Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Viral DNA Integration
How do viruses hijack our cells to produce more viral particles? Junior immunologists model how viral RNA integrates into a host cell's DNA using pop beads and use interactive tools to explore a virus' genome. The teacher's guide...
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Pharmaceutical Lesson Plan
Students are able to discuss and prepare a written summary of a scientific article about AIDS. They propose solutions to the opening activity of which drug is more effective in the fight against AIDS.
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Changes of Puberty
Examine the growth and development that takes place during the pre-teen and teen years. Middle schoolers discuss puberty and then research specific changes that occur during puberty. The class performs skits based on the changes they...
Illinois Valley Community College
STEM Activities for Middle School Students
Use STEM activities within the class to provide connections to concepts. The resource includes activities that range from working with buoyancy to building rockets and launching them. Other activities involve the engineering design...
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Yeast Fermentation
Students measure the temperature change involved in the production of carbon dioxide by yeast. They also identify products and reactants in a chemical and balance the equation.
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Fiber of Life
Students examine the importance of plants to individuals and society through a multi-discipline set of activities. They observe and draw different leaf structures and then create a book about trees and photosynthesis. They explore ways...
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The Effects of Photosynthesis on Plant Growth
Students examine the process of photosynthesis; its products and reactants, and the sequence of the process. They diagram the light reactions, record observations of plants, and discuss how difficult it is to measure plant growth as it...
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Great Rivers 2: The Ups and Downs of River Flooding
Second in a three-part lesson on rivers, this lesson focuses on the flooding that occurs in riparian locations. First, learners take a look at facts about the Amazon River. They read online materials and fill in a worksheet as they...
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Toward a Sustainable Agriculture
Students analyze organic production systems. In this organic agriculture lesson plan, students examine key organic practices for both crop and livestock. This lesson plan includes 5 different activities, 4 critical thinking questions and...
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Maine Black Bear Research and Field Study Activity
Students participate in a field study of Maine Black Bears. They first do academic research on the Maine Black Bear. Following extensive research and discussion, students go out into the field with Maine State Biologist to observe bears...
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Surveying and Assessing the Environmental Compatibility of a Building Construction Site
Learners examine an area of land and assess its suitability for construction purposes. This project requires a vast amount of hands-on experimentation, data analysis, community involvement, and job shadowing/career awareness.
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West Nile Virus Strikes Again
Students examine the West Nile virus and how it is impacting an American Indian reservation, In this virus lesson students devise a prevention plan for an Indian reservation to help limit the transfer of the West Nile virus.
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Niches and Adaptations
Young scholars present information about a species, its niche, and adaptations. For this lesson on animal environments, students explore how surroundings can affect a given population resulting in adaptation.
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The Artemia Hatchery
Students, in groups, develop their hatcheries, working cooperatively in its design and construction. The lessons begin with the introduction to Artemia as a primary food source of many aquaculture species during their larval stages.
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Rock Solid
Students investigate the three types of material stress related to rocks. They watch a PowerPoint Presentation, view an online animation of the three types of rock stress, identify the various types of rocks, answer true or false...
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Food Chains & Food Webs
Tenth graders examine how energy is lost through different trophic levels. For this trophism lesson students construct a food web and view a video.
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The Birds and the Beaks
Learners explore the adaptations that birds have. In this adaptations lesson students view a video and create a concept map of birds and their adaptive traits.
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Population Growth
Students grow duckweed, observe what happens when an organism population is allowed to grow without predation or competition, view videos about invasive species, and develop a proposal for controlling the growth of an invasive species in...
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Kure Waste Chase Game Lesson
Students work together to identify marine debris. They explain the effect of the debris on various ecosystems. They draw different types of ocean currents as well.
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Whale Watcher Game Lesson
Students participate in an online whale watching game. They identify the reasons for migration and describe the route. They make predictions on what would happen if the ways did not migrate.
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What's Living in My Mouth?
Students articulate in written and oral formats that bacteria can be found living everywhere. They explain in written and oral formats why the immune system is necessary. Students are presented with an opportunity to see bacteria alive...
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Testing Soils for Garden Planting
Sixth graders collect soil samples and record the location of the samples by using GPS.
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A Scientific Approach to Teaching about Evolution
Students examine fossils and analyzing their significance in relation to theories of evolution. Hand-outs are provided. This lesson could be supplementary to a broader unit on evolution or geology.
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Glucose Factory
Fourth graders determine, through laboratory activity, the presence or absence of glucose in a variety of plant leaves and stems. They work in groups and perform a three part laboratory which shows them how plants convert sunlighht to food.