This animation adapted from Garland Science Publishing takes a close look at the DNA double helix and its individual components, describing their chemical structures and how they function together to make the DNA molecule unique.
Observing an organism for an extended period of time can be a rewarding learning experience that helps students develop a meaningful relationship with the natural world. Students often engage more deeply in observing an organism if they’re given some sort of task to focus their observations. In this activity, pairs of students find an organism, then observe and record its structures and behaviors. Students apply the lens of adaptations as they come up with explanations for how their organisms’ structures and behaviors might help it survive in its habitat. In a group discussion, students consider the relationship between organisms’ structures and possible functions, which is a useful science thinking tool that can help them to better understand the natural world. This activity helps students develop a definition of adaptation that includes both behavioral and structural adaptations (adaptations are inheritable structures or behaviors that help a population of organisms survive in their habitat), and gives students the experience applying that definition to an organism in the local ecosystem.
This article provides elementary school teachers with background knowledge about science concepts needed to understand the first of seven essential principles of climate literacy--the sun is the primary source of energy for our climate system. Graphs, diagrams, and oneline resources provide more background for the teacher. The article appears in a free online magazine that focuses on the seven essential princples of the climate sciences.
Beginning with examples from the polar regions, this article examines the question Why do we have seasons? Included are links to lesson plans, a list of childrenČs books, and suggested alignments with science, literacy, geography, and climate instruction in K-5 classrooms. The article appears in the free, online magazine Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears.
This video segment from FRONTLINE/NOVA: "Harvest of Fear" explores genetic modification of salmon and possible consequences.
¡Aprende sobre la estructura y función de los organismos vivos dibujando un animal imaginario en el programa de juego de subir al escenario, SUPERVIVENCIA ANIMAL!
Los espectadores se convierten en participantes de un programa de juegos y tienen el desafío de dibujar un animal imaginario que podría vivir y sobrevivir en el desierto, el océano o la tundra ártica. Al dibujar el animal imaginario, los participantes escriben dos estructuras distintas y una función para cada una de las estructuras que lo ayudan a sobrevivir.
Objetivo de Aprendizaje:
Comparar las estructuras y funciones de diferentes especies que les ayudan a vivir y sobrevivir en un ambiente específico.
In this lesson designed to enhance literacy skills, students learn about the varied physical and behavioral adaptations that animals rely on to help them survive changing environmental conditions, such as the arrival of winter.
This video segment adapted from NOVA reveals how junk DNA helped solve an evolutionary mystery: Why do certain species of fruit flies have wing spots while others don't?
The peacock provides a classic example of sexual selection, the force behind nature's extravagances. From Evolution: "Why Sex?"
This resource is a Nearpod lesson about:
Energy Flow in Ecosystems -- Research on Golden Eagles in Utah's West Desert
It was created as part of the Reimagine Teaching program by HawkWatch International. HawkWatch International is a non-profit organization in Salt Lake City, Utah that works to protect raptors and our shared environment through scientific research and public education.
This video segment from the Nevada Department of Wildlife looks at tarantulas' survival skills and their habitat.
Bonnie Chen builds on students' prior knowledge of mutations to lead her class through a simulation of wading birds feeding.
Marilyn Havlik leads students through a simulation of the Hardy-Weinberg Principle to develop their understanding of population genetics.
This article introduces ARKive, a digital library of photographs and videos of the world's wildlife. The library gives special priority to at-risk species. The author notes how this interactive resource can be used by K-5 teachers to support other activities connected to the theme of this issue of the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle -- We Depend on Earth's Climate.
In this transcript of an interview filmed for Evolution: "Great Transformations," Ted Daeschler and Neil Shubin describe the discovery and significance of some of their key fossil finds.
In this video adapted from Earth Island Institute, meet a high school student who educated her community about how a coal-burning power plant was contributing to asthma and other health problems there.
Why do teenagers act the way they do? This video segment from FRONTLINE: Inside the Teenage Brain explores the work scientists are doing to explain some of the mysteries of teenage behavior.
In this video segment from Nature, scientific experiments test how ravens think.
This illustration from Evolution by Monroe W. Strickberger shows the remarkable similarities between the bones in the forelimbs of various tetrapods, all of whose limbs serve very different functions.
Examine how the human/grizzly relationship has changed since the closing of the Yellowstone dumps, and also learn about the challenges posed to both humans and bears, in this video segment from Nature.