Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marine Biology Field Trips

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students visit a Marine Biology study area 2-3 times and write a report after the last visit. They participate in the Marine Biology field trips working with lab partners. They complete data sheets to write their primitive environmental...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Watch the Screen!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Can a sponge cure cancer? Life science pupils visit the drugstore under the sea in the fifth activity of six. Working groups research the topic then get hands-on experience by testing the inhibiting effects of several plant extracts...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

What Killed the Seeds?

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Can a coral cure cancer? Take seventh and eighth grade science sleuths to the underwater drugstore for an investigation into emerging pharmaceutical research. The fifth installment in a series of six has classmates research the wealth of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animals of the Fire Ice

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine ocean life by identifying methane hydrates.  In this ocean life lesson, students research organisms that live in the coldest, deepest parts of the ocean and live off methane hydrates.  Students create a group...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction to the Marine Environment and Geology of City Point: A Model for Experiential Teaching

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars begin the lesson by researching the history of City Point, Connecticut. Using a map, they color areas they were asked to find and discuss why the areas are important to the community. As a class, they are shown recent...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sea Ice Research

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students study sea ice and its importance in climate and climate change. They discuss sea ice as a presence of a food source for marine animals in the arctic and complete a lab activity. After completing the lab, they watch a video...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seaworthy Presentations

For Teachers 1st
First graders research ocean animals and plants on the web.  In this ocean habitat lesson, 1st graders prepare a multimedia presentation.  Students will work on their presentations in pairs and every group should have its own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Sea Horses and Knights

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Learners investigate sea horses and knights. In this marine biology instructional activity, students read the book How to Hide an Octopus and discuss the purpose of camoflage. Learners research knights and sea horses and record...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigative Case - Living in an Alkaline Environment

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students are shown many ways in which Mono Lake water and distilled water are different. They demonstrate that the survival of common soil bacteria declines as pH increases. Students examine the behaviors, adaptations, energy transfer,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Abiotic and Biotic Parameters to Monitor Air Quality

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students identify the abiotic factors that influence a river or stream and the organisms that live in it. They measure several abiotic and biotic parameters to gauge water quality. Students examine the biotic environment by identifying...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tree of Life

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students study genetics and evolution. They evaluate a group of organisms and estimate their genetic relatedness. Then they use an online program to check the accuracy of their estimations and make a branching phylogenetic tree which...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Costa Rican Sea Turtles

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read "One Tiny Turtle" by Nicola Davies. Using the internet, they research the characteristics of turtles off of the Costa Rica coast. In groups, they complete a worksheet and define vocabulary words they are unfamiliar with. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 1 - What Are Fossils?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students define and research fossils. In this fossil lesson, students access teacher assigned Internet sites to examine images of fossils. They determine the definition of a fossil and find out how fossils are formed. They also define a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Catalase: A Bioinformatics Case Study

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the physical structure of a protein by using a computer simulation tool. They record its primary amino acid structure while viewing it in three dimensions for a better visual recognition. There is also a comparison...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scientists Write!

For Teachers K - 12th
Students use a journal to record observations. They make notes about what research may be needed to answer questions that have come up in the field and sketch or make connections in the curriculum. They research bioinformatics and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who is the Sea Otter Related to?

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students examine the genetic relationships of different organisms. In groups, they discover the importance of genes and how different amino acids show various evolutionary relationships. They use an online database to continue their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Turtle Sightings

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders research turtles and the ways they have adapted to their marine environment. They work in groups and publish their findings using SiteMaker a web-authoring tool.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Properties of the Ocean: Change

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students research and create a visual presentation on the seasonal salinity of the Earth's oceans. They apply the research in a simulation of a lab disaster in which they must relabel ocean samples.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coral Reefs

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners research coral reefs and identify their benefits to humans, threats to the reef, how to reduce and eliminate threats, and more. In this coral reef lesson plan, students research the reefs, and take a field trip to an aquarium.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Website Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use the internet to complete a species scavenger hunt. In groups, they answer questions given to them about sea lions, rockfish and killer whales. As a class, they identify any questions they have and discuss the role...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biotechnology/Bioinformatics Activity

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students demonstrate the genetic principles of Heredity. They discover that each species has a unique Genetic fingerprint and that people can use "Genetic fingerprints" to solve a number of problems. They discuss examples of uses of DNA...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reading the Dna Code: Making Protein

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students study DNA decoding and protein synthesis. They use the amino acid table to translate DNA, break DNA strands into three nucleotide codes, and translate nucleotides into amino acid protein codes. They research the importance of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physiological Adaptations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the concepts of genetics and how it is tied to the variations found within different species and how it is tied to adaptations. They review the theory of evolution and factors found to help create variation. The...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Invasive Species

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study exotic and native species, and examine how exotic species can impact native ones. They study how the mute swan effects native species.