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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Color Vision Genetics Evolution Simulation

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
At one point, all mammals carried only two color receptors, but now most humans carry three. An informative presentation and hands-on activity demonstrate how this evolved through genetics. By participating in the activity, pupils...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reebops a Model "Organism" for Teaching Genetics Concepts

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Reebops are cute, marshmallow-based creatures that can be used to teach inheritance. Beginning biologists draw strips of paper that represent chromosomes from two envelopes, one for the father, and one for the mother. Each parent...
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Website
American Museum of Natural History

What is Biodiversity?

For Students 6th - 12th
Not all dogs are the same just like not all finches are the same. An interactive online lesson helps individuals learn about the causes and limitations to biodiversity. The clickable sections describe the basics of the genetics of...
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Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

What do you know about Biodiversity?

For Students 6th - 12th
What do your classes know about biodiversity? A 10-question online quiz asks questions related to biodiversity and species groups. As learners answer questions, they click on links to additional information. The lesson could be an option...
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Website
American Museum of Natural History

The Tree of Life

For Students 6th - 12th
Groups of species can have more in common than meets the eye. An interactive cladogram shows some of the connections between important groups of species. Learners click on sections of the diagram to learn more about the connections or on...
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Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Life in the City

For Students 6th - 12th
Believe it or not, biodiversity exists even in areas of disturbed habitat. An interactive activity challenges learners to look for species with a magnifying lens in an image of a city habitat. Pop-up images and descriptions explain how...
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Bats: Maligned or Malicious?

For Teachers K - 8th
Most people couldn't name the positive qualities of bats. Learners discover how bats benefit the environment and then create a concept map to summarize the information. After their reading, they identify misconceptions people have about...
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Activity
National Wildlife Federation

Links in the Chain of Life

For Teachers 6th - 12th
A small little ant can have a large impact on its ecosystem. Young researchers explore the different species that live in a plains ecosystem. They find the characteristics of several species and then compare species to determine how...
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Who Can Live Here?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Not all species can survive in all habitats. Using specific criteria, learners assess the fitness of a local habitat to a specific species. They collect data and suggest enhancements to create a suitable habitat for their chosen species.
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Lesson Plan
Purdue University

Healthy Water, Happy Home

For Students K - 5th
Clear water does not mean clean water. A collaborative instructional activity has groups play a board game to identify sources of water pollution and develop strategies for improving water quality. Their investigations include reference...
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Lesson Plan
Community Resources for Science

Food Webs/Clipfish

For Teachers 6th
Human impact on habitats can be alarming. A hands-on activity has learners explore the impact of human interactions with different environments using a gamified approach. They simulate the impact of a species' abundance under different...
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PPT
Biology Junction

Lamarck vs. Darwin: Introduction to Change in Organisms

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
How are traits passed down from parents? Jean Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin envisioned conflicting theories. Learn about both scientists and their theories with an insightful presentation. Giraffes and dogs serve as examples of...
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Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Reading Primary Sources: Darwin and Wallace

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Take your classes back in time. Learners read real historical texts from both Darwin and Wallace as well as an announcement of their findings. Using guiding questions, they make inferences and draw conclusions from the information in the...
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Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

The Making of a Theory—Fact or Fiction

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Two scientists, two independent studies, two similar theories! A video lesson presents the work of Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace that led to their theories on evolution. Scholars then evaluate statements and provide evidence to...
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PPT
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Biology Junction

Introduction to Biology

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Welcome to Biology! Introduce pupils to a subject conceptualized by Aristotle in 300 BC through a presentation and worksheet. It covers the themes of biology, characteristics of life, the scientific method, microscopes, and measurements.
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Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

The Great Elephant Census Modeling Activity

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
They say elephants never forget—and your class won't forget an insightful modeling activity either! Junior zoologists take part in a mock elephant census using the sample count and total count methods. The included materials provide...
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Lesson Plan
AAAS

Identification and Classification of Grassland Plants

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Take learning outside and start classifying grasslands. Young ecologists observe grassland plants in order to classify them into the appropriate species by family. They note their characteristics and where they grow. A true field...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Biological Oceanographic Investigations – Keep Away

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
As of 2015, there are 53,481 oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico. Scholars determine how species diversity is impacted based on the ecosystem's distance from a drilling platform.  It focuses on finding the mean of data sets and creating bar...
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Lesson Plan
NOAA

Importance of Deep-Sea Ecosystems – How Diverse is That?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
When judging diversity of an ecosystem, both species evenness and species richness must contribute. After a discussion of diversity and a guided example using the Shannon-Weaver function, scholars use the same function on two other...
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Activity
It's About Time

Mass Extinction and Fossil Records

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
The focus of a fossil-based lesson uses graphs and charts that allow young paleontologists to make inferences about events of mass extinction. They must apply their previous knowledge about fossil records in this final lesson of the...
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Animal Phyla and Plant Divisions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Searched hours for an activity that allows individuals the ability to use multiple resources to learn about both plant and animal kingdoms? This discussion and activity provide pupils with the ability to visualize each organism before...
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Lesson Plan
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Section One: What is Biodiversity?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Four intriguing and scientific activities invite learners to explore the natural resources of their town. The activities cover concepts such as genetic traits, organizing species in a taxonomy, the differences between different species...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is There Room for Everybody?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine the capacity of animals able to live in one habitat. In this habitat lesson, 3rd graders play a game that shows the food chain and the interactions between animals in an area. Students discover that food is a major...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Art: Coral Reef Ala Oil

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Students investigate Australia's Great Barrier Reef and create oil paintings of it. After their research, they apply various painting techniques to depict air bubbles, sun's radiation, and color blending. For older students, the...