Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cool! Awesome! What is it?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners work in small groups to brainstorm hypotheses about mysterious science photographs, read and interpret answers to the science photographs, cooperatively develop a set of clues for the images and develop their own science photo...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hunting Invertebrate Fossils in the Classroom

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students acquire a general knowledge of fossils and paleontology, the study of evidence of life in the past and identify the major invertebrate groups (phyla) commonly found in the fossil record.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Challenge to Deliver Insulin

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Learners study the types of diabetes and why insulin is important.  In this diabetes lesson plan students build molecular models and create a healthy lifestyle plan. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Biological Carbon Cycle

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students learn about the biological carbon cycle. In this carbon cycle instructional activity, students access the web site and mouse over the diagrams to follow the carbon cycle. They read about what happens to humans and plants during...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Insect Biology and Ecology: A Primer

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore insects and closely related organisms. They examine the growth and development of a lady beetle. Students classify insects and organize them. They investigate pest management.
Worksheet
Curated OER

"The Good, The Bad, and the Bountiful" Algal Blooms

For Students 6th - 9th
In this biology worksheet, students draw 2 illustrations of the nearshore environment before and during algal blooms. They explain what happens after the bloom is over.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photography and Composition

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the techniques and principles of photographic composition using various scientific tools such as a camera, a digital computer scanner, and a computer.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Trouble in the Troposphere

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research a NASA Website and record information about an assigned city's tropospheric ozone residual monthly climate. In groups, they graph the information for the past year. They form new groups and compare their city's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wind Dynamics and Forests

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students perform experiments to explore differences in wind speed and forest density. Through experimentation and observation, students realize that changes in vegetation affect the atmosphere and wind conditions. They create a model...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Habitats and Functions

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students analyze and discuss insect diversity and all of the functions that insects perform in nature. They examine habitat and function cards, and distribute themselves by function and habitat.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Creation of an Imaginary Species

For Teachers 3rd - 9th
Students explore the characteristics that distinguish different forms of animal life on Earth which are the results of natural selection and adaptations to their environment. The creatures are created using a game and then drawn by the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Digging up the Dirt on Soil Microbes

For Teachers K - 8th
Students are introduced to the idea of soil as a habitat for many different organisms. They are introduced to the links between the biological adaptations of an organism and the physical demands of its habitat. Pupils are introduced to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biosphere II

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students continue their examination of the existence of life on Earth. In groups, they determine the role of the water cycle and other biogeochemical cycles play in keeping balance on Earth. They participate in experiments to discover...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Life Has A History

For Students 6th - 9th
In this biology worksheet, students identify and match various classes of species found today. Then they explain why biodiversity exists today on earth and define evolution. Students also describe who a paleontologist is and what they do.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Design a Reef!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore coral reef ecosystems.  In this ecosystems science lesson, students research coral reef ecosystems to determine the major functions the participating organisms must perform.  Students construct a miniature...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Microbes Help Ecosystems

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders observe different microorganisms under the microscope. In this biology activity, 6th graders draw and describe the samples they see. They study the root nodules of plants and explain how the plants benefit from those bacteria.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecosystems Beneath the Surface

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders create a KWL chart about microorganisms. In this biology lesson, 6th graders create and label a diagram on a microbial mat. They investigate the processes involved in the carbon, oxygen and sulfur cycles.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Living Organisms to Explain Evolution

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students investigate evolution in its most fundamental form: the observation of living organisms. By comparing variations that exist among living animals, students formulate their own hypotheses and conclusions about the evolution of...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Ecology

For Students 4th - 6th
In this ecology activity, students read information about ecology and the nine ecology subdivisions and answer comprehension questions. Students answer ten questions in this matching and fill in the blank activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The City Inside a Cell

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students compare cell structure to the structure of a city. In this cell structure lesson, students investigate differences and similarities between cell structure and city structure. Students create a 3-dimensional, edible model of a cell.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Architects of the Coral Reef

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students discuss reproduction in Cnidaria. in this coral reef lesson, students describe five characteristics of Cnidaria and compare and contrast the four classes. They describe the reproduction strategies they use. 
Worksheet
Biology Junction

Segmented Worms - The Earthworm

For Students 6th - 10th
In this biology instructional activity, students color and label the different parts of an earth worm. They complete 41 short answers and fill in the blank questions about earthworms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Piece of Cake: Ocean Communities

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explain habitats. In this model based instructional activity students create a model to help describe a habitat that is typical of deep-water. Students will describe how organisms such as coral and sponges add to their habitat.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deep Gardens

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students compare and contrast deep-sea coral reefs with shallow-water coral reefs. For this underwater ecology lesson, students describe three types of coral and explain why scientists are concerned about the future of deep-sea coral.