This activity will best fit when teaching about natural selection and how favored alleles lead to change in species. The activity will further this idea by introducing students to the Hardy-Weinberg Theorem, which uses allele frequency to determine if a population is evolving. The activity can be done with the entire class or as part of a differentiated lesson. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the earth science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on understanding the cycling of matter in and out of Earth’s atmosphere. In this task, students discover the stages that lead to Earth’s current atmosphere, investigate the cycles that maintain the Earth’s current atmosphere, and write a fictional account of one of the cycles from that gas molecule/compound’s point of view. The analytical reading and diagram interpretation, as well as the creative writing nature of this lesson allow students to build content understanding while promoting 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Cell organelles are often studied in isolation or as a part of a big picture lesson on cells. This activity combines knowledge of cell organelle functions with changes that can occur in DNA that causes these organelles to not work as they should. This assignment would best fit in after students have learned about cell organelles and are studying genetics and mutations. The task requires them to write the story of a sad cell: a cell whose DNA has had mutations occur that cause it to have organelles that no longer work correctly. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

The task has two parts. Part 1 is answering questions about DNA replication to ensure that students can construct their own understanding of DNA replication, and the second part is to create a product modeling DNA replication. This task can be used as an introduction to DNA and protein synthesis or before the subject is taught so that the students can develop their own understanding and questions about the role and process of DNA replication. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the life science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on the processes, structures, and functions of living organisms that enable them to survive, reproduce, and carry out the basic functions of life. In this task, students research endosymbiotic theory and create fictional narratives from the point of view of the prokaryotic cell, aerobic bacterium, and photosynthetic bacterium involved in the collaboration forming the first eukaryotic cell. The interdisciplinary and creative nature of this activity allows students to build meaningful connections while promoting 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

This task could be used as part of photosynthesis instruction or as an assignment before photosynthesis is taught. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the physical science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on the motion of objects. In this task, students assume the role of a xenobiologist and explain the motion of a fictional organism over a given time period. Students will then trade narratives and graphs and are challenged to identify the graph based on the information provided in the fictional narrative. Students will critique the accuracy of each other’s graph-based narratives. The interdisciplinary and writing aspects of this lesson allow students to build meaningful connections among curricula while promoting creativity and 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the physical science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on the motion of objects. In this task, students will act as a car insurance company representative who is reviewing driving data from a vehicle’s diagnostic port and developing a personalized graph and written analysis for the customer to maximize good driving habits (and lessen the insurance company’s risk). Students will use the initial data and mathematical formulae to develop distance-time and velocity-time graphs through this activity. The real-world and interdisciplinary nature of this activity, as well as its inquiry basis, allows students to build meaningful connections while promoting 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

