Life Science Lessons

Students will discover how animals change the land over time and the impact it causes as they design, build and test beaver dams. 

Request access to 'Beaver Dams'.

Materials Needed:

• water

• mini paint tray (or other container)

• sticks

• rocks

• air-dry clay

• paper and pencil

Standards Connection:

• DCI:

  • LS2.C Ecosystem dynamics, functioning and resilience

  • LS2.A Interdependence relationships in ecosystems

• SEP:

  • Asking questions and Defining Problems

  • Developing and Using Models

  • Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

  • Analyzing and Interpreting Data

  • Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information

• CCC: Cause and Effect

We know trees produce the oxygen that we breathe but what kinds of trees produce the most oxygen? Students will conduct a scientific experiment to determine which trees are best to plant to produce the most oxygen in the atmosphere.

Request access to 'Who Makes the Most Oxygen?'.

Materials Needed (per group):

• 4-6 clear containers (such as clear plastic cups or mason jars)

• leaves from 4-6 different plants

• timer

• water

• a bright light (optional)

Standards Connection:

• DCI: LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms

• SEP: Engage in Argument from Evidence: Support an argument with evidence, data or a model.

• CCC: Energy and Matter: Matter is transported into, out of and within systems.

• 3-5-ETS1-3: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved. 

Students will dive in to learn how light waves team up with the human eye. Students will build their model of an eye to investigate how light affects our vision. 

Request access to 'Vision Voyage'.

Materials Needed (per student):

• Front of Eye template (to be provided)

• markers, colored pencils, or crayons (blue, brown, green)

• scissors

• dot stickers (2 per student)

• index cards (3x5)

• credit card-sized magnifiers (3x)

Standards Connection: 

• DCI: LS1.A: Structure and Function – Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. 

• SEP: Planning and carrying out investigations – Make observations and measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation. 

• CCC: Structure and Function – The way something is shaped, and its substructure, determine many of its properties and functions. 

The perfect interdisciplinary lesson to get students intrigued about animal adaptations. Students have the opportunity to make sense of the data they collect by analyzing it in charts and graphs. This lesson is a great integration of science and math!

Request access to 'Bird Beak Data Buffet'.

Materials Needed:

Per group:

• large bucket/bin (to hold all of the “bird food”)

• timer

• 40 rubber bands, various sizes

• 40 paper clips, various sizes

• 40 toothpicks

• 40 macaroni noodles

• 1 binder clip (or you could give each student a binder clip and have them each be various sizes)

• 1 set of tweezers

• 1 set of safety scissors

• 4 plastic cups

Per student:

• student data sheet (emailed)

• 1 plastic spoon

• pencil

• crayons/colored pencils

• ruler (optional)

• calculator (optional for younger students)

Standards Connection:

• DCI: LS4.B: Natural Selection

  • Sometimes the differences in characteristics between individuals of the same species provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. (3-LS4-2)

• SEP: Planning and Carrying out Investigations

  • Plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, using fair tests in which variables are controlled and the number of trials considered. (3-5-ETS1-3)

• CCC: Cause and Effect

  • Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified and used to explain change.

• 3-5-ETS1-3: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Math Connection:

• KY.3.MD.3: Investigate questions involving categorical data.

  • Identify a statistical question focused on categorical data and gather data;

  • Create a scaled pictograph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set (using technology or by hand);

  • Make observations from the graph about the question posed, including “how many more” and “how many less” questions. 

Students will be introduced to the history behind the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade with Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet. Students will then design and build a never-before-seen creature, demonstrating how its external structures help it survive, while using criteria and constraints. Bonus challenge included. 

Request access to 'Enchanted Creature Parade'.

Materials Needed (per student):

• pom-poms

• pipe cleaner

• glue/tape

• tissue paper, construction paper, cardboard

• tissue/paper towel rolls

• string

• straws

• small cups

• googly eyes

• cotton balls

• additional items of your choice

Standards Connection:

• DCI: LS1-Structure and Function - Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. 

• SEP: Engaging in Argument from Evidence - Construct an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model. 

• CCC: Systems and System Models - A system can be described in terms of its components and their interactions. 

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than learning about the heart! In addition, students will conduct an experiment to investigate how movement affects their heart rate. 

Request Access to 'Heart Rate Revelations'.

Materials Needed:

• timers or clocks with a second hand

• calculators

Standards Connection: 

• DCI: LS1.A: Structure and Function – Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction. 

• SEP: Planning and carrying out investigations – Make observations and measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation. 

• CCC: Structure and Function – The way something is shaped, and its substructure, determine many of its properties and functions. 

Many different robots are built from models designed after humans and/or things in nature; robotic arms are no different. For a robotic hand to work just as well as a human hand, it needs to function exactly like the bones, muscles, and tendons of a human hand do.  

With robots becoming increasingly popular, even the North Pole is recruiting robotic help this winter! After learning about the anatomy of a hand, students will design and build a robotic hand. Each robotic hand will face a challenge from the North Pole to move a set of presents to a designated location. 

Request access to 'Robotic Hand'.

Materials Needed:

• cardboard

• string

• straws

• clear tape

• ruler

• pencil

• glue

• small, light objects to pick up (ex., small foam blocks or balls)

Standards Connection: 

• DCI: ETS1.B Developing Possible Solutions 

• SEP: Developing and Using Models 

• CCC: Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World 

Become a seed today and discover all the ways you travel! Students will design and engineer various models that demonstrate how a seed is dispersed in nature. 

Request access to 'The Traveling Seed'.

Materials Needed:

• Helicopter Seed Template

• paper clip

• scissors

• fan

• balloons

• tissue paper

• paper clips

• rubber bands

• straws

• yarn

• string

• foil

• masking tape

• cotton balls

• craft sticks

• pipe cleaner

• pan of water

• seeds (Lima beans or something similar would work)

• additional items of your choice

Standards Connection:

• DCI: LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

• SEP: Developing and Using Models: Develop a single model based on evidence to represent a proposed object or tool.

• CCC: Structure and Function: The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their functions.

• K-2-ETS1-2: Develop a simple sketch, drawing or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

• K-2-ETS1-3: Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

• 3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem