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Course Standards
General Course Information and Notes
General Notes
Credits: 0.5 Science/0.5 CTE
Notes: Laboratory investigations which include the use of scientific inquiry, research, measurement, problem solving, laboratory apparatus and technologies, experimental procedures, and safety procedures are an integral part of this course.
Special Notes:
Instructional Practices
Teaching from a range of complex text is optimized when teachers in all subject areas implement the following strategies on a routine basis:
- Ensuring wide reading from complex text that varies in length.
- Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
- Emphasizing text-specific complex questions, and cognitively complex tasks, reinforce focus on the text and cultivate independence.
- Emphasizing students supporting answers based upon evidence from the text.
- Providing extensive research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).
Science and Engineering Practices (NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education, 2010)
- Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering).
- Developing and using models.
- Planning and carrying out investigations.
- Analyzing and interpreting data.
- Using mathematics, information and computer technology, and computational thinking.
- Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering).
- Engaging in argument from evidence.
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.
English Language Development ELD Standards Special Notes Section:
Teachers are required to provide listening, speaking, reading and writing instruction that allows English language learners (ELL) to communicate information, ideas and concepts for academic success in the content area of Science. For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support, students will interact with grade level words, expressions, sentences and discourse to process or produce language necessary for academic success The ELD standard should specify a relevant content area concept or topic of study chosen by curriculum developers and teachers which maximizes an ELL's need for communication and social skills. To access an ELL supporting document which delineates performance definitions and descriptors, please click on the following link: https://cpalmsmediaprod.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/docs/standards/eld/sc.pdf
General Information
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorials
Explore the impacts on sea turtles, humans, and the economy when we live, work, and play at the beach with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how scientists measure viral spread and use this information to make recommendations for the public in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify different sources of scientific claims and to evaluate their reliability in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to test scientific claims and judge competing hypotheses by understanding how they can be tested against one another in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Genetic mutations can cause illness. Learn how genetic diseases can affect you and your communities in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Dive into genetic mutations and learn how they can alter the phenotypes of organisms.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about asexual and sexual reproduction of fungi in this interactive tutorial. This is Part 2 of 3 in this series on the Structure and Function of Fungi.
Click to open Part 1, Basic Characteristics and Structures
Click HERE to open Part 3, Nutrition and Mutualistic Relationships
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how the expression of genes is affected our environment, including lifestyle choices. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also explore how a combination of genes and environmental factors can impact the risk of multifactorial disease.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Follow the life of a cell in the tightly controlled process called the cell cycle! In this interactive tutorial, you will learn how a single cell gives rise to two identical daughter cells during the cell cycle and mitosis.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the steps of mitosis and cell division in this interactive tutorial, and see how they result in the separation of a cell's genetic material and division of its contents into two identical daughter cells.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the basic characteristics and structures of fungi in Part 1 of 3 in this series on the Structure and Function of Fungi.
Click to open Part 2, Asexual and Sexual Reproduction
Click HERE to open Part 3, Nutrition and Mutualistic Relationships
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the nutrition and mutualistic relationships of fungi in this interactive tutorial. This is Part 3 of 3 in this series on the Structure and Function of Fungi.
Click to open Part 1, Basic Characteristics and Structures
Click HERE to open Part 2, Asexual and Sexual Reproduction
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Pathogens of all sorts can make us sick. Learn the whats, whys, and hows of the process in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Examine how genetic identification is aiding marine biologists studying organisms in deep ocean regions. This interactive tutorial also features a CPALMS Perspectives video.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the basic molecular structures and primary functions of carbohydrates with this interactive tutorial.
This is part 2 in a five-part series. Click below to explore other tutorials in the series.
- The Macromolecules of Life: Lipids
- The Macromolecules of Life: Proteins
- The Macromolecules of Life: Nucleic Acids
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore consequences and challenges of reproductive strategies of sea anemones.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to distinguish between public health issues and individual health issues in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 1 of 4 in a series of tutorials addressing this standard.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how you can use a microscope as a tool to measure objects in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
See how data are interpreted to better understand the reproductive strategies taken by sea anemones with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Examine field sampling strategies used to gather data and avoid bias in ecology research. This interactive tutorial features the CPALMS Perspectives video .
