It doesn't matter if you look on land, in the air, underground, or in water—evolution is everywhere. Scholars complete worksheets with multiple question types as they progress through six online missions creating phylogenic trees. 

Evolution happens over generations, so how do we observe it? Scholars learn to look for patterns and create cladograms. Then they apply those lessons to the evolution of technology over many generations.

Are women's eggs similar to chicken eggs? Scholars compare eggs from a variety of species to better understand embryonic development. Connections to evolution through hands-on activities help to cement the new vocabulary introduced.

How did scientists determine the cause of illness before technology? Science scholars play the role of medical researcher in an engaging guided inquiry activity. Using observations, technical reading, and Punnett squares, learners...

Can your class solve the Mystery of the Crooked Cell? Junior geneticists collaborate to learn about sickle cell anemia in a fascinating lesson plan. The included materials help them to examine the genetic factors behind the disease...

Viewers explore real-world examples of both evolution and natural selection as the instructor discusses changes to the environment, mutations causing changes in phenotypes and changing the fitness in organisms, and how humans are...

Geologists are gneiss, tuff, and a little bit wacke. The fifth chapter of seven includes ten activities at four different levels. The hands-on activities cover fossils including how they are formed, vertebrates, invertebrates,...

The featured movie focuses on the ancestry of our four-footed friends. Find the fundamental pattern of their limbs and vertebrae in fossils of fish. After viewing, biology learners can enjoy interactive websites to zoom in on the...

In a fun and interactive two-day lesson, learners sort anole lizard pictures by appearance. Next, they watch a video about the anoles and re-sort based on the information in the video. In addition to physical characteristics, budding...

Sickle cell disease only occurs when both parents contribute the trait, and mostly in those of African descent. Where did it come from? How did it evolve? Tony Allison, a molecular biologist, noticed a connection between sickle cell and...

Got milk? Only two cultures have had it long enough to develop the tolerance of lactose as an adult. Learn how the responsible genes evolved along with the cultures that have been consuming milk. This rich film is supplied with a few...

The pocket mouse can be light brown like the sands of the desert, or dark brown like the volcanic lava flows that are interspersed throughout New Mexico's Valley of Fire. It seems that predators have weeded out light colored mice in this...

Open this activity by demonstrating the production of acidic carbon dioxide gas by activated yeast. Emerging ecologists then experiment with seashells to discover the effect of ocean acidification on shelled marine organisms. They...

Rotating through five stations, evolutionary biologists explore the question of how changes in DNA facilitate the changes in a population over time. High-quality, colorful cards of animals, skeletons, skulls, and DNA sequences can all be...

Designed to accompany the 13-minute video The Making of the Fittest: The Birth and Death of Genes, this handout serves as both a viewing guide during the video and an analysis of how the adaptations of the icefish might help treat some...

Are you having trouble deciphering the Next Generation Science Standards on the website, or just trying to find the standards for your grade in a quick-and-easy format? If so, here is a free and easy-to-navigate app made with you in mind.

It's not often that you come across a clever laboratory activity that is both imaginative and comprehensive! Using M&M's and Reese's peanut butter candies to represent two different clam species, young biologists test for "relative...

New ReviewUnderstanding the science of the spread of infectious diseases is the first step in controlling them. Learners begin by researching the factors that affect the contraction and spread of these diseases and the challenges communities face...

How do turtle shells form? Scholars explore the evolution of turtle shells and learn about how they form from many different bones before relating the process to cell differentiation in an organism. Pupils also look at different turtle...

Simple characteristic changes can have a significant impact on species survival. A hands-on activity has learners investigate the color variation in pocket mouse populations in different environments. They connect the timing and number...

One important skill in analyzing scientific evidence is identifying facts versus opinions. Scholars identify pieces of evidence from the film The Day the Mesozoic Died and then discuss this evidence in small groups at the end of each act...

Why are living things important to the environment? A PowerPoint explains just that as it covers ecosystems and their components, specifically focusing on the types of organisms that live there. Scholars get an introduction to evolution...

Are you afraid of holes? Believe it or not, some people are! An interesting video explores the science behind trypophobia, or the fear of small holes. Viewers learn about the scientific difference between fear and disgust and identify...