Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marine Biology Field Trips

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students visit a Marine Biology study area 2-3 times and write a report after the last visit. They participate in the Marine Biology field trips working with lab partners. They complete data sheets to write their primitive environmental...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animated Video Productions - Life Cycles

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders compare/contrast the life cycles of free-living organisms to that of parasites. They conduct Internet research, illustrate the stages of a specific organisms's life cycle, and direct and produce a mini-video production.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lab Safety

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students investigate the concept of lab safety using a variety of different activities. The equipment necessary is covered. They draw the different types of lab tools using a graphic organizer.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tree of Life

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students study genetics and evolution. They evaluate a group of organisms and estimate their genetic relatedness. Then they use an online program to check the accuracy of their estimations and make a branching phylogenetic tree which...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Inquiry in Science Using an Animal Behavior Model

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students observe a planaria without a microscope and with a stereoscopic microscope. They draw the planaria and describe its motion and eating habits. Students research planarias various body systems and behavior. They design an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Froggy Page

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students investigate the cycle of life by observing tadpoles.  In this biology instructional activity, students utilize the Internet to read stories, observe pictures, and listen to sounds of frogs.  Students create a poster...
Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

How Do Chemists Measure?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young chemists create gold nanoparticles as they learn to measure accurately with the metric system. They create an advertisement for the application of nanotechnology to complete the first lesson in a series of six.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Flesh Eating Bugs, Moldy Corpses, The Trail of a Killer

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners read about how forensic entomologists use maggots to solve murders. In this forensic science lesson, students read an article and answer questions. They go to different websites about evidence and fingerprinting. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sea Ice Research

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students study sea ice and its importance in climate and climate change. They discuss sea ice as a presence of a food source for marine animals in the arctic and complete a lab activity. After completing the lab, they watch a video...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Applied Evolution: How Will We Get There from Here?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reading the Dna Code: Making Protein

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students study DNA decoding and protein synthesis. They use the amino acid table to translate DNA, break DNA strands into three nucleotide codes, and translate nucleotides into amino acid protein codes. They research the importance of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientists Write!

For Teachers K - 12th
Students use a journal to record observations. They make notes about what research may be needed to answer questions that have come up in the field and sketch or make connections in the curriculum. They research bioinformatics and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Catalase: A Bioinformatics Case Study

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the physical structure of a protein by using a computer simulation tool. They record its primary amino acid structure while viewing it in three dimensions for a better visual recognition. There is also a comparison...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who is the Sea Otter Related to?

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students examine the genetic relationships of different organisms. In groups, they discover the importance of genes and how different amino acids show various evolutionary relationships. They use an online database to continue their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bacteria: Friend or Foe?

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine a variety of environmental and industrial roles of bacteria. explore where bacteria can be found and distinguish bacteria from other organisms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction to Sensors

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students research the International System (SI) of units of measurements. They make measurements using the metric system. They study key concepts used in building and use of sensors, how sensors work and their role in measuring...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecological Succession in Pond Water Cultures

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students collect samples of pond water, dried grass, and soil in a jar. They predict the order of ecological succession in their pond water cultures. They compare their expected results with their observed results.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Disease & Epidemics: Architects of History

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore disease and its relationship to history and literature. They investigate issues that range from early biological warfare and historical disease treatments, to observing today's race for the cure against current emerging...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spineless - YES... Helpless - NO!

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students distinguish between invertebrate and vertebrate organisms while examining the zoological classes of a number of invertebrates. They illustrate a food web of these organisms and investigate the impact of humans on the oceanic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do We Generate a Large Amount of a Specific DNA Sample?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the Polymerase Chain Reaction technique that is used to create larger amounts of a gene. They watch and discuss a PowerPoint presentation, explore a website, and write a report listing the materials needed to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Cantankerous Pathogen

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore what factors influence the spread of infectious diseases. They explain how human manipulation of the environment affects the transmission of diseases.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carbon Dioxide Heats It Up

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students design an investigation to test whether vegetation in an area helps regulate the ambient air temperature. They make comparisons between the investigation and global changes in climate. In groups, they present their findings to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oh, Say Can You See

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners explore different parts of the eye and functions of each part through a video and a dissection of a cow's eye. They discover different causes of blindness.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Wood if I Could

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders investigate the process of how specific products are made from trees. For this chemistry lesson, groups of students must choose among ice cream, bubble gum, paper, toothpaste and lipstick. They research, design and...