Curated OER
Mark, Recapture, Sampling
Learners conduct a simulation to explore how scientists estimate the size of animal populations. They analyze a random sample and then extrapolate those results to a larger population. Additionally, they will apply the principals of...
Biology Junction
Population Genetics
Genetic variation shows the health of a population, yet cheetahs show very little variation over that last 10,000 years. Scholars learn the importance of genetic variation in populations after viewing an informative presentation. It...
Curated OER
Random Sampling
For this random sampling worksheet, learners compare data collected by a random sample to data collected by an actual count using pieces of paper with numbers written on them. They compare their data for the actual count to the random...
College Board
2017 AP® Environmental Science Free-Response Questions
Almost half of test takers passed the AP Environmental Science exam in 2017. Use the free-response questions on the topics of pollution and ecosystems to improve writing skills in preparation for the AP exam. Discuss the scoring...
Curated OER
Tag and Recapture
Sixth graders participate in an activity in which colored jelly beans represent fish in a lake--10 green jellybeans per "lake" representing tagged fish. They draw from the beans (fish) and record the number of tagged fish they draw...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Got Lactase? The Co-Evolution of Genes and Culture
Does the human body evolve as quickly as human culture? With a stellar 15-minute video, explore the trait of lactose intolerance. Only about 1/3 of human adults seem to still have the enzyme lactase and therefore, the ability to digest...
Curated OER
Surveys and Samples
In this surveys and samples worksheet, students discover data collection techniques and write their own survey questions. Students use random sampling, convenience sampling, and systemic sampling and analyze their results.
Curated OER
Population Growth in Yeasts
Students design an investigation using yeast. In this environmental engineering lesson plan, students design an investigation to determine how environmental factors affect the growth of yeast. They will collect quantitative data and...
Curated OER
Sample Midyear Examination (Chemistry and Biology)
A 12-page midterm exam sample can be given to young scientists in preparation for an exam. This particular installment is geared toward a class that delves into both ecology and chemistry concepts. There is no way to separate the 50...
Curated OER
Population Growth
Students grow duckweed, observe what happens when an organism population is allowed to grow without predation or competition, view videos about invasive species, and develop a proposal for controlling the growth of an invasive species in...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Automotive Emissions and the Greenhouse Effect
It is recommended that you conduct this fabulous experiment as a whole-class demonstration. Collect air samples from the environment, human exhalation, and car exhaust, then compare them for carbon dioxide content using bromthymol blue...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Tracking Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
What's that buzzing in your ear? An insightful lesson about genetically modified mosquitoes! Partnered pupils explore the creation, release, and monitoring of mosquitoes designed to reduce the mosquito population. After watching a video,...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Patterns in the Distribution of Lactase Persistence
We all drink milk as babies, so why can't we all drink it as adults? Examine the trend in lactase production on the world-wide scale as science scholars analyze and interpret data. Groups create pie charts from the data, place them on a...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Population Genetics, Selection, and Evolution
The Hardy-Weinberg principle states that alleles and genotypes remain constant in the absence of evolutionary influences. Scholars complete a simple hands-on activity applying the Hardy-Weinberg principle to sample data. They observe how...
Curated OER
How Do Populations Grow?
Students examine how populations grow and how invasive species can affect the balance of ecosystems. They simulate the growth of lily pads, analyze and record the data, and simulate the results of an invasive species on an ecosystem.
Curated OER
Beetle Collection and Release
Young scholars investigate plants and compare them to the purple loose strife. As they observe the plants they predict possible impacts on plant populations based on their observations. They work in groups and present their findings to...
National Wildlife Federation
How Many Bison?
Math and science to the rescue! Some basic math concepts help scientists predict wildlife populations. Using tokens, groups simulate tagging a wildlife population. They then use proportions to estimate the population of the wildlife.
College Board
2000 AP® Environmental Science Free-Response Questions
Practice makes perfect! A released AP® exam gives scholars practice with the high level of expectations of their exams. The exam consists of four questions from 2000. Questions ask about endangered species, recycling, alternative fuels,...
College Board
2008 AP® Environmental Science Free-Response Questions
Some of the oiliest creatures on earth may be the answer to our energy crisis! Using a four-question assessment, resource scholars consider the use of microalgae as fuel among other environmental science topics. Each question has several...
College Board
2014 AP® Biology Free-Response Questions
The most popular AP science exam, Biology, also maintains the highest passing rate. The College Board releases old test questions covering trichomes and much more, along with statistics and scoring guidelines to help scholars study for...
NOAA
Importance of Deep-Sea Ecosystems – How Diverse is That?
When judging diversity of an ecosystem, both species evenness and species richness must contribute. After a discussion of diversity and a guided example using the Shannon-Weaver function, scholars use the same function on two other...
Curated OER
People Are Like Peas in a Pod
Students experiment with pea pods to observe/appreciate the diversity of individuals within a population, and to explain of how dominant and recessive traits, genotypes, and phenotypes help produce variation in a population.
Curated OER
Galaxy Hunter - A Cosmic Photo Safari
Space science stars journey through our night sky and take virtual photos of galaxies to investigate simple random samples. Higher math is used to analyze the data collected. Copy the evaluation/assessment questions onto a handout...
Curated OER
School Forest
Sixth graders explore the concept of biodiversity. For this biodiversity lesson, 6th graders discover a variety of planets and animals that live in forests, and how a rotting log benefits that environment. Students also...