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Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Gorongosa: Making Observations Activity

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Do you have young scientists wanting to make new discoveries rather than just completing the same experiments? Young scientists use their observational skills to identify animals and patterns in animal behavior. Through tracking...
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Lesson Plan
American Physiological Society

Drug the Water Flea

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This is a flea. This is a flea on drugs. Any questions? Your class will have questions aplenty during an impactful experiment. Lab groups get to know Daphnia magna, the humble water flea, and study the effects of stimulants and...
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Activity
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National Park Service

News Bearly Fit to Print

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
There are an average of three human fatalities by bears in North America every year, which is low when you compare it to the 26 killed by dogs and the 90 killed by lightning annually. The lesson encourages researching human-bear...
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Lesson Plan5:14
TED-Ed

How to Speak Monkey: The Language of Cotton-Top Tamarins

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Tamarin monkey language can be categorized by stem upsweep, duration, peak frequency, and frequency change. Although other complex terminology is used to describe the 38 calls of this species, the video is easy to follow and a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Behavior

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Can you train a worm? Biology buffs will have a blast trying! Using planaria or earthworms, they introduce a certain stimulus repeatedly until the desired response happens more quickly. They also explore the response of their own eyes to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bats: Need Nectar, Will Travel

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Beginning wildlife biologists become adult bats, baby bats, snakes, owls, bobcats, or land-clearing developers in a grand role-playing activity. In a large open space, they play a game in which they move to designated areas based on what...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Games on Echolocation

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Get a little batty with life science! This fun simulation game replicates how bats use echolocation to hunt moths in their native Hawaiian habitat. After creating blind folds and discussing some basic principles of echolocation, students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Isopod Behavior, of the Rolly Polly Lab

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Young scholars investigate the behavior of isopods. In this isopod lesson plan, students make observations of an isopod and sketch the pillbug. They study the orientation of the isopods in relation to moisture in a chamber they construct...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Open Inquiry Using C. elegans

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Ever wondered what motivates a roundworm? Introduce your biology class to C. elegans, a non-parasitic model organism that can help them understand behavioral stimuli. Paired pupils design an experiment to test the worm's reaction to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Go Fish!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
So much science in one tiny fish! Introduce young biologists to the zebrafish, a common aquarium inhabitant. The small, unassuming organism presents an opportunity for learners to study habituation using an easy-to-care-for species. Lab...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fishy Behavior

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Here's a lab that may make you rethink that morning cup of coffee. Biology scholars test the effects of caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine on the behavior of zebrafish through an intriguing experiment. Learners observe fish behavior before...
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Bird Behavior Hike

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Bird behaviors have a distinct purpose. Using a tally sheet, learners observe and record different bird behaviors in nature. They practice their observation skills while learning how birds act and why.
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Brown Pelicans

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Even animals that are part of the same species have differences. Learners read a passage about white and brown pelicans and compare their features. They recognize that although the birds look very similar, they also have their own unique...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Wildlife Federation

Itsy Bitsy Spider

For Teachers K - 7th
Bring the outside in to make observations in a controlled environment. Pupils learn about predator-prey relationships with spiders firsthand. They first construct a spider habitat and then feed the spider insects to make observations...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Wildlife Federation

Big Fish, Little Fish

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Tag, you're eaten! A lesson on predator-prey relationships uses the game freeze tag as a model. Learners become either a predator or prey and play a game of tag as the prey tries to reach areas that house food and shelter. During the...
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Lesson Plan
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

The Great Peregrine Scavenger Hunt - On the Internet

For Teachers 4th - 8th
The story of one bird provides valuable insight into general animal behaviors and interactions. Young researchers investigate the peregrine falcon using a web search. They analyze the behaviors of the raptor including its migration...
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Lesson Plan
Purdue University

Coloration Exploration

For Teachers K - 5th
Finding an animal in nature can be like a game of hide and seek. A thorough lesson explores different coloration strategies of animals. Pupils complete look-and-find puzzles and coloring sheets to differentiate between different types of...
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Interactive
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

How Animals Use Sound to Communicate

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Communication involves the visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile senses. Scholars observe groups of animals communicating through multiple senses. They note and learn why different species use different senses depending on their...
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Lesson Plan
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Lesson 5: Tracking Lion Communities

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Researchers in Gorongosa National Park placed cameras there many years ago to understand what was happening with the lion communities that lived there. Little did they know, they opened a door to so much more! Inquisitive...
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Lesson Plan
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Lesson 3: Scientific Inquiry with WildCam Gorongosa

For Teachers 9th - 12th
When biologists installed cameras in Gorongosa National Park, they ended up viewing a lot more than the lions they were trying to help! Young ecologists observe one of Africa's most beautiful savanna regions with interactive trail camera...
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Lesson Plan
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Lesson 2: Gorongosa National Park

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How has Gorongosa National Park changed over time? Discover the park's rich history, dating back to primitive human times, through an interactive timeline and scientific reading. The second installment in an eight-part series explores...
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Lesson Plan
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Lesson 1: WildCam Gorongosa

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Take a walk on the wild side! Episode one of an eight-part series of interactive lessons regarding Gorongosa National Park invites learners to become a part of the citizen science community. Scholars read a brief overview of the trail...
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Interactive
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Niche Partitioning and DNA Metabarcoding

For Students 9th - 12th
What is DNA metabarcoding? Show your biology class the latest method for studying biodiversity in an ecosystem with a fun, informative interactive. Individuals examine the animal species that compete for vegetation, then learn how their...
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Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Building Ecological Pyramids

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Looking for a fresh take on traditional food/energy pyramids? Conduct an innovative activity where pupils build their own! The lesson uses research data from Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique for a real-life safari touch. Scholars...