University of Southern California
What Lives In The Ocean?
One of the most diverse environments on Earth is the ocean. Young scientists explore the living things found in the ocean during an exciting seven-lesson unit. Their study includes organisms from plankton to invertebrates and vertebrates...
WK Kellogg Biological Station
Sounds of Selection
Do you want a creative and fun way to teach about natural selection? Hop to it by turning your middle school princes and princesses into frogs trying to catch as many bugs as possible in a Hungry Hungry Hippos style game. For high...
Curated OER
The Five Classes of Vertebrates
What a terrific lesson! Learners discuss the animal kingdom, and classify them as vertebrates and invertebrates. They also identify them as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. There is even a taxonomic breakdown of popular...
Serendip
DNA Structure, Function and Replication
Before a cell replicates, its DNA must replicate. Take advantage of a hands-on guided lesson to teach budding scientists how this happens. Using a set of nucleotide cards, learners become the DNA and work to create matching strands...
Curated OER
A Colony is Born : Lesson 5 - Dear Mem
Discover colonies! Young historians will listen to a primary source journal entry read aloud with a backdrop of wave sounds. They discuss the entry, add historical facts to a chart and personal insights to another. Then they listen to...
Curated OER
The Road
Use psychodynamic theory as a part of analyzing a career cluster.The class defines vocabulary words, brainstorms a list of career traits, and completes an online career analysis inventory. They analyze 5 concepts of psychodynamic...
Curated OER
Characteristics of Living Things
Seventh graders identify the characteristics of living and non-living things. In this biology lesson, 7th graders define vocabulary words as they go through the lesson. They answer a crossword puzzle after class discussion.
Curated OER
Genetic Disorders
Seventh graders discuss traits, traits that are inherited and how genes and chromosomes carry the code for traits. They research genetic disorders and their link to chromosome abnormalites and write a report on their findings. which...
Curated OER
Where is That Light Coming From?
Learners investigate the chemistry of bioluminescence and discuss how various organisms benefit from this trait. They prepare a report about of at least one organism that receives each of the benefits discussed.
Curated OER
Animals Around the World
Students study different kinds of animals and what group they belong to. In this animal classification lesson students view different animals and sort them by what group they belong to, for example a snake is in the reptile group.
Curated OER
Perplexing Polka Dots
Tell case study story of EMS-induced chlorophyll polka-dots in C-ferns. You will need to be familiar with the experiment, as there are some slides that have only photos, no text and no presenter's notes. By using this presentation,...
Curated OER
Genetics, Heredity, Environment
High schoolers are introduced to the concept of genetics. In groups, they discover how traits are passed down from generation to generation. To end the lesson, they determine which trait they got from each parent and review how a cell...
Curated OER
Dinoflagallates of Bioluminescent Bay
Fifth graders research dinoflagallates of the Bioluminescent Bay. They research the Internet for pictures of the Bio Bay and discuss the difference between ecosystems and ecoregions. They research a marine ecoregion and create a poster.
!["For the Birds" [part I] Lesson Plan](http://content.lessonplanet.com/resources/thumbnails/122462/large/cgrmlwnvbnzlcnqymdeymtaxny0ynji5lwd4n2h5by5qcgc.jpg?1414222903 "\"For the Birds\" [part I] Lesson Plan")
Curated OER
"For the Birds" [part I]
Students identify birds that appear in Chinese and Japanese art, learning about
their physical characteristics, classifying them according to scientific principles, and exploring their habitats and migration patterns. This is part one...
Curated OER
Human genome project
High schoolers research writings on "the book of life." Students research the human genome project. High schoolers discover the issues of nature versus nurture are still hashed over in the scientific community.
Curated OER
Mendelian and Non-Mendelian Heredity
Tenth graders discuss their physical features, and why they look the way they do. They listen as the teacher discusses DNA, alleles, and dominant or recessive genes. Students perform an experiment with different colored markers...
Curated OER
Moving West!
Students explore, explain and experience the importance of good character traits in everyday life by assessing the challenging journeys traveled on the Oregon Trail. They study the daily accounts of perseverance and courage along the trail.
Curated OER
Patterns of Heredity
Students describe the differences between incomplete dominance and codominant alleles, and between multiple alleles and polygenic inheritance. They describe how internal and external environments affect gene expression. They then...
Curated OER
Zoom into Microscopy
Students discover proper microscope use. In this microscopy instructional activity, students create picture books that show the detail of organisms as seen with the human eye, through a hand lens, and at each power of the microscope.
Curated OER
"I Have a Dream"
Students examine the role Martin Luther King Jr. played in America's history and what life was like in the 1960's. They watch and discuss an online video about the childhood of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the holiday enacted in his...
Curated OER
Celebrating Women: Toni Morrison
Students research Toni Morrison's life, work as a writer, and major contributions to the field of literature; students choose one of her novels to read, & perform a scene from it; each group member writes an autobiographical essay...
Curated OER
Cold and Warm Blooded Animals
Students research facts about a cold or warm-blooded animal in order to designa report either as PowerPoint or word processed document. They use online resources and insert images in to the report. They include the specified criteria and...
Curated OER
Genetic Screening In The Workplace: Case Study
Students participate in a small group discussion/role play of a specific case study concerning the use of genetic screening in the workplace.
Curated OER
Biome Discovery Expedition
Students research similarities and differences among biomes online. They simulate job of zoo planners, and depart on expedition to decide which biome the city zoo should construct, as well as which plants and animals to include in it.