Virginia Department of Education
Cell Division
Searching for simple ways to teach mitosis to high schoolers? Using colored chalk and onion root tips, pupils visually demonstrate what they view when looking through the lens of a microscope. There are also various ways to expand the...
Channel Islands Film
Island Cattle Ranching
Is cattle ranching on Santa Rosa island viable or non-viable? Rather than focusing on the issues of the transition of Santa Rosa island from a privately owned island cattle ranch to a national park, class members are asked to consider if...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Help or Hype: The Ethics of Bio-Nanotechnology
Ethical concerns are not always black and white. A well-designed lesson presents learners with scenarios for which ethics may come into question. Scholars learn to consider the different sides of a situation and make an unbiased...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Stickleback Evolution Virtual Lab
How quickly do animals evolve? Can comparing different samples of the same fossil answer timeline questions? Scholars use virtual labs to examine fossils and learn about stickleback evolution. They compare pelvic morphology in lakes...
Learning Games Lab
Nitrogen in Pollutants
Responsible farming is important for maintaining natural resources. Eager scientists complete a WebQuest to explore what happens to nitrogen when it enters the soil. They learn about the chemical makeup of nitrogen-based molecules...
Curated OER
DNA and RNA
Tenth graders research the history and discovery of DNA. Using their text, they label a basic DNA structure and the composition of genes. They explain how RNA and DNA differ from one other and discuss the processes of transcription and...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Molecular Evolution of Gene Birth and Death
An upper-level biology activity, the comprehensive worksheet found here accompanies a PowerPoint and the video The Making of the Fittest: The Birth and Death of Genes, both of which are linked to through the website. Depending on the...
Curated OER
Taming Wild Land
Third graders consider the habitat needs of living things and how extensive farming in an area can affect the plants and animals of a region. They participate in a simulation to show how changing the habitat in one area can greatly...
Curated OER
Tropical Forest Food Chain
Learners explore the interdependence of the animals and plants in tropical rainforests. They explore the importance of conserving biodiversity and tropical food chains. They create a tropical forest food chain and identify species that...
Curated OER
The Case of Regulation in Cells
After your biologists have learned about transcription, translation, and gene regulation, they work in a small group to create a poster of a system that serves as an analogy of the gene regulation process. They share their creations with...
Curated OER
What is Life? Demonstrations & Discussion
Display seven items for your biologists to consider. Are they living or non-living? How can you tell? This is a simple outline of what you can display and questions that can be discussed as this topic is explored. One way to use this...
Curated OER
Bioethics
Students are introduced to the issues surrounding bioethics and begin to discover how some of these values can influence decision making. The exciting part of this lesson is the constructivist method used to engage students of all...
Curated OER
Breaking News English; Deadly E. Coli Strikes Europe
Read a breaking news article relating to a deadly bacteria while building vocabulary and writing skills. Critical thinkers work with a partner to write down the different words they have found in the article. They complete...
Curated OER
DNA. RNA, and Proteins
A comprehensive five-page quiz or study guide covering DNA and its related processes. Young geneticists will need a strong understanding in order to complete this handout, which includes multiple choice, matching, compare/contrast, and...
Curated OER
Blending Butterflies
Students create camouflage butterflies. In this camouflage lesson plan, students read about the different types of camouflage. Each student in the class chooses a spot in the classroom and creates a camouflaged butterfly. They hang up...
Curated OER
Studying Birds in the Field
This is a well-designed science activity which helps students learn the behavior of different species of birds. Working with partners and in small team, students learn to scientifically observe birds.
Curated OER
Lesson 16: DNA Technology
Students research different areas of biotechnology. In this biology instructional activity, students create a presentation about their research. They debate the topic presented and share their views on the subject.
Curated OER
Recovering the Romanovs
Students use DNA to solve an identity mystery. In this biology lesson plan, students use the Internet to gather information about sex-linked disorders and complete a Punnett square for hemophilia, then examine a handwriting analysis,...
Curated OER
Examining and Discussing the Mechanics of Horse Evaluation
Via teacher-led discussion, agriculture classes discover the desirable characteristics of horse anatomy. The PowerPoint and worksheet mentioned in this plan are not available; however you may find the notes useful as a guide to the...
Curated OER
Human Evolution
Young scholars investigate hominid evolution to learn the difference between a relative and an ancestor. They study the emergence of bipedalism and the related physical adaptations and cultural ramifications, and chart patterns of...
Curated OER
Student Investigation on the Immune System and Hemeagglutination
Students perform an experiment to demonstrate the principles of antibody-antigen binding, the secondary immune response, cross reactivity, and complement fixation. The materials to be used include antibodies from a rabbit that was...
Curated OER
Cells
Middle schoolers explore the cell and cell processes. They create "cytoplasm", make a model of the cell and its organelles, and simulate the osmosis and the diffusion of materials into and out of the cell.
Curated OER
The Circle of Life: Food Chain
Students develop a flow chart using computer software to show a food chain combination. In this food chain lesson, students are first read The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry, then they create a story map of the story. Next,...
Curated OER
Animal Science - What is Animal Science?
An abridged outline of animal science is posted within these slides. First, the question of what animal science consists of is addressed. Domestication of animals is visited, the myriad of uses of animals is listed, and a concluding...