the climate and organisms of the North American Prairie. After a lecture, and watching some videos imbedded in this plan, students compile research data on the North American Prairie.
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Let's Take a Rock Apart!
Learners examine a crushed rock and sort the minerals they find in that rock by color and other properties.
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Alien Invasions!
Students use video and Internet components, to gain an understanding of non-native invasive plants and animals and the ecological and monetary problems they cause.
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Activity: Polymer Clay Millefiori Cane Beads
Students show an understanding of how millefiori beads are constructed by making some in several styles in polymer clay. They view images and techniques on a website imbedded in this plan and then attempt to make their own.
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The Delicate Balance within a Forest Ecosystem
Students examine the causes and effects of alterations in a forest ecosystem and evaluate how human actions may only seem to have minor consequences, but can lead to extinctions of large numbers of populations. Students produce an...
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What's In A Name?
Students explore the concept of the binomial system of nomenclature for classifying organisms. Students travel on a field trip to observe organisms displayed and their common names. Students complete several classroom activities and...
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Recasting Language through Found Poetry
Discover the concept of found poetry in this engaging lesson. Secondary students will explore the poem "Natural Selection" and compare it to the writings of Charles Darwin in Origin of the Species. Students chose a text and create...
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Bermuda: Search for Deep Water Caves: Living Fossils
Students explore relict species. In this anchialine cave lesson, students identify relict species associated with anchialine caves, and explain the importance of preserving anchialine caves and species.
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The Loneliest Animals
Students examine the different species that are headed towards extinction. In this animal population lesson students compare the causes of extinction, research an endangered species and present an oral report.
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Multimedia in the Language Arts Classroom
Multimedia lesson plans are a way for students to explore language arts in a creative way.
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Bacteria Aren't All Bad!
Teaching students about the diversity of the Bacteria Kingdoms and their importance to humans
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No Escape
Via four student handouts, marine biology learners examine the topography and circulation cell of the Fieberilng guyot. Then they examine the number of individual hydroids counted at each depth. Pupils use the information to relate water...
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Introduction to Paleontology Lab
Students engage in a lab which introduces them to fossils and paleontology. They examine eleven numbered boxes containing fossils which are related to the questions on this lab then answer questions on a lab sheet imbedded in this plan.
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Mixed Prepositions 20
In this online interactive English vocabulary skills worksheet, students respond to 13 multiple choice questions that require them to fill in the blanks in sentences with the appropriate prepositions.
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Pseudogene Suite
Learners use Biology Workbench to explore DNA sequence data for the GULOP gene in humans, chimpanzees, orangutans, and crab-eating macaques and the beta globin gene and its pseduogene in humans, gorillas, and chimpanzees.
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Science NetLinks: Fossils and Geologic Time
Young scholars investigate the development of the geologic time scale. Also, to introduce them to the major time periods in earth's history, as well as to the role fossils play in helping us understand this history.