Virginia Department of Education
Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
Provide high schoolers with their own indoor gardens! Emerging scientists discuss the process of photosynthesis and germinate seeds before growing plants in multiple lighting conditions. The hands-on application allows pupils to see...
Curated OER
Using the Internet to Do Punnett Squares
What a fun way to explore Mendelian Genetics! Using a computer connected to the Internet, beginning biologists construct and use Punnett squares of monohybrid crosses to explain how genetic traits are passed to offspring. Other websites...
Curated OER
Floating Fishes: How do Fishes Control Buoyancy?
Playing with balloons, water, oil, and bottles help put this lesson over the top! Participants use air-filled balloons in water tanks to experience gas compression. They also use oil-filled bottles to experiment with buoyancy. Included...
National Park Service
Nutcracker Fantasy
The Clark's nutcracker bird hides seeds in 25,000 different sites every year to save for winter. Lesson demonstrates how difficult it would be to find these seeds months later when they need them for food. In the first of five lesson,...
Curated OER
Biology: Understanding Cellular Organelles
Students distinguish the differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells. Using microscopes, they examine a variety of plant and animal cells. Working in groups, they draw and label plant and animal cells and show the mathematical...
Curated OER
Biology - Virus Modeling
Students research one of the many types of viruses. They create a 3-D model of the virus they researched with graphics software.
Curated OER
Fish Stix
Learners explore population biology. They describe and demonstrate
a visual census technique commonly used to survey reef fish populations. In addition, they analyze and interpret data from surveys of coral reef fish populations.
Curated OER
Science Lessons for Grade 8
Eighth graders identify the symptoms and causes of diabetes. In this biology lesson plan, 8th graders demonstrate how urine testing is used to diagnose illness. They explain why some metals are more reactive than others.
Curated OER
What do Earthworms Like to Eat?
Students encounter three ecosystems for earth worms prior to performing an experiment. It will introduce students to one form of ecosystem as well as demonstrate how earthworms and the foods they eat affect the environment in which they...
Curated OER
Meeting an Earthworm
Students inspect the anatomy of earthworms. In this earthworm instructional activity, students participate in a hands-on experiment as they analyze the structure of earthworms. Students demonstrate mastery through differentiated...
Curated OER
Endocrine Disruptors in Our Drinking Water: Should We Be Concerned?
Students investigate the different hormone contaminants in the water supply. In this math lesson plan, students analyze data tables and graphs. They demonstrate exponential growth and decay using frog populations.
Curated OER
Respiration
This series opens with diagrams of experimental setups. A data table is displayed and questions are asked, indicating that the intent is for lab groups to perform the depicted experiments. At slide twelve, a coherent lesson about the...
Curated OER
Basic Needs of Living Things - Lesson Two
Fourth graders study and identify the basic needs of a variety of organisms. Terrariums and aquariums are used to demonstrate what plants, animals, and fish need to stay alive. These two classic models are used to effectively convey what...
Curated OER
Basic Needs of Living Things - Lesson One
An interesting way of teaching about basic needs of different organisms awaits your fourth graders. Pupils take part in class discussions and demonstrations which should lead to a greater understanding of how to determine basic needs. As...
Curated OER
Who Lives in the Water? Stream Side Science
Andree Walker thought of everything when he wrote this resource. It includes a detailed list of materials and background information links for the teacher. In addition, it has procedures, a macroinvertebrate identification key, and tally...
Curated OER
Cell Size and Shape; Diffusion and Osmosis Processes
Use salmon eggs as a cell model for demonstrating the movement of water over concentration gradients. Junior scientists examine the same process microscopically with an onion cell. They use a thistle tube and a semipermeable membrane to...
Curated OER
Habitat Assessment
Third graders demonstrate the effects of varying environmental components on plants and animals: chemical, physical and biological characteristics of a habitat. They find chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the lake at...
Curated OER
Using a Controlled Experiment to Identify Two Unknown Plasmids
Student demonstrate knowledge of recombinant DNA techniques (restriction enzyme digest, gel electrophoresis, and staining gel). They demonstrate skills needed to complete a gel electrophoresis and interpret a stained gel. Pupils solve...
Discovery Education
Blueprint for Life
DNA is the code for all biological traits, both plant and animal. Using an exploratory lesson, learners begin to explore the concept of a biological code by decoding word puzzles. They then extract DNA from plant cells using detergent to...
Curated OER
Student Reading - The Unique Properties of Water
Without water there would be no life on this planet. Biology learners find out why by reading this handout. Create a worksheet of questions to answer after the reading. Follow it up with quick demonstrations or laboratory activities that...
Biology Junction
What Is Ecology?
Do you know the name for the biological study of interactions? A short presentation with accompanying worksheet introduces individuals to ecology. The materials offer a broad overview of the subject and the levels of organization to...
Curated OER
Metabolism & Enzymes
More extensive than just a general overview of digestion and reactions, this slide show gives information about all areas of enzyme function. Topics like the chemistry behind efficiency of enzymes, factors that affect speed of reaction,...
Biology Junction
Classification of Life
Did you know scientists identify more than 13 billion species of organisms, and they discover more almost every day? An interesting presentation demonstrates how scientists keep track of so many species. It also shows how they...
Curated OER
Animals of the Lost City
Begin with a demonstration of exothermic reactions and discussion of chemosynthesis. Your aspiring oceanographers research vent communities and then craft a mural of a vent community. This is a terrific method of introducing learners to...