| Middle School
- L.EV.M.1 Species Adaption and Survival -"Species
with certain traits are more likely than others to
survive and have offspring in particular environments.
When an environment changes, the advantage or disadvantage
of the species’ characteristics can change.
Extinction of a species occurs when the environment
changes and the characteristics of a species are insufficient
to allow survival."
- Adaptations to Cold Weather New
This site
has a selection of articles that explain and
gives examples of ways that plants and animals
adapt to the cold weather in Antarctica.
- Animal
Adaptations
Several sites are linked to this site that explain
specific animal adaptations.
- Animal
Adaptations
Great worksheet for an internet search of animal
adaptations that ties into animal locations.
- Biology of Plants: Plant Adaptations New
This
site has illustrations of plants and the adaptations
that help them to survive in different environments.
It would be appropriate for use with upper elementary
or middle school students.
- Climate
Change
Several games that analyze
the relationship of climate change to species.
- Earth Floor: Biomes New
This site lists different
biomes in the world and gives information about
plant and animal adaptations.
- Ecokids: Animal Adaptations Activity New
This
site has an interactive activity that allows
students to select the animal adaptations that
help it to survive in its environment. This site
would be appropriate for use with upper elementary
or middle school students.
- Fossil
Dig
Simple experiment with chocolate chip cookies
that students 'find' and act like paleontologist.
The chocolate chips that were picked out resemble
true fossils and the indents that remain from
the chips resemble moulds. Hand out a chocolate
chip cookie to each student for them to eat.
- How
Species Become Extinct?
This is a PDF lesson on the main factors explaining
why animals become extinct.
- If
you Owned The Ecosystem
Students take on the role of a given animal in
an ecosystem and evaluate what they need to survive.
- Nature Works New
This site contains information
on structural and behavioral adaptations of animals.
It also has an interactive quiz for students
to test their knowledge of animal adaptations.
It would be appropriate for use with upper elementary
or middle school students.
- Paleontology
- The Big Dig
This site has great pictures and activities and
gives possible explanations for some fossils.
- Strange
Science - Rocky Road to Modern Biology
What you can see in this site: Goof Gallery
A collection of mistakes made by early scientists
and artists when trying to represent extinct (and
sometimes living) organisms. Timeline
A chronology of some important events in the history
of paleontology and biology. Biographies
Biographies of some of the people whose work has
led to what we know today. References,
resources you can use to learn more, acknowledgments.
- The Evolution Game New
This is a game where
students have to get a piece of paper into a
box. It is done in rounds, and each round students
are eliminated, or become extinct, while those
who survive have to "adapt" their paper
to make it more efficient. It is a good introduction
to the theme. This is a pdf file.
- L.EV.M.2 Relationships Among Organisms -"Similarities
among organisms are found in anatomical features,
which can be used to infer the degree of relatedness
among organisms. In classifying organisms, biologists
consider details of internal and external structures
to be more important than behavior or general appearance."
- Classification
of Living Things
This site is a teacher resource that covers
the classification of living things as it relates
to the principles of taxonomy with a focus on
human classification categories. Web expeditions,
an audio glossary and related sites enhances this
site.
-
Classify That
This lesson is centered around a, "Classifying
Critters," website that introduces them to different
vertebrates and helps the students see why scientists
have classified them into different categories.
This would be a general introductory lesson to
classifying organisms.
- Classifying
Critters
Outstanding
- Students match critters based on physical features
using multiple choice format. In addition
to pictures, the site describes many characteristics
of living things. Other activities include
classification of plants and flowers.
- Charles
Darwin Foundation Research Site
"The Charles Darwin Foundation exists to provide
knowledge and support to ensure the conservation
of the environment and biodiversity of the Galapagos
Archipelago through scientific research and complementary
actions."
- Darwin
and Natural Selection
Darwin's finches, peppered moths, Gregor Mendel,
theory of evolution, and other background information
are available in this web site.Hot links to related
sites are present.
- Galapagos
Islands
Take a tour of the Galapagos Islands. This
site includes articles about the islands, the
geological history of the islands, Darwin's travels,
photography, and a multitude of other information.
Grades 6-12 would find this appropriate.
- Human
Evolution
This interactive site allows students to
trace the evolution of humans by looking at pictures
and descriptions of the most primitive hominid
(Ardipithecus ramidus) all the way up to modern
Homo Sapiens. There are informational links
related to Lucy, Taung Child, and fossilized footprints.
- Kidport
Students are given a quiz using classification
skills (vertebrates, invertebrates, animal kingdoms).
Once in the main site, teachers select appropriate
grade level and quiz type.
- The
Dawn of Animal Life Exhibit
An exhibit that explains the dawn of animal life
on earth.
- The
Rise and Fall of the Mammoths
It is important to distinguish between evolution,
the historical changes in life forms that are
well substantiated and generally accepted as fact
by scientists, and natural selection, the proposed
mechanism for these changes. Students should first
be familiar with the evidence of evolution so
that they will have an informed basis for judging
different explanations (and forming their own
ideas). This lesson will help students to examine
the evidence for evolution using the woolly mammoth
and related species, of which there happens to
be a sizable fossil record. By exposing students
to the diversity and apparent relatedness of various
mammoth species, this lesson will help to prepare
students to understand natural selection as a
proposed mechanism for evolution.
- The
Tree of Life
An example of the tree of life cladogram
is presented with a link giving instructions on
how to read it. Each group on the cladogram is
a link providing information about that group.
This is an easy to read site for students.
- Tree
of Life Web Project
- The Tree of Life Web Project (ToL) is a collaborative
effort of biologists from around the world.
On more than 4000 World Wide Web pages, the
project provides information about the diversity
of organisms on Earth, their evolutionary history
(phylogeny), and characteristics.
- Understanding
Evolution
- Understanding Evolution is a non-commercial,
education website, teaching the science and
history of evolutionary biology. This site helps
you understand what evolution is, how it works,
how it factors into your life, how research
in evolutionary biology is performed, and how
ideas in this area have changed over time.
- Walking
With Prehistoric Beasts
Outstanding
- A Discovery Channel site featuring a prehistoric
zoo with great pictures and explanations of mammals
that ruled the planet after dinosaurs. Students
can build a "beast" from fossil bones (three difficulty
levels), hide a "beast" using color schemes, patterns,
and habitats, and manipulate an interactive map
to chart continent movement, vegetation, mammal
habitat, and ocean currents from 65 million years
ago to present day.
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