Curated OER
Harvest of Fear
Students research and debate the pros and cons of genetically altered foods. Students discuss whether they would be willing to eat genetically modified foods and whether these foods should be allowed to be created.
Serendip
Is Yeast Alive?
Through two investigations, life science learners determine whether or not yeast is alive. They perform tests for metabolism by providing sugar and observing if gas is produced as a byproduct. They incubate some of the sample for at...
Teach Engineering
DNA Forensics and Color Pigments
Use food coloring in electrophoresis. The last segment in a four-part series mimics DNA fingerprinting by using chromatography. Teams conduct chromatography on food coloring to find colors that use similar pigmentation in their makeup.
Curated OER
Breaking News: GM Cows to Produce Human Breast Milk
Students explore current events by reading and analyzing an article in class. In this human diet lesson, students read an article about cows which are being genetically modified in order to produce human breast milk for consumption....
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
DNA Extraction
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...
Curated OER
What is Life? Demonstrations & Discussion
Display seven items for your biologists to consider. Are they living or non-living? How can you tell? This is a simple outline of what you can display and questions that can be discussed as this topic is explored. One way to use this...
Teach Engineering
Corn for Fuel?!
Can corn power the world? Young scientists learn about how corn and other plants can provide renewable biofuels in the second of nine lessons. They set up an experiment to investigate how different variables affect plant growth. All of...
Curated OER
Teaching Biotechnology by Analogies and Models
Young scholars examine analogies and create models to help visualize the concept and technique of basic biotechnology. Common scenarios are used to explain the complex procedures of genetic engineering.
Curated OER
The Giver
Young scholars read and analyze the novel, 'The Giver.' They classify activities in an activity regarding freedom of choice, create a list of rules, conduct a debate, write a skit, and write an essay on genetic engineering or utopian...
Teach Engineering
Restriction Enzymes and DNA Fingerprinting
Show your class why restrictions aren't always a bad thing. In the third segment of a four-part series, the instructor develops the idea of restriction enzymes. Pupils learn how scientists use restriction enzymes in DNA analysis and DNA...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Calculating Your Ecological Footprint
You can lower your ecological footprint by recycling! Lesson four in this series of five has individuals, through the use of a computer, calculate their ecological footprints. Through discussions and analysis they determine how many...
Curated OER
Writing a Political Leader
Students investigate politics by writing a formal letter. For this U.S. Government lesson, students discuss political issues they would like to address and research their topic using the Internet. Students locate an appropriate political...
Curated OER
High Tech Food
Students view videos, read, and fill in charts about agriculture production. In this agriculture lesson plan, students complete these agriculture activities and explore careers in agriculture.
Curated OER
Cheese Please
Students make cheese in their classroom! In this cheese lesson plan, students use bacteria and active culture to clot and age cheese that could be edible in the future.
Curated OER
Ecological Dilemmas
In this ecological dilemmas instructional activity, students read about people's impact on ecosystems. Students complete 3 activities that require them consider the negative impact humans have on their environment.
Curated OER
What is April Fool's Day?
Students explore humor by creating their own practical joke. In this April Fool's Day lesson, students read different situations in which practical jokes were taken too far. Students discuss their reactions to the jokes and identify when...
Curated OER
DNA, Protein Synthesis and Mutations
Tenth graders investigate the chemical composition of DNA and RNA and how they work together to synthesize protein. They discover genetic codes, gene chromosome theory, and how the environment influences our appearance.
Curated OER
Science: Designer genes
Students engineer new organisms using biotechnology. In small groups, they write procedures, list benefits and drawbacks, and explain how their new organism might affect the environment. After creating their new organisms, they present...
Curated OER
I Feel Renewed!
Students participate in a simulation of the equal and unequal distribution of the earth's renewable resources. They discuss renewable resources and how food resources can increase and decrease, participate in the simulation, and analyze...
Curated OER
Heredity Mix 'n Match
Students randomly select jelly beans that represent genes for several human traits such as tongue-rolling ability and eye color. Then, working in pairs (preferably of mixed gender), students randomly choose new pairs of jelly beans from...
Curated OER
How To Make Yeast Cells Thrive
Students set up and run the experiments they designed in the lesson, 'Population Growth in Yeasts,' using simple yeast-molasses cultures in test tubes. They demonstrate understanding that several environmental factors can contribute to...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Calculating Your Carbon Footprint
Unplugging from technology for one day per week will decrease your carbon footprint—are you up to the challenge? Part two in a series of three allows individuals to explore their personal carbon footprints. By first taking a quiz at home...
Curated OER
DNA Technologies
After giving some of the basic characteristics of the DNA molecule, the slides provide process information and many detailed diagrams about plasmids, vectors, and their application in cloning genes.
Curated OER
The Benefits of Biodiversity
Students examine the concept of biodiversity. They toss coins to determine what traits mouse parents have and the babies traits as well. They predict what would happen to the baby mice if the traits of the parents were different.