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn strategies to help you solve genetics problems by applying your knowledge of inheritance patterns. You’ll encounter a few “mystery cases” that you’ll solve through your genetics analysis in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the basic molecular structures and primary functions of lipids with this interactive tutorial.
This is part 3 in a five-part series. Click below to explore other tutorials in the series.
- The Macromolecules of Life: Carbohydrates
- The Macromolecules of Life: Proteins
- The Macromolecules of Life: Nucleic Acids
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the first step of protein synthesis, transcription of DNA to RNA. In this interactive tutorial, you'll explore epigenetics as a mechanism to activate or inactivate gene expression.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the mystery of muscle cell metabolism and how cells are able to meet the need for a constant supply of energy. In this interactive tutorial, you'll identify the basic structure of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), explain how ATP’s structure is related it its job in the cell, and connect this role to energy transfers in living things.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
At any instant in your life, millions and millions of enzymes are hard at work in your body as well as all around you making your life easier!
By the end of this tutorial you should be able to describe how enzymes speed up most biochemical reactions as well as identify the various factors that affect enzyme activity like pH and temperature.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify explicit evidence and understand implicit meaning in the basic principles of the cell theory. The cell theory states that all organisms are made of cells. These cells are the smallest and basic unit of life. And finally, cells can only come from other cells.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to classify cells as prokaryotic or eukaryotic and distinguish eukaryotic cells as plant or animal with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis in this interactive tutorial. You'll also relate them to the processes of sexual and asexual reproduction and their consequences for genetic variation.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the basic processes of transcription and translation, and how they result in the expression of genes as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the basic molecular structures and primary functions of proteins with this interactive tutorial.
This is part 4 in a five-part series. Click below to explore other tutorials in the series.
- The Macromolecules of Life: Carbohydrates
- The Macromolecules of Life: Lipids
- The Macromolecules of Life: Nucleic Acids
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify explicit evidence and understand implicit meaning in a text.
You should be able to explain how different types of scientific evidence support the theory of evolution, including direct observation, fossils, DNA, biogeography, and comparative anatomy and embryology.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify and describe the leading scientific explanations of the origin of life on Earth.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn what scientific laws and scientific theories are and how they are different from what we commonly call laws and theories outside of science with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore how organisms gain usable energy and compare the two types of cellular respiration; aerobic and anaerobic. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also learn about reactants and products of both aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how DNA is copied and explain how this process allows cells to have identical genetic information with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore how cells use ATP as an energy source for cellular activities in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the function of the cell membrane as a selective barrier that moves material into and out of the cell to maintain homeostasis with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to identify and describe the structural and functional features of nucleic acids, one of the 4 primary macromolecule groups in biological systems, with this interactive tutorial.
This is Part 3 in 5-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in the series:
- Macromolecules: Carbohydrates
- Macromolecules: Nucleic Acids
- Macromolecules: Lipids
- Macromolecules: Proteins
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to describe Meiosis, the process by which sex cells--the sperm and the egg--are created in living things. In this interactive tutorial, you will also discover how sexual reproduction results in genetically diverse offspring.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify explicit evidence and understand implicit meaning in a text and demonstrate how and why scientific inferences are drawn from scientific observation and be able to identify examples in biology.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn that a scientific theory is the culmination of many experiments and supplies the most powerful explanation that scientists have to offer with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the relationship between mutations, the cell cycle, and uncontrolled cell growth which may result in cancer with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how living organisms are classified according to their characteristics, which reflects their evolutionary history and relationships, as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to determine differences and similarities of the structure and function of compound light microscopes, dissecting microscopes, scanning electron microscopes and transmitting electron microscopes.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to explain how a phylogenetic tree, or cladogram, is used to classify living organisms based on inherited similarities, and how it relates to other methods of hierarchical classification.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to define what science is and what it is not. In this interactive tutorial, you will identify why certain ways of exploring the universe can and cannot be considered scientific practices.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to identify the four basic biological macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids) by structure and function with this interactive tutorial.
This is part 1 in a five-part series. Click below to explore other tutorials in the series.
