Germs, parasites, and viruses, oh my! Facilitate a instructional activity on viruses as individuals explore functions of Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. They learn how viruses compare with other organisms in nature and how they...

A blood sucking what? Grade schoolers identify the characteristics of blood sucking parasites. They organize their information, identify their arguments, and present them to the class in persuasive arguments. They participate in a debate...

Learners count nematodes, cestodes and crustaceans on approximately one-hundred and fifty fish. They fill out autopsy reports for external and internal parasites then complete and discuss guide questions to make inferences about parasite...

Learners discuss the types of technology that are used to control the population of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes. They explain the parasite/host relationship and understand the devastating impact invasive species have on ecosystems....

Offering a comprehensive overview of symbiotic relationships, this presentation would be a great way to introduce or review material covered in a biology class. There are definitions, examples, and a quiz on the meaning of parasitism,...

Who actually likes leeches? Meet a scientist that makes his living letting leeches feed on him. Pupils learn about the characteristics of leeches and different variations of the species. The lesson works as a remote learning resource or...

Areas that previously included no risk of Lyme disease now have cases every year. Scholars learn about the spread of Lyme disease and the relationship with ecological succession. Then, they discuss possible solutions using the known food...

Introduce infectious diseases and the epidemiologic triangle. A helpful resource describes the agent, host, and environment from the three vertices as well as the time factor, which is in the middle. Scholars complete a simple...

High schoolers survey and dissect as many fish as possible. They count nematodes, cestodes and crustaceans on the fish, fill out autopsy reports, and transfer data to a chalkboard data table. Students graph the results of the entire...

Seventh graders compare/contrast the life cycles of free-living organisms to that of parasites. They conduct Internet research, illustrate the stages of a specific organisms's life cycle, and direct and produce a mini-video production.

Learners are organized into groups of four. On Day 1 they are given a worksheet about viruses and their effects on the evolution of a rabbit population. After about 30 minutes of group work, a class discussion of the material begins. ...

Young biologists begin researching giardia and completing an epidemiologic triangle. They then portray either a parent of a sick child or a physician in a fun role play activity. 

Students participate in a series of activities designed to demonstrate the differences between symbiotic and parasitic relationships. They discuss the differences and catergorize man's relationship with nature.

Use background information and vocabulary to familiarize your students with the concept of symbiosis and the role agriculture plays in the shared relationship. They then write the vocabulary in their lab books or journals, and read the...

Students consider parasites that seek human hosts. They prepare nutrient agar plates and cultivate samples of bacteria taken from their own bodies. They experiment with disinfectants and soaps to determine which method kills the most...

Students study the Pacific salmon and see the different challenges they face.  In this environment lesson students complete several activities that show how humans have affected the salmon environment. These activities have varying...

In this fungi worksheet, students will read about the three different ways that fungi get their food; decomposers, parasites, and mutualists. Then students will match three statements with the diagrams that fit the description.

Here is an outstanding presentation on protista. It lists general characteristics, and then moves on to describing three different categories of protists. For each, viewers learn physical features, behaviors, and means of reproduction....

In this word puzzle, students identify twenty one words related to communicable diseases in a word puzzle. Examples include parasite, host, lymphocytes, and vaccines.

After conducting research on a given scientific animal name, group members take a walk around their school and look for the specified animals in that classification. Then, they come back to their worksheets and create five creative clues...

Learners model how the malaria-causing protist avoids immune response in its host. In this parasite biology lesson, students use printed cell images to model the way that Plasmodium changes surface protein markers every few generations...

Sixth graders classify fungus into two different groups. In this fungus lesson, 6th graders collect as many pieces of fungus as possible. Students then classify these pieces of fungus as saprophytic or parasitic. 

Students compare characteristics of myobacteria and viruses to determine which is the smallest life form. They read and discuss an article that presents different viewpoints on the definition of life to determine their own viewpoint.

Students investigate defensive mechanisms of insects and organisms.  In this biology lesson, students draw imaginary caterpillars as well as imaginary parasites that will harm the caterpillar.  Students utilize the Internet to...