Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Developing an Explanation for Mouse Fur Color
Whether or not you think mice are nice, you'll love the colorful activity! Scholars examine evidence for evolution in the rock pocket mouse through video, discussion, and collaborative work. Learners watch a video regarding variation in...
Curated OER
Sally Ride: Forging a Path to the Stars
Carry on the legacy of the heroic astronaut/educator who spent 30 years nurturing science learning for young girls.
American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Reproduction
Attracting the right mate is as important for humans as any other species. An interesting lesson teaches individuals about several strategies that animals and plants have adapted to attract their mates. From colorful nests to powerful...
Curated OER
Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict
Story elements such as conflict, character analysis, resolution, and moral are discussed and charted as elementary children read folktales involving animals. An element of science is also introduced as learners discover what a keystone...
Teach Engineering
Processes on Complex Networks
Introduces your class to random processes in networks with an activity that uses information about disease spread using the susceptible, infectious, resistant (SIR) model. Participants determine whether a susceptible person becomes...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
How Novel Icefish Genes Can Improve Human Health
Designed to accompany the 13-minute video The Making of the Fittest: The Birth and Death of Genes, this handout serves as both a viewing guide during the video and an analysis of how the adaptations of the icefish might help treat...
Curated OER
What Makes a Habitable Planet?
Students list conditions necessary for humans to survive. They then mix yeast with a nutrient broth consisting of warm water and table sugar in a plastic bottle, capping it with a party balloon and compare the factors within the bottle...
Serendip
Golden Rice – Evaluating the Pros and Cons
More than half the world's population eats rice as a daily staple ... imagine if that rice could prevent illness. Scientists genetically engineered rice to include vitamin A for just that purpose. However, room for debate still exists....
Curated OER
Prairie Scavenger Hunt
Middle schoolers take a close look at the prairie environment. They identify common plants and animals of the prairie. In addition, pupils work in teams in order to put together a presentation on a certain aspect of the prairie...
Curated OER
Field Research: Conducting an Interview
Go through the proper steps to setting up and conducting an interview as part of research. Slides detail preparation, materials you should have, and follow-up procedures. Specific questions for the interview are not suggested but the...
Curated OER
Listening to the Prairie
Students, in groups, visit an exhibit and for a prairie scavenger hunt to locate sunflowers and name products made from them. After sketching a prairie dog, they find nature cues farmers use when growing plants and raising animals. The...
Curated OER
Sports Helmets and Impact Testing of Polymers
Students examine the importance of good quality safety gear. In this investigative lesson, students will tests various polymers, collect data, and analyze the data to determine which polymer is best for safety helmets. They will design a...
Curated OER
WHAT DARWIN NEVER SAW: Evolution, Science, Biology, Natural Selection
Students view video showing recent field work on a twenty two-year study of finch beaks on a small island in the Galapagos, showing natural selection clearly operating in the wild.
Curated OER
Planting Trees to Help the Planet
Students react to a series of statements about trees, then read a news article about the planned planning of millions of trees to celebrate Arbor Day. In this planting trees lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion...
Curated OER
How Does Evolution Work?
Students are introduced to how the process of evolution works. As a class, they review the characteristics of natural selection and how those with advantageous traits reproduce and survive. To test this theory of natural selection,...
Curated OER
Clay Ants: Insect Anatomy
Students examine anatomic structures in order to identify insects from other living organisms. They gain a level of comfort from anxiety when observing and handling live and pinned insects. They create clay models of an insect.
Curated OER
Unfold the Mystery of Mold
Students research the conditions in which molds thrive. They apply the scientific method to develop a hypothesis, conduct research and test results.
Curated OER
Dirty Decomposers
Seventh graders design and conduct experiments to determine what environmental factors favor decomposition by soil microbes. They use chunks of carrot for the materials to be decomposed, and their experiments are carried out in plastic...
Curated OER
Designing More Effective Packages
Students make an environmentally sound package. In this packaging lesson students examine various types of modern packaging. The problem of waste is discussed leading into a discussion of waste reduction. The students choose an item that...
Curated OER
Mapping Data Made Manageable
Students explore how to select unbiased random samples as they choose report data to include on maps. They propose methods for choosing random numbers and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. They consider bias in science.
Curated OER
Why Don't Whales Have Legs?
Young scholars are given a variety of materials and are asked to design a heat loss experiment that results in a reasonable explanation of "Why don't whales have legs?" students work with the theory of natural selection.
Curated OER
Food Wars
Students investigate the debate whether schools should regulate the amount or type of food and drink students consume. They write and present position papers after reading an online NY Times article.
Curated OER
Radio
Students explain in their own words how radios work. For this technology lesson, students discuss the importance of radio today. They differentiate AM and FM bands.
Curated OER
Why preserve biodiversity?
Middle schoolers view photos of endangered species on the Internet and discuss the reasons why these animals are threatened and why they should be protected. They use the words: biodiversity, ecosystem, and extinction in sentences to...