Curated OER
Cell Wall Recipe: A Lesson on Biofuels
Biotech engineers discover that changes in the DNA code for cell wall formation can help create crops better suited for biofuel production. They extract DNA from wheat germ. They decode paper strips with codes and relate the activity to...
Curated OER
Natural Selection
Students observe, measure and record variations that may be due to genetic inheritance. They look at the length of seeds for germinating pinto and lima beans and measure the distance between eyes in humans. They graph and discuss the...
Curated OER
Genetics Lesson
Students investigate the genetic nature of skeletons while collecting data from an Internet site. They read a case study on the Internet and complete the associated activity.
Curated OER
Nature And Nurture
Learners develop an understanding of the role both nature and nurture play in determining an individual's traits. Using a website, students answer questions about nature and nurture in order to solve the riddle, What do you call a smart...
Curated OER
Pedigrees
Students examine various inheritance patterns using pedigrees. In groups, they predict what might happen to the offspring of a woman with normal vision and carries the recessive allele gene. They determine the genotypes of the man and...
Curated OER
How Does Evolution Work?
Students pretend they are a scientist like John Endler in this Web activity. They visit his pools, from hypotheses, and test them out. In the process, the explore about natural selection and sexual selection. They are able to explain the...
Curated OER
Candy Dish Selection
Students explore natural selection. They explore the concepts of adaptations, and the way which random factors affect the survival of individuals and populations.
Curated OER
Creative Ways To Teach Evolutionary Concepts
Research how DNA, the genetic blueprint of living organisms, plays an essential role in the continuity of life. High schoolers will summarize how their influence may very well effect the destiny of the population from one generation to...
Curated OER
Beyond Mendel's Laws of Inheritance
Mendels laws of Genetics are extended here with examples of traits that are completely controlled by just one gene. Malfunctions such as albinism and baldness can therefore be tracked and will demonstrate inheritance patterns to your...
ARKive
Biodiversity and Evolution
Why is diversity in biology so important for an ecosystem? Explore biodiversity, evolution, and natural selection with a presentation for your biology class. It features clear information, activities for further understanding, and...
Curated OER
DNA on Stick
Students experience a "hands-on" activity to get visual evidence of the physical nature of DNA and the process of DNA purification. They explore one method of chromosomal DNA isolation and DNA extraction.
WK Kellogg Biological Station
Sounds of Selection
Do you want a creative and fun way to teach about natural selection? Hop to it by turning your middle school princes and princesses into frogs trying to catch as many bugs as possible in a Hungry Hungry Hippos style game. For high...
American Museum of Natural History
DNA Detective
DNA is like the fingerprint of genetics. A quick lesson introduces the topic of DNA sequences with a mystery about an endangered species. The lesson shows how DNA extraction, replication, and sequencing often provide undeniable evidence...
National Geographic
Exploring Modern Human Migrations
Using maps, images, websites, and handouts, learners work to understand the nature of human migrations. They compare and contrast human migration from the past to the present, identify causes for migration, and trace migration routes on...
Curated OER
Introducing Ideas about Inheritance
Is it nature or nurture? In an easily adaptable kinesthetic activity to introduce genetics, learners group themselves based on a variety of categories. They will quickly find that some characteristics are easy to put in order, while...
Curated OER
Nature vs. Nurture
Eighth graders investigate the concept of nature versus nurture in human development through this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Selection and Variation in the Egyptian Origami Bird
Students investigate genetics and evolution of species. They simulate the breeding of birds using origami birds. In addition, using dice they introduce genetic variation into the species.
Curated OER
Diversity/Natural Selection
High schoolers examine mechanisms behind biological evolution and the theories that feed it, and are able to demonstrate their knowledge of these theories in a story.
Curated OER
Survival of the Fittest – Battling Beetles
Students explore natural selection. For this genetic adaptation lesson plan, students discover why certain traits continue and some traits disappear. Students discover how species evolve and change. Resources are provided.
Curated OER
Connecticut Wildlife: Biodiversity and Conservation Status of Our Vertebrate Populations
Students explore the different types of vertebrates found in their area. In this environmental science lesson, students perform a case study on the Common Raven. They analyze data collected from research and create charts and graphs.
Curated OER
Genetics
Students explain the difference between dominant and recessive genes, identify what causes differences in the traits of parents and their offspring, and explain how sex is determined. They will also improve their reading and...
Curated OER
Design Yer Genes
Seventh graders explore general structure of and natural changes that occur in DNA strands, and discuss concept of genetic engineering by creating small portion of strawberry chromosome with three genes, modeling naturally occurring...
Curated OER
Bird Land
Students role-playing the concept of evolution through naturally occurring mutations. Working in pairs, they model how birds have adapted to the food sources in their environment through changes in their beak size and shapes. Students...
Curated OER
Relationships and Biodiversity Lab
In this relationships and biodiversity worksheet, students investigate the relationships between 4 plants sample using 7 different tests. These include looking at structural characteristics of the plants, seeds and stems, using paper...