Biology/Life Science
Sheep Heart Dissection
Students observe and dissect a sheep heart. In doing so, they learn about how the heart works and what it really looks like.
While this lesson is adaptable for many grade levels, it is a great fit with California's FOSS 5th grade Living Systems kit and that kit's goal of learning the structures and functions of the circulatory system.
View this entire lesson planMeet a Land Snail
In this lesson students will play a guessing game, observe land snails, and create a realistic drawing of a land snail. At the end of the lesson they will breainstorm things they wonder about Land Snails.
View this entire lesson planIntroducing the Process of Investigative Science Using Worms
Students are introduced to the process of investigative science through a guided inquiry activity. Given a testable question and materials, students as a class make predictions, and design an investigation with guidance from the teacher. Then in pairs, students do the investigation, collect data, draw conclusions, and discuss ways to improve on the investigative design. After this activity, students will be able to develop independent investigations in this and other subject areas.
Students learn that a living thing can sense and respond to its environment.
View this entire lesson planDraw an Alien in its Natural Habitat
This is an extension and assessment activity for the Unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Changes in its Environment?"
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 4 - Poster Presentations/Science Fair
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
In this particular lesson, students create Poster presentations explaining their investigations. They use the posters to help them present their investigations to an audience of adults and children at a science fair.
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 3 – Collecting Data and Drawing Conclusions
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
In this particular lesson, students work in pairs to carry out their investgations, collect data, and make inferences based on their data.
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 2 – Testable Questions, Predictions, Materials and Procedures
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
In this particular lesson, students work in pairs to decide on a testable question, make predictions, choose materials, and plan a procedure.
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 1 – Observations
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?", that is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a method for doing their own science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation and findings for a grade level science fair.
In Part 1 of this particular lesson, students work in pairs to observe a living organism and to brainstorm changes in the living thing's environment that would be important for the living organism to sense. They think about what structures their organism can use to sense and respond to its environment.
View this entire lesson planIntroducing the Process of Investigative Science Using Crayfish
Students will be introduced to the process of doing investigative science and will become familiar with vocabulary used in the process of doing science. Given a testable question and a set of materials, students will make predictions, and then design procedures to create a "fair test "with teacher guidance. The class will investigate where a crayfish will go when put in a basin of water with a small shelter inside the basin.
View this entire lesson planIntroducing Cells
Students learn that all living things are made of cells. They use a microscope to look for evidence of plant cells(from onion) and animal cells(from human cheek).
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to supplement the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
View this entire lesson planLiving or Non-living?
Students will investigate different objects and discuss whether they are alive or not alive. Students are challenged to provide evidence for their decision and defend their opinion.
This is the second lesson of a unit (What are Living Things and How does a Living thing Respond to Its Environment?) that was designed to precedes teaching the adopted FOSS unit on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a method for doing their own science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation and findings for a grade level science fair.
View this entire lesson planWhat Do Living Things Have In Common?
Students work in teams to discuss the question "What do all living things have in common?" They record their ideas and share their background knowledge. Then the groups come together and try to reach consensus about the characteristics that all living things share by asking each other questions and defending their ideas.
This is the first lesson from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to supplement the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
View this entire lesson planWhat is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment? - Unit Overview
"What is a Living Thing and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" is a unit designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
UNIT: What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?
Lessons:
1) What Do Living Things Have in Common?
2) Living or Non-living?
3) Introducing Cells
4) Introducing the Process of Investigative Science
5) Student Designed Investigations Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4- A Living Thing Responds to Its Environment
Part 1 - Observation
Part 2 - Testable Questions, Predictions, Materials, and Procedures
Part 3 - Collection Data and Drawing Conclusions
Part 4 - Poster Presentations/Science Fair
6) Extension Activity - Draw an Alien in Its Natural Habitat
View this entire lesson planLove in the Time of Cholera - Osmosis in action
Students will first learn about the cause of cholera, and propose treatment options to save a hypothetical patient. They will then learn about the osmotic basis of the disease by using a simple dialysis tube/sucrose model for cholera diarrhea. Finally, they will discuss how osmosis can be harnessed to effectively treat the disease and how this treatment has saved millions of lives.
View this entire lesson planDetecting Photosynthesis- Analyzing Other Scientists' Data
Students will analyze the results of another scientist's experiment by examining leaves that have been exposed to different treatments, and draw conclusions about the process of photosynthesis.
View this entire lesson planAnimal Skulls - A Guide to North American Species
Author(s) |
Volume / Issue |
Page(s) |
Journal / Publisher |
Pub date |
Abstract / Description |
Weblink |
| Mark Elbrock | 27 Oct 2007 |
Skulls- Herbivores, Omnivores, and Carnivores
Students familiarize themselves with different types of animal skulls and teeth. From observation they learn to tell which skulls are those of herbivores, omnivores and carnivores.
View this entire lesson planRecycling and Resources- In Progress
Testing for Lipids, Proteins and Carbohydrates
Students will test a variety of food samples for the presence of lipids, proteins, simple and complex carbohydrates.
View this entire lesson planOcean Pollution & its effect on aquatic animals
Students brainstorm different sources of pollution. Then, students make their own miniature ocean inside a water bottle, and pollute it with waste and oil to observe the effects on animals in the water. A demonstration shows students the effect of oil on birds' feathers and discuss the consequences of oil spills for water birds.
View this entire lesson planMeasuring Calories in Food
The lesson introduces the concept of calories and provides examples of high calorie and low calorie foods. Students learn a number of ways to determine how many calories a food item has and discuss how calories influence body weight. Students learn how to measure calories by constructing and using a calorimeter.
View this entire lesson planUnderstanding Germs (Bacteria, Viruses and Fungi)
This lesson focuses on understanding "germs" (specifically bacteria, viruses, and fungi), how they cause illness, how they can help us, and some lessons about personal hygiene (protecting ourselves from germs). Students learn about the different classes of germs via a book and discussion, assign germ names, symptoms and modes of contraction to microbe stuffed animals, and finally try to wash "Glo Germ" off their hands to emphasize the importance of personal hygine.
View this entire lesson planThe energy of life in zebrafish (lesson six of eight)
We introduce the concept that life needs energy to grow. We explain a little about microscopy and then the students observe different stages of zebrafish development (except we do not tell them that it is a zebrafish). Then student predict what animal they are observing leading up to a big reveal.
View this entire lesson planHow does an infectious disease spread? HIV simulation
Students will simulate the exchange of bodyfluids and then test whether they got infected with a disease. This activity will show how one person who is infected with a disease can infect other people, who in turn infect others. Students will be able to see how behavior can effect their risk of getting infected.
The lesson plan was inspired by many educators. Thanks to Lance Powell at June Jordan HS in San Francisco, Jennifer Doherty and Dr. Ingrid Waldron, University of Pennsylvania
View this entire lesson planExtract your own DNA from cheek cells
Students will extract DNA from their own cheek cells.
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