- The Macromolecules of Life: Lipids
- The Macromolecules of Life: Proteins
- The Macromolecules of Life: Nucleic Acids
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how the chemical properties of water relate to its physical properties and make it essential for life with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to explain differences in genetic and non-genetic classification methods. You should also know why genetic evidence is very powerful for understanding evolutionary relationships among organisms.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn the basics of inheritance in this interactive tutorial. You discover how to differentiate between polygenic and multiple alleles, predict genetic outcomes using a Punnett square, and analyze inheritance patterns caused by various modes of inheritances including codominant, incomplete dominance, sex-linked, polygenic, and multiple alleles.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify and describe the role of all of the major molecules needed for photosynthesis. You'll also be able to explain the role that photosynthesis plays in capturing carbon from the atmosphere to produce sugars.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the characteristics of domains and kingdoms used to classify living organisms with this interactive tutorial. You also will learn more about the reasons behind how and why this classification is done.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to distinguish between questions that can be answered by science and questions that science cannot answer. This interactive tutorial will help you distinguish between science and other ways of knowing, including art, religion, and philosophy.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to better understand the composition of DNA, the purpose of the information in DNA, why the DNA sequence is considered a universal code, and what might happen if mistakes appear in the code with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify and define types of biotechnology and consider the impacts of biotechnologies on the individual, society and the environment in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore green chemistry and what it means to be benign by design in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Educational Games
The Control of the Cell Cycle educational game is based on the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which was awarded for discoveries concerning the control of the cell cycle.
Type: Educational Game
Students attempt to save towns from damage prior to the arrival of several different natural disasters. Students will learn the importance of early prevention and actions to protect others, themselves and their property when faced with a natural disaster. Certain disasters are more appropriate for particular grade levels. Each scenario takes between 20 and 45 minutes to play, depending on the disaster for which your students are trying to prepare. There are five scenarios available, hurricane, tsunami, flood, earthquake, and wildfire. Each scenario can be played on easy, medium or hard difficulty levels. As with life, there are no "perfect solutions" to each scenario and no "perfect score", so students can play multiple times and the scenarios will still be slightly different.These simulation are part of a larger website that provides multiple links for natural disasters.
Type: Educational Game
Type: Educational Game
This cell structure crossword puzzle uses vocabulary from CELLS alive! If you have trouble and need a hint, use the "Search this Site" engine in the lefthand menu. Good Luck!
Type: Educational Game
Lesson Plans
This lesson introduces students to complex systems and to basic concepts from the field of system dynamics that lie at the heart of systems thinking. These concepts include stocks and flows, feedback loops, unintended consequences, and the basic principle that the behavior of complex systems can best be understood by looking at the system as a whole, and specifically by analyzing the system’s underlying structure. The lesson introduces these topics through an immersion in (and a role-play simulation of) the dynamics of urban recycling systems, many of which have been thrown into crisis in the past two years. Through this current-affairs example of complex systems in crisis, we identify some key structural features that help to explain how these systems behave over time. We also discover how well-intentioned action can cause negative unintended consequences when we try to intervene in a complex system without understanding how it operates.
Type: Lesson Plan
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the concept of sea level rise as it occurs through climate change by having them examine 3 specific parameters: ice distribution, thermal expansion, and analyzing and interpreting data. The lesson and activities within the lesson were designed using the three dimensions of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards – specifically crosscutting concepts, science and engineering practices, and disciplinary core ideas. While there isn’t any required pre-requisite learning required for this lesson, a general understanding of sea-level rise, glaciers, and climate may be beneficial to students. During classroom breaks, pairs of students will develop/discuss their models, revise their interpretations of their models or data, and think-pair-share their thoughts on the investigation segments.
Type: Lesson Plan
This BLOSSOMS lesson discusses Carbon Dioxide, and its impact on climate change. The main learning objective is for students to become more familiar with human production of Carbon Dioxide gas, as well as to gain an awareness of the potential for this gas to effect the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere. This lesson should take about an hour to complete. In order to complete the lesson, the teacher will need: printed copies of signs representing the different products and processes that take place in the carbon cycle (included), samples of matter that represent those products, handouts for the students to create a graphic of the carbon cycle (included) and graph paper or graphing software for students to create graphs. In the breaks of this BLOSSOMS lesson, students will be creating models of the carbon cycle as well as observing experiments and analyzing data from them. It is hoped that this lesson will familiarize students with ways in which carbon moves through our environment and provide them with some personal connection to the impact that an increased concentration of CO2 can have on air temperature. The goal is to spark their interest and hopefully to encourage them to ask and investigate more questions about the climate.
