Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Desert Dynamics

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the plants and animals found in Utah deserts and how these organisms have adapted to their environment. They brainstorm ways that desert plants are different from or similar to wetland plants.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning Activities: What Color Am I?

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners identify various species of anurans by their skin coloration. They describe how coloration contributes to survival.
Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Marine Invertebrates

For Students 9th - 10th
Students learn about invertebrates found in the ocean, their individual methods of adaptations, identifying characteristics, and contributions to the marine ecosystem.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Tetrapod Limbs

For Students 9th - 10th
This illustration from Evolution by Monroe W. Strickberger shows the remarkable similarities between the bones in the forelimbs of various tetrapods, all of whose limbs serve very different functions.
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Unhinged!

For Students 3rd - 8th
This video segment explores the integral relationship between structure and function in snakes.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: The Opposable Thumb as a Human Adaptation: Thumb Taping Lab

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Young scholars conduct a short experiment to determine the importance of the opposable thumb by taping their thumb to render it useless while they proceed to do an everyday activity. In the end students will have the opportunity to...
Handout
Estrella Mountain Community College

Estrella Mountian College: Introduction to Genetics

For Students 9th - 10th
This site explains genetic beliefs before and after Mendel, and also includes a section on Mendel himself and his experiments, entitled, "The Monk and his Peas".
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Learning Lab: The Greatest Show on Earth (Starring Some of the World's Smallest Animals)

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Teachers can download this teaching package that discusses insects and insect adaptations. Students will enjoy the hands-on activities described in the lessons. Teachers will appreciate the student handouts provided, as well as the list...
Handout
Encyclopedia of Earth

Encyclopedia of Earth: Evolutionary Biology: Adaptations of Marsh Plants

For Students 9th - 10th
Article describing the types of stressors faced by plants living in wetlands areas and adaptations they have made in order to survive. (Published: January 12, 2009)
Handout
Other

Missouri Botanical Garden: Education: Exploring the Tropics

For Students 9th - 10th
Extensive information about tropical forests, including the plants, animals, and people found there. Also covers adaptations, biodiversity, economic benefits of tropical rain forests, and threats to their survival.
Handout
Other

Blackwell Publishing: Evolution: Adaptive Explanation

For Students 9th - 10th
These pages are part of a site called Evolution that accompany a textbook by the same name. Mark Ridley is the author. There is a large amount of information available about adaptations and their role in evolution.
Website
Other

Jean Piaget Society

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learn more about Jean Piaget from this website. The site is dedicated to the study of human knowledge and development.
Handout
University of Hamburg

University of Hamburg: Deviations From Mendelian Laws And: What Is the Meaning of Dominance?

For Students 9th - 10th
Upper level discussion of several of Mendel's experiments and laws.
Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Adapting Under Pressure

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students learn about James Cameron's Challenger Deep dive and about the marine animals that live in different layers of the ocean. They then study the characteristics of the hadalpelagic zone at the bottom of the ocean, and imagine and...
Article
DOGO Media

Dogo News: Wood Frogs Survive Winter by Freezing Their Bodies

For Students 5th - 8th
Learn about a species of wood frog that is able to survive cold temperatures by partially freezing its body. Includes video.
Article
DOGO Media

Dogo News: Butterfly Wings: More Than Meets the Eye

For Students 3rd - 8th
Learn about the camouflage that butterflies use both in their chrysalis and adult stages to avoid being eaten by predators.
Unit Plan
CPALMS

Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Florida Fossils: Evidence of Evolution

For Students 6th - 8th
See how fossils have shown evidence of evolution throughout the history of the Earth.
Article
DOGO Media

Dogo News: Butterfly Disguises Pupa to Resemble Venomous Snake

For Students 3rd - 8th
Read about an unusual adaptation of a butterfly. Includes video.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Arctic Animal Robot

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create four-legged walking robots and measure how far they travel across different types of surfaces. They design and create "shoes" to add to the robots' feet and observe the effect of their modifications on the net distance...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Mice Rule! (Or Not)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore the relationships between genetics, biodiversity, and evolution through a simple activity involving hypothetical wild mouse populations. First, students toss coins to determine what traits a set of mouse parents...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Can You Taste It?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Few people are aware of how crucial the sense of smell is to identifying foods, or the adaptive value of being able to identify a food as being familiar and therefore safe to eat. In this lesson and activity, students conduct an...
Graphic
OneWorld UK

One World: Stop Life in Danger

For Students 3rd - 5th
Elementary students will appreciate the cartoon style fact clips as the evolution of life on earth is laid out. Diversity, survival of the fittest, and ideas to help the environment are all included. An entertaining site for younger...
Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: Science Vocabulary Game

For Teachers 4th Standards
Fourth graders will play a review memory game with Utah's Grade 4 Science Standard V vocabulary words during this lesson. Words associated with living things and classifications of living things are included in this lesson.
Activity
Biology Corner

Biology Corner: Peppered Moths Simulation

For Students 6th - 8th
This simulation allows students to take on the role of a bird and eat different types of peppered moths. Students analyze which types of peppered moths do better in various environments.