Literacy Design Collaborative
To Be or Not to Be: The Evolution of Hamlet’s Personality
How does Hamlet's state of mind change over the course of Shakespeare's most famous revenge tragedy? After a close reading of Hamlet's soliloquies in Act III, scene 1 and Act IV, scene iv, class members engage in a Paideia/Socratic...
Curated OER
AP: Chapter 26: Origin of Life
Five pages take biologists on a generalized survey of the origin of life. Queries are made regarding theories of how life developed, ancient Earth conditions, and the ever-changing field of taxonomy. The experiments of different...
Curated OER
How Life on Earth Began
Seventh graders investigate the concept of evolution and how it was a mechanism for the foundation of life on Earth. They conduct research and attempt to make cognitive connections with the evidence to agree with the presupposition of...
Curated OER
Becoming Whales: Experiencing Discoveries of
High schoolers experience, through a "dig," the historical discovery of fossils which increasingly link whales to earlier land-dwelling mammals. They encounter the intermediate forms which show changes that lead to the modern whale.
Curated OER
Introducing Evolution
The intent of this slide show is to introduce young biologists to evolution, specifically how populations change through time. The content does not support the stated objective. What you will find in this presentation is general...
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The Fossil Evidence for Evolution
Students explore how scientists use fossils to explore how various species have evolved over time. In this fossil instructional activity students study how to date fossils.
Curated OER
What Proof is There to Support Biological evolution?
Students identify who developed the theory of evolution. The concepts of adaptation and development are discussed. The age of the earth is explored in relationship to the development of various species. The condition of the environment...
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Evolution Simulation
Young scholars simulate the process of evolution. Using index cards, they copy a drawing. Each subsequent drawing is sent around the room. The results are compared to the original drawing.
Historical Thinking Matters
Scopes Trial: 3 Day Lesson
Was the Scopes trial more complicated than a simple debate between evolutionists and creationists? As part of a structured academic controversy (SAC) activity, pupils consider multiple perspectives of the Butler Act and engage in close...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics - Evolution of the Earth
Tons of photographs, diagrams, animations, and satellite images fill the slides of an education earth science presentation. It begins with volcanic activity and earthquakes, and then moves into plate tectonics, boundaries, and driving...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Changes in Voting Participation
Students give examples to indicate how voting participation changed in the first half of the 19th century, and make connections between changes in voting participation and the results of the election of 1828.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Natural Selection and the Evolution of Darwin's Finches
Darwin explained the connection between species of finches 150 years before scientists understood DNA. Technology and progressing science proved he was right, yet many struggle to understand how natural selection happens. Scholars use...
Science 4 Inquiry
The Ins and Outs of Photosynthesis
The most important chemical process on Earth is photosynthesis. Scholars explore the changes in the gases in our atmosphere as life on Earth developed. They create a model of photosynthesis and consider simple questions.
Oregon State
World Map of Plate Boundaries
Young geologists piece together the puzzle of plate tectonics in an earth science lesson. Given a physical map of the world, they search for land formations that indicate the location of different types of plate boundaries.
Curated OER
Charles Darwin
Students research Charles Darwin and the process he used to develop his theory of evolution. They keep a journal about the skill of observation and make a newspaper of their learning.
Curated OER
Embryology as Evidence of Evolution
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...
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History Theory of Evolution
Students identify fossils. They identify evidence of change over time when given pictures of fossils to determine the proper sequencing. In addition, they determine evolutionary relationships by comparing embryonic structures.
Curated OER
What is the Evidence for Evolution?
Students work in teams in this Webquest, to conduct research on selected Web sites and then report their findings. In this Evolution WebQuest, specialists (students) gather evidence from the fields of paleontology, anatomy and...
Curated OER
Roots: The Ancestry of Modern People
High schoolers investigate the models for the origin of modern humans and the conditions that facilitate speciation and evolution. The classification and nomenclature of hominid species is also examined.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Stalking the Genetic Basis of a Trait
Need an a-maize-ing lesson to show your class how regulatory genes work? If you use the well-written resource, they'll be all ears! Biology scholars discover the gene responsible for the evolution of the modern-day corn plant through a...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Lactose Intolerance: Fact or Fiction
Around the world, about 2/3 of adult humans are lactose intolerant. Scholars work in small groups to discuss a few statements about lactose intolerance. Then, they watch a video on the topic and readdress each statement. Whole-class...
Curated OER
The Origins of Man
Students learn about new technologies being used to update what is known about human evolution and migration. They then compare the new theories to the traditional knowledge.
Curated OER
Exploring Evolution Lesson Plans
There are evolution lesson plans that can help teachers get past the controversy to increase student understanding of natural selection.
Curated OER
Survival of the Fittest – Battling Beetles
Students explore natural selection. For this genetic adaptation instructional activity, students discover why certain traits continue and some traits disappear. Students discover how species evolve and change. Resources are provided.