In this life science field investigation students will study golden rod gall populations within a patch of goldenrods.

Create experiments to test how abiotic factors impact soybean germination, go into the field and laboratory to determine the impact of aphid populations on soybeans, and experiment with aphid resistant genes (Rag genes) to determine their effectiveness against soybean aphids. This unit features 3 lessons and 10 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

This lesson is an introduction to a unit on habitat. It is designed to combine literature and science.

This activity is an investigation to determine the effect of soil type on plant growth. The students will develop an understanding of the plant as producer.

This is an activity where students learn about inquiry by designing an experiment on bean plants with the goal of growing the tallest plant. Students work in groups to plan the growing conditions of the control and three experimental plants. Students collect data for about three weeks and analyze their data to see if their hypothesis is correct or not. The end product can be a report presented in a number of ways.

This activity is designed for students to discover how making observations of the environment is the key to making sound predictions. Students will also learn how both positive and negative outcomes of these predictions can affect and shape future decisions.

Plants grow and change on a time scale that is too slow for us to observe in real time. Time-lapse photography is a simple technique that allows us to see the movements of plants and clearly demonstrates that plants are living and capable of some extraordinary things. This site is full of Quick-time movies that show various aspects of plant growth with textual explanations accompanying each movie and topic. Movie topics include Germination, Photomorphogenesis, Tropisms, Circadian Responses, General Growth, and more. Within each topic are more choices.

Students will create and investigate testable questions about how basil changes based on growing conditions.

This activity is a lab activity where students grow two radish seeds, and manipulate a variable that may affect the germination time and growth of the radish seed.

This activity is a classroom investigation where students gather descriptive data on two different plants with a partner, and on other plants during a classroom discussion.They will then interpret their findings, and classify the plants, if applicable, into monocots or dicots.

In this inquiry lab, students design and conduct simple experiments using elodea and Bromothymol blue to determine whether plants consume or release carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis. Students will record their data which will be used to conclude whether carbon dioxide was consumed or released by the elodea.

This activity is a field investigation where students use a dichotomous key to properly identify trees in our schools nature center.

Students will observe simple plants, develop an investigable question, and form an investigation. They will document their investigation in their science notebooks.

This activity is a guided inquiry investigation where students gather data on which soil is the best for growing plants. Student will interpret their data, and develop a conclusion from the data. The student will determine which type of soil they would like to use in the next activity of making their own terrariums. The data collected could lead to further questions, which can be investigated in some extension activities.

This activity is a field investigation where students explore different types of trees and identify them using leaves and classification tools.

In this biology investigation, students will make observations of the growth of bean seeds to determine what plants need to live and grow in a healthy way.

This activity is a group activity where students investigate leaves and sort them based on established criteria.

This is a classroom activity where students will make plant rubbings and plant pressings of Minnesota plants.

Explore some different areas of study in the life sciences.

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Drawings and visualizations are used to help participants conceptualize the location and steps involved in the light reactions of photosynthesis. The drawsing include light reactions of photosynthesis including location and steps for non-cyclic and cyclic photophosphorylation.