In this activity, students will use a variety of chips to investigate how to classift objects based on their similarities and differences. Students will use technical writing to explain their keys and communicate their conclusions.
Students are introduced to ecosystems, food webs, and keystone species. They draw a simple food web and predict the impact keystone species have on an ecosystem.
Students are introduced to natural selection, specifically how it unfolds from generation to generation.
This online lesson describes the protist kingdom, outlines the evolution of protists, and identifies protist characteristics.
This multimedia resource, part of the NC Science Now series, outlines how the population of lionfish, an invasive species, has been spreading north since its introduction in the 1980s off Florida, collapsing the reef food webs and reducing the area of the coral reefs. Lionfish have no known predators and a rapid reproduction rate, which is why they are taking over and reducing the overall biodiversity of NC reef ecosystems. Components of this resource include a video, related text articles, and an interview with a NC marine ecologist. Links to these components are provided on the page under the heading "UNC-TV Media."
In this investigation, students consider whether there is a relationship between the number of spines on a holly leaf and its height above the ground.
In this classroom lab, students will explore the characteristics of a particular enzyme and the factors that affect its ability to catalyze a reaction. Students will look at how the enzyme catalase (source of catalase is chicken liver) affects the break down of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. They design their own methods to answer the following questions: What substances contain the enzyme catalase? Why does the reaction stop? What is the effect of temperature on catalase function? What is the effect of pH on catalase function? Students collect and analyze data to answer reflection questions and complete a written lab summary that synthesizes data from the lab and knowledge of enzymes.
Students investigate how lipase activity changes with temperature and consider how indicators can help us to follow chemical reactions.
In this experiment, the rate of photosynthesis is measured by counting the number of bubbles rising from the cut end of a piece of Elodea or Cabomba.
In this lesson, students investigate factors that affect the integrity of cell membranes. Beet tissues will be used as the model to investigate the types of environmental stresses that affect membrane integrity.
Students will prepare slides in an attempt to capture cells that are in the process of mitosis. After completing their observations students will calculate the mitotic index.
In this lab activity, students will compare two sample populations of sunflower seeds. Comparison of the two populations will be done through the generation of a histogram for each population. In completing this activity students will understand that scientists can demonstrate a selection event by data collection and graphical analysis of a population.
In this lesson, students investigate the effect of soaking a gummy bear in water. They collect measurements of height, width, and mass before and after the soaking of the candy overnight. Students calculate percent change for each factor and graph the data on a bar graph. They then develop a new, testable question and follow through with the new experiment. A copy of the instructions and rubric is provided.
Students examine the rate of oxygen production by catalase in pureed potato as the concentration of hydrogen peroxide varies. The oxygen produced in 30 seconds is collected over water. Then the rate of reaction is calculated.
Students investigate how pH affects the rate of an enzyme controlled reaction.
Students investigate the reduction of carbon dioxide to carbohydrate. DCPIP, a blue dye, acts as a electron acceptor and becomes colorless when reduced, allowing any reducing agent produced by the chloroplasts to be detected.
This online tutorial defines and explains endosymbiosis through a description of the relationship between amoebae and bacteria. Students will also learn the role endosymbiosis played in the evolution of eukaryotes and how endosymbiosis hsa changed our view of the branching pattern on the tree of life.
This lesson explores the age-old discussion of nature vs. nurture: how much of our individuality is based on inheritance and how much is shaped by our environment? Students explore different traits as genetic or environmental and then discuss issues of accountability for genetically-determined personality traits.
Students will explore the concept of genetic disease through the lenses of inheritance, natural selection, and genetic modification and gene therapy. Students will develop an understanding of connections between these concepts and be able to explain these connections. Finally, students will create a "Ted Talk" style video that other students will watch to learn about a specific genetic disease.
This resource is a part of the Join the Debate: Should Humans Be Cloned? lesson plan. This resource includes links to student resources for the lesson.