Virginia Department of Education
Mendelian Genetics
How did Mendel know which pea plants would demonstrate certain characteristics? Pupils explore the answer this question, among others, as they complete Punnet squares, research dominant and recessive traits, and explore hereditary...
Curated OER
Week 7: Animal Adaptations - Bird Beaks
Students use tools to represent bird beaks and pick up different types of food with them in order to discover which beak would help the bird survive depending on their food type.
Curated OER
Follow a Fish
Young scholars choose a fish from anywhere within the Ocean Center. They observe it for a given time, recording its behavior. Students comprehend the concept that living things have individual characteristics that enable them to live in...
Curated OER
Habitats
Students examine how different living things interact with their environment. As a class, they discuss the characteristics of a habitat and write the list on the board. In groups, they focus on one habitat and create a mural of the...
Curated OER
Backyard Bugs
Explore the concept of scientific classification and the similarities and differences between plant and animal species. Your class will participate in hands-on activities by investigating dichotomous keys and classifying their shoes. To...
Curated OER
Classification 1: Classification Scheme
Pupils examine how many kinds of living things can be sorted into groups in many ways using various features to decide which things belong to which group and that classification schemes vary with purpose.
Curated OER
Micro-organisms
Students discuss micro-organisms. In this micro-organisms lesson, students identify which micro-organisms are harmful and which ones are beneficial. Students complete a worksheet which is included in the lesson.
Curated OER
Is Our Water Healthy?
Students test water for a least one chemical characteristic. They hypothesize how a storm event might change the chemical characteristics of a stream. Students collect water samples and use the chemical test to test the water.
Curated OER
Methods of Teaching Evolution To Middle School Children
Students study evolutionary thought. They examine how characteristics are inherited and that they are a source of variation. They illustrate the perpetuation, elimination, and variation made among members of a species. They determine...
Curated OER
Introduction to Victorian London and A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley
Immerse your class in Dickens's London and classic story of A Christmas Carol. Here, a SMARTboard presentation and WebQuest build background of the setting for the novel (or the play A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley.) Learning about...
Curated OER
Teaching About the Properties of Water
Students use video, Internet research, graphs and tables, worksheets and hands-on experiments to investigate the properties of water in a lake environment. They work under direction or through an inquiry process.
Curated OER
Find the Facts
Second graders identify characteristics of living organisms and nonliving objects while running on the playground. They run to retrieve a card, determine whether to place it in the "living" container or the "nonliving" container.
Curated OER
Emerging Viruses
Students study the characteristics of living things and explore the characteristics of viruses including their structure, function, and reproductive cycles. They also explore the impact of viruses on human health by discussing common...
Curated OER
Mallard's Wet Olympics
Students investigate some of the different characteristics of living things. They make observations from reading and interactive media. Students observe that animals move in different ways and have adaptations to aid in that action.
Curated OER
Tree of Life
Students explore the importance of the tropical rain forest in different cultures. Through a cooperative game, they locate countries that are known for their forest resources. Students discuss the similarities and differences of various...
Curated OER
The Circle of Life
Fourth graders examine how the different organisms living in an ecosystem affect one another. In groups, they research a specific ecosystem and present their findings to the class based on the type of organisms found in it. To end the...
Curated OER
Classification of Intertidal Organisma
Students categorize animals. In this animal classification instructional activity, students group animals by their characteristics. Students break into groups and work together to classify the animals. Students fill out a graphic...
Curated OER
Observing and Recording Biological Data
Students create their own definition of life. They identify the eight characteristics of life in organisms. They compare and contrast the characteristics of living and nonliving things.
Curated OER
Habitats
Students investigate the habitats of living things and the cycle of the food chain. In this scientific inquiry online lesson plan, students examine the habitats of plants and animals as well as the food chain as they sort pictures of...
Biology Junction
Bacteria Crossword Puzzle
In this biology instructional activity, high schoolers complete a crossword puzzle with 42 questions about bacteria. They identify the different characteristics of bacteria.
Curated OER
Insects A-Z!
Alphabet insects! Who has ever heard of such a thing? Get ready because your class is going to research insects that start with a specific letter of the alphabet. In small groups, they'll use the Internet and reference texts to locate...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Migration, Adaptation, and Changing Climates
It is easy for humans to adapt to changing environments, but how do animals and plants do it? Classes discuss how plants and animals deal with environmental changes in the second of seven lessons. Through questions and discussions,...
Cornell University
Extracting DNA
Uncover the basics of DNA structure through exploration activities. Collaborative groups build DNA models and recreate the process of replication. Then, using plant cells such as peas or strawberries, they extract a DNA sample.
Rainforest Alliance
Colombia Biodiversity
How diverse is the rainforest? How much more diverse is a rain forest than a temperate forest? Explore these focus questions in a instructional activity that explores the plants, animals, and insects in forests. After...