Lesson Plan
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Discovering New Species

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners identify animals observed by Lewis and Clark while evaluating the animal's habitat and describing the animal's behavior. Students construct a food web mobile to illustrate the animal's position in the food web in the 19th...
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Biome Trip

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders comprehed how individual organism adapt and relate to an environment. They investigate where biomes are located and what specific biomes are like. Pupils give examples of biomes (land and water), and how temperature and...
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Viewing Viruses

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view the characteristics of viruses following the 5-E learning model. By participating in discrepant events Students observe the impact of viruses over humans. By participating in discussion students examine the characteristics...
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Build-A-Bird

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars create an imaginary bird. In this anatomy lesson, students analyze how artists represent birds historically, then determine the anatomical aspects that suit a bird to its habitat. Using this information, young scholars...
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Countdown Calendar

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students create a calendar of endangered species. In this preservation lesson, students research endangered species of plants and animals around the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Students gather facts about the endangered species and create...
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Stream Quality Assessment

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students investigate many of the factors that affect water quality. They take measurements and water samples at a local stream and evaluate the health of their community's watershed. They write a report detailing their findings.
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Lotto or Life: What Are the Chances?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Though the website does not seem to have the mentioned video, a reding and lottery style games simulate the chances of finding intelligent life somewhere other than Earth. Without the video, this lesson is short, but it can be a useful...
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All Ears for Adaptation

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Young scholars discuss different characteristics that enable animals to adapt to their environments. They work in pairs with one partner standing about one foot behind the other partner and cup their hands around their ears with palms...
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What is Life? Demonstrations & Discussion

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Display seven items for your biologists to consider. Are they living or non-living? How can you tell? This is a simple outline of what you can display and questions that can be discussed as this topic is explored. One way to use this...
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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...
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Evolutionary Relationships Based Upon Comparative Genetics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the protein cytochrome c in an attempt to use its genetic chemistry to study possible evolutionary relationships between organisms. The lesson integrates technology with the use computers to perform DNA analysis.
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Student Investigation on the Immune System and Hemeagglutination

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students perform an experiment to demonstrate the principles of antibody-antigen binding, the secondary immune response, cross reactivity, and complement fixation. The materials to be used include antibodies from a rabbit that was...
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Asexual versus Sexual Reproduction

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore reproduction. They research organisms and groups of organisms to determine whether they reproduce sexually or asexually. In addition, they determine the organism's habitat.
Lesson Plan
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A STEP IN SPECIATION

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students place different subspecies of a CA salamander are placed on grid map of CA according to where samples were collected. Then discuss patterns of their distribution, their likely evolutionary relationships, and probable sequence of...
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Australian Mammals: Evolutionary Development as a Result of Geographic Isolation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students comprehend the difference between monotremes, marsupials, and placental mammals. They are able to compare and contrast these organisms (Australian mammals) with other mammals. Students are able to identify Australian mammals.
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Constructing a Phylogenetic Tree Using DNA Sequence Data

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students analyze DNA sequence differences between organisms in order to establish a reasonable picture of the evolutionary relationships between them. They take the role of molecular biologists and make genetic changes and constructing...
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Not Just a Bag of Beans

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students determine the types of natural selection and variation that exists in a population, using beans.
Lesson Plan
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The Beaks of the Finches

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars become birds and are given "beak-types". After completing the simulation, students relate results to adaptations and natural selection. Extensions of the simulation allow for comparative results and include population...
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Finding the Ages of Rocks and Fossils

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students practice dating fossils. They learn the concept of "deep time"--that earth was formed billions of years ago. They experience excellent hand-outs and virtual age tutorial links.
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The Birds and the Beaks

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners explore the adaptations that birds have.  In this adaptations lesson students view a video and create a concept map of birds and their adaptive traits.
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Alien Invasions!

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students use video and Internet components, to gain an understanding of non-native invasive plants and animals and the ecological and monetary problems they cause.
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Historical Harbor Habitats

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders create food web displays in the classroom. For this ecology lesson, 10th graders identify the different pollutants in the environment and their effect on organisms. They collect samples of sediments from the harbor and...
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How do new species form?

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders conduct a critical analysis of current evolutionary concepts. They describe how scientists continue to investigate theories. Students examine examples with experimental data that suggest alternative methods of species...
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Curious Crossbreeds

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discover the diverse roles of hybridization among animals. They research certain examples of animal hybrids as a springboard to analyzing a zoo's potential exhibit of animal hybrids.