Curated OER
Who Was Charles Darwin?
Students examine how Darwin used the processes of science to support his theory. They distinguish between artificial and natural selection, recognize Darwin's contribution to science. They produce a newspaper describing the times in...
Curated OER
Primate Characteristics and Exaptation
High schoolers compare the features of gorilla to humans. In this biology activity, students simulate adaptation using materials found in the classroom. They explain what exaptation means.
Curated OER
Charles Darwin's Hardware Shop
Young scholars construct an evolutionary tree representing specialization, diversity, and selection using easily obtained materials. They use at least twenty pieces of hardware to classify then develop "evolutionary" relationships...
Curated OER
The Opposable Thumb
Students explore the physical importance of the opposable thumb among primates. They discover which of their simplest daily activities are possible only because of their opposable thumbs.
Curated OER
Bermuda: Search for Deep Water Caves 2009: Out of Darkness
High schoolers analyze the three models on the origin of troglobitic fauna. In this life science lesson, students also consider how the Zonation model explains the fauna's origin. They also use the Internet to research solutional and...
Curated OER
13 Ways to Tell Time Backwards
Students explore different ways geological time can be measured: comparing the time dimensions for each method, the mechanisms of each method, and the materials used.
Curated OER
Why Do We Need Vitamin C in Our Diet?
Students compare/contrast the DNA sequence data of the rat GULO gene to the inactive human GULO gene. They translate and align the sequences, and propose a scenario to explain the occurrence of an inactive DNA sequence to that of an...
Curated OER
Creative Ways To Teach Evolutionary Concepts
Learners explore evolutionary concepts in cartoons and lab activities. They describe and explain evolutionary concepts featured in a cartoon and participate in laboratory activities.
Curated OER
Comparative Embryology Using Japanese Medaka Fish
Students conduct an experiment to control the breeding of Japanese Medaka fish. They collect the fertilized eggs and view and record the fish's embryological development daily to compare the stages to human development.
Curated OER
Physics at the Zoo
Students visit a local zoo and answer physics questions that are a part of zoo life. For this zoo physics lesson students answer questions that have to do with the physics of animal size, their center of gravity and how animals...
Curated OER
Exploring the Uses of Beaks
Young scholars explore the uses of bird beaks in the wild by participating in experiment stations. In this bird adaptation lesson, students work in groups and complete experiment stations that represent different types of bird beaks....
Curated OER
Natural Selection in Action
Students demonstrate natural selection through a lab activity. In this biology lesson, students explain how natural selection leads to speciation. They complete their lab report and discuss results in class.
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...
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Adapting to the World
Middle schoolers consider dog breeds that are helpful to humans and their hereditary link to wolves. In this biology instructional activity, student research a dog breed for traits that make it useful to humans. Students write a...
Curated OER
Mother Nature's Laboratory
Students research how various plants and animals adapt over time to specific habitats and for specific purposes. Students produce a pictorial report on an example of an animal or plant's adaptation.
Curated OER
Build a Bug
Students design an ideally adapted macroinvertebrate to live in a water habitat. They illustrate their animal, name it and specify the adaptations it has that enable it to survive.
Curated OER
Inspired Science
Students explore the history of inventions and their difference from discoveries. They create timelines of inventions, demonstrating their connections to each other.
NASA
Raisin Bread Universe
What is the universal breakfast? The resource includes two activities, the first one observing oatmeal to understand the texture of the universe. Then, scholars measure raisin bread dough before and after it rises to represent the...
Historical Thinking Matters
Scopes Trial: 5 Day Lesson
Did Scopes violate the Butler Act? Why did so many Americans follow the Scopes trial? See analytical reading in action with a fantastic five-day lesson plan in which class members consider the historical context that provoked public...
NASA
Measuring Dark Energy
You're only 10 minutes late? Do you know how much the universe has expanded in those 10 minutes? Scholars graph supernovae based on their redshift and see if the results verify Hubble's Law. If it does confirm it, the universe is...
Curated OER
Human Evolution
Students make and use observations of Laetoli footprints to provide clues to life in the past. They collect and analyze data to study the relationship between foot length and body height.
Curated OER
Global Awareness
High schoolers read about how scientists are arriving at current theories of human origin and migration through mitochondrial DNA analysis. They then piece together a map showing the data from mitochondrial DNA analysis to plot the...
Curated OER
Lifestyles of the Extreme and Adapted
Learners explain challenging theories about the evolution and distribution of microbes. They also investigate other examples of extremophile species, then create posters and write diary entries about them.
NASA
Melting Ice: Designing an Experiment
Sometimes, despite the best laid plans, the unexpected will occur. Learners witness this firsthand as they carefully design an experiment to determine the time needed for ice to melt in salt water or pure water. They uncover facts not...