Students observe the two major developmental pathways (protostome and deuterostome). They analyze data regarding differences in nucleotide sequences and construct a phylogenetic tree. They observe the similar evolutionary history shared...

Seventh graders compare/contrast the life cycles of free-living organisms to that of parasites. They conduct Internet research, illustrate the stages of a specific organisms's life cycle, and direct and produce a mini-video production.

High schoolers conduct two set experiments on Lumbriculus worms and create a third experiment of their own. The first of the two set experiments allows students to observe regeneration of the worms while the second allows high schoolers...

Oh, the dreaded writer's block! As part of a larger paper-writing series, an invaluable resource discusses obstacles and stresses writers face. Individuals learn to identify feelings associated with anxiety, as well as strategies for...

Students discuss and conduct a food safety experiment which looks at bacteria and food poisoning. They swab the other area of some food and grow bacteria in an agar plate.

Students perform a classroom experiment on the organisms of worms. They view the behaviors of the worms and analyze their results. This instructional activity introduces students to the techniques involved in behavioral studies.

Students experiment to determine the efficacy of various household cleaning products and soaps as antibacterial agents. They work in groups to complete this four part lesson series which includes identifying household bacteria,...

Students identify Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria using staining techniques. Students research importance of identification of bacterial types in diagnosing bacterial diseases.

High schoolers research examples of Natural Selection on a website provided by the teacher. They experiment in groups, different processes of Natural Selection and list them on a chart provided in this lesson plan

Fourth graders explore ecosystems by examining plants of the past. They discuss ways in which we interact with plants in our daily lives. Students discuss the role plants play in providing food for animals and the significance they had...

Students pretend to be enzyme that breaks toothpicks in timed intervals. They complete calculations to determine how many toothpicks are broken per second to determine the rate of reaction of the enzyme.

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...

Students perform an experiment involving reverse transcriptase-polymerized chain reaction HIV replication to better examine the biotechnology used by scientists in pharmaceutical research of infections diseases like HIV. Students examine...

Can scientists increase the rate of photosynthesis to help clean the air? Scholars complete an experiment determining net photosynthesis. Then, they apply knowledge from the activity to design their own investigations of the factors that...

A well-designed, comprehensive, and attractive slide show supports direct instruction on how sonar and echolocation work. Contained within the slides are links to interactive websites and instructions for using apps on a mobile device to...

Students hike a local mountain and examine its life zones. They measure various components at each zone and collect leaf litter at the sites. At the mountain top, students make descriptive observations and complete a handout about the...

Imagine a pair of dragons that produce offspring. What percentage of the hatchlings have wings and large antlers? An engaging activity draws genetics learners in, introduces them to alleles, meiosis, phenotypes, genotypes, and...

Students describe the structure of DNA and its components and can comprehend that real DNA and its cartoon representation are very different. They are able to link DNA to genetic make-up.

High schoolers explore and explain the role of vaccines in infectious disease, They emphasize immunological principles and viral/bacterial infection processes. Students explore the three main vaccine types: DNA vaccines ("gene gun"),...

High schoolers are able to discuss and prepare a written summary of a scientific article about AIDS. They propose solutions to the opening activity of which drug is more effective in the fight against AIDS.

Students use chromatography to separate plant pigments collected from a fictitious crime scene and suspects. They compare the Rf values of the plant pigments to determine whether the plant pigments found on any of the suspects match the...

High schoolers explore and can explain genetic diseases, and how the central dogma plays a key role in genetic diseases. They comprehend what DNA probe is and how it is created and that there is an ethical component to biotechnology.