Type: Lesson Plan
In this lesson students will see the different types of evidence scientists use to understand evolutionary relationships among organisms. They will first practice by using shared physical characteristics to predict relationships among members of the cat family and then use this approach to predict primate relationships. They will compare their predictions to evidence provided by analyzing amino acid sequences and build a phylogenetic tree based on these sequences. Finally, they will look at the tree in the context of time in order to see divergence times.
Type: Lesson Plan
Learning objectives: Students will learn what DNA fingerprinting is, what it is used for, and how it is used in paternity testing and forensics. Students will see how this technique actually works in lab. Students will learn how to analyze the gels used in this technique to match babies to parents, and crime scene evidence to suspects.
Type: Lesson Plan
Perspectives Video: Experts
A cell has made a protein; now what? Learn more about protein secretion!
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Advances in "big data" are leading to rapid developments in personalized medicine. Learn more!
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Check this out and learn about how prokaryotes and eukaryotes regulate gene expression.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
How do you know what genes are thinking? By their expression. Learn more from a plant geneticist.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Mutations don't just happen to comic book heroes and villains. Learn more about this natural biological phenomenon!
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Sometimes the cell cycle gets derailed a bit, which can lead to the development of tumors. Learn more about mutations!
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Don't get twisted in a knot about proteins; learn about their structure!
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
What's in a molecular biologist's toolbox? Very small tools for working with cellular machines and molecules!
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
This plant geneticist wants to propagate knowledge about different kinds of plant propagation.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Your understanding of agriscience will bloom and grow as this plant geneticist describes how they use mitosis and meiosis when developing new grape varieties.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Humans aren't the only ones who get their fingerprints taken. Learn how this scientist is like a crime scene investigator using oil "fingerprints" to explain the orgins of spilled oil.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
A NASA botanist explains how studying photosynthesis now can help feed astronauts in the future.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Scientists can be superheroes when it comes to saving rivers! Watch this video to find out more.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
<p>A plant geneticist describes observable inheritance patterns and genetic mutations in maize.</p>
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Don't cry over spilled oil. Take action instead! Learn how students can help scientists who are studying what happens to spilled oil and over time how it affects the environment.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
<p>Invasive lionfish are taking a bite out of the ecosystem of Biscayne Bay. Biologists are looking for new ways to remove them, including encouraging recreational divers to bite back!</p>
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
A viticulture scientist explains grape expectations for medicine and society.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiasts
An engineer that has previously worked on the F-22 Raptor explains how resistivity in wires plays a role in the development of a large machine.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast
Why can't you put Ethanol fuel in a boat motor?
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast
Physics is cool, especially if you want to make super-cold, super-efficient, superconductive materials.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast
Landfills have a come a long way! Explore modern techniques for managing our environmental impact through responsible waste disposal.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast
Presentation/Slideshows
This presentation, a narrated PowerPoint, provides detailed information regarding photosynthesis and cellular respiration. It is provided by a teacher for his students, but is well-done and engaging enough to be useful for other students.
Type: Presentation/Slideshow
It is often difficult, sometimes impossible, to get a definitive answer to some of life's most enduring questions. Scientific processes provide alternative explanations for a wide variety of phenomena by piecing together all the available information. This interactive activity on the Evolution website explores four possible hypotheses to explain what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, inviting the viewer to consider the evidence and come to their own decision.
Type: Presentation/Slideshow
A PowerPoint with speaker notes covering infectious diseases, causes, transmission, and control.
Type: Presentation/Slideshow
Student Center Activity
In this problem set, multiple choice problems are displayed one at a time. If students answer correctly, they are shown a short explanation. If their answer is incorrect, a tutorial will follow, and the students will be given another chance to answer.
Type: Student Center Activity
Text Resource
This website is a good resource for reviewing the basics of the study of genetics. It conveniently lists and describes common genetic disorders, and describes procedure for setting up a medical family tree.
