Cornell University
Beneficial Insects
A lot of people think of insects as pests. But actually, some insects are beneficial because they get rid of pests! After learning about beneficial insects, class members research given insects to find out if they are pests or predators.
S2tem Centers SC
Seasons
Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then,...
Serendip
DNA
Get up close and personal with DNA! A two-part hands-on activity has learners extract DNA from a small organism and then their own cheek cells. Scholars then explore DNA replication using questions to guide their analyses.
TED-Ed
How Does Your Brain Respond to Pain?
Zap! Ouch! That hurts! But why? And how come people don't experience or respond to pain in the same way? Take a journey on the sensing pathway, from your nociceptors, along your nerves, up your spinal cord, to neurons and glial, through...
Smarter Balanced
How the Brain Works
Cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, pituitary gland, and spinal cord. Prepare your class for a performance task assessment on the brain and how it works with a scripted plan that defines these terms and identifies the functions the...
Sea World
Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses
Learn about the mammals of the sea with a lesson about seals, sea lions, and walruses. Kids study the characteristics of each pinniped with flash cards and information, and then analyze data about elephant seals, measure heat loss...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Frog Dissection
Guide your students through the process of opening up a frog. The resource provides step-by-step instructions for dissecting a frog, as well as guiding questions to answer throughout the lab.
Steinhardt Apps
Kinetic Molecular Theory
Building off young chemists' knowledge of the states of matter, kinetic molecular theory is the focus of the unit. Eight days of lessons including multiple demonstrations, one lab experiment, directed instruction, and worksheets,...
EngageNY
Grade 10 ELA Module 3: Unit 1, Lesson 5
Science over humanity? Scholars analyze an excerpt from The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. They must consider if the experimentation of Henrietta's cells without her consent was worth the information gained about cancer. They discuss...
American Museum of Natural History
How to Help Biodiversity
A resource provides a checklist of nine actions for pupils to take to do their part in supporting biodiversity. The list suggests more obvious actions such as supporting wildlife to less obvious ideas like learning about different...
American Museum of Natural History
Saving Species
Some scientists dedicate their lives to researching and protecting endangered species. An online lesson teaches about three scientists around the world who do just that. They learn about spiders, mollusks, and reptiles from North...
American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Sensing
There is a scallop that relies on sight so much that it actually has more than 100 eyes! There are many species that rely heavily on one sense or another. An online interactive resource has youth read about several of these animals. The...
Curated OER
Environment Vocabulary and Definitions
In this environment worksheet, students are given a list of vocabulary words related to the environment and their definitions. Worksheet has no associated activities.
Curated OER
Rainforest Vocabulary
In this vocabulary worksheet, students match vocabulary words on the left with definitions on the right. Worksheet is labeled as a quiz, but may be used for practice/review.
Curated OER
The History of Life
In this history of life learning exercise, high schoolers review 4 vocabulary words associated with the beginnings of life. Students place these terms into a crossword puzzle and then complete 2 fill in the blank questions.
Curated OER
The Life Cycle of the Butterfly
Students examine the life of a butterfly. They write a biography from the point of view of a caterpillar using new vocabulary. They use magnifying glasses to examine butterflies and caterpillars.
Curated OER
Goals of the Diversity of Life Unit
Students are introduced to the unit on the importance of diversity of life and the role that interdependence plays in our worlds. this is part of a multi-lesson unit on the diversity of life.
Curated OER
Marine Science
In this biology worksheet, students identify and locate various vocabulary terms relating to species found in the ocean. There are 21 marine terms located in the word search.
Curated OER
Animal Life Span Activity
Students study and compare the life span of farm animals with their own. They research a farm animal, complete a table and answer comparative questions. They work in jigsaw format groups.
Curated OER
LitterFlotsam and Jetsam: A Little Litter Goes a Long Way
Learners explore the concept of environmental stewardship. For this science lesson, students investigate data from the International Coastal Cleanup, identify sources of marine debris, and discover the impacts of this debris on wildlife.
Curated OER
Exploring Stars
Fifth graders explore the life cycle of stars. They analyze small, medium, and large stars and view a video that compares the life cycles of the various sized stars. They create a flipbook movie detailing the life cycles of a star and...
Curated OER
Impacts to the Open Ocean
Students investigate how human beings impact ocean ecosystems. In this ocean ecosystem lesson, students explore how marine debris affects marine life. Internet resources are provided.
Curated OER
The World of Insects and Spiders
Students identify numerous insects and their body parts. For this insect life lesson, students practice using scientific vocabulary while comparing the different parts of spiders and insects. Students view several videos...
Curated OER
Group Foraging
Students explore co-operation by researching ocean life. In this fish science lesson, students identify many vocabulary terms associated with oceanography and discuss what group foraging means among fish. Students utilize paints and...