This activity can be used as a way to introduce students to human impact or as a follow-up once essential standard 2.2 has been covered in class. This activity works best if done by groups of 2-3 students. People have many misconceptions about the Earth and things that affect the Earth. For this project, students will identify one misconception people have about the Earth or environment and work in a group to create a video/brochure/online media that can be published to address this misconception. A misconception isn’t a factual error or indication that a person is not educated; it is a misunderstanding about how something works. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the physical science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on understanding forms of energy, energy transfer, and transformation and conservation in mechanical systems. In this task, students investigate “mystery boxes” and use a student-constructed circuit tester to determine the location of closed circuits. Students will then create their own “mystery boxes” including both series and parallel circuits. Finally, students will then create study guides for other content areas using their understanding of closed circuits. The application and interdisciplinary nature of this lesson allows students to creatively build meaningful connections while promoting 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the life science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on the patterns of inheritance and the potential variation among offspring. In this task, students will act as genetic counselors for Nora, an individual who has learned of a genetic disorder that affects her family after attending a reunion. Students will create a pedigree for the Jamison family based on provided information and use it to explain and advise Nora. The real-world aspects of this lesson allow students to build meaningful connections and promote the development of 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Cycles in nature are important. Plants especially rely on the recycling and cycling of nutrients. One of the main nutrients plants require and help cycle through the ecosystem is nitrogen. Human activities such as fertilizing lawns and crops change the amount of nitrogen in the ecosystem. In this activity, students will determine the effect varying concentrations of nitrogen have on plant growth by designing and completing a controlled experiment testing the effects of fertilizers on plant growth and the effect of fertilizer runoff on algae growth. Students will develop a hypothesis on the effects of different concentrations of fertilizer on plants and the effects of fertilizer runoff on algal growth. The students will develop and write out a controlled experiment to test their hypothesis. They should include controls, constants, dependent variable(s) and independent variable(s) in their procedure. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the physical science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on the motion of objects. In this task, students will assume the role of school board members who must discuss and vote on the issue of including seatbelts in the district’s school buses. Students will read nonfiction passages regarding this issue to prepare for the board meeting that will take the form of a Socratic Seminar. Students will then individually cast their votes through written explanations of their decisions that reference the discussion and provided passages. The real-world and interdisciplinary aspects of this lesson allow students to build meaningful connections and promote the development of 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the physical science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on the motion of objects. In this task, students assume the role of an animator who must convincingly demonstrate the motion of several objects using point of reference techniques. Students will then write fictional narratives to accompany their “flip book” animations. The interdisciplinary nature of this lesson allows students to creatively build meaningful connections between different science strands (physical and life) using written and visual expression while promoting 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the life science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on the processes, structures, and functions of living organisms that enable them to survive, reproduce, and carry out the basic functions of life. Often, other living organisms’ need to perform life functions interacts positively/ interferes negatively with humans’ life functions. In this task, students will research protists’ interactions with humans for an online news website.  Students will compose non-fiction essays that relate the positive aspects of protists. The real-world and interdisciplinary aspects of this lesson allow students to build meaningful connections and promote the development of 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the earth science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on understanding the cycling of matter in and out of Earth’s atmosphere. In this task, students will research five weather phenomena and use this information to create five “recipes for disaster” to be compiled for a class analysis for similarities and differences and a general understanding of the importance of temperature, pressure, and humidity in weather. The web/text research and result analysis, as well as the creative writing nature of this lesson, allow students to build content understanding while promoting 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the life science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on the processes, structures, and functions of living organisms that enable them to survive, reproduce, and carry out the basic functions of life. In this lesson, students will work in groups to create an annotated diagram explaining how the major systems (except reproduction) are involved in the process of running. The real-world and collaborative aspects of this lesson allow students to build meaningful connections and promote the development of 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

Within the physical science strand of 7th grade science, students focus on forms of energy, energy transfer, and transformation and conservation in mechanical systems—in other words, potential and kinetic energy, work, and mechanical advantage and efficiency in simple machines. In this task, students working in groups design a simple machine or simple machine system that would be able to lift and relocate a 13 kg cinder block after reading an excerpt from Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien, a novel about genetically engineered rats who assist a mouse by moving her home out of danger in a farmer’s field. The interdisciplinary and inquiry based nature of this activity allows students to build meaningful connections while promoting creativity and 21st Century Skills. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

The concept of osmotic potential is difficult to grasp. Using this activity, students will be able to “see” how water moves based on differing concentrations of solutions. This activity will help students understand the process of osmosis and develop an understanding of sugar storage in different types of plants. The task also asks students the why of sugar storage and about the role of sugar (carbohydrates) in plants and animals. The task can be used while teaching homeostasis to solidify the concept of osmosis. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

This activity will require students to research GMO and to form an opinion on the use and advancement of GMO in their own town. Students will develop a presentation to either encourage or discourage the selling of land to a company that wants to farm GM crops in their town. Students are then required to present their finding to an actual council such as a town council, a civic organization or at a community meeting, or if this is not possible, create a media presentation- video/prezzi that can be sent to the council organization. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.