Curated OER
Teen Driving: Skills, Responsibilities and Reactions
As an introduction to the skills required for and responsibilities of driving, pre-teens and teens engage in a series of activities, chart their response times, and analyze how variables effect these reaction times. Class groups use the...
Curated OER
West Nile Virus-What is the Risk?
Begin with an online pre-quiz about West Nile Virus. Using a fictional scenario, young epidemiologists read how it is transmitted and examine the stages of the life cycle of a mosquito. They imagine that they are members of the Centers...
Curated OER
The Arizona Hedgehog Cactus: Endangered Species or not?: Biology, Plants
For this lesson students will study the: "Classification of Echinocereus triglochidiatus and Geographical Ranges of its Varieties." Students read background material and scientific literature to analyze the cactus populations and then...
Curated OER
Human Development: The First Trimester & Developmental Malformations
Pupils, analyze and discuss cleft lip, cleft palate, anencephaly, spina bifida and septal defects in the heart--well-known malformations that can occur in the first trimester of prenatal devalopment. They play the review game, Fetal...
Curated OER
Jurassic Park: The Science and Ethics of Genetic Engineering
Explore genetic engineering through an engaging "Jurassic Park" unit, which is an extensive use of a cross-curricular teaching event. Planned for AP Biology, English, and Calculus students, learners and teachers are involved for 4-6...
Curated OER
Energy, Matter, and Organization
Tenth graders review the Energy, Matter, and Organization unit. They have one week to complete an essay. Students must submit a concept map or drawing. The activity is introduces by reading a short story line which presents a simple...
Curated OER
Habitat Assessment
Third graders demonstrate the effects of varying environmental components on plants and animals: chemical, physical and biological characteristics of a habitat. They find chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the lake at...
Curated OER
Observation Milk Fat Lesson
Turn your class loose to experiment with the different fat content in skim milk, whole milk, half and half, and heavy cream. This is a visually vibrant experiment, as learners drip food coloring on the surface of the products and measure...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate on Forest Succession
Part two in a series of four explores the effects of climate on succession or the changing of plant species in a forest. Groups review how to identify trees and then spend a day in the field collecting extensive data on trees to...
Curated OER
Preparing for the Possibility of Terrorists
Students investigate what schools and communities can do to be prepared for terrorist attacks, review school's disaster plan, research types of possible attacks, prepare infographic that makes facts clear, and write news article...
Curated OER
Human Demographics
Learners explore factors that change human population growth in a biology simulation for seven countries including the United States, China, Egypt, Germany, Italy, India, and Mexico. Factors such as age at which women begin having...
Curated OER
Review of Populations
Students review the concept of populations. In this Biology lesson plan, students will work with a partner to talk through what they remember from the unit on populations. The class will then begin to work through a concept map as a way...
Curated OER
Quick Concept Demonstrations
Young scholars research the nervous system. Demonstrations on how to pick up keyed information in text is shown daily and weekly. Reviewed for content is Nerve Impulse, Polarization and Depolarization and perception. A spreadsheet will...
Curated OER
Understanding Kidney Disease
Students experiment to determine information about kidney function. In this kidney function lesson, students use the scientific method to experiment with eggs, water, salt, sugar, and vegetable oil to simulate kidney function. They...
Curated OER
Life Systems- Zoo Central
Students investigate the various aspects associated with living things while also concentrating on their basic needs. They explore the aspects of movement and growth in plants and animals. This is done through research and other...
Curated OER
Human Body Corp.
Learners investigate body systems by participating in a role-play activity. Third, fourth, and fifth graders pretend that they are an organ or system of the human body, and they must write a letter to the body "corporation" discussing...
Curated OER
Strawberry Smoothies
Biologists extract the DNA from a strawberry. After completing the procedure, learners write answers to a few questions on the lab sheet provided. This is ideal lab practice during a DNA unit in your general biology course.
Curated OER
Learning from Light: The Big Bang
Students explore what astronomers are able to examine our galaxy and universe by examining light. They explore in this sub-unit the formation of the universe, commonly called "The Big Bang," and it follows studying from the Light: The...
Curated OER
Cell Game
Make a prototype of a game based on cell biology. Researching game design and working in groups to create a game will activate knowledge of cell biology. The review task will help students learning as they test out the games and their...
Curated OER
How Diverse is That?
After reviewing biodiversity, learners work in small groups to analyze actual species distribution data. They learn to calculate the Shannon-Weaver diversity index for different communities. Though not particularly engaging, the content...
Biology Corner
Cell Theory Rap
All that this will link you to is a rap about cell theory and organelles. Use it as an example for a creative assignment in your biology class. Divide the class into groups and assign them a topic for which they write and perform a skit,...
Curated OER
Alcohol, Nicotine or Caffeine Rap
Students create a rap/skit showing the effect of alcohol, nicotine or caffeine. In this biology lesson, students identify the important points of their chosen drug. They present their rap/skit in class.
Curated OER
Inside Story: Your Body, Your Health
Students research about different genetic disorders. In this biology lesson, students create a poster highlighting facts about the disorder. They present their findings in class.
Stanford University
Scopes Trial
Students review information about religious movements in the United States. In this Butler Act lesson, students view a video and read in their textbook about the Butler Act. Students review documents about the Scopes trial and complete...