Curated OER
Investigating the Biosphere With Planetary Models
Learners create a biosphere using the computer program SImEarth. They work in small groups to create "Daisyworld" in which they model aspects of the Gaia hypothesis. They form a question to answer and choose variables to investigate in...
Curated OER
Natural Selection Foldable
Students examine and identify examples of species that developed as a result of immigration, genetic drift, and adaptive radiation. They conduct Internet research and define key vocabulary terms, and use their species example on their...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Botany Scavenger Hunt Where's the Ginkgo?
Learners use a science journal to log plants that are native to Alabama. In this plant lesson plan, students identify characteristics, describe environments, and classify the plants that they find.
Curated OER
Ecology and the St. Lawrence River
Ninth graders complete a unit of lessons on ecosystems, organism interactions, and energy flow. They create a key for known species of fish, diagram the movement of energy through an ecosystem, and create and present food chains and food...
Curated OER
Making The Geologic Time Scale Real
Students construct a geologic timeline the size of a football field. They work in small groups to calculate the yardage for significant events in the Earth's history and then as a class pace out all of the events.
Curated OER
Coevolution: A Simulation
Students participate in a demonstration in which they must attempt to suck liquid from varying containers with straws of varying sizes. They discuss the concept of coevolution and see why this activity illustrate the coevolution of...
Curated OER
Making The Geologic Time Scale Real
Students are assigned significant geologic events in Earth's history. They convert the date of the events into distances and then space themselves (on an outside playing field) away from other groups, to represent time between various...
Curated OER
Identifying Quincy's Birds
Learners compare a variety or bird characteristics. They identify and classify birds within their local area. Students investigate how to examine and scrutinize differences in features of organisms and understand variation in the...
Curated OER
Build-A-Bird
Students create an imaginary bird. In this anatomy instructional activity, students analyze how artists represent birds historically, then determine the anatomical aspects that suit a bird to its habitat. Using this information, students...
Curated OER
If It Smells Good, Is Edible, and Attracts Wildlife, Then It's a Practical Garden
Learners explore landscape design. In this practical gardening lesson, students design landscape plans that call for shrubs, trees, and plants that can be used for aesthetics, cooking, and wildlife.
Curated OER
Darwin Day
In this Darwin Day worksheet, students read or listen to a tape passage about Charles Darwin, then match phrases, fill in the blanks, choose words, unscramble words and sentences, put sentences in order, write discussion questions and...
Curated OER
The Chordates
Students study the characteristics of organisms that are a part of the phylum Chordata. In this organisms lesson students identify mammals that are native to Saskatchewan.
Curated OER
Sequence Alignment
High schoolers explore the uses of sequence alignment. In this DNA lesson students complete several experiments on sequencing and algorithms.
Curated OER
Molecular Approaches to Evolution
Students are introduced to working with molecular data. The first activity does both simulated and original data are used to compare amino acid, protein or DNA differences to construct phylogenetic trees or cladograms. These activities...
Curated OER
The Chromosome Connection
Students evaluate the degree of chromosome similarity and difference between humans and apes. Students infer about the relationship between a human and ape based on similarities found.
Curated OER
Arsenic and Human Health
Ninth graders concentrate on arsenic poisoning as an example of the connections among health, geography, and geology as they develop a persuasive presentation about the dangers of arsenic in the drinking water, targeting a specific...
Curated OER
Primate Classification 2006
Students examine groups of hierarchy and see how primates are categorized. In this primate classification lesson students view video and slides then examine the taxonomy of primates.
Curated OER
What's Living in My Mouth?
Students articulate in written and oral formats that bacteria can be found living everywhere. They explain in written and oral formats why the immune system is necessary. Students are presented with an opportunity to see bacteria alive...
Curated OER
Superbugs and Antibiotic Resistance
Students complete experiments on antibiotics and antimicrobials. In groups, they explain how antibiotics affect the evolution of microorganisms. They test various types of bacteria to discover how much resistance they have to antibiotics.
Curated OER
What's In A Name?
Pupils create a binomial system of nomenclature for classifying organisms they encounter in a field trip to a natural history museum or from pictures in library books. They work in small groups to create accurate drawings and place the...
Curated OER
Investigating the Biosphere with Planetary Models
Students model the biosphere and manipulate variables affecting change and plan their experiments with the help of others. They describe their question, hypothesis, and methods of investigation.
Curated OER
Anolis Lizards of the Greater Antilles
Students "take a trip" to the Greater Antilles to observethe Anolis lizards. They study the body structures and habitat of different species, then plot this data on a map to look for patterns in their distribution. From the patterns they...
Curated OER
Human Evolution
Students make and use observations of Laetoli footprints to provide clues to life in the past. They collect and analyze data to study the relationship between foot length and body height.
Curated OER
Nuts & Bolts: is Classification, Arbitrary, Or Not?
Students, in groups, classify furniture, share their categories and rationales, then note how their different schemes vary, perfectly logical and useful, but completely arbitrary.