Curated OER
Pieces of Mind: Remembering What Matters
Students watch the program "Pieces of Mind" from PBS and participate in a class discussion about PET scans and their advantages. Students then brainstorm activities a PET scan could be used for.
Curated OER
Life Cycle Literature Briefs
Literature containing life cycle information is available from many sources. Several examples of this type of literature are listed below with a synopsis and sample questions for each. These examples have been taken from a variety of...
Curated OER
How Many Bacteria on Your Food?
High schoolers discuss and conduct a food safety experiment which looks at bacteria and food poisoning. They swab the other area of some food and grow bacteria in an agar plate.
Curated OER
Life Cycle
Third graders examine and compare the life cycles of a variety of different animals. They analyze photos of animals and discuss any unique body parts and why those parts function they way they do. Next, they observe mealworms and...
Curated OER
Activities of the Immune System (Activity 1)
Students cut an apple in half and cover half with plastic wrap. They place drops of liquid on each half and discover how our skin protects us. They answer discussion questions to end the lesson.
Curated OER
Interactive Meiosis
Students study meiosis and the stages of mitosis. In this meiosis lesson students divide into groups and complete an activity.
Serendip
Cells as Molecular Factories
Cells are both made of molecules and make molecules all at the same time! An exploratory lesson provides a means for scholars to research the components of cells made of molecules and also investigate the molecule-producing power of...
NOAA
What Killed the Seeds?
Can a coral cure cancer? Take seventh and eighth grade science sleuths to the underwater drugstore for an investigation into emerging pharmaceutical research. The fifth installment in a series of six has classmates research the wealth of...
University of Kentucky
The Great Spider Debate
Poor, misunderstood spiders! They are feared, disrespected, and detested by many people, yet they do so many positive things. A great addition to any insect unit, learn about some of the more common spiders, while hopefully dispelling...
Michigan State University
Bug Lyphe!
Introduce ecology classes to biodiversity and interdependence in ecosystems with a PowerPoint presentation. Then, they get up-close and personal with the invertebrate world by collecting insects, classifying them, and graphing their...
Curated OER
Physiological Adaptations
Students investigate the concepts of genetics and how it is tied to the variations found within different species and how it is tied to adaptations. They review the theory of evolution and factors found to help create variation. The...
NOAA
What Little Herc Saw
See the underwater world through a different pair of eyes! Middle school marine biologists identify deep-sea organisms by examining images taken by an ROV from the Okeanos Explorer. After determining what creatures lie beneath the...
Curated OER
Classification: Dichotomous Key
Learners explain the classification process of organisms. In this biology lesson, students practice writing the names of organisms scientifically. They answer the dichotomous key and discuss answers as a class.
Curated OER
Hunting For Bats
Fourth graders investigate the adaptations that occur in bats. The benefits of adaptations are discussed with them and the probability of survival is measured. The specific adaptations are written and defined.
Curated OER
Last Flight of Bomber 31
Students act as forensic scientists to help solve a long-standing missing persons case. They study nuclear DNA and mtDNA.
Curated OER
What is the Evidence for Evolution?
Students work in teams in this Webquest, to conduct research on selected Web sites and then report their findings. In this Evolution WebQuest, specialists (students) gather evidence from the fields of paleontology, anatomy and...
Curated OER
Observing Decomposition
In this science instructional activity, high schoolers focus upon the concept of decomposition and collect data in order to make interpretations or observations.
Curated OER
Tree Rings
Fourth graders explore tree rings. In this plant biology lesson, 4th graders construct a KWL chart on tree rings and examine real tree rings. Students identify the changes that happened during the tree's life and its actual age. Students...
Curated OER
Classification of Cerealites
Middle schoolers create a dichotomous key. For this categorizing lesson, students create a dichotomous key for different types of cereal. Middle schoolers classify the cereal into groups such as flakes and cereal with holes. Students...
Curated OER
What Parts Are There to a Plant?
Students identify and sort plant parts through hands-on activities and group discussions and then work with magnifying lenses and tape measures to document their observations on a student sheet.
Curated OER
Look Alikes
Third graders compare and contrast the physical features of parents and offspring. In this life science instructional activity, 3rd graders classify a set of animal pictures according to their similarities. They share and explain their...
Curated OER
Theory, Theory, Who's got the theory?
Students analyze 5 separate theories of evolution in order to help them explain the different meanings of theory, how human values influence science, and that the scientific view of the origin of life does not involve supernatural forces.
Curated OER
SPLASH – Monitoring Humpback Whales
Students view a video about the humpback whale and why it is endangered. In this endangered species lesson, students recognize the importance of observing and following an endangered species in an ecosystem. Students identify the animals...
Curated OER
SMOKING: A RISK WORTH TAKING OR JUST A DRAG?
High schoolers identify and state a tobacco-related decision problem/issue, viable options regarding the selected problem; research and discuss risks and benefits associated with the decision problem; and state a decision based upon...