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...
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Jump, Glide, or Fly? Exploring Bird Evolution
How have birds evolved from prehistoric animals? With the three-part lesson, small groups first research different prehistoric animals and determine whether they are birds. Then, scholars explore different bird adaptations using the Flap...
Curated OER
Exploring Arthurian Legend
Students investigate the evolution of the King Arthur stories and analyze them as a window into the culture that preserved them. They trace the legends through their earliest versions through medieval and Victorian times and into the...
Curated OER
Why Does Evolution Matter Now?
Young scholars are shown why they should care about evolution. They become specialists in one sphere influenced by evolution and then share their findings with their group. Students are lead into a class discussion, so that each...
Curated OER
How Does Evolution Work?
Students investigate how natural selection influences evolution. They complete a hands-on lab simulation of natural selection, and replicate a real experiment and examine the interplay between selection factors in a population of guppies.
Curated OER
Exploring Learned and Innate Behavior
Young scholars explore the differences between learned and innate behavior among humans and monkeys. They complete an assignment and read articles about two studies, which used similar test methods to show that infants and monkeys share...
Curated OER
The Emergence and Evolution of the Cuneiform Writing System in Ancient Mesopotamia
Students explore the parallel development and increasing complexity of writing and the growth of civilization in the Tigris and Euphrates valleys in ancient Mesopotamia.
Curated OER
Applied Evolution: How Will We Get There from Here?
Students explore the basic process of natural selection and how people can manipulate that process today. The consequences of natural selection on daily life and the implications of evolutionary biology in basic and applied science is...
Curated OER
Evolution of Life
Students explore the evolution of life. They read sections of their text and make a foldable of the key vocabulary terms. They identify two types of butterflies and represent their similarities and differences on a Venn diagram. They...
Curated OER
Use of the Forest in the Economic Evolution of Oakville, Pennsylvania
Students explore forest usage and the ways which it affected the development of Oakville. They identify the technological advances that shaped forest based industries, and the current challenges facing the community of Oakville.
Curated OER
Demonstrating an Understanding the Evolution of Democracy in the United States
Students explore how democracy in the United States changed and evolved from its birth to the present. They participate in a mock testing environment. Students write a multi-tasked essay on American government and politics.
Curated OER
Reading and Thinking About Evolution
Learners explore evolution. They read magazine articles related to evolution. Students describe arguments for/against evolution that the author used. Learners discuss their findings.
Curated OER
Using Cytochrome-C to Explore Evolutionary Relationships
Learners analyze protein sequences. In this instructional activity on determining evolutionary relationships, students use the Internet tools BLAST and Biology Workbench to look at protein sequences. Learners will compose an essay that...
Curated OER
What a Cosmic Web We Weave
Learners explore, using journals and discussion in small groups, how the universe has evolved since the theoretical Big Bang and create dramatizations of various eras in cosmic evolution.
Curated OER
They're more evolved that way
Students explore the notion of local evolution, or genetic selectivity among different continent-based human populations. They consider specific examples of local evolution, such as lactose tolerance, skin color, and cognitive capacity,...
Curated OER
Gene Switches- A Model
Learners explore genetic variation within a population. In this genetic adaptation instructional activity, students investigate the reasons contributing to genetic adaptation. Learners collaborate and analyze DNA models. Multiple...
Curated OER
Evolutionary Arms Race
Students recognize that a connection exists between an organism's physical and behavioral traits and its environment. They explore and define different types of interactions that can occur between organisms.
Curated OER
All in the Family: Calculating Cousins
Students view pictures of distant "cousins" to humans. They place them in order by their distance from humans. Students receive a packet of six pages featuring graphics and a cousins summary page. They work in groups to complete 5 cousin...
Curated OER
Evolutions of Pottery
Learners study the history and importance of clay and pottery. They observe a video dealing the kiln. Students explore ideas for improving construction of pottery. They demonstrate a variety of construction methods and identify the...
Curated OER
Inherit the Wind
Students explore the theory of evolution and read the play Inherit The Wind and a series of articles and essays about the famous Scopes trial that centered around the right to teach evolution. They incorporate technology as they research...
Curated OER
The Origins of Man
Pupils learn about new technologies being used to update what is known about human evolution and migration. They then compare the new theories to the traditional knowledge.
Curated OER
Exploring the Life of a Slave
Eleventh graders explore importance of abolitionists who worked to advance freedoms of black Americans prior to/during Reconstruction era, read and identify key concepts in Frederick Douglass's narrative, recognize how Douglass's slave...
Curated OER
From Kakawa to Chocolate: The Evolution of Chocolate Throughout History
Students explore the history of chocolate and its consumption. In this chocolate history lesson, students discover how industrialization changed the way humans consume chocolate. Students use the provided worksheet to note details they...
Curated OER
Evolution of Biotechnology Timeline
Students explore how present biotechnology has evolved. They create a timeline is included referencing major scientists and major events in history which have led to our current understanding and use. A teacher time line is included.