Curated OER
Are Nanobacteria Alive: Sample Socratic Questions
Students comprehend the definition and uniqueness of life and its complexities. They examine what characteristics constitute a living organism. Students recognize the extent of the role nanobacteria play in the movement and molding of...
Curated OER
Leaving Home
Students explain the importance of larval dispersal and retention to populations. They collect data on organisms and examine it.
Curated OER
Inquiry-based Investigations into Pond Water Microorganisms
Young scholars become familiar with common microorganisms and experience exploring the microbial world.
Curated OER
Food Web Mystery
Students describe typical marine food webs, and explain why food is generally scarce in the deep-ocean environment. They discuss reasons that seamounts may support a higher density of biological organisms than would appear to be possible.
American Society for Microbiology
”Build a Bacterium” Scavenger Hunt
An exciting activity has scholars use cell parts to build bacteria through cooperation with other groups. Each group has some of the cell parts needed, but they must trade with other groups to be able to fulfill their function as a...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
What van Leeuwenhoek Saw
When van Leeuwenhoek saw cells and single-celled organisms for the first time, he knew these small things were a big deal! Share his discoveries with young learners through a narrated video, model-building activity, and scale study....
Curated OER
Cut-off Genes
Investigate the relationships between different deep-sea organisms by DNA sequencing. A worksheet provides instructions for DNA sequencing and space to work. They simulate gel electrophoresis by cutting out paper "DNA strands." Modeling...
Virginia Department of Education
The Germ Theory and Koch’s Postulates
Explore the history of cholera and its effect on society with your biology class. Young biologists will then proceed to grow their own germs, prepared from live cultures, and follow the steps of the scientific method to generate data....
NOAA
What's the Difference?
Due to the isolation of seamounts, their biodiversity offers a great deal of information on the development of biological and physical processes. Pupils use simple cluster analysis to rate the similarity and differences in biological...
NOAA
A Matter of Density
Larvae transportation on the New England seamounts is based on the density of the water. Scholars calculate density and graph salinity versus temperature to better understand the distribution of organisms in a water column. Discussions...
Curated OER
Investigative Case - Living in an Alkaline Environment
Students are shown many ways in which Mono Lake water and distilled water are different. They demonstrate that the survival of common soil bacteria declines as pH increases. Students examine the behaviors, adaptations, energy transfer,...
Curated OER
Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Cold
Students are explained that thermophiles are organisms that have optimal growth temperatures above 50oC. They investigate the temperature ranges for the growth of common bacteria. Students answer the question of do either of these...
Curated OER
BIO205-CH1- Intro Word Search
In this word search worksheet, students locate words related to biology. The word list includes protists, viruses, plants, spiral, and biotechnology.
Curated OER
Cyanobacteria Races: Cyanobacteria Motility Experiment for a Classroom
Students experiment to determine the effect of light on cyanobacteria movement. They graph the data of the experiment for further analysis. They watch a time-lapse video of cyanobacteria motility at a NASA website.
Curated OER
Feeding in the Flow
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a tremendous library of ocean-themed lessons that can be used in a variety of science settings. "Feeding in the Flow" is one of those activities; Its focus is on...
Curated OER
Water Microbes and Human Health
Students research the possible sources and human health effects of microbes found in recreational and drinking water. They explore the range of negative outcomes of contact with contaminated recreational and drinking water by creating...
Curated OER
Cutt-Off Genes
Students explore how gene sequence analysis can be used to examine phylogenetic similarities of different organisms. Students work in groups to simulate a gel electrophoresis separation of fragments using poster board to create their gel.
Curated OER
Boom and Bust
Young scholars investigate commercial fishery. In this fishery lesson, students describe stages in commercial fishery, interpret data and predict when a fisher stock is showing signs of overexploitation.
Curated OER
Funky Fungus
Learners discuss decomposition, bacteria, fungi and other microscopic organisms. They participate in an experiment to grow fungus on bread. As the fungus colonies grow, students observe them under a microscope to identify and locate...
Curated OER
Arsenic and Human Health
Ninth graders concentrate on arsenic poisoning as an example of the connections among health, geography, and geology as they develop a persuasive presentation about the dangers of arsenic in the drinking water, targeting a specific...
Curated OER
Bioinformatics
Students are exposed to the tools and databases currently used by researchers in molecular and evolutionary biology. They gain a better understanding of gene analysis, taxonomy, and evolution.
Curated OER
Nutritional Influence on Illness and Disease
Learners examine nutritionally related diseases and illnesses, evaluating studies and developing topics for a science fair project. They investigate bacteria, researching how it can be harmful or helpful, and create illustrated displays.
Curated OER
Hands Off
Middle schoolers perform a handwashing experiment to see if a difference can be detected in the number and types of microbes on our hands after various types of cleaning. They will also demonstrate that they have learned the whys and...
Curated OER
Evolution of Biotechnology Timeline
Learners explore how present biotechnology has evolved. They create a timeline is included referencing major scientists and major events in history which have led to our current understanding and use. A teacher time line is included.