Type: Text Resource
Tutorials
This tutorial is a step by step explanation of what occurs in photosynthesis during the Calvin Cycle. It describes and uses visuals for the chemical reactions in this biochemical pathway. This challenging tutorial addresses the standard at a high level of complexity.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial shows and describes what occurs during the light reactions of photosynthesis which is the first stage of photosynthesis when plants capture and store energy from sunlight. In this process, light energy is converted into chemical energy, in the form of the energy-carrying molecules ATP and NADPH.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video explains how oxidation and reduction reactions occur in cellular respiration. The chemical equation for cellular respiration is examined and broken down to show where each type of the reactions occur.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video explains how CAM plants fix carbon dioxide at night so they do not lose water by opening their stomata during the day.
Type: Tutorial
The Khan Academy video discusses how some plants avoid photorespiration by fixing carbon in the bundle sheath cells instead of the mesophylll cells.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video reviews the Calvin Cycle in C3 photosynthesis and discusses the reactants and products of this process. The video then describes photorespiration which is what occurs when the enzyme RuBisCO fixes oxygen instead of carbon dioxide and explains why this is considered an inefficient pathway for plants.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video discusses the science of taxonomy and where humans fit into the tree of life.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video explains the definition of species and provides examples of animals that belong to the same species.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video explains and demonstrates how to use Punnett Squares for monohybrid crosses and dihybrid crosses. The video also shows how to use Punnett Squares for inheritance patterns such as codominance, incomplete dominance, and multiple alleles.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video reviews the basic processes of DNA replication and protein synthesis. It then goes on to explain how the terms chromosome, chromatin, and chromatid, relate to each other.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video describes what happens to a zygote as it becomes an embyro. It further explains what a stem cell is and discusses why there are questions concerning the use of stem cells.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video explains how variation can be introduced into a species and the importance of sexual reproduction in this process.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video briefly describes DNA replication and then goes into a thorough explanation of both transcription and translation.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video describes the structure of the molecule DNA in great detail. It also discuses the role DNA plays in the process of protein synthesis, explaining transcription and translation. The video discusses the relationship between DNA and chromosomes as well.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video explains how ATP is generated in the electron transport chain through the process of oxidative phosphorylation and chemiosmosis. It also explains the differences between oxidative phosphorylation and substrate level phosphorylation.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video explains how the NADH And FADH2 that were made during glycolysis and the Kreb's Cycle are used to generate ATP through the electron transport chain.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy tutorial describes in detail the process of glucose being broken down into pyruvate during glycolysis. Glycolysis is the first biochemical pathway of cellular respiration.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video describes how the pyruvate produced in glycolysis undergoes oxidation to produce Acetyl CoA. The video then explains what occurs when Acetyl CoA enters the Kreb's cycle and how NADH and FADH2 are produced.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy tutorial addresses the differences between the X and Y chromosomes in humans. The SRY gene found on the Y chromosome is discussed and the genes that cause color-blindness and hemophilia on the X chromosome are discussed.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy tutorial explains in detail the process of the light reactions of photosynthesis including the importance of the thylakoid membrane and the products that are produced from this reaction.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy tutorial explains how the by-products from the light reactions of photosynthesis are used to produce sugar molecules in the Calvin Cycle.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help you to understand the differences and similarities between meiosis and mitosis.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help you to understand the three unique features of meiosis and how meiosis is related to genetic inheritance.
Type: Tutorial
DNA sequencing is a technique for determining the complete sequence of bases (As, Ts, Gs, and Cs) for a particular piece of DNA. Sequencing is relatively time consuming, as the process must be done to fairly short lengths of DNA at a time. This tutorial will help you to understand the process of DNA sequencing.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy tutorial guides you through the processes of diffusion and osmosis while explaining the vocabulary and terminology involved in detail.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy tutorial addresses the importance of the phospholipid bilayer in the structure of the cell membrane. The types of molecules that can diffuse through the cell membrane are also discussed.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy tutorial describes the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. It then goes on to discuss in detail the structures and their functions found in the eukaryotic cell.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video explains how the molecule ATP stores the energy needed for biological systems within organisms.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video describes how energy is extracted from the glucose molecule to make ATP. Each biochemical pathway involved in cellular respiration is discussed.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help you to understand how a concentration gradient across a membrane is used. When a molecule or an ion is moved across a membrane from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration then a gradient is generated. This gradient can be chemical or it can also create a difference in electrical charge across the membrane if ions are involved. The proton pump generates an electrical and chemical gradient that can be used to create ATP which can drive a large number of different biochemical reactions.
