Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Day the Mesozoic Died
While this is not the traditional, step-by-step lesson plan, it is chock-full of material that you can easily incorporate into your earth history unit. Its main purpose is to serve as a guide to using a three-part film, The Day the...
Curated OER
Introduction to Ecology
Eighth graders identify the living and nonliving components of an ecosystem. In this ecology instructional activity, 8th graders explain the role each organism plays. They participate in class discussion and answer a quiz at the end of...
Curated OER
Ecology: Symbiosis
Eighth graders identify various types of symbiotic relationships. In this ecology lesson, 8th graders predict whether certain organisms can form symbiosis with other organisms. They discuss and defend their reasoning.
Curated OER
Ecology: Effects of Land Use on Natural Streams
Eighth graders examine how humans affect various ecosystems. In this ecology lesson plan, 8th graders discuss different ways that contaminants enter the stream. They explain the consequences of eutrophication in lakes.
Curated OER
Tortoise Tales
Learners read journal entry from a Gal??pagos field researcher, find examples of five ecological relationships (competition, predation, parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism) and take notes on the details they find in the entry using a...
Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement (COSEE)
Arctic Smorgasbord
Though the walrus spends roughly one third of its time on land, it eats organisms that live on the bottom of the ocean. The first in a series of five, the lesson uses a variety of plant and animal cards to have scholars build an arctic...
Curated OER
Studying Fossils
Students hypothesize dinosaur size and speed by looking at dinosaur track way or by measuring a dinosaur models water displacement. In addition, techniques to help students become familiar with the ways paleontologists study fossils can...
Curated OER
Introduction to Biomes
Eighth graders identify the different kinds of biomes. In this life science lesson, 8th graders explain their importance in an ecosystem. They take a BrainPop quiz at the end of the lesson..
Curated OER
Ecology: Adaptations
Eighth graders identify different types of adaptation in organisms. For this biology lesson, 8th graders explain how adaptation help organisms survive. They complete a worksheet at the end of the lesson.
Berkeley Engineering and Mentors
Darwin's Finches
Try a twist on the old finch beak and chopsticks activity by using M&Ms on a Twister mat. Spoons, knives, forks, and chopsticks represent beaks and are randomly assigned to your little birds, who must collect as much food as possible...
Curated OER
Studying Fossils
Students study the Evolution in the Light of Fossils. Activities in this lesson range from quantitative measurements of hominoid skulls to the comparison of hominoid bone structures. They hypothesize dinosaur size and speed by looking at...
Curated OER
Species Diversity and Phylogeny
Students explore the classification system of organisms: taxonomy. They examine prepared slides of Protozoans and record information on a Taxonomy Recording Sheet. Two additional classifying activities are also included in this lesson.