In this interactive activity from the American Museum of Natural History, play "connect the dots" and discover the connections between the people, animals, and plants in three habitats of the Dzanga-Sangha rain forest in the Central African Republic.
Students are introduced to biofuels, biological engineers, algae and how they grow (photosynthesis), and what parts of algae can be used for biofuel (biomass from oils, starches, cell wall sugars). Through this lesson, plants—and specifically algae—are presented as an energy solution. Students learn that breaking apart algal cell walls enables access to oil, starch, and cell wall sugars for biofuel production. Students compare/contrast biofuels and fossil fuels. They learn about the field of biological engineering, including what biological engineers do. A 20-slide PowerPoint® presentation is provided that supports students taking notes in the Cornell format. Short pre- and post-quizzes are provided. This lesson prepares students to conduct the associated activity in which they make and then eat edible algal cell models.
The Amazonia Habitat is an exhibit from the National Zoo which highlights various aspects of the Amazon including habitat species, plant information, and more. The exhibit includes a virtual tour and an audio tour along with links to additional information.
In this experiment, students investigate how changes in salinity, temperature, and water availability affect the growth of plants.
A comprehensive index of aromatic and medicinal plants with several bibliographical sources for each plant.
This landing page includes learning modules on the following topics of: animals, plants, microorganisms, life cycles and reproductions, food chains, habits, humans and the environment, adaptation, inheritance, and evolution.
In this lesson, the children learn about how critters depend on the butterfly bush and how the butterfly bush, in turn, depends on it. Common Core writing skills are integrated as they take it to the next step, and create their own page after completing research with partners. Links to materials are provided, along with printable worksheets to guide research.
Students will create a food chain model and use it to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. Resources include a detailed lesson plan, student handouts, pictures of a completed chain, examples of student work, and a video of the lesson in action.
There is something gross under the cafeteria table. Do you pick it up? Gross! How about we mimic a bird's beak to solve the problem of picking up our trash? This lesson models walking through the first few steps of the Engineering Design Process--ask a question, imagine, and plan. Included in this lesson are videos, classroom videos and pictures, slideshows, and a data sheet.
In this lesson, we observe our own plants to discover the answer to this big question: How are plants like their parents? Students will observe pre-planted seedlings and compare them to photographs of their parent plants. Included in this lesson are videos of the lesson in action, pictures of student's work, a slideshow presentation, and vocabulary cards.
Biology 2e is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester biology course for science majors. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the biological sciences, and offer everyday applications. The book also includes various types of practice and homework questions that help students understand—and apply—key concepts. The 2nd edition has been revised to incorporate clearer, more current, and more dynamic explanations, while maintaining the same organization as the first edition. Art and illustrations have been substantially improved, and the textbook features additional assessments and related resources.
By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:
Identify the main characteristics of bryophytes
Describe the distinguishing traits of liverworts, hornworts, and mosses
Chart the development of land adaptations in the bryophytes
Describe the events in the bryophyte lifecycle
By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:
Discuss the challenges to plant life on land
Describe the adaptations that allowed plants to colonize the land
Describe the timeline of plant evolution and the impact of land plants on other living things
By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:
Describe the traits shared by green algae and land plants
Explain why charophytes are considered the closest algal relative to land plants
Explain how current phylogenetic relationships are reshaped by comparative analysis of DNA sequences
By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:
Identify the new traits that first appear in seedless tracheophytes
Discuss how each trait is important for adaptation to life on land
Identify the classes of seedless tracheophytes
Describe the life cycle of a fern
Explain the role of seedless plants in the ecosystem
By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:
Identify the parts of a typical leaf
Describe the internal structure and function of a leaf
Compare and contrast simple leaves and compound leaves
List and describe examples of modified leaves
