Curated OER
Flower Dissection
Students dissect three different flowers and compare and contrast them. In this flowers lesson plan, students learn about the flower anatomy and then dissect their own flowers.
Curated OER
Investigating DNA
Students engage in a variety of activities designed to facilitate the understanding of DNA. Activities include preparing human chromosome spreads, separating a mixture of dyes using gel electrophoresis and extracting DNA from onion cells,
Curated OER
Tobacco and Organisms
Students work in teams to design and carry out experiments which show the effects of tobacco / nicotine on organisms. They write reports which are submitted to "The Company" and prepare oral reports which are presented to the class.
Curated OER
Biomolecules
Students perform an experiment in which they test foods for the presence of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. They identify the molecular structure of each type of biomolecule and then discuss how biomolecules relate to nutrition and...
Curated OER
Ecological Succession in Pond Water Cultures
Students collect samples of pond water, dried grass, and soil in a jar. They predict the order of ecological succession in their pond water cultures. They compare their expected results with their observed results.
Curated OER
Using Abiotic and Biotic Parameters to Monitor Air Quality
Students identify the abiotic factors that influence a river or stream and the organisms that live in it. They measure several abiotic and biotic parameters to gauge water quality. Students examine the biotic environment by identifying...
Curated OER
Nasonia Genetics-A Jewel of a Wasp
Students investigate the inheritance pattern of eye color in Nasonia wasps. In this genetics and inheritance lesson plan, students read about the life cycle of Nasonia wasps and hypothesize about the possibilities of eye color inherited...
Curated OER
Comparative Stream Quality
Students examine water quality on a nearby stream. They collect water samples and test for various factors, including any contamination from the treatment plant, and present their information in a Powerpoint presentation.
Curated OER
Population Vs Consumption: Which is a Bigger Problem for the Environment & Who is Getting the Lion's Share of the World's Resources?
Students develop critical thinking and awareness about the complexity of natural resource use, wealth distribution, population densities, poverty, and the environment. They think about people living in different parts of the world and...
Curated OER
Asexual versus Sexual Reproduction
Students explore reproduction. They research organisms and groups of organisms to determine whether they reproduce sexually or asexually. In addition, they determine the organism's habitat.
Curated OER
Research Ethics
Students develop an ability to distinguish between simple error, misconduct and fraud. Students are lead to consider a widening circle of the consequences of misconduct and fraud. They expand their knowledge on the self-regulating...
Curated OER
Waste Management
Students investigate the amount of trash they generate, the problems that result and possible solutions.They complete four activities regarding household trash, biodegradability, packaging, and recycling.
Curated OER
Superhumans & Bionics; Electronic Eyes
Learners examine the anatomy of the eye and the physiology of vision. Students participate in a modeling activity to demonstrate the difference between a healthy eye and an eye affected by macular degeneration. Learners match part of...
Curated OER
Graphing Toad/ Frog Respiration
Learners measure respiratory rates on live toads, and the effect water temperature has on their findings. In this scientific method instructional activity, students record their findings and present them in a graph, comparing the results.
Curated OER
Solving Imaginary Crimes
Students participate in a forensic science activity. For this crime solving lesson, students investigate fingerprints, and other crime scene evidence to solve an imaginary crime.
Curated OER
The Birds and the Beaks
Students explore the adaptations that birds have. In this adaptations lesson students view a video and create a concept map of birds and their adaptive traits.
Curated OER
Family Pedigrees
Students work as a class to first construct a pedigree of a popular singer, showcasing the singing gene being passed down through the generations. Students then make their own family pedigree and follow two traits through their family...
Curated OER
Wait, They Can do it by Themselves?
Students recognize the concepts of evolution and natural selection as well as cladistics and phylogenetics. They observe the process of regeneration in a sea anemone to simulate asexual reproduction.
Curated OER
Glucose Factory
Fourth graders determine, through laboratory activity, the presence or absence of glucose in a variety of plant leaves and stems. They work in groups and perform a three part laboratory which shows them how plants convert sunlighht to food.
Curated OER
Enzyme Activity: An Inquiry Based Approach
Students explore biochemical reactions mediated by enzymes in an inquiry approach. They are given two questions about the types of living materials that contain the enzymes that break down hydrogen peroxide, and under what conditions the...
Curated OER
Fish Parasite Survey
Students 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...
Curated OER
Fish Parasite Survey
Students 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 class...
Curated OER
Debates in Human Genetics
Students examine case studies involving human genetics. They research the case and determine possible problems to the issue. Students write essays supporting their opinion. They debate the ethical issues.
Curated OER
The Case of the Missing Penguins
Young scholars participate in reading a scenario depicting illegal poaching of penguins in Antarctica. They analyze various meat samples to determine whether or not a "confiscated" tissue sample belongs to one of the missing Antarctic...