Curated OER
Guild Hall
Incorporate a research project into your study of Shakespeare and the Renaissance Period. Class members assume the role of an apprentice seeking membership in one of the various guilds that existed during the Renaissance period. After...
Curated OER
Human Cloning: Is it Biological Plagiarism?
Is cloning good or harmful? Help your class understand the risks and benefits as they read, research, and discuss human cloning. Individuals form teams, research information, and present to the class before concluding with an in-depth...
Polar Trec
Science in Antarctica
PolarTREC brings polar researchers and educators together to benefit both science and education. Pupils select one research project in Antarctica to explore and present to their peers. Scholars polish research and presentation skills as...
Curated OER
Human Origins: The Prehistoric Human Race
When it comes to the origin of the human species students are full of misconceptions. Clear up the hominid confusion with this evolutionary activity focused on assisting students in understanding prehistoric man and his family tree....
NOAA
Watch the Screen!
Can a sponge cure cancer? Life science pupils visit the drugstore under the sea in the fifth activity of six. Working groups research the topic then get hands-on experience by testing the inhibiting effects of several plant extracts on...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Gorongosa: Making Observations Activity
Do you have young scientists wanting to make new discoveries rather than just completing the same experiments? Young scientists use their observational skills to identify animals and patterns in animal behavior. Through tracking...
Teach Engineering
The Keepers of the Gate Challenge
Help your class make a connection between salt water and nanoscience. In the introductory lesson of a seven-part unit, the class explores why salt water helps a sore throat feel better. Pupils conduct preliminary research about the...
Kenan Fellows
Let's Learn About Stewardship and River Basins
What does it mean to be a good steward? Middle school environmentalists learn to care for their state's waterways through research, a guest speaker, and poster activity. Groups must locate and learn more about a river basin and the human...
Curated OER
The Human Genotype
Six different chromosome activites introduce biology aces to heredity, chromosomal abnormalities, sex-linked traits, and the human genome. The hands-on activites are fairly simple for the teacher to prepare and will prove to be both...
Channel Islands Film
Human Impact on the Food Web of Santa Cruz Island
What happens when a non-native species is introduced onto an island? Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Island chain located off the coast of southern California, provides the perfect laboratory for young environmental scientists to...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 4
Foster's Rule? Allopatric speciation? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation, class members use Venn diagrams to compare endemic species on the Channel Islands with mainland related species. They then create a...
NOAA
Off Base
How does carbon dioxide affect the world's oceans? The final installment in a series of six lessons has pupils research ocean acidification, then conduct an experiment to witness the delicate balance that exists in our seas. Materials...
Tech Museum of Innovation
Analogous Models
What goes into a museum display? A secondary-level STEM project prompts groups to design a museum display for the Tech Museum of Innovation. They create an analogous, interactive model illustrating a science concept to complete the lesson.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Genetics and the Master Race
How did the beginnings of genetic research influence the Nazi party? A thorough, engaging unit incorporates the work of Gregor Mendel, the study of inherited traits, and the use of racism and discrimination during the Holocaust.
ARKive
Adaptations for Movement
What animals are best suited for moving around a rainforest, or a desert? Design your own animal species based on a particular habitat, focusing on the characteristics it will need for optimal movement. Great as a group lesson or...
Radford University
A Little Devil In Need of Help
Math modeling to help endangered species? Scholars first investigate linear and exponential equations and graphs that model fictitious animal populations. They consider how key features of the graphs relate to the situation. As a final...
Columbus City Schools
Get Your Organisms Organized
From large to small, show your class how to organize them all! Included within the guide is everything you need to take their knowledge of classification from the cellular to the species level. The worksheets focus on building vocabulary...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Peas in a Pod: Genetics
Can peas have grandparents? Learn about inherited traits and heredity with a set of activities focused on Mendelian genetics. As your class learns about the process of passing traits along in Punnett squares, they take on the role of...
Curated OER
Animal Behavior
Can you train a worm? Biology buffs will have a blast trying! Using planaria or earthworms, they introduce a certain stimulus repeatedly until the desired response happens more quickly. They also explore the response of their own eyes to...
Curated OER
The Legendary Raptors
How are raptors and airplanes alike? Combine science and language arts in this fun and interactive project. Young scientists research the animal in order to design their own aircraft, and compete in a contest for farthest, fastest, and...
Curated OER
The Watson-Crick Model of DNA Structure
Junior geneticists construct models of DNA to discover sequencing and pairing of nucleotides. They use the models to simulate protein synthesis and then translate the codes into physical traits. Finally, they use the traits to create a...
National Wildlife Federation
Citizen Science to the Rescue!
You don't have to be a scientist or even out of high school to contribute to scientific research. In the 12th lesson in the series of 21, scholars use this opportunity to add to the growing body of scientific knowledge and consider the...
Curated OER
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Hot Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition, But Were Afraid To Ask
To wrap up your year of general chemistry, have lab groups compete in a tot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) competition. With their foundation in chemical nomenclature, stoichiometry, and gas laws, each group completes several...
Curated OER
Edible GMOs?
The debate over genetically modified organisms is on! Young biologists imagine that they have been asked to choose which corn chips will be sold for a fundraiser, one made with GMOs or one without. This four-day lesson plan requires...