How do we count the fish in the ocean? An engaging instructional activity models how to estimate fish populations with observational surveys. Class members begin by studying the behavior of fish on the coral reef in the oceans....

We all drink milk as babies, so why can't we all drink it as adults? Examine the trend in lactase production on the world-wide scale as science scholars analyze and interpret data. Groups create pie charts from the data, place them on a...

Math and science to the rescue! Some basic math concepts help scientists predict wildlife populations. Using tokens, groups simulate tagging a wildlife population. They then use proportions to estimate the population of the wildlife.

Have you always wanted to take your science class on an amazing field trip they will never forget? Now you can! Observe the wildlife in an African savanna through trail cameras with a five-part data analysis activity. Learners analyze...

To drill or not to drill? An informative unit has scholars first research the advantages and disadvantages of oil drilling in Alaska. They set up and conduct a sample survey to assess attitudes toward oil drilling in a specific...

Does the human body evolve as quickly as human culture? With a stellar 15-minute video, explore the trait of lactose intolerance. Only about 1/3 of human adults seem to still have the enzyme lactase and therefore, the ability to digest...

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...

What's that buzzing in your ear? An insightful lesson about genetically modified mosquitoes! Partnered pupils explore the creation, release, and monitoring of mosquitoes designed to reduce the mosquito population. After watching a video,...

Students are taught how to format and enter data into an Excel spreadsheet. They make a graph, and interpret graphed data. Students discuss the possible impacts of zebra mussels on the Hudson river. They graph zebra mussel data.

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...

Students experiment with pea pods to observe/appreciate the diversity of individuals within a population, and to explain of how dominant and recessive traits, genotypes, and phenotypes help produce variation in a population.

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...

Students assess the factors affecting animal populations. Working in groups they define specific vocabulary terms and complete several activities from "Project Wild."

Take your biology class' understanding of biodiversity to a whole new level! Ecology scholars use data to calculate three different diversity indices based on the organisms in the Gorongosa National Park. The four-part activity uses an...

Students investigate the pH of the soil in which different plants grow. They design and carry out an experiment to determine the factors that affect the growth of a population of plants, identifying and controlling major variables...

Data distributions can be compared in terms of center, variability, and shape. Two exploratory challenges present data in two different displays to compare. The displays of histograms and box plots require different comparisons based...

Students describe migrations and life cycle pattersn of a key alfalfa pest, the Porato Leafhopper. They define the Economic Inquiry Level and Economic Threshold. Students evaluate data in relation to profit as it applies to IPM. They...

Pupils examine gas production in "soil" samples through hands on activities and class discussions, to determine if the soil samples have contain living or non-living systems.

Students are able to describe the reproductive cycle of the gopher frog. They are able to describe the impacts of habitat loss and degradtion on gopher frog populations. Students are explained that many factors limit the survival of...

Students explore the key concepts of the story, "Standing Woman" which portrays futuristic settings, and the search for artificial happiness. Parallels are drawn to Orwell's "Brave New World" and the movie, "Solent Green."

Students identify and describe various organisms living in a pond water environment. They describe the characteristics of living things. Students compare and contrast organisms created by asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction....

Students understand the uniqueness of the rice plant and how it grows. Students compare rice growing in Indonesia and California, observing the steps common to the process everywhere. Students comprehend the concepts labor-intensive and...

Students visit a local park to test the quality of the aquatic environments. They search for sources of pollution and examples of pollution control. Based on their obeservations and experiments, they rate their local environment.

Young scholars count nematodes, cestodes and crustaceans on approximately one-hundred and fifty fish. They fill out autopsy reports for external and internal parasites then complete and discuss guide questions to make inferences about...