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...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Human Feet Are Strange
Feet are neat! So, if you've already walked the path of examining animal footprints with your class, put them in the shoes of early humans! A well-designed activity incorporates video, discussion, and hands-on learning to demonstrate how...
PBS
NOVA Evolution Lab Lesson Plan
It doesn't matter if you look on land, in the air, underground, or in water—evolution is everywhere. Scholars complete worksheets with multiple question types as they progress through six online missions creating phylogenic trees.
PBS
NOVA Evolution Lab Game
Many scholars study phylogenetic trees without understanding how they are made. Through an online game, young scientists use the given data to create phylogenetic trees of increasing complexity. They rely on the trees they create to...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
CSI Wildlife
Can DNA fingerprinting prevent the extinction of elephants? Young scientists learn about DNA fingerprinting before applying their knowledge to case studies of elephant poaching. The first case requires them to match the DNA from a tusk...
K-State Research and Extensions
You Ol’ Fossil
Geologists are gneiss, tuff, and a little bit wacke. The fifth chapter of seven includes ten activities at four different levels. The hands-on activities cover fossils including how they are formed, vertebrates, invertebrates,...
K-State Research and Extensions
Peanut Butter Geology
Why are there old dinosaur bones in the museum? Because they can't afford new ones! The chapter contains seven hands-on activities at four different levels covering geological eras, dinosaurs, timelines, and statigraphy.
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning
Forensic Sciences: A Crime Scene Investigation Unit
Mr. Bergman has been murdered and we need you to solve the crime! The cross-curricular unit covers 11 different types of forensic science and includes 17 activities. Scholars perform blood type analysis, blood spatter analysis, height...
Curated OER
The Science of Microbes
Looking for an interesting text to share the world of microbes with your middle school classroom? The edition contains explanations, worksheets, experiments, discussions, and links to outside sources for a true and complete microbiology...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Using DNA to Explore Lizard Phylogeny
In a fun and interactive two-day lesson, learners sort anole lizard pictures by appearance. Next, they watch a video about the anoles and re-sort based on the information in the video. In addition to physical characteristics, budding...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Making of the Fittest: Got Lactase? The Co-evolution of Genes and Culture
Got milk? Only two cultures have had it long enough to develop the tolerance of lactose as an adult. Learn how the responsible genes evolved along with the cultures that have been consuming milk. This rich film is supplied with a few...
Field Museum
The Case of Darwin's Finches
One of the most striking pieces of evidence for Darwin's Evolution of Species was his observations of finches and how their beaks differed from island to island, depending on their primary food sources. So what would happen to the theory...
California Academy of Science
Human Evolution
As the great and hilarious Tim Minchin once said, "Science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organizing our curiosity." Science is more than just a guess; it is based on questions, observations, and evidence. High...
K20 LEARN
It's Alive! Or, Is It?
Seems like a fairly simple question—until you begin asking your class! Get pupils acquainted with the characteristics of life through pairs classification, discussion, and scientific reading. The lesson plan, part of the K20 series, also...
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Development of Disease and Infection
It's all in the cards. Using cards to simulate a disease's attack on the immune system, pupils develop an understanding of how the immune system and pathogens react to each other and why at times the pathogen wins. Groups play a game to...
American Museum of Natural History
DNA Detective
Match up the DNA code. Pupils read the website from the American Museum of Natural History about how DNA can determine whether a skin is from a particular type of reptile. Using the same technique, learners match up products with the...
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...
Utah Education Network (UEN)
Utah Open Textbook: Biology
Curriculum resources can be expensive—but not this one. An online textbook offers informational text for a complete high school Biology course. Topics include energy flow, body system, genetics, and evolution.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Discovering the Wallace Line
When studying locations of specific species, interesting patterns emerge. Young scholars discover this as they plot the location of specific species on a group of islands. Patterns emerge as they identify the Wallace Line. They then...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Fact Patterns: A Film Guide
What does it take to create a scientific theory? Learners attempt to answer the question by studying the work of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. While watching a video, they track observations from each scientist and then look...
School Science
The Big Bang Time Machine
Scholars take off on an interactive spaceship to explore a historical timeline of the big bang theory. They learn about the evolution of mammals and humans, the formation of stars and planets, and the chemical composition of the early...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Milk—How Sweet Is It?
Have you ever wondered why some people are lactose intolerant? Participants test simulated patients in a hands-on lab activity to find out! They learn about lactose intolerance by performing an experiment, analyzing data, and drawing...
Serendip
How Eyes Evolved – Analyzing the Evidence
Octopodes existed for hundreds of thousands of years before humans, yet our eyes share many similarities. Scholars analyze the evidence to determine if the evolution of eyes best fits a homology or analogy model. They discuss the issue...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Using DNA to Explore Lizard Phylogeny
On the Caribbean islands, lizards expanded into different niches instead of competing for resources. Scholars discuss and learn from experts in a video how scientists prove the theory. They build phylogenetic trees based on appearances...