Introduce your young scientists to Charles Darwin, his observations, and how those observations became the basis of the theory of evolution. Use this clip to build an understanding of scientific observation, data collection, and the...

It's not often that you come across a clever laboratory activity that is both imaginative and comprehensive! Using M&M's and Reese's peanut butter candies to represent two different clam species, young biologists test for "relative...

Beginning wildlife biologists become adult bats, baby bats, snakes, owls, bobcats, or land-clearing developers in a grand role-playing activity. In a large open space, they play a game in which they move to designated areas based on what...

When winter comes, animals are faced with two choices: migrate to a warmer climate or hibernate until spring arrives. Explore these interesting animal behaviors with the learning activities in this elementary life science lesson. To...

Begin with an informational text, "Reptiles and Amphibians through the Ages," and then research online about the evolutionary development of a modern frog. Look at drawings of ancestor's skeletons and list the organisms on the geologic...

Learners use tools to represent bird beaks and pick up different types of food with them in order to discover which beak would help the bird survive depending on their food type.

Art inspires art! How does the market drive the world of film adaptations? Studying the economic and social factors of film adaptations helps young readers discover why there are so many adaptations of printed texts. Additionally, they...

How does a new version of a Shakespearean play change in the adaptation process? Use this New York Times' Learning Network lesson to consider texts that have been produced in different media. Middle schoolers examine the latest version...

Take a good look at tree leaves and notice the adaptations for collecting solar energy. Pupils trace the margins of five different leaves onto graph paper and count the number of squares covered. They then relate this infomation to the...

Individuals in your science class research a desert plant or animal from different biotic communities. After researching, they create a collector's card similar to a baseball card. Gather, reproduce, and use the cards to play a game in...

Ever heard of a stygofauna or a stygobite? How about an anchialine cave? Set your young biologists on a quest to find information about organisms that live in and have adapted to life in caves located near the water. Class members then...

Here is an all-encompassing overview of the plant kingdom! In this worksheet, beginning botanists describe characteristics of the four different plant phyla, explain various life cycles, differentiate between monocots and dicots, and...

Play Jeopardy as you review what might possibly be an entire year's high school biology course! The vast variety of questions requires that you read through the slides to make sure that they all relate to your curriculum. You could make...

Learners create imaginary creature that has some of the adaptations birds have.

Identify how adaptations relate to their source texts and vice versa. Middle and high schoolers examine the media for adaptations as well. They create their own adaptations based on books or stories that you are reading in class.

This exam touches upon every topic within the typical first year biology course.. A broad variety of question styles give high schoolers every opportunity to show what they know. Why start from scratch when a comprehensive final exam is...

A link to a comprehensive macroinvertebrate guide gives you the information needed to prepare for this field study activity. Sample macroinvertebrates are collected from areas representing different environmental conditions. Junior...

Who is not drawn to trading cards? In this instructional activity, junior ecologists create a trading card of an animal or plant from one of Arizona's biotic communities. Gorgeous sample cards are provided in the lesson plan as well as a...

A short slide show lists the unique adaptations of primates, introduces early primates, and examines hominid evolution. Consider adding some drawings or graphics to enliven the presentation.

Advanced placement biology aces list systems that have evolved over time, adaptations, and structure-function relationships. The resource requires plenty of writing to answer these questions, so allow a few days for them to complete the...

Biology learners tackle evolution-related concepts when viewing this collection of slides. There are no graphics or photos, just notes in bullet-point style detailing adaptations, evidence for evolution, mechanisms for change, and types...

Unifying themes in animal anatomy and physiology are displayed slide by slide.  The main concepts involve the differentiation in cells and tissues, and details are given about fuel management, metabolism, and some other essential processes.

Certainly you have come across this idea before! Life scientists are given handfuls of tiny objects that represent seeds and tools that represent different styles of bird beaks. They try to collect "seeds" with each "beak" over a 30...

Herre is a lesson plan on divergent and convergent evolution. It has links to terrific video clips, an associate worksheet, and more. The analysis questions have been reviewed separately on Lesson Planet if you would like more...