Tag: life
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Characteristics of Life
Students read descriptions of animals and match to one of the characteristics of life: energy, cells, DNA, growth, response, and homeostasis.
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What is Life? Explore the Sewer Lice Phenomenon
Spark discussions life characteristics with this simple demonstration. Place raisins in a beaker filled with carbonated water. Raisins will rise and sink.
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Air Pressure and Life
Anatomy begins by describing the requirements of life. Why do you need air pressure to survive and what happens when you are in space with no pressure.
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The Martian and the Car
This worksheet is one of the older ones in my collection, and was recently updated to include a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning section (instead of short response/essay). This a a great way to introduce the topic of life and how we define whether something is living or not. In this scenario, a Martian is observing earth and decides…
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Investigation: Properties of Water (with Stats)
This investigation asks students to review the properties of water as they relate to life, usually a topic covered in the first or second chapter of most biology textbooks. Students then perform an experiment where they test the number of drops that can be placed on penny and compare that test to drops that…
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How Can Gene Editing Eliminate Lyme Disease?
This is a close reading and annotation exercise that can be completed in small groups. The article is an abridged version of “Rewriting the Code of Life” from the Annals of Science, January 2017. It includes concepts about transmission of pathogens and secondary hosts followed by an explanation of how CRISPR could be used to…
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Case Study – Are Nanobacteria Alive?
In this case study, students review the evidence of scientists on both sides of the controversy questioning whether nanobacteria are living organisms.
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Saving Sam – Icebreaker Activity
A cooperative activity where students devise a way to save Sam, a gummy worm trapped on a boat. Students use paperclips to try to get Sam’s life preserver on.