Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case Study: Should the Results of the Human Genome Project be Sold for Profit?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate a case study and discuss whether scientists working on the Human Genome Project should be allowed to patent their work. They consider ethical and legal issues, and determine who owns genetic information.
Organizer
Curated OER

ESL Holiday Lessons: Biodiversity Day

For Students 7th - 11th
In this language skills worksheet, students read an article about World Biodiversity Day. Students respond to 6 matching questions, 29 fill in the blank questions, 30 multiple choice questions, 12 word scramble questions, 30 short...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life's Greatest Miracle

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners study/identify the effects of maternal consumption of alcohol at various stages of pregnancy. They study how a developing embryo needs a certain environment to evolve into a healthy fetus and healthy baby. They use the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nature of Science and Ecology

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students identify the different biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem. In this ecology lesson, students perform a case study on current environmental problems. They write a position statement about their chosen topic and share it...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Indian Ocean Explored

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students consider the information presented in the WNET videotape of India: Land of the Tiger/Unknown Seas (Episode 3).  In this biology lesson, students view the video and engage in a discussion about the questions posed in the video.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Technology to Design Animal Habitats

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners study the relationship between an animal and where it lives.  In this habitats instructional activity students research to obtain data and create a professional report. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Water Cycle

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create terrariums in containers in order to study the Water Cycle. They examine how the terrarium maintains life in the closed environment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Do People Fall in Love?

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students discuss human behavior, sexual selection and the underlying genetic and evolutionary reasons for mate selection. The, in groups, they rate the attractiveness of certain individuals and measure facial features for symmetry.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Which Side to Choose? An Exercise in Choices and Ethics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students evaluate their reaction to a series of statements to investigate that personal choices are based on personal goals, peer and social pressures, ethic and religious beliefs, and the knowledge of biological consequences. This is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning from Light: The Big Bang

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Happens to Our Bodies When We Get Sick?

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explore ways in which they become sick. They find out ways that there bodies fight off bacteria. Students watch a video from the Magic School Bus series:"Inside Raphie." After reviewing video students can openly discuss...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forest Sustainability

For Teachers 10th - 12th
High schoolers study major forests and their history. They see what sustainable forestry and silviculture is and discuss the topics on the attached worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Amazon Food Chain

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Explore food chains in the Amazon Rainforest using this resource. Learners discuss the predator vs. prey relationships in the food chain. Then, they create a food web to describe this relationship. This is a simple and effective way to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wild Dog Urine

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate biology by researching wild animals. In this animal extinction lesson, students research African wild dogs and discuss the impact of the environment on their survival. Students read and analyze an article titled...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Costa Rican Food Chain

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Discuss the animals and plants in the rainforest food chain using this lesson. Learners talk about and do research on the top predators from the Costa Rican region and create a model of one of them in class. They also make a visual model...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Grow Some Microbes!

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students investigate the effect that sterile and non-sterile environments have on growth of microbes. In this biology lesson, students observe the appearance of sample test tubes for 7 days. They explain why some test tubes' appearance...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do We Use Scientific Inquiry To Solve the World's Problems?

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine how a scientific investigation is performed. They read and discuss examples of various scientific experiments, design an experiment involving fast growing plants, and create graphs and charts to present their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mosquito Bytes

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students investigate mosquitoes. In this mosquito bytes lesson, students consider reasons why mosquitoes transfer disease and ways to combat them. Students read an article, discuss, and complete a quiz.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forest Fun

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore orienteering and how to use a compass. They explore the importance of forests and identify some of the trees in a local forest.
Lab Resource
Serendip

A Scientific Investigation – What Types of Food Contain Starch and Protein?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
You are what you eat, as they say! Are you more starch or more protein? Young scholars use their knowledge of each component to test different foods for their content. Using multiple indicators, individuals describe the protein and...
Lesson Plan
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

The Molecular Evolution of Gene Birth and Death

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
An upper-level biology activity, the comprehensive worksheet found here accompanies a PowerPoint and the video The Making of the Fittest: The Birth and Death of Genes, both of which are linked to through the website. Depending on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Your Body's Defenses When Microbes Attack

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students study how being exposed to a harmful microbe doesn't automatically make them ill. They discover the lines of defense against microbe invaders and explore the roles of skin and mucus membranes, white blood cells, and lymphocytes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When Microbes Attack

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study how the body defends itself against the invasion of harmful microbes and how certain types of drugs can provide assistance. They design and execute their own experiments to test whether increasing the number of types of...