Josephson Institute
Trustworthiness
Build trust—literally—with a lesson that sparks reflection, grand conversation, and creativity. Scholars construct a trust tower out of blocks showcasing a picture that represents a good deed they have done to gain trust from their...
Curated OER
A Bug's Life: Diary of an Insect's Metamorphosis
Fifth graders examine the stages of insect's to understand heredity. In this inherited traits instructional activity, 5th graders explore the life of the honeybee for its inherited traits. Students recognize the difference between...
Curated OER
Paint's Family Tree
Students sort and classify the genetic traits of horses. In this heredity and genetics instructional activity, students read dialogue in a skit in which specific physical traits of several horses are described and a horse family tree is...
Curated OER
Happy Face Spider Propagation
Students research genetic adaptations. In this chromosome instructional activity, students investigate dominant and recessive genes using spiders indigenous to Hawaii. Students create Punnett squares to determine the probability of...
Curated OER
Karen Hesse's Witness; Tolerance and Non-Discrimination
Students complete a graphic organizer depicting character views regarding African Americans during the early 20th century in America. In this graphic organizer of views lesson, students read the book Witness and become familiarized with...
Curated OER
The Great Jellybean Hunt
Learners explore natural selection and its influence on the populations to fine tune traits and characteristics. The acquisition of traits developed out of need is examined through a game played in class.
Curated OER
Personality Traits for Entrepreneurs
In this business/career worksheet, students select the best multiple choice answer to 14 questions. There are no incorrect answers to this self-assessment worksheet.
Curated OER
What is Good Writing?
Students assess samples of writing for each trait and discuss rationale for scoring. They comprehend that the traits of writing offer a common language for revision. Students are shown how to asses their writing and what makes good...
Curated OER
Fossil History
Students examine the similarities and differences between living organisms and fossils. In this fossil instructional activity students reenact the process of creating a fossil.
Curated OER
Is Perception Reality? Writing Paradoxes in Poetry
Explore the paradox of the universe - or, at least, of popular music - with this lesson. Using the songs "Inaudible Melodies" by Jack Johnson and "She" by Green Day, your class will complete a graphic organizer to help them understand...
Serendip
UV, Mutations, and DNA Repair
How effective are cells at repairing UV damage? An inquiry-based lesson has learners experiment with organism by exposing them to various levels of UV light and then examining their DNA after a period of time. Pupils test different...
Curated OER
Skull Science
What can your class learn from a skull? With proper facilitation, they can learn about diet, physical adaptations, special differences, and even the environment. Pupils will examine a series of mammal skulls and pelts to help them...
Laura Candler
Bio Poems Made Easy
A creative way bring autobiographical writing to your poetry unit or back-to-school curriculum, this lesson plan guides you through a bio poem activity. Kids use the graphic organizer to describe themselves using adjectives, things they...
Curated OER
Comparing Apples and Onions
Fifth graders observe heredity. For this Science lesson, 5th graders are introduced to the concept of traits being passed from parents to offspring. Students investigate the concepts through apples and onions.
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Raptors: Senses and Influences
Students compare the traits of humans to raptors. In this senses and beneficial traits instructional activity students create a newsletter and compare raptors to aircraft.
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Bird Buffet
Fifth graders study traits of different bird beaks. In this bird lesson, 5th graders explore the function and usefulness of different inherited traits of birds.
Curated OER
Alien Behaviors
Second graders identify human characteristics and classify them as inherited traits or learned traits.
Curated OER
Heredity And Environment
Students complete a pre-test on the relationship between heredity and the environment. As a class, they write down descriptions of themselves and identify which traits can be changed and not changed. In groups, they determine which genes...
Curated OER
Writing Through Art
Examine the works of visual and performing artists with upper graders. Using the works, they identify the comparisons among the techniques used. They will also review the six traits of effective writing and keep a writing journal...
Curated OER
Understanding Character
Readers practice character analysis by reviewing Gary Soto's short story "La Bamba" with the whole class (anything you've read together will work). They design t-shirts that feature traits and story elements to reveal the nature of a...
Curated OER
Dinosaurs 1: Where Are the Dinosaurs?
Students explore dinosaurs. In this dinosaur identification activity, students watch video clips for different dinosaurs from the Discovery Kids website. Students discuss the clips with their teacher. Students may then role play the...
American Museum of Natural History
What Do You Know About Genetics?
Just what do you know about genetics? The online resource contains 10 questions about genetics. Scholars work through the questions ranging from what DNA stands for to how much of human DNA is similar to that of a fruit fly. Scholars...
Columbus City Schools
Asexual and Sexual Reproduction
Can you name a type of reproduction that produces no variation in the offspring? The multimedia lesson covers both sexual and asexual reproduction through videos and discussions. It includes topics such as genetic modification, meiosis,...
Curated OER
Creeping and Crawling Observing Mealworms and Earthworms
Students observe the inherited traits in earthworms and mealworms. In this organisms instructional activity, students view a live mealworm and earthworm on a tray and identify the body parts. Students measure the worms and observe the...