American Psychological Association
Using Psychological Perspectives to Answer Questions on Behavior
Perspective is everything when it comes to assessing human behavior. Class members examine a series of statements and identify the perspective represented by each to demonstrate their understanding of different psychological perspectives.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Mendelian Genetics Cannot Fully Explain Human Health and Behavior
The breakthrough of Mendelian genetics solved many puzzles for biologists. Then, scientists decided to apply the theory to human behavior. Learn the story and struggle of finding a genetic explanation for hobbies, interests, and mental...
Curated OER
Genes, Environments, and Behavior 2
High schoolers explore the genetic and environmental factors that interact to produce variation in behavior across a population. They are introduced to the various approaches scientists use to explore this interaction. Students explore...
Curated OER
Why Do People Fall in Love?
Learners discuss human behavior, sexual selection and the underlying genetic and evolutionary reasons for mate selection. The, in groups, they rate the attractiveness of certain individuals and measure facial features for symmetry.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
DNA Is Only the Beginning for Understanding the Human Genome
Mario Capecchi requested funding for a new procedure targeting genes and was rejected. Four years later, after he proved it worked, the NIH apologized and funded his research. Use an online interactive to learn about his research and the...
Curated OER
Exploring Human Traits
Students explore human behavior by participating in a class science game. In this human characteristics lesson, students identify different human traits that are passed down by each generation and the purpose each of them have. Students...
Personal Genetics Education Project
Genetics and Reproduction
Disease prevention or designer babies? Use a set of slides to introduce the growing practice of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD. Teens read related articles and then break into groups to address different scenarios. Afterward,...
Personal Genetics Education Project
Scientific Themes in Personal Genetics
Humans can be tested for the presence of the BRCA gene, whose presence is an indicator that they have a greater chance of acquiring breast cancer than someone without the gene. Viewers have an opportunity to explore how genes and...
Curated OER
Genetics, Birth Disorders, and Pregnancy
Students in an alternative school setting for pregnant teens examine various facets of pregnancy including prenatal and postpartum testing, genetic influences, and additional risk factors. Through videos, hands-on activities, and small...
Curated OER
Teaching About Inherited Human Disorders Through Case Studies
Students explore case studies involving human disorders. They identify options and consequences of each decision. Students interview a family member with a disorder. They create a presentation of their interview.
American Museum of Natural History
Nature or Nurture Quiz
Eighteen questions ask pupils whether certain behavior or trait is based on nature or nurture. Scholars take a quiz, reflect on their answers, then challenge a friend or family member to complete it.
Curated OER
Understanding: The Power of Genes
Young scholars study genes and the new information on genetics. In this genes activity students write essays on their information on genetics.
Curated OER
Animals and Humans Say the Darnedest Things
Students explore and analyze human and animal communications and create a short film that illustrates their findings.
Curated OER
Analysis of Grooming Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
Learners engage in a lab that focuses on animal behavior in an open ended inquiry based laboratory experience. They build an ethogram, display a transition matrix and analyze a Markov Chain. They remove wings from the drosophila and...
Curated OER
Genes, Environments, and Behavior 1
Students examine how scientists study the genetic and environmental factors that interact to produce variation in behavior across a population.
Curated OER
Are You Susceptible?
Students play a game to explore the relationship between genetic variation and environmental factors in the onset of heart disease. They consider the implications for disease prevention of increased knowledge about genetic variation.
Curated OER
Cell Wall Recipe: A Lesson on Biofuels
Biotech engineers discover that changes in the DNA code for cell wall formation can help create crops better suited for biofuel production. They extract DNA from wheat germ. They decode paper strips with codes and relate the activity to...
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers
In the Skin of a Monster
Kathryn Barker's In the Skin of A Monster explores how a school massacre impacts a community. Unfortunately, the events depicted are all too familiar to many. This teacher's guide for Barker's novel offers activities that enable readers...
Curated OER
It's Genetic--Or Is It?
Students identify examples of the interplay between genes and environment on certain traits and discuss how the Human Genome Project has led to a greater understanding of the role of genes on complex traits.
Curated OER
Evolution, Genes, and Behavior
Students examine the roles of genes and evolution on behaviors. In groups, they identify the relationships among DNA, genes and chromosomes. They evaluate the different theories of language acquistion and how evolved tendencies interact...
Curated OER
The Human Organism
Eighth graders investigate animal behavior by studying the lives of three female behavior scientists. In this human organism lesson plan students do different activities that inquire and approach each females work.
Curated OER
The Illusion of Race
This is mostly an exploration of race through an interactive website, class readings, and discussion. Individuals take an online quiz about race, they answer questions on a worksheet by visiting another website, and discover that race is...
Curated OER
Genes, Environments, and Behavior 2
Pupils explore how scientists study the genetic and environmental factors that interact to produce variation in behavior across a population.
Curated OER
Understanding the Power of Genes
High schoolers research the impacts of genetic research on homes, research laboratories, and hospitals. In this genetics activity, students use the Internet to investigate the ways that genetics has affected our way of life. They present...