Curated OER
Microorganism Multiplication
Seventh graders complete two experiments to learn about harmful and helpful microorganisms. In this microorganisms lesson, 7th graders read background information about fungi, yeast, and club fungi. Students then complete two experiments...
Curated OER
Good Guys or Bad Guys
Sixth graders complete a variety of activities to explore both positive and negative effects of microorganisms. They, in groups, engage in a series of experiments which illustrate the effects of certain molds.
Curated OER
Moisture Lesson Plan
Students investigate the effects of moisture and dampness on homes, clothing, and mold growth. In this moisture lesson, students discuss which certain cities are damper than others based on location and geography. They talk about the...
Curated OER
Molecular Approaches to Evolution
Students are introduced to working with molecular data. The first activity does both simulated and original data are used to compare amino acid, protein or DNA differences to construct phylogenetic trees or cladograms. These activities...
Curated OER
Invertebrate Classification
Young scholars discuss the recent disovery of the "furry lobster" to peak interest in the animal kingdom. They classify various speciments using invertebrate dichotomous keys, identifying major animal phyla and classes. Thy the complete...
Curated OER
Antarctica Vocabulary Quiz
In this Antarctica vocabulary worksheet, students match vocabulary words about Antarctica with definitions, 15 words total. Worksheet contains a link to additional activities. Labeled as a quiz, but may be used for practice or review.
Curated OER
Influential Scientists Spiral Puzzle
In this influential scientists worksheet, students use 8 clues given at the bottom of the page to complete a word puzzle. Worksheet contains links to additional activities.
Curated OER
ESL: Food Vocabulary
In this ESL food vocabulary instructional activity, learners circle the food that is described, then translate "food words." A reference web site is given for additional activities.
Curated OER
Mixed Prepositions 17
In this preposition worksheet, students fill in blanks in sentences, clicking on a "check" button for immediate feedback. A reference web site is given for additional activities.
Curated OER
Making a Human Tree
Students explore botany by defining the anatomy of a tree. In this environmental exploration instructional activity, students research plant vocabulary terms and discuss the uses of each word. Students create a "human" tree by...
Curated OER
CONNECTIONS
Students study the interdependence of an ecosystem that allows it to sustain itself. They examine the Western lowland gorillas for an example.
Curated OER
Life in a Log
Young scholars identify insects living in rotting logs. In this decomposition lesson, students observe pieces of a rotting log, they look at the insects that have inhabited the log and create a chart that shows their findings.
Curated OER
Organic and Inorganic Waste
Students conduct a scientific investigation about organic or inorganic waste. In this organic or inorganic waste lesson, students create a compost heap to determine the difference between inorganic and organic waste. Students record...
Curated OER
Pharaoh Mountain Hike: Investigating Adirondack Life Zones
Learners hike a local mountain and examine its life zones. They measure various components at each zone and collect leaf litter at the sites. At the mountain top, students make descriptive observations and complete a handout about the...
Curated OER
Spring
Students examine lichens in an outside field trip. Students explore the diversity of this organism and ask questions about them.
Curated OER
Life in the Crystal Palace
Marine biologists research sea ice communities. Assign some groups to construct paper models of sea ice communities in winter, and some to construct models of them in summer. The lesson plan is simplistic, but the Internet resources...
Desert Museum
Daisy Ecology
Here's a fine lesson that combines poetry with life sciences. Learners carefully listen to a poem that's all about a food chain. As the poem is read, learners name the producer, the herbivore, the carnivore, and the omnivore. Lots of...
National Park Service
Reduce Our Carbon Footprint, Let’s Compost!
Roll up your sleeves and get a little dirty with this elementary and middle school compost lesson. All you need is a large plastic container, a couple old newspapers, some organic waste, and a few hundred worms and you're ready to start...
Curated OER
Trail of the Tomato Growers
Economic pressures to produce and harvest in order to meet consumer needs is a very real issue. In small groups, the class uses three guiding questions to research the pressures on tomato growers to harvest at a level that meets the...
Curated OER
Bug Detective
What happens when a living thing dies? After reading a paragraph of background knowledge on the life cycle of bugs, third and fourth graders work through four clues to figure out which bug is which. When they finish, they can study the...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Biology Reference Sheet
First year life science or biology pupils will appreciate this all-inclusive reference page. It provides a diagram of both a plant and an animal cell, the metric system prefixes, classification levels, definitions for cell processes, the...
Ask a Biologist
The Many Faces of Ants
Though they be but little, they are fierce! Young biologists read about eight different species of ants, and discover how the anatomy of their heads can explain the way they live and what they eat.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Understanding the Epidemiologic Triangle through Infectious Disease
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...
Nuffield Foundation
Maintaining and Preparing Cultures of Bacteria and Yeasts
Don't let your bacteria go to waste. A tutorial explains how to properly store and maintain bacterial stock cultures. It describes the purpose and preparation of a permanent stock, as well as a working stock for use in experiments.