NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Cool Corals
Young oceanographers research deep sea corals that thrive on chemosynthesis. The lesson focuses on the biology of the animal, preferred habitat, associations, and interactions.
Towson University
Chestnut Tree Lab
What will your class learn in a curious tale of a fungus, a virus, and a chestnut tree? Biology scholars discover the world of viral biocontrols through a DNA restriction lab. Groups research the decline of the American chestnut tree at...
Kenan Fellows
Let's Move
Find a statistical reason for a fresh start. Using a hypothetical scenario, individuals research statistical data of three different cities. Their goal? Find the best statistical reason for a business to move to a new location. Their...
University of California
Energy and Biomass Pyramids
Young scientists play tag as they act out the food pyramid in the ocean ecosystem. Energy circles pass from the smaller prey to the predators and at the end of the activity, a data chart and analysis questions allow pupils to apply their...
NOAA
Vertebrates II
Mammals of the ocean unite! Or not. The 20th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates how warm-blooded marine mammals survive in water. In the class activity, learners use...
Creative Learning Exchange
The Infection Game: The Shape of Change
Encourage the spread of knowledge in your class with this cross-curricular epidemic simulation. Pulling together science, social studies, and math, this lesson engages students in modeling the spread of infectious diseases, collecting...
LABScI
Population Dynamics: The Predator-Prey Lab
Wolves eat better when the bunny population increases, but how long does that last? A series of 12 biology lessons uses the sixth installment to explore the predator-prey relationship between bunny and wolf populations. Young scientists...
Towson University
Case of the Crown Jewels
Can your biology class crack the Case of the Crown Jewels? Junior forensics experts try their hands at DNA restriction analysis in an exciting lab activity. The lesson introduces the concept of restriction analysis, teaches pipetting and...
Science 4 Inquiry
Snakes in the Everglades
The Burmese python is on the loose ... and he's hungry! Illustrate the differences between causative and correlative relationships through an inquiry lesson. Pupils examine several sources of information to determine if there is a...
ARKive
Darwin and Natural Selection
A presentation on Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection could be a good addition to your biology class. It provides general information about how animals adapt to their surroundings, as well as how organisms create more...
BW Walch
Solving Exponential Equations
Introducing exponential equations means learners need to take all the rules and tricks they learned for exponents and actually apply them. This presentation comes to the rescue by touching on changing bases in exponential equations after...
Teach Engineering
Designing a Sustainable Guest Village in the Saguaro National Park
Brainstorm ideas to design a sustainable guest village in the Sonoran Desert. The first installment of a nine-part unit teaches young environmental scientists about the basics of the Saguaro National Park and about sustainable design....
Curated OER
Introduction to Scientific Theory
Ninth graders explain how scientists set up investigations. In this scientific process instructional activity, 9th graders review the principles of the scientific method and use these skills to answer an open-ended question about how to...
Curated OER
An Introduction to DNA (PowerPoint)
Students are introduced to the structure of DNA, nomenclature, and the chemical basis for DNA through a PowerPoint lecture. PowerPoint is included as well as review questions over the presentation.
Curated OER
An Introduction to Classification
Sixth graders explore, analyze and study the history of classification systems and the scientific processes that influenced modern classification methods. They evaluate why classification and binomial nomenclature are necessary to the...
Curated OER
An Introduction to Dichotomous Keys
Young scholars pretend to be shark biologists employed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who have been flown into the coastal city of Sao Luis in Brazil because locals have noticed an unidentified shark at...
Curated OER
Introduction to DNA Replication
Students discover how DNA replicates through a PowerPoint lecture. Lesson includes a link to download entire PowerPoint lesson. Student understanding is evaluated with review questions.
Curated OER
Caesar Ciphers: An Introduction to Cryptography
Students brainstorm and discuss the concept of cryptography, the science of secrets in today's world and then focus on a system for sending secret messages used by Julius Caesar. They make a Caesar wheel assessing encrypting and...
Curated OER
Introduction to Animals Concept Map
In this animal science worksheet, students complete a concept map on the features of animals. They fill in 12 blanks with the correct words from the list.
Curated OER
To Dam or Not to Dam
Young ecologists explore the Aswan Dam in Egypt via the internet. Each collaborative group is assigned a specific article about the ecological impact of the dam. Then they prepare a presentation to share with the rest of the class. Some...
Curated OER
Using Blood-Typing to Determine Causes of Death in Surgery Patients
In this simulation activity, young biologists examine blood types to determine whether the death rate in a hospital was caused because of incorrect identification of patient blood types. You will need obtain and follow the procedures of...
Curated OER
Tour of the Cell 2
As your class views each slide, they will be introduced to the organelles and structure of the cell. Details about structure and function are given and also some trivia about their frequency and population. There is also some...
PBS
Genes 101: Life’s Instruction Manual | UNC-TV Science
Discover the common genetic ground shared by humans and chickens. Group members listen and view an animation about genes and proteins, which details their roles in building biological structures such as tissues and organs. Participants...
Curated OER
Innocent or Guilty: A Lab on DNA Gel Electrophoresis
Students use the prelab as an introduction to the importance of DNA fingerprinting- a form of identification that us being accepted by both scientific and leagl experts. They prepare a gel for electrophoresis. DNA fragments, which have...