Overcoming Obstacles
Perseverance and Personal Best
A lesson focuses on perseverance. Scholars define the term, list ways to show it, and make and set goals using a color-coded worksheet. The class encourages their peers to work towards their personal best.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Understanding Variation
Does where we live influence how our bodies express genetic traits? Explore variation in human skin color with an activity that incorporate video and hands-on learning. Individuals model the relationship between phenotypes and genotypes,...
Curated OER
What Color Is Your Apple?
Third graders spend time identifying the characteristics they have and ones they would like to develop for their own personal growth. As a class, they brainstorm ways they can tell they are growing up or being mature. Individually, they...
Itsy Bitsy Fun
Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Practice color words and following instructions with a set of worksheets. Kids read each description on the side of the page about a person's hair color and clothing colors, and color the parts of the illustration accordingly.
Smithsonian Institution
Expedition: Insects
Get up close and personal with beautiful and sometimes dangerous insects in an exciting eBook activity! Pupils practice geography skills by reading a map with the location of six different insects. Scientists read about each insect,...
Curated OER
Families and Heredity
Personality traits and physical appearance traits within families are the focus here. Learners make a poster which lists the shared physical traits they have with their family. Peers look at each poster and write down the traits they see...
Cherokee County Schools
Dragon Genetics
It's alive! Turn young biologists into mad scientists with this engaging genetics activity. Using their knowledge of chromosomes and genes, high schoolers create dragons with unique sets of traits, eventually breeding them to make a new...
Curated OER
Inherited Traits
Students work with a partner to complete an inventory of their traits and compare and discuss their unique qualities. In this biology lesson, students determine percentages for the frequency of observed traits of classmates, compile the...
Agriculture in the Classroom
Roll of the Genes
Animal reproduction in sheep and cattle is explored with the help of Punnet squares. Scholars employ tools using probability to conclude the color of wool a sheep's offspring will have. Acting as animal geneticists, pupils then take...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Genes Come in Pairs
Mendel was the first to look at individual traits within a species. Step in his shoes as an interactive lesson takes users through his journey. An animation describes the design of his experiments and how he isolated individual traits to...
Curated OER
Maniac McGee: Find Your Match
Students explore similarities and differences between people. For this diversity and literacy lesson, students read Maniac McGee and consider character traits. Students play a game in which they locate classmates with similarities and...
Curated OER
A PLAY ON WORDS
After making predictions about Janell Cannon's story Verdi, middle schoolers read through the book and make a new list of descriptions, personality traits, etc. They select an animal and write a narrative story about the animal, paying...
Novelinks
Touching Spirit Bear: The Literary Mandala
Even someone with a dark side can make a good decision—and vice versa. Readers explore Cole's traits and decisions in Ben Mikaelson's Touching Spirit Bear and analyze his sunside and shadowside. They identify a symbol that best...
Curated OER
Create Your Perfect Dog!
Young scholars create the perfect dog. They read and discuss Clifford's Sports Day and identify Clifford's personality traits. After listening to the story, they discuss their concept of a perfect dog with their families and draw...
Curated OER
Reproduction and Heredity
Sixth graders investigate how traits are passed from parents to their offspring. They list things they have in common with family members, read key vocabulary terms, create a poster of shared physical and personality traits, and watch...
Curated OER
AP: Chapter 15: The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
AP biology course-takers peer into the workings of inheritance with this worksheet. They examine the Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance, Morgan's fruit fly experimentation, and sex-linked genetic traits. Vocabulary definitions and...
Curated OER
Taster of Non-Taster?
Young scholars investigate their own inherited traits by using taste papers. In this genetic traits lesson, students test their ability to taste various substances, which is determined by inherited genetic traits. They take home taste...
Oklahoma State University
Hairy Heredity
Young scholars learn that heredity comes down to the flip of a coin with this cross-curricular math and science lesson. Using smiley faces as a model, students toss coins to determine which dominant or recessive traits will be passed on...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Are You Balanced?
Balance scales create a strong visual of how an individual prioritizes one's self alongside their commitments to the community, school, and home. Scholars complete a graphic organizer then discuss their findings with their peers. A...
Do2Learn
Social Play Action Figures
Three activities stem from one hands-on project designed to explore character traits. Scholars create an action figure that reflects their personality to teach others about themselves and role play conversational skills.
National Gallery of Art
Van Gogh’s Self-Portraits
Scholars get to know famous Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh, as an artist as well as a person. After reading personal letters and analyzing paintings, participants paint two self-portraits that represent their personality. Then, write a...
Universal Press Syndicate
The Mini Page: Make It a Good New Year
The New Year is a time for reflecting on the previous year in order to make resolutions and set goals for self improvement. With multiple suggestions towards becoming a better classmate, student, friend, and healthy person, the resource...
Curated OER
Human Traits
Students study vocabulary and complete a survey. In this human traits lesson students collect and analyze data then discuss what they learned.
Curated OER
Word Kaleidoscope
Students use a ruler to divide their paper into eight sections. They write words of importance to them in each section, using the shape of the section to form the word. Students color between letters and spaces with markers, creating a...