TED-Ed
How We Think Complex Cells Evolved
Being able to absorb the abilities of other life forms may seem like something taken from a superhero movie, but sometimes reality is stranger than fiction. Join the narrator as he takes viewers back billions of years to investigate how...
Curated OER
Review Parts of a Book
Begin the year with a review of the parts of a book. Exercises in the unit plan ask emergent readers to identify the information on the cover of a book and on the title page, to explain the purpose of a table of contents, and to describe...
MinutePhysics
How Far Can Legolas See?
Legolas counts the number of riders on steeds at a distance of five leagues away, including knowing their colors and height, in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. A video researches this possibility by starting with the assumption that...
Curated OER
Introduction to Mendelian Genetics using Fiction
Students investigate Mendelian Genetics by studying the history of Mendel and what it was like to be a 19th century scientist. They read a pieces of fiction during this investigation.
Curated OER
Pedigree Charts
Students explain how offspring inherit traits from their parents. In this biology lesson, students investigate the genes for nicotine addiction using an interactive website. They construct a fictional pedigree using their chosen...
Curated OER
Lesson 9: Visual Meiosis
Students create a fictional organism. In this biology instructional activity, students predict the traits of resulting offspring. They complete activity worksheet and discuss answers in class.
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...
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Section One: What is Biodiversity?
Four intriguing and scientific activities invite learners to explore the natural resources of their town. The activities cover concepts such as genetic traits, organizing species in a taxonomy, the differences between different species...
TED-Ed
Could Your Brain Repair Itself?
Is your brain running a little slow? Just reboot it and you'll be good to go. This advice may sound ridiculous, but by watching this video you will learn how through a process called neurogenesis, adult brains are able repair and replace...
Curated OER
The Life And Times Of The Apple
Students engage in a study about the biology of apples that includes growth and reproduction. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students write a description of an apple brought to class by answering several questions....
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
The Time Machine
Challenge your class with this lesson! Learners read The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, discuss context clues, identify main ideas and details, and analyze story elements. Discussion questions and activities are broken down for each chapter...
Curated OER
Cardiac Arrest! Using Forensics to Investigate Cardiovascular Anatomy and Function
Students identify the different parts and functions of the cardiovascular system. In this forensics lesson, students collect and analyze evidence on a fictional crime. They describe different causes of cardiac arrest.
Curated OER
Amphibians
Fourth graders Make flashcards for the following words, memorize them and get quizzed by the teacher: Amphibian, Lungs, complete metamorphosis, tadpoles, tail-less, tail, vertebrate, cold-blooded, gills, swamp, pond.
Curated OER
Disease Information Station
Tenth graders study disease and how it changes normal body functions. In this research instructional activity students research a disease and use a word processing software to construct a presentation.
Curated OER
Fish and Oxygen
Students explore what factors affect population dynamics, identify factors affecting fish populations, and use Stella to model how dissolved oxygen affects fish populations.