Biology Junction
Characteristics of Life
This is an extensive resource that focuses on the characteristics of life. Scientists read a series of short passages, highlighting main ideas and answering comprehension questions as they go. After they have completed the reading,...
Curated OER
What Does it Take to be a Survivor? Part One
Students explore marine animal adaptation. In this introductory ocean life biology lesson, students access prior knowledge by participating in a whole class "thought swap." Students form two lines, respond to a prompt from the teacher...
Curated OER
Animal Characteristics
Students investigate biology by completing a group classification activity. For this animal characteristics, students discuss the different families in the animal kingdom and the small differences that separate the animals. Students...
Cornell University
Let’s Raise Lacewings
Young entomologists explored beneficial insects and how they help control pests in the first lesson of the series. Now class members take a close look at the lacewing, which is a beneficial insect.
Curated OER
Reptile Identification Exercise
Students are shown how to use the Digital Atlas of Idaho. They use a dichotomous key to identify species of Idaho reptiles. Students describe some basic life characteristics of reptiles. They use th visual key to identify the species...
Curated OER
Bringing Up Birdy
Students explore biology by creating diagrams of animal life cycles. In this baby bird instructional activity, students view video clips of birds being born from incubation to flying on their own. Students utilize the Internet to...
Curated OER
Diversity of Life
Students identify the difference between eukaryote and prokaryotes and examine the structure of bacteria. In this bacteria lesson students examine the different ways that bacteria are classified through an activity.
Curated OER
Clearly Classified
Young scholars review the classification system for living organisms and apply it the classification of insects and flowers in the still life by Ambrosius Bosschaert. They create a chart classifying the animals and plants in the painting...
Curated OER
The Fractal Geometry of Nature
Students identify patterns found in nature. In this algebra lesson, students model situation in nature using fractals. They investigate biological geometric structures and draw conclusion based on geometric concepts.
Curated OER
An Automobile Phylogenetic Tree
Students study a list of cars and trucks and think about characteristics that can be used to show an "evolutionary relationship". From the characteristics they identity, students construct a phylogenetic tree to show how the automotive...
Curated OER
Earth Science Lesson Plans on Geologic Time
Springboard your fourth and fifth graders into the study geologic time. They will complete 7 activities to learn about geologic time and the topics most often associated with it: astronomy, creation, planet formation, volcanology,...
Curated OER
Funky Fomites and Aseptic Microbiology Techniques for Bacterial Isolation
High schoolers listen to a lecture on the purpose of practicing aseptic technique as well as an explanation of how to practice them. They practice aseptic technique by plating bacteria in order to isolate individual colonies of bacteria....