Curated OER
What's The Big Deal About Accutane?
Young scholars take on the role of epidemiologists. They investigate an "outbreak" in serious birth defects that occur in infants born to teenage girls. students discover a link between the use of the acne drug called Accutane and birth...
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The Teaching of Biology and Difference
Seventh graders pretend they were Anton looking through the microscope for the first time. They describe the way he felt when he observed tiny moving objects in the sample of pond water. They look at their own samples of pond water,...
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Territorial Behavior in Crickets
Learners explore the behavior of crickets during courtship. They measure the number and types of interactions between household crickets. Students discriminate between quantitative and qualitative observations. They collect data to...
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Lab Safety
Teaching the importance of safety in the science laboratory is a necessary part of the curriculum.
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Language Arts: Plot Summary
Eighth graders implement plot summary organizers to identify essential elements such as conflict and resolution in literature. In pairs, they retell fairy tales to each other and complete plot summaries about them. As students read new...
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DNA Fingerprinting
Students discuss methods used by forensic scientists and the basics of DNA and how it can be used to identify an individual after reading an article from The New York Times.
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Gravity Versus the Mighty Egg
Students design, revise and construct a method for protecting an egg from cracking when it is dropped from a height. They work in small groups to develop their protection method and then collect and analyze data as a class when each...
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Cells and the Cell Membrane
Students investigate the properties of cell membranes by isolating the membrane surrounding chicken eggs. They set up an experiment by placing eggs in a vinegar solution for three days. A powerpoint lecture emphasizes the structure of...
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Blood Typing Investigation
Students role-play a scenario in which a car crash patient is inadvertently given the wrong blood type during a transfusion. They perform blood typing and explore the genetics behind ABO and RH blood types using simulated blood.
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Who Done It?
Pick and choose which activities to include in this crime scene investigation. Junior detectives can examine fingerprints, DNA, blood samples, or bone structure. The plan suggests you have teams solve a mystery, but it does not...
Teach Engineering
Complex Networks and Graphs
Show your class how engineers use graphs to understand large and complex systems. The resource provides the beginnings of graph theory by introducing the class to set theory, graphs, and degree distributions of a graph.
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FLY HIGH!!!
Students create their own bird study in their own schoolyard using the scientific method (see Testing a Hypothesis in Join the Project). Students do research in the library, at a local college, or on the Internet to determine the...
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Radish Seed Garden
Fifth graders explore the effects of overpopulation in an ecosystem while applying the scientific method. They discuss overpopulation and its meaning. Students as an organism competes for space in an overpopulated area. They plant...
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Science: Trouble in the Troposphere
Students research a NASA Website and record information about an assigned city's tropospheric ozone residual monthly climate. In groups, they graph the information for the past year. They form new groups and compare their city's...
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Let's Grow Some Microbes!
Students investigate the effect that sterile and non-sterile environments have on growth of microbes. In this biology lesson, students observe the appearance of sample test tubes for 7 days. They explain why some test tubes' appearance...
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DNA Isolation
Students use scientific methods to investigate the concept of DNA. They observe the DNA of human cheek cells. This is done with the use of a lab experience. Students record their observations and reflect upon on how each organism is...
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Collect Data Using a Transect Line
Learners learn about transect lines through a study of marine debris. In this marine debris instructional activity, students calculate the items on a transect line and graph them. Learners complete a category worksheet.
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Wild Dog Urine
Learners investigate biology by researching wild animals. In this animal extinction lesson, students research African wild dogs and discuss the impact of the environment on their survival. Learners read and analyze an article titled...
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A Journey with a Scientist
Pupils work in groups as they read chapters of Charles Darwin's, Voyage of the Beagle. They take notes on the chapter and in their group make a timeline of the chapter. They tape the timelines together in order to depict the entire...
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We All Start Somewhere
Students demonstrate an understanding that the same data can lead to different interpretations and conclusions and that different interpretations and conclusions are not necessarily wrong, but can be useful in developing other scientific...
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Yeast Cells and Their Environment
Students create their own experiment in which they have yeast cells growing in liquid environments. They examine the relationship between humans and microorganisms. They also practice using the scientific method.
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Organs to Go...
Students explain the principles of experimental design and reinforce the steps of the scientific method. Each group of students create a "slush" type mixture to store a chicken liver.
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"The Collaborative Group Information Collection, Interpretation and Dissemination Technique"
High schoolers answer the question "How are the concepts and processes I examine in Biology relevant to my other classes, to my life, and to my community?" This assignment has students actively involved in the intellectual work of...
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Effects of Water Pollution on Aquatic Organisms
Students investigate water pollution. They develop an understanding of the behavior of organisms, of the structure and properties of matter, and of natural and human induced hazards by conducting lab tests. They present their data...