Type: Tutorial
Students will learn about the different types of proteins found in the cell membrane while viewing this Khan Academy tutorial video.
Type: Tutorial
This introduction to viruses by the Khan Academy addresses the question: Are viruses alive? How viruses enter cells and replicate is discussed in detail.
Type: Tutorial
This video from the Khan Academy introduces the symbiotic relationship between the many bacteria that live inside the human body. The basics of bacteria structure, reproduction, and bacterial infections are discussed.
Type: Tutorial
This animation shows the process of glycolysis. The reactants, products, and the basic functions of aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration are identified.
Type: Tutorial
This Khan Academy video discusses the basics of cancer. The relationship between mutation, the cell cycle and uncontolled cell growth is explained.
Type: Tutorial
Gene transcription is controlled by multiple factors. Some proteins bind to DNA sequences and start the process of gene transcription. RNA synthesis can only occur when these activators are bound to specific DNA sequences. This tutorial will help you to understand the process of gene transcription.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help you to understand the role that vitamins play in human nutrition. Vitamins interact with enzymes to allow them to function more effectively. Though vitamins are not consumed in metabolism, they are vital for the process of metabolism to occur.
This challenging tutorial addresses the concept at a high level of complexity.
Type: Tutorial
You will see how the genetic code, using the DNA alphabet A,T,C, and G, produces codons to specify the 20 known amino acids. Each codon consists of a three letter code producing 64 possible words which specify the amino acids and stop signals.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help you to understand how Mendel, the father of genetics, planned and crossed the pure-bred pea plant to understand the process of genetics. With the help of the animation, you should be able to understand how the alleles are transferred from one generation to another.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help you to understand that genes play an important role in determining physical traits. These traits helps us to identify the homozygous or heterozygous variety of genes. When the pair of genes are homozygous, they are known as pure bred, i.e they have two copies of the same gene for each trait. For heterozygous variety, they have different gene for each trait. Out of this pair, one will be dominant and other will be recessive.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help you to understand the procedure of amplifying a single copy of DNA into millions of copies. Polymerase chain reaction is a molecular prototyping technique which helps in copying small segments of DNA into significant amounts required for molecular and genetic analyses.
Type: Tutorial
This online tutorial will help you to understand the process of regulated secretion. In regulated secretion, proteins are secreted from a cell in large amounts when a specific signal is detected by the cell. The specific example used in this tutorial is the release of insulin after a glucose signal enters a pancreatic beta cell.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help the student understand about viruses which are small infectious agents that replicate only inside the living cells of other organisms.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help the learner visualize how a cell or single celled organism can differ in its view when looked at under different magnifications and different types of microscopes. This tutorial can be used by the teacher as an added resource for their lesson about different microscopes and how they work..
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial reviews the process of cellular respiration which is the set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial introduces the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is a technique used in molecular biology to make multiple copies of a gene even when only small amounts of DNA are available.
Type: Tutorial
Photosynthesis is an essential part of the exchange between humans and plants. Amanda Ooten walks us through the process of photosynthesis, also discussing the relationship between photosynthesis and carbohydrates, starch, and fiber -- and how the air we breathe is related to the food we ingest.
Type: Tutorial
Water is both essential and unique. Many of its particular qualities stem from the fact that it consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen, therefore creating an unequal sharing of electrons. From fish in frozen lakes to ice floating on water, Christina Kleinberg describes the effects of polarity.
Type: Tutorial
Your body is made of cells -- but how does a single cell know to become part of your nose, instead of your toes? The answer is in your body's instruction book: DNA. Joe Hanson compares DNA to a detailed manual for building a person out of cells -- with 46 chapters (chromosomes) and hundreds of thousands of pages covering every part of you.
Type: Tutorial
Every day, we are bombarded by attention grabbing headlines that promise miracle cures to all of our ailments -- often backed up by a "scientific study." But what are these studies, and how do we know if they are reliable? David H. Schwartz dissects two types of studies that scientists use, illuminating why you should always approach the claims with a critical eye.
