Curated OER
Evolution: Natural Selection
Learners analyze and discuss the evolutionary history of dinosaurs. In this investigative lesson students monitor different organisms in the environment and analyze the pressures that affect the chances of survival.
PBS
Righteous Reptiles
Young scientists write and draw about their knowledge of reptiles. They also view a nature video focusing on lizards and snakes, complete a chart comparing and contrasting them. Next, they focus on the defense mechanisms...
Curated OER
The Theory of Evolution
In this theory of evolution worksheet, students review vocabulary words associated with evolution including the different types of evolution patters. This worksheet has 5 true or false and 5 matching questions.
Curated OER
Science Italian Style: Eruption!
Students explore ways scientists prepare for a volcanic eruption. They observe films of earthquakes, oil spills, volcanoes and hurricanes. Students perform activities to demonstrate the relationship of viscosity to lava flow. They...
Curated OER
Hide and Survive: A Natural Selection Activity
Students explore the theory of natural selection given certain scenarios. For this biology lesson, students graph data taken from the experiment. They explain the factors that contribute to the survival of the fittest.
Curated OER
Beans and Birds: A Natural Selection Simulation
Young scholars examine the problem concerning the evolution of seed color in pinto bean plants "How does natural selection change the frequency of genes or traits over many generations"? Students work in teams to design an experiment...
Curated OER
Survival of the Fastest: Predator and Prey in the African Savannah
Students explore the predator-prey relationship using an interactive game. In this biology instructional activity, students compare their physical attributes. They explain how predators develop to make it stronger and efficient as...
Curated OER
Biology: Plants - The Fiber of Life
Students, in groups, examine and list the varieties of plants and how they relate to man and the environment. They create plant books complete with leaf samples with sketches and information, grow beans in plastic baggies, and role-play...
Curated OER
Draw an Alien in Natural Habitat
Students apply prior knowledge of living things, structures of living things and how living things sense and respond to their environment. In this habitat lesson, students review the basic needs of organisms to survive. Students create...
Curated OER
Camouflage and Protective Coloration: A Model of Natural Selection
Students study protective coloration and camouflage in animals. They create examples of each and conduct simulation-type experiments to determine which is the most effective adaptation.
Curated OER
The Use of Myths in Science
Students are told stories, myths and legend to explain their world. After telling the tales and discussion them, students are assigned to write a myth that describes a familiar situation, such as why the school garbage cans are always...
Curated OER
The Evolution of Living Things-Science Puzzlers, Twisters & Teasers
In this evolution worksheet, students unscramble 9 vocabulary terms to solve a clue as well as complete 8 other riddles and word scrambles about evolution vocabulary.
Curated OER
Water Purification
Young scholars use the example of natural water purification to show that healthy ecosystems provide services to people that are essential to life as we know it.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Ebola: Disease Detectives
How did the Ebola virus first infect humans? Young virologists examine genetic sequences from the 2014 Sierra Leone outbreak to find similarities during a riveting activity. Following similar methods used by MIT and Harvard, partners...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Powers of Ten with the Blue Morpho Butterfly
Explore the powers of ten while examining a Blue Morpho butterfly wing. Learners discover there is a lot more than meets the eye when one looks close enough.
Serendip
Evolution and Adaptations
Survival of the fittest isn't just for the movies! A five-part lesson plan explores several different species with known adaptations and analyzes them for their survival strategies. Using both video and research data, scholars draw...
PHET
Mapping the Ambient Magnetic Field
No GPS allowed! High school scientists continue to explore magnetic fields with a hands-on activity. After mapping the ambient magnetic field in the classroom and completing data analysis, they write about the similarities and...
Tech Museum of Innovation
Seed Dispersal
Engineering challenges are not just man-made ... nature has its own set of them. A hands-on STEM activity has groups designing a seed dispersal system. Each group can only use one sheet of paper — a tough task!
Kenan Fellows
Making Connections with Water Quality
What's in your water? And, why is water quality so important? Enhance your class's level of water appreciation through a lesson that demonstrates the necessity of water quality. Environmental enthusiasts explore the EPA's Clean Water...
Curated OER
Evidence of Evolution by Natural Selection - Testable Hypotheses
The factors that affect selection and evolution are investigated here. Information about some common ancestry examples are given but with no real scientific evidence. This presentation is very obvious in making biased claims about...
Curated OER
Natural Selection of Strawfish
A sequence of pictures accompany a few statements that help define the differences between phenotype and genotype. The slides must be used to accompany a lecture as they do not really explain any concepts. The 5th slide is the most...
Curated OER
The Scientific Method
Students study the steps involved in the scientific method. They apply the scientific method to their science fair projects.
Curated OER
DNA Structure and Extraction
High schoolers see DNA as a physical building block of organisms and comprehend the basic structure of DNA and the specific components in its structure. They can explain the specific nature of base-pair matching in DNA and that DNA bases...
Curated OER
This Life Stinks
Chemosynthetic communities of cold seep areas are considered in this activity. Working in collaborative groups, marine biology or oceanography learners research and prepare a report about oxidation-reduction reactions involved with...