Virginia Department of Education
Organisms in Symbiosis
Searching for an activity that allows emerging biologists to explore symbiosis up close and personal? Pupils collect samples and view lichens through a microscope and conclude with a discussion about the relationship they have with other...
Virginia Department of Education
Classification of Organisms
Searching for the perfect indoor/outdoor activity that allows class members the opportunity to learn about organism classification? Here, pupils research organisms and categorize them according to domain and kingdom over the course of...
Curated OER
Species and Specimens: Exploring Local Biodiversity
Students practice skills essential to all scientific investigation: carefully observing and collecting data. They become field biologists in a series of hands-on activities to collect and identify specimens, and survey and calculate the...
Cornell University
Renewable Resins and Composites
Merge chemistry with environmental science to study biodegradable materials. An engaging activity allows learners to experiment with different resin concentrations and composites. Through experimental tests, scholars test their creations...
American Museum of Natural History
The Tree of Life
Groups of species can have more in common than meets the eye. An interactive cladogram shows some of the connections between important groups of species. Learners click on sections of the diagram to learn more about the connections or on...
American Museum of Natural History
Anatomy Adventure
Sometimes science is puzzling. Using an online animation, individuals manipulate skeletal bones of an ancient species to recreate its skeleton. Learners complete the skeletal puzzle and learn about the process of paleontology in person...
Curated OER
Fungal Viewing
Students recognize slides of different fungi. They work in lab groups. Students view slides under the microscope, then draw and label the parts, magnification, and the organism. Students discuss similarities between some fungi and...
Curated OER
Fungal History
Students identify different types of fungi. They discuss how mushrooms are used in American culture and research an issue about a type of fungi. They share their information with the class.
Curated OER
Cavern Life: The Food Web
Students explain the importance of elements on a food web. They realize that without light there can be no life. They perform various activities based on grade level.
Curated OER
Microorganism Multiplication
Sixth graders explore biology by viewing video clips in class. In this microorganism identification lesson, 6th graders identify the types of organisms that can feed small animals such as algae and protozoans. Students view video clips...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Viral Lysis and Budding
How do some viruses spread so quickly, and why do they make us feel terrible? Answer these (and many more) questions through a simple yet impactful lessons. Pupils observe demonstrations that show the two methods viruses use to escape...
University of Kentucky
Beneficial Bug Scavenger Hunt
Many people think of bugs as annoying pests to be squashed, but most insects and spiders are beneficial, eating the actual pests or pollinating plants. After reviewing some of the common bugs in your area (they may differ from those...
Curated OER
Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
Exactly how environmentally friendly is your school? From the air fresheners in the bathrooms to the cleaning solvents used in the classrooms, young conservationists search the school grounds for sources of air pollution in...
Curated OER
Red Worms Rock!
Second graders measure red worms. In this lesson plan, 2nd graders observe and collect data on red worms. Students measure the red worms and create a graph with the data they collect.
Scholastic
Study Jams! The Kingdoms of Life
Life science learners discuss the characteristics of five kingdoms of life: animals, plants, fungi, protists, and bacteria in this video. Viewers find out from the dialogue that scientists group organisms according to similarities. This...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Teach Mrs. Jones' Class about Microbes
During a biology lesson, scholars research microbes, design a lesson plan using an outline, and present the lesson to the class.
Teach Engineering
Dirty Decomposers
Do not let the class just sit and rot. Pupils learn how decomposition and nutrient recycling is important to an ecosystem. Groups design an experiment to determine how environmental conditions affect decomposition. They develop a poster...
Curated OER
When Microbes Attack
Students study how the body defends itself against the invasion of harmful microbes and how certain types of drugs can provide assistance. They design and execute their own experiments to test whether increasing the number of types of...
Curated OER
Backyard Bugs
Explore the concept of scientific classification and the similarities and differences between plant and animal species. Your class will participate in hands-on activities by investigating dichotomous keys and classifying their shoes. To...
Curated OER
Diseases
Sixth graders create a type of notebook or journal using colored copy paper on which to take notes. They complete research on a certain disease and report on it and then design their own disease causing bacteria or virus. Finally, 6th...
Curated OER
Parts of a Plant Lesson
Learners, after reading about the parts of a plant, identify each part and describe its function.
Curated OER
A Tree of Life Activity
High schoolers solve a mystery of the identification of a unknown organism by comparing its morphological characteristics to those in a tree of life classification poster. They compare the observable characteristics of the specimen and...
Forest Foundation
The Web of Life
Producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers. To begin a study of the forest ecosystem, learners examine the connections among the members of ecological communities.
Virginia Department of Education
Cell Parts
What do a bird, an egg, a rabbit, and a toad all have in common? This fun-filled resource explains the similarities and differences between cells and how all cells are similar, yet all are different. Learners begin by depicting a...