Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Chemical Signatures of Asteroid Impacts
What killed the dinosaurs and how do scientists know? Your high schoolers can examine these fascinating questions with a geochemical lens using the engaging 33-minute video, the accompanying data interpretation, and some thoughtful...
Perkins School for the Blind
Personal Information
"Hi, how are you? My name is___." Seems simple enough but it's not always that easy to recall and relate factual information about yourself. Learners with multiple disabilities practice memorizing and relaying personal information about...
Baylor College
Calculating Exponential Growth
There can be a steep learning curve when teaching about exponential growth, but the lesson helps kids make sense out of the concept. When talking about exponential growth of viruses, learners may not be very interested, but when you are...
Baylor College
Modeling an HIV Particle
Models are an important part of science; they help us see the world on a scale that works for us. In the first of five lessons on HIV, learners make a paper model of the HIV virus that is about 500,000 times larger than the actual virus....
Baylor College
HIV/AIDS in the United States
In the final of five lessons about HIV/AIDS, groups create presentations to share data about the infection rates in the United States, examining demographic and geographic trends over the past ten years. Depending on how much time you...
Baylor College
The Variety and Roles of Microbes
Mini microbiologists play a card game in which they group microorganisms by groups: virus, fungus, protist, or bacteria. Then they identify the roles different microbes play in the natural world and explore how humans effectively use...
Baylor College
Comparing Sizes of Microorganisms
Kids compare what printed text looks like with the naked eye and under magnification. They discuss the extremely small scale that must be used to measure the size. They learn about the micrometer unit, then draw scale models of a variety...
Baylor College
Microbes Are Everywhere
In a nutshell, your class will culture bacteria from their choice of surfaces. You will need to prepare or purchase agar plates. If you are new to this classic biology activity, this resource carefully walks you through the process of...
Baylor College
Post-Assessment: And Now, What Do You Know About Microbes?
Your life science class works in their groups to review the concept maps that they have constructed over the course of a microbiology unit. They share what they have learned with the rest of the class. In a second session, they are given...
Baylor College
Defending Against Microbes
In the preceding lesson from the unit, beginning biologists discovered that microorganisms are everywhere, so the question follows, why are we not sick all of the time? Class members read and discuss an article in small groups about...
PBS
The Elements
An attractive handout displays the periodic table of elements in full color. Each group has its own color, and each element is represented by its name, chemical symbol, atomic number, and atomic weight. What makes this periodic table...
National WWII Museum
A New War Weapon to Save Lives
Young historians view and analyze photos and documents from WWII that are related to blood transfusions and blood plasma. A demonstration of correct and incorrect blood donors visually shows the importance of knowing blood type. After...
Rochester Institute of Technology
Laparoscopic Surgery
Nobody is as smart as all of us together. In a collaborative learning activity, scholars learn it takes a team to be successful in laparoscopic surgeries. Groups complete the laparoscopic task as a team and discuss their results to...
Curated OER
Climate Change
Rising sea levels, strong storms, melting ice ... who or what is to blame? Scholars browse the website in preparation for a class discussion or debate about whether human activity is causing climate change. They gain a balanced...
ProCon
Right to Health Care
Is health care a right or a privilege? Scholars review pro and con arguments to decide if all Americans should have the right to health care. They also watch informative videos and review information on the United States and...
Learning Games Lab
Gram Staining
Scholars use a lab simulation to test contaminated yogurt for bacteria by gram staining. They learn proper lab procedures for handling bacteria and for sterilizing equipment, and then walk through the process on their own to try gram...
Learning Games Lab
Controlling Water Activity in Food
Food storage matters! Scholars learn how the amount of water in corn can affect its rate of spoilage. They create a control group, then test three corn samples stored in three different locations for water activity. As a result of the...
Learning Games Lab
How to Use Oil Immersion Microscope
Teach the class how to use a microscope to identify bacteria in food. Scholars explore the different parts of the microscope and learn how to determine total magnification. They walk step-by-step through the procedure of preparing slides...
Learning Games Lab
Nitrogen in Fertilizer
Nitrogen is an essential element for productive farming. An interactive lesson explores the chemical makeup of different fertilizers and their corresponding nitrogen content. The interactive challenges individuals to complete molecular...
Smithsonian Institution
Trait Tracker
Help mice beat the odds with an exciting activity about traits. Biologists discover the role of diet and other factors on animal traits by participating in a simulation activity. Teams collect and evaluate data to understand how certain...
Smithsonian Institution
Weather Widget
What's so difficult about predicting the weather? Scholars work collaboratively to build a device that models how meteorologists use computers to forecast weather. Team members collect and interpret data while working together to...
Curated OER
Sentences
Work on sentence variety with this grammar worksheet. Middle schoolers decide if what they are reading are sentences, phrases, complete sentences, simple sentences, compound sentences, or complex sentences. They then complete eight...
Curated OER
Personal Code of Ethics
Tenth graders develop a personal code of ethics and relate their personal code of ethics to school situations. They discuss steps they will take to resolve ethical issue at school and develop a personal plan to advocate for an ethical...
Perkins School for the Blind
Warm-Up Exercise with Hula Hoop
To improve mobility, social skill development, and the concept of position, learners with physical disabilities work together to raise and lower a hula hoop over their heads. The activity is short and intended to be used as a warm-up.