Explore the scientific method of classification. An interactive activity asks learners to create a classification system for a group of objects and develop a flow chart to communicate their systems. In addition, individuals use a...

Is cattle ranching on Santa Rosa island viable or non-viable? Rather than focusing on the issues of the transition of Santa Rosa island from a privately owned island cattle ranch to a national park, class members are asked to consider if...

Can science put an end to the poaching of endangered species? Show your young forensic experts how biotechnology can help save wildlife through an exciting electrophoresis lab. Grouped pupils analyze shark DNA to determine if it came...

Uncover the basics of DNA structure through exploration activities. Collaborative groups build DNA models and recreate the process of replication. Then, using plant cells such as peas or strawberries, they extract a DNA sample.

Ethical concerns are not always black and white. A well-designed lesson plan presents learners with scenarios for which ethics may come into question. Scholars learn to consider the different sides of a situation and make an...

Now you have a new excuse not to do your homework. A long-term experiment has learners explore cellulose-digesting enzymes. They simulate how paper breaks down in a compost bin. There's no need to blame your dog for eating your homework...

Oncology presents multiple opportunities for research and the collaboration of many different types of scientists. Scholars divide into groups and research the history of mass spectrometry, polarity/non-polarity,...

After initial exposure to a carcinogen, a cancer diagnosis often takes more than a decade due to the slow buildup of mutated cells in the body. Scholars learn about the biology of cancer with a worksheet and discussion questions. They...

Octopodes existed for hundreds of thousands of years before humans, yet our eyes share many similarities. Scholars analyze the evidence to determine if the evolution of eyes best fits a homology or analogy model. They discuss the issue...

Pregnant women exposed to PAH air pollution increase the risk of obesity in their children. The example of epigenetics, along with others, builds the basis for understanding the process of cell differentiation. Scholars view a video,...

Students examine lichens in an outside field trip. Students explore the diversity of this organism and ask questions about them.

How is the Earth's weather created? Middle schoolers will explain how the Sun's energy is transformed into different forms. They will perform mathematical calculations of volume, mass, and temperature. They they will explain the...

If you are looking for a great way to present natural selection in humans, look no further. This handout is intended to accompany the 14-minute video The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection in Humans, which can be found on the...

An exciting activity has scholars use cell parts to build bacteria through cooperation with other groups. Each group has some of the cell parts needed, but they must trade with other groups to be able to fulfill their function as a...

Find similarities in seemingly unlike organisms. The second instructional activity in a series of 12 builds the concept of a taxonomy and explores the use of a dichotomous key. Learners begin in part one by attempting to group a set of...

HIV mutates rapidly, making treatments challenging to find. Scholars learn about why it mutates so quickly and how scientists race to find treatments. The resource approaches the issue from both a molecular and evolutionary perspective...

Tenth graders research the history and discovery of DNA. Using their text, they label a basic DNA structure and the composition of genes. They explain how RNA and DNA differ from one other and discuss the processes of transcription and...

Ninth graders explore protein synthesis. In this DNA lesson students complete a worksheet and a DNA lab activity. 

Pupils draw a picture of a person from popular culture, then "clone" it using printing techniques in this Art lesson that tackles the questions surrounding cloning, DNA, and current scientific techniques. An emphasis is placed on the...

Students identify feelings and explore positive ways to handle conflict.  In this mental health lesson students discuss feelings and how to constructively handle them.

Students explore the concept of extinction by studying dinosaurs. In this dinosaur lesson, students distinguish between extinct creatures and those that still exist.

Young scholars explore the background of common diseases. In this personal health lesson, students research causative agents of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Young scholars use their research findings to create data tables...

What does your DNA actually look like? Use simple materials with this experiment to find out! Geneticists of all ages can follow these instructions to extract their own DNA. For learners who are hoping to extend the activity, there are...

An upper-level biology activity, the comprehensive worksheet found here accompanies a PowerPoint and the video The Making of the Fittest: The Birth and Death of Genes, both of which are linked to through the website. Depending on the...