Curated OER
A Peek at the Past: Gradualism vs. Punctuated Equilibria
Students consider two sets of simulated fossils (caminalcules) that are provided as cutouts. They arrange them on two time scales. One set produces a visual example of gradualism, the other shows punctuated equilibria.
Curated OER
Birds of a Feather Flock to the Web
Young scholars define the term "evolution" and relate it to species adaptation, supporting their ideas with examples. They locate, correctly cite, and briefly review two Web sites with information on finches commonly found in their state...
Curated OER
Natural Selection And Evolution
Middle schoolers investigate the concept of evolution and how natural selection is used as an indicator that evolution has happened. They recognize the three effects it has on diversity and how adaptations can develop. Diversity is...
Curated OER
Island Biogeography and Evolution
High schoolers develop likely phylogenies for seven related populations of lizards living on the Canary Islands using real data. They organize charts, and record the data for geography, geology, morphology, and molecular genetics.
Curated OER
Anthropology and Sociology
Students examine the combined subjects of anthropology and sociology and explain how the disciplines would study the same issue. On poster board, they locate or draw pictures related to the two subjects. Once this is completed, students...
Curated OER
Natural Selection
Students comprehend that natural selectionis the tool for adaptation and evolution of populations. They pick three M&M's and no candy corns. Students tally the number of different color M&M's chosen. They discuss why colors...
Curated OER
What did T. rex taste like?
Students examine the three domains of life and explain that all living things share a common ancestor. In this paleontology lesson students are introduced to the process of illustrating evolutionary relationships.
Curated OER
Comparative Embryology
Students compare and contrast the embryonic development of human, chicken and fish embryos. They create a detailed outline of similarities and differences among the three embryos at various stages of development.
Curated OER
Three-dimensional cooperative modeling
Middle schoolers explore what is present below the surface in order to drill into the ground and record the type of material that the drill brings to the surface. They discuss the benefits and drawbacks of distance communications. ...
Curated OER
Scientific Theories
Ninth graders compare and contrast how different models can be used to represent scientific understandings. They evaluate the use of data when considering scientific claims. Students debate a variety of socio-scientific issues and the...
Curated OER
Lamarck And Darwin
Students compare Lamarck's mechanism for evolution with Darwin's theory of natural selection.
Curated OER
Sequential Curriculum for Advanced Writing Workshop
Twelfth graders engage in a ten-month long elective course focusing on college board review and an advanced writing workshop. Both course components focus on thinking and reasoning skills. Various approaches include sentence combining,...
Curated OER
Painting a Color Wheel
You have to love the color wheel, it's just so colorful! Your kids will love it too, as they work through an introductory exercise which allows them the opportunity to draw and paint a color wheel of their own. This wheel focuses on...
Curated OER
Ford's Revolution
Industrialization and mechanization of products such as cars have deeply affected the US economy. The class discusses the affects of Ford's assembly line production of automobiles. They watch a video, fill out worksheets, and investigate...
Curated OER
Tour of the Cell 2
As your class views each slide, they will be introduced to the organelles and structure of the cell. Details about structure and function are given and also some trivia about their frequency and population. There is also some...
Curated OER
Juggling Fact and Opinion in Today's Information Overload
Teaching children to evaluate information is critical to differentiate between fact and opinion.
Virginia Department of Education
The Rate of a Chemical Reaction
If your pupils think a catalyst is a list of their cats, then this might be the lesson plan for you! Young chemists study the effect of temperature, catalysts, concentration, and particle size on reaction rates during four different...
California Academy of Science
Human Evolution
As the great and hilarious Tim Minchin once said, "Science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organizing our curiosity." Science is more than just a guess; it is based on questions, observations, and evidence. High...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Making of the Fittest: The Birth and Death of Genes
Adaptations must be made as environments change. This fabulous presentation features Icelandic icefish, a transparent, scaleless specimen that even has colorless blood. Genetics and adaptations concepts are explored as scientists study...
University of Pennsylvania
Evolution by Natural Selection
A diagram, data table, and reading passage top this resource. Through it, biology beginners are introduced to the concept of natural selection. They answer some questions and then participate in a simulation using fabric as a habitat and...
Curated OER
Regents High School Examination: Living Environment 2003
The living environment, from the interior of a cell to the complex relationships among populations, are queried in this final examination. Learners look at air pollution maps, diagrams of cells, population graphs, and drawing of cells....
Curated OER
Leaky Seal
Junior high schoolers explore possible theories for the cause of the Hunley submarine sinking. Through hands on activities, they investigate how to create a waterproof seal. Afterwards, they discuss how seals work and various...
American Museum of Natural History
Nobody's Perfect
Even Einstein made mistakes, you know. A remote learning resource explains how scientists are sometimes unsuccessful. Pupils learn about Einstein's failed quest to find a unified field theory that explained the entire universe.
Shodor Education Foundation
Introduction to the Concept of Probability
Acquaint mathematicians to the concept of probability with a discussion about the results of a game. Then have them play a dice, card, spinner, or coin game and recording the number of wins vs. the number of tries on an interactive web...