Rice University
Biology for AP® Courses
An eight-unit electronic textbook provides a guide to AP® Biology. Each of the 28 chapters include an introduction, multiple lessons, a summary, review questions, and test prep questions. Teachers see how each lesson connects to a big...
Kenan Fellows
Sensors in Chemistry
The Environmental Protection Agency monitors sensors to track air pollution and set clean air standards. Enthusiastic young scientists use similar sensors to gather data in their area and then apply the gas laws and conservation of...
National Park Service
Fire Ecology on the Rim
An engaging unit on wildfires includes three sections, including a background section with eight lessons and five activities, a field experience section with 13 lessons and five activities, and a conclusion section featuring an analysis...
Curated OER
Photosynthesis
We all know photosynthesis happens, but why should we care? Here is a unit that covers everything young scholars need to know about photosynthesis. Hands-on activities, assessments, and lectures guide pupils though the physiology of a...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Ocean Acidification: Whats and Hows
Open this lesson by demonstrating the production of acidic carbon dioxide gas by activated yeast. Emerging ecologists then experiment with seashells to discover the effect of ocean acidification on shelled marine organisms. They measure...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Plankton to Penguins: Antarctic Food Web
A well-written lesson plan, second in a series of four, gets high schoolers exploring how the Antarctic food web is impacted by climate change and the associated melting of polar ice sheets. It begins with a PowerPoint presentation about...
K20 LEARN
Transpiring Trees: Plant Transpiration and the Water Cycle
Looking for a tree-rific addition to your water cycle unit? Teams of young foresters examine the role of transpiration in the water cycle through a week's worth of activities. Pupils analyze how trees take in and transport water during...
NOAA
Ocean Acidification
Carbon dioxide is on the rise; does that also mean a rise in danger to humans and animals? Scholars learn what that means for the environment and more specifically the ocean. They examine data on the pH of different ocean areas and learn...
Learning Games Lab
Nitrogen in Pollutants
Responsible farming is important for maintaining natural resources. Eager scientists complete a WebQuest to explore what happens to nitrogen when it enters the soil. They learn about the chemical makeup of nitrogen-based molecules and...
College Board
2013 AP® Biology Free-Response Questions
AP® free-response questions are often challenging for scholars. Give them practice writing free-response questions using former questions from the AP® Biology exam on topics such as genetic mutations, cellular respiration, evolution, and...
National Park Service
Weather Patterns of the Pacific Ocean
How do oceans affect weather patterns? Learners define vocabulary associated with dew point, topographical lifting, condensation, and formation of clouds and precipitation as they explore the weather in the Pacific Northwest. They also...
BC Open Textbooks
Concepts of Biology – 1st Canadian Edition
How diverse are living things? Individuals explore topics such as cells as the foundation for life, cell division and genetics, molecular biology, and animal reproduction using an open resource Biology textbook. They learn key terms...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Following the Trail of Evidence
One important skill in analyzing scientific evidence is identifying facts versus opinions. Scholars identify pieces of evidence from the film The Day the Mesozoic Died and then discuss this evidence in small groups at the end of each act...
Serendip
Food Webs, Energy Flow, Carbon Cycle, and Trophic Pyramids
The reintroduction of a species to an area doesn't always go as expected. Scholars learn about the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park with a video, reading, and discussion questions. They complete a hands-on activity...
Serendip
Food, the Carbon Cycle and Global Warming
As the world population increases, demands on the carbon cycle also increase. A well-designed lesson first explores the greenhouse effect and its impact on global warming. Further sections have pupils study the effect of greenhouse gases...
Serendip
Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
How does energy from the sun make plants grow? Scholars move step by step through the processes that promote plant propagation during a detailed lesson. The resource illustrates ADP production and hydrolysis, then allows learners to...
Serendip
Where Does a Plant's Mass Come From?
Where does the mass for a growing tree come from? Scholars consider a few different hypotheses and guess which is correct. They then analyze data from different experiments to understand which concepts science supports.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Ocean Acidification
Human impacts on the environment can sometimes be difficult to measure, especially under water! An activity centered on ocean acidification gives science scholars the opportunity to examine the effects of carbon dioxide on marine life....
CK-12 Foundation
Cellular Respiration: Can Photosynthesis Be Reversed?
Cellular respiration and photosynthesis relate closely, but many don't realize how. Scholars drag and drop the reactants and products to the chemical reactions for both processes. Then they answer three multiple-choice questions.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Climate and Forest Ecosystem Services
Forests, through sequestration, capture excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and store it, aiding in climate change. The third installment in a four-part series on how climate impacts forests explores carbon sequestration. Classes...
Chicago Botanic Garden
The Carbon Cycle
There is 30 percent more carbon in the atmosphere today than there was 150 years ago. The first lesson in the four-part series teaches classes about the carbon cycle. Over two to three days, classes make a model of the cycle, add missing...
Tech Museum of Innovation
Human Body Exhibit
Explore human anatomy and physiology using models. Scholars study systems of the human body and design a display for a museum exhibit. To complete the activity, individuals create analogous models of their chosen human body systems.
Wylie Independent School District
The Carbon Cycle
Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe (in terms of mass), behind hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. Scholars learn about the carbon cycle, from ways carbon is removed from the atmosphere to how it is added in an 18-slide...
NASA
Lunar Plant Growth Chamber
Would astronauts be able to grow their food on the Moon? Teams research plant growth in order to design and build a growth chamber that will function on the lunar surface. They narrow down plant choices based upon their strengths and...