Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, check out wing shapes for common ancestry! Beginning biologists compare wings as analogous structures and discover that environment influences evolution of adaptations. A third activity relies on...

High school learners read and discuss an article about genetic ancestry and genetic ancestry testing. They complete a paper and pencil activity that mimics the function of a DNA microarray and consider the ethics of genetic testing in...

When it comes to the origin of the human species students are full of misconceptions. Clear up the hominid confusion with this evolutionary activity focused on assisting students in understanding prehistoric man and his family tree....

Laboratory activities encourage evolutionary biology scholars to consider homologous structures as evidence of common ancestry. They learn how to formulate phylogenic trees and that environment influences to genetic variation. Activities...

Examine the evolution of various species of hominids from their earliest existence approximately 4.5 million years ago to today. In small groups, learners research one of the ten stages of hominid evolution and then create a poster and...

What better way to celebrate eclipses than across cultures? Explore myths of solar and lunar eclipses from ancient cultures like the Chinese, Ancient Greek, Mesoamerican, Incan, Egyptian, Ancient Babylonian, and Middle Eastern. Learners...

Does where we live influence how our bodies express genetic traits? Explore variation in human skin color with an activity that incorporate video and hands-on learning. Individuals model the relationship between phenotypes and genotypes,...

Did humans and dinosaurs coexist? How do we know? Scholars dig in to the tools and methods researchers used to study the process of human evolution by watching a slideshow with embedded video clips. Pupils learn the importance of asking...

Students explore prehistoric times by completing web activities in class. In this human ancestry instructional activity, students identify the archaeological discovery of the "Lucy" skeleton and what it meant for science. Students...

Ardipithecus ramidus shares features with both humans and chimpanzees. Learn about where Ardi, humans, and chimps fit in the tree of life by comparing anatomical features including the foot, pelvis, and teeth. After exploring those...

Students research about human migration during a specific time period. In this physical science lesson, students watch a video about human evolution. They prepare a presentation on human migration and share it with the class.

Don't want to sound corny, but your class will be a-maize-d by an engaging activity! Explore the history of the modern corn plant through a video and Punnett squares. Junior genetics experts get hands-on experience with actual research...

Learn about the human's ancestors through the (carbon) Dating Game. Use the script to have your high schoolers act out one round of the game. Once they have the idea, they will research another human ancestor and play a second round the...

Students explain how dogs evolved from wolves based on the video. In this biology lesson, students research about breeding animals for specific traits. They interview dog owners and create a presentation about the dog.

Students research dog species and breeds. In this dog lesson, students discuss breed of dogs, their personal experiences, and complete a Venn Diagram comparing breeds. Students use the research to analyze television shows or movies which...

Foster's Rule? Allopatric speciation? After watching West of the West's documentary Island Rotation, class members use Venn diagrams to compare endemic species on the Channel Islands with mainland related species. They then create a...

Are spiders related to crabs? Study the order of arthropods with a reading selection about animal diversity. It provides details about each class within the order, as well as vivid pictures and explanatory charts. 

Scholars explore the procedure for bacteria sampling in a virtual lab by first walking through a detailed step-by-step procedure of preparing the samples of raw milk and pasteurized milk, growing the bacteria, and comparing results....

Food storage matters! Scholars learn how the amount of water in corn can affect its rate of spoilage. They create a control group, then test three corn samples stored in three different locations for water activity. As a result of the...

Pupils learn how to control food spoilage by adjusting the food's pH. They see that one of the most dangerous bacteria can grow in food if people don't handle and store food properly. Using knowledge of the bacteria's preferred pH,...

Which characteristics make organisms unique? Dichotomous keys simplify the process of classifying organisms by focusing on these unique characteristics. Young scholars learn how to use the dichotomous key flow chart by creating their own...

Follow the life of an apple from harvest to the consumer. A three-part lesson describes the different steps to get an apple from the farmer to your kitchen and the approximate waste that happens at each step. They discuss the process and...

What can this rock be? Pupils pretend to be paleontologists by sketching fossils and making predictions about their types. To determine whether they can identify the type of dinosaur, class members compare their observations and...

Students study biomes and ecosystems. They watch videos on rainforests and the food web and select a country of ancestry or interest to research. They write a report on the flora and fauna of their selected country. They present to...