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Naming New Species
Students explore science of taxonomy and the Five Kingdoms of life,
categorize organisms into Kingdoms, and create multi-media presentations illustrating knowledge of a Kingdom. They collect data and related pictures on the Internet,...
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Animal Adaptations
Students use items from boxes to dress up classmates as animals adapted to a given environment.
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Are We Free Yet?
Students read excerpts from several Freedom Documents, evaluate amount of freedom guaranteed by each document, and rank documents on scale to determine which grant greatest and least amount of personal freedom.
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What's In A Name?
Students explore the concept of the binomial system of nomenclature for classifying organisms. Students travel on a field trip to observe organisms displayed and their common names. Students complete several classroom activities and...
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Smoke and Mirrors
Students study the changing public perception of cigarettes over the century. They create a visual timeline for classroom display, and design a survey on people's views on cigarette smoking for homework. In addition, they design and...
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Creating Coacervates
Young scholars create and observe coacervates. In this origin of life lesson, students create coacervates by mixing carbohydrate and protein solutions. They observe the life-like qualities of the structures and discuss the origin of life.
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18th Century Microscope
Students examine a microscope from the 18th century. In this microscope activity, students investigate how it works, what it was used for and how the tool has evolved through the years. Students also build knowledge on how compound...
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Diversity of Life: Geologic Time Scale
Learners investigate the history of Earth by creating a geologic time scale. In this Earth History lesson, students practice sequencing events in their life as a way to get familiar with creating a time scale. Learners complete their...
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Wolf Pack in a Bottle
Learners participate in an activity of a mock electrophoresis using paper chromatography to study DNA and genetic restriction mapping.
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Pseudogene Suite
Students use Biology Workbench to explore DNA sequence data for the GULOP gene in humans, chimpanzees, orangutans, and crab-eating macaques and the beta globin gene and its pseduogene in humans, gorillas, and chimpanzees.
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Hominoid Cranium Comparison
Students describe, measure and compare cranial casts from contemporary apes (chimpanzees and gorillas, typically), modern humans and fossil "hominids" (erect and bipedal forms evolutionarily separated from apes).
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The Natural Selection of Stick-Worms
Students discuss and role-play the elements of natural selection. They use toothpicks to represent Stick-Worms and discover the mechanisms of change of traits in populations.
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Promoting Diversity in Elementary School Curricula
Students discover the roles played by various racial, ethnic and religious groups in the development of American society. They explore the concept of racial and cultural diversity and global community, as these are joined by economic,...
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Case of the Threespine Stickleback
Students examine why some freshwater populations of stickleback fish. In this macroevolution lesson students read a study packet then answer questions.
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Social Darwinism and American Laissez-faire Capitalism
Students investigate Social Darwinism. In this government systems lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on the details of Social Darwinism and American laissez-faire capitalism. Students respond to discussion...
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A Visual History: Industry, Society, and Social Mobility in Hartford
Eleventh graders examine the industrialization of Hartford. In this American History lesson, 11th graders analyze pictures in Hartford. Students participate in a gallery walk of artifacts.
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Untitled Document Aerospace Team Online:
Students explain the historical significance of use of the scientific method in developing the first airplane and appreciate the process involved in developing a new technology.
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The Magic Hooey Stick
Young scholars examine the use of a "magic hooey stick". They discover the concept of illusions and how science can reveal them. They answer discussion questions to end the lesson.
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How's Your Horoscope?
Young scholars examine the concept of astrology. They compare their traits with those of standard astrological descriptions. They discuss their findings.
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Morphing
Students examine how organisms adapt to their environment in order to survive. As a class, they discuss the extinction of the dinosaurs and review Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. They select an animal to morph in the future...
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Inspection Gadgets
Students examine the weapons used in past wars to prepare for a mock weapons inspection, then write a report detailing the state of weapons technology during a specific time period.
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Perception is Not Always Reality
Students view various types of illusions. Using one of the illusions, they try to determine how a scientist might explain them. They discover a t-illusion and use their own words to analyze them. In groups, they research a different...
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Crime Scene: The Case of the Missing Computer Chip
Middle schoolers, in teams, attempt to solve a simulated crime scene.