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Tread Lightly: Low Carbon Lunch
Students create a flowchart of the carbon footprint of food from production to disposal. In this biology lesson plan, students brainstorm ways to reduce greenhouse gases by smart food choices. They create a blog promoting ways to eat low...
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It's All in the Rocks
Young scholars think critically to determine fact or inference when examining sedimentary layers with embedded fossils. They are being introduced to geology as well as evolutionary biology.
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DNA Extraction Lab
Students extract DNA and test for its presence from unroasted (raw) wheat germ using a prescribed procedure. They modify the procedure to provide a less expensive, easier method. They also extract DNA from different available plant,...
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Invertebrate Diversity
Students observe different animals with bilateral symmetry. In this biology lesson plan, students compare how these animals move. They discuss the evolutionary history of observed animals.
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Biodiversity in an Estuary
High schoolers investigate the biodiversity in estuaries. In this estuary lesson plan, students use Google Earth to explore the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. They produce a biodiversity concept map and portray the life...
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Wigglers, Tumblers, & Bloodsuckers
Students explore the life stages of a mosquito. For this animal biology lesson, students read Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema and complete several activities including an experiment with mosquito larvae, an activity...
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The Amazing Octopus
Students design imaginary animals that are able to blend into their backgrounds. In this biology lesson plan, students will learn the importance of camouflage in protecting animals from predators. Students will select a peer to act as...
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I Wish I Were a Butterfly
Students inquire about biology by reading a children's book in class. In this insect lesson, students read the story "I Wish I Were a Butterfly" and identify the unique characteristics of butterflies and other insects. Students complete...
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A Guinea Pig Makes An Excellent Classroom Pet
Third graders live alongside guinea pigs. In this biology lesson plan, 3rd graders gain direct knowledge of the guinea pig's behavior and determine if it will make a good classroom pet.
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Organisms and Their Environment
Students observe elements of a local ecosystem and gain an understanding of what elements make up an ecosystem. In this ecosystem lesson students create a class food web that shows the interactions among the elements of the ecosystem.
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Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
Exactly how environmentally friendly is your school? From the air fresheners in the bathrooms to the cleaning solvents used in the classrooms, young conservationists search the school grounds for sources of air pollution in...
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Investigation of Meiosis in Common Plants and Animals
Students witness various stages of mitosis through preparing onion root tip slides. With teacher guidance, they learn a great deal through the hands-on process of preparing the slides themselves.
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Optimal Foraging
Learners participate in a foraging activity that demonstrates environmental conditions playing an important role in determining the optimal foraging behavior of a particular organism.
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Charlotte and Her Relatives Visit the Classroom: Spider Activities, Experiments and Projects
Students compare and contrast different spider species that they capture and maintain in the classroom for several days. They identify and research the species characteristics and living requirements then conduct an experiment on spider...
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Comparative Embryological Study of
Students complete two labs. They observe the fertilization and development of sea urchin and zebrafish embryos. They examine the similarities and differences in the development of an invertebrate vs. a vertebrate animal.
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STS Biology - Teaching Controversial Topics
Each of the three activities submitted presents difficult science topics in the context of the human experience. The activities focus on real-world problems, which have science components, from the students' perspectives.
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An Interdisciplinary Deer and Human Population Study
Students answer the question, "What environmental problems arise due to animal and human overpopulation and what might need to be done to combat these problems?" They play games, graph data and write proposals about the question.
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Identification of Animals by Serum Electrophoresis
Students compare their unknown serum against a set of known serum standards and determine the animal source of their serum. They write a lab report to communicate their results.
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Understanding Science Vocabulary And Categorization
Students explore and examine scientific language and categorization as related to commonly known plants and animals. They hypothesize about a specific plant or animal, how it was scientifically named, what concepts and vocabulary is...
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Leaf Classification
Seventh graders work together to develop a leaf classification system. In groups, they are given a set of leaves and sort them based on their characteristics. They share their new classification system with the class and answer any...
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Structure and Function of Seeds
Students study the functions of seeds. In this biology lesson plan, students observe the structure of a seed as they show the function of the cotyledons in providing nourishment to the plant during the early times after germination.
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Bug's Eye View
Learners explore biology by writing fictitious stories in class. In this insect life lesson, students identify many different types of insects in the animal kingdom and the classifications they fall into. Learners collect insects on a...
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Half Life Lab
Seventh graders model radioactive decay using pennies, collect data from their model, apply scientific visualization techniques to their data and create animated models explaining the concept of radioactive half-life.
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Learning the Dissecting Planes
Middle schoolers explore dissecting planes. In this biology lesson plan, students learn the basic vocabulary used in dissection, learn how to orient themselves on a three dimensional figure, and develop the manual dexterity necessary to...