Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cells and the Cell Membrane

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students investigate the properties of cell membranes by isolating the membrane surrounding chicken eggs. They set up an experiment by placing eggs in a vinegar solution for three days. A powerpoint lecture emphasizes the structure of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Unit 3 Cell Structures: Cell Theory & Organelles

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students examine cell structures in depth. They decide what grade they want to work for and do the assignments for that grade. They complete various assignments on cell theory and organelles.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal and Plant Cell Journaling Activity

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Jump into the classification of animal and plants cells, through this inviting lesson comparing Elodea leaves and Epithelial cells. Middle school learners will create wet mounts, write journal entries that compare specimens, and finally...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan: The Cell- A Historical Perspective

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students discover the impact the invention of the microscope had on scientific discovery as well as the concept of spontaneous generation and the cell theory. Students examine these scientific concepts through a WebQuest and by viewing a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Cells

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners identify and define several related vocabulary terms. Students complete a short lab and complete the questions. Learners create a cell crossword puzzle and play cell computer games through the included links.
Lab Resource
Colorado State University

What Is a "Convection Cell"?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Round and round in circles it goes! A hands-on activity has learners recreate a model of a convection cell. They watch as the difference in density of their materials creates a current.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cell Structure and Function

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the main ideas of different cell theories. Using a microscope, they compare and contrast the structures and functions of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. They also compare and contrast animal and plant cells and complete...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"What If?" A Jigsaw Activity

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students, in groups, consider a scenario in which some structure of a cell has been changed. They explore how structural change affects the function of a cell and create a visual aid to illustrate their observations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Do Bread and Beer Have in Common?

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students listen to an explanation of yeast cells and how they effect bread and beer. They discuss the ways alcohol affects the human body and participate in an indirect observation about cell respiration in yeast-molasses cultures.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

More Games on Graphs

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students investigate various games employing graphs as game boards.  In this game theory lesson, students problem solve through the use of graphs.  The lesson is a list of both indoor and outdoor games to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Yeast Cells and Their Environment

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create their own experiment in which they have yeast cells growing in liquid environments. They examine the relationship between humans and microorganisms. They also practice using the scientific method.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transportation in Plants

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers investigate how plants transport water and nutrients through the plant. In this transportation in plants lesson plan, students use glass tubing, celery stalks, food coloring and leaves from plants to observe adhesion and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Things Living in a Pond

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders observe, compare, and classify various microorganisms using a microscope. They answer discussion questions, and record their observations on a chart.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hormone-Induced Plant Propagation Lab using Carrot Root Cultures

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students evaluate the importance of hormones in living things. In this biology activity, students experiment on carrots to differentiate how humans and plants reproduce. They collect data from experiment to answer analysis questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is There Really Life on Mars?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the work of scientists and determine how they test their theories.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extraction of DNA from White Onion

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners conduct lab test with minced onion to determine where chromosonal DNA is located within the cell, and whether or not it can be extracted.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transformation With A Firefly Gene

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners understand the process of bacterial transformation through experimentation. They describe the function of two important genes of the pBestLuc plasmid. They explain how to induce competence in E. coli cells.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creative Ways To Teach Evolutionary Concepts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore evolutionary concepts in cartoons and lab activities. They describe and explain evolutionary concepts featured in a cartoon and participate in laboratory activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dinosaur and DNA Days

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Biology stars extract DNA samples from beef thymus and then examine its properties. They use enzymes to digest the DNA samples, and then use electrophoresis to separate fragments. Finally, they discuss methods and principles of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Cloning: Is it Biological Plagiarism?

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Is cloning good or harmful? Help your class understand the risks and benefits as they read, research, and discuss human cloning. Individuals form teams, research information, and present to the class before concluding with an in-depth...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Remember This?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students investigate the mechanics of an fMRI and the properties of neurons. In this biology instructional activity, students analyze the way the brain works by performing tests in the neurons in the brain. This is all done theoretically.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hazard Mitigation: Bioterrorism

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss different ways to spread infectious diseases. In this bioterrorism lesson plan, students model the rate of smoke emission using CalRoad software. They analyze the effects of airborne release of...