Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seeds of Wetland Life

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students participate in several activities on seed exploration. In this biology lesson, students classify seeds according to their dispersal method. They explain the different adaptations plant have to disperse their seeds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Camouflage and Protective Coloration: A Model of Natural Selection

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students study protective coloration and camouflage in animals. They create examples of each and conduct simulation-type experiments to determine which is the most effective adaptation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Architects of the Coral Reef

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students discuss reproduction in Cnidaria. in this coral reef lesson, students describe five characteristics of Cnidaria and compare and contrast the four classes. They describe the reproduction strategies they use. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Evolution and Gene Frequencies: A Game of Survival and Reproductife Success

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students research the population of Bengal tigers and their existence as either dominant or recessive. They explore the presence of fur on these tigers and its lethal combinations. Determinating the effect of random mating in a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Use of Myths in Science

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine folk tales to determine the basis for scientific myths. They demonstrate through the discussion of the folk tales that the perception of the world has changed as new information is gained. They write their own folk...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case of the Missing Pumpkin

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students explore the process of decomposition in plants. In this plant biology lesson, students use a cleaned out pumpkin and observe how the decomposition process takes place. Students write down adjectives to describe the pumpkin.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Discovery of Photosynthesis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore how scientists discover photosynthesis. In this biology lesson, students identify the basic requirements for photosynthesis to happen. They recreate past scientists' experiments and record their observations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animals of the Fire Ice

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine ocean life by identifying methane hydrates.  In this ocean life lesson, students research organisms that live in the coldest, deepest parts of the ocean and live off methane hydrates.  Students create a group...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living Organisms as Indicators of Pollutants in Fresh Water Ecosystems

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners observe the effects of pollution on living organisms. In this pollution lesson plan, students observe fresh water Hydra and look at their structures and movement. They place samples of pond and lake water on the Hydra and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching about the Effect of pH on Aquatic Organisms

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students perform experiments to determine the PH, acidity, and buffering qualities of a lake that make them sensitive to acid deposition.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Basic Introduction to Foundation of Life: Genes, Genetics and Genetic Diseases

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students are introduced to genetics along with genetic diseases and heredity. In groups, they complete a Punnett Square to determine the dominant and recessive genes. After viewing diagrams, they identify the characteristics of DNA and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In Search of a Land Ethic

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the theory that everything is connected to everything else. Students explore the concept of how do we put normative values on our nonhuman environment. Students investigate an ecologist and write an informational...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing the Impact of Multiple Uses

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study multiple land uses and their effects on one another. They assess multiple land uses in National Forests and Grasslands and evaluate the effects of each use on all other uses. They develop a comprehensive list of human...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Field Biology

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students work with 4th and 5th graders at Cascade Brook School in Farmington, to teach them skills in wildflower and fern identification, and then to help them implement a nature trail, which is accessible to the greater Farmington...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Cleaners

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars explore natural cleaners. In this science lesson plan, students gain an understanding of the effects that commercial cleaners have on the environment and teach them to make their own cleaners out of less hazardous materials.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Charles Darwin's Hardware Shop

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Using an assortment of hardware, junior biologists explore the theory of evolution. They consider how simple pieces of hardware might be changed into similar items and display their discoveries on a poster. The lesson would be...
Lesson Plan
Tech Museum of Innovation

Seed Dispersal

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Engineering challenges are not just man-made ... nature has its own set of them. A hands-on STEM activity has groups designing a seed dispersal system. Each group can only use one sheet of paper — a tough task!
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

That's Predictable - Stream Side Science

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Research the impact that changes in biotic or abiotic factors might have on an ecosystem. Debate for or against the changes and take action in the community. This resource ideally follows stream studies that young ecologists may have...
Lesson Plan
Give and Let Live

Blood and Transplant: Blood

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Why is blood donation so important, anyway? Science and health classes across multiple grades benefit from an in-depth look into the need for and process of blood donation. With an emphasis on presenting the topic in a non-threatening...
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Discovering the Wallace Line

For Teachers 9th - 12th
When studying locations of specific species, interesting patterns emerge. Young scholars discover this as they plot the location of specific species on a group of islands. Patterns emerge as they identify the Wallace Line. They then...
PPT
Curated OER

Evidence of Evolution by Natural Selection - Testable Hypotheses

For Teachers 11th - 12th
The factors that affect selection and evolution are investigated here. Information about some common ancestry examples are given but with no real scientific evidence. This presentation is very obvious in making biased claims about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We’ve Bean Growing: Anatomy of Germination

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students identify the main parts of a seed. In this biology lesson, students explain the factors needed for the seed to grow. They record observations everyday and report findings to class.
PPT
Curated OER

Natural Selection of Strawfish

For Teachers 7th
A sequence of pictures accompany a few statements that help define the differences between phenotype and genotype. The slides must be used to accompany a lecture as they do not really explain any concepts. The 5th slide is the most...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Uses of Radiation

For Teachers 5th - 8th
No visual aids, no activities, and no demonstrations accompany this plan. What you will find, is background information for a short lecture on the use of isoptopic radiation in the medical field and in our everyday lives. Should you...