Cornell University
Plant Cell Crime Scene
Use science to solve the mystery of the Poplar murder. Pupils use forensic botany to determine if a suspect could be the killer. By analyzing images from a Transmission Electron Microscope, learners determine if the material found on the...
University of California
You Are What You Eat: Testing for Organic Compounds in Foods
We have all heard that we are what you eat, but what are we eating? An informative lesson opens with a discussion of the foods pupils have recently eaten. Then, young scientists perform four experiments on seven different foods to...
University of Minnesota
C. elegans and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Introduce the topic of astrobiology in a unit that's out of this world. Biology scholars examine the search for extraterrestrial life by culturing roundworms, a species that has been key in helping researchers understand the challenges...
Curated OER
History of Life
In this history of life worksheet, students will explore how mass extinctions have occurred on Earth, the different periods of the geological time scale, and scientists' use of fossil records. Students will complete 3 fill in the blank...
Curated OER
Mussel Ecology
Students are introduced to the marine environment of the mussel. The emphasis of the lesson is upon what human factors are present to influence the environment in positive and negative ways. They brainstorm in groups in order to conduct...
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...
Curated OER
Infectious Disease Case Study
Young scholars list the steps an epidemiologist takes to detect a pathogen. They role-play as scientists as they investigate the cause of the outbreak in Japan during 1996.
Curated OER
How Do Organisms Reproduce
Middle schoolers examine the difference between mitosis and meiosis, and describe the steps involved in meiosis and the significance of each step. They create a diploid nucleus containing two pairs of chromosomes using clay.
Curated OER
Identifying Disease Genes using BLAST
Students navigate the National Center for Biological Information (NCBI) website and BLAST program to conduct a variety of biological assignments.
Curated OER
The Bottom Line
Seventh graders assume the role of stockholders in a fictitious biotech company. After investigating the cloning of pets, the effects of cloning on the health and well being of the cloned animal, and the ethical issues involved, groups...
Curated OER
Biology Paired PowerPoint Presentations
Students incorporate technology by creating a Microsoft PowerPoint. Students experiment with various animation techniques and slide formats, so that they become familiar with the program. They gather research information on topics using...
Curated OER
An Introduction to Four Groups of Biologically Important Compounds
Learners learn about the four biochemicals that are important biologically. In this biochemicals lesson plan, students identify the four major groups of biochemicals including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. They are...
Curated OER
From Restriction Maps to Cladograms
Students develop a matrix to determine the number of differences between each set of primate species. They determine closely related organisms then complete the cladogram and answer a set of questions.
Curated OER
Biotechnology
Students explore biotechnology through various activities. In this biology lesson, students analyze its pros and cons. They study and read informative articles about biotechnology.
Curated OER
The Electrophoresis of Human Hemoglobin
Students analyze different types of hemoglobin. They use the technique of agarose gel electrophoresis to separate human hemoglobin molecules according to their electrical charge, size, and/or shape. Students relate the migration of...
Curated OER
SHOW 303: The Channel Island Fox
Pupils explore how archaeologists and other scientists use different clues to piece together a picture of the past. Students perform activities that allow them to conduct three types of scientific research. They discuss their...
Curated OER
Investigating the Uses of Backyard Bacteria
Students discover that the answers to some of society's waste and clean-up problems may be no further than the soil beneath their feet. They perform a Gram stain on the colonies to determine some of their characteristics.