Type: Tutorial
A hearty bowl of cereal gives you the energy to start your day, but how exactly did that energy make its way into your bowl? It all begins with photosynthesis, the process that converts the air we breathe into energizing glucose. Cathy Symington details the highly efficient second phase of photosynthesis -- called the Calvin cycle -- which converts carbon dioxide into sugar with some clever mix-and-match math.
Type: Tutorial
All living things are made of cells. In the human body, these highly efficient units are protected by layer upon layer of defense against icky invaders like the cold virus. Shannon Stiles takes a journey into the cell, introducing the microscopic arsenal of weapons and warriors that play a role in the battle for your health.
Type: Tutorial
This TED-ED original lesson explains the three common routes of metastasis. Cancer usually begins with one tumor in a specific area of the body. But if the tumor is not removed, cancer has the ability to spread to nearby organs as well as places far away from the origin, like the brain. How does cancer move to these new areas and why are some organs more likely to get infected than others? Ivan Seah Yu Jun explains the three common routes of metastasis.
Type: Tutorial
This short video describes the process of antibiotic resistance. Right now, you are inhabited by trillions of micro organisms. Many of these bacteria are harmless (or even helpful!), but there are a few strains of ‘super bacteria' that are pretty nasty -- and they're growing resistant to our antibiotics. Why is this happening? Kevin Wu details the evolution of this problem that presents a big challenge for the future of medicine.
Type: Tutorial
Chemical reactions are constantly happening in your body -- even at this very moment. But what catalyzes these important reactions? This short video explains how enzymes assist the process, while providing a light-hearted way to remember how activation energy works.
Type: Tutorial
How do cancer cells grow? How does chemotherapy fight cancer (and cause negative side effects)? The answers lie in cell division. George Zaidan explains how rapid cell division is cancer's "strength" -- and also its weakness.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help the learners with their understanding of chemical structure of DNA.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help the learners to understand structure of DNA and how this structure allows for accurate replication.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help the learners understand glycolysis, which is the process of enzymes breaking down glucose to release energy.
Type: Tutorial
The Krebs cycle is the central metabolic pathway in all aerobic organisms. This tutorial will help the learners understand the Krebs cycle.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help learners understand the process of DNA replication, including the enzymes involved. Learners will be able to recognize that an exact copy of DNA must be created prior to cell division.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help the learners to learn about the anatomy of the cell. As the learners move the cursor over each cell organelle, they are shown information about that organelle's structure and function.
Type: Tutorial
This tutorial will help the learners to review the formation and 3D structures of amino acids with proteins.
Type: Tutorial
This a mostly text resource that provides accurate, straight-forward descriptions of prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and viruses. It could be a great tool to help students compare and contrast organisms with each other and viruses, or a good review passage.
Type: Tutorial
This online tutorial is designed to help students understand the events that occur in process of meiosis.
Type: Tutorial
Video/Audio/Animations
With an often unexpected outcome from a simple experiment, students can discover the factors that cause and influence thermohaline circulation in our oceans. In two 45-minute class periods, students complete activities where they observe the melting of ice cubes in saltwater and freshwater, using basic materials: clear plastic cups, ice cubes, water, salt, food coloring, and thermometers. There are no prerequisites for this lesson but it is helpful if students are familiar with the concepts of density and buoyancy as well as the salinity of seawater. It is also helpful if students understand that dissolving salt in water will lower the freezing point of water. There are additional follow up investigations that help students appreciate and understand the importance of the ocean's influence on Earth's climate.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
In this video, research is presented describing scientific studies of marine fossils found in Arctic regions.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This video presentation will help you to understand how HIV infects a cell and replicates itself using reverse transcriptase and the host's cellular machinery.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
Ocean explorer Robert Ballard gives a TED Talk relating to the mysteries of the ocean, and the importance of its continued exploration.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
- Observe the photosynthesis mechanism in the plant
- Learn about the main chemical reactions that takes place during photosynthesis
- Learn how solar energy is converted into chemical energy
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
- An interactive exercise for using agarose gel electrophoresis for separating DNA molecules
- Explain how restriction endonucleases is used in restriction analysis of DNA
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
- Background on the discovery of the DNA double helix
- Contains an interactive activity for base pairing
- Contains an interactive activity for DNA extraction
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
- This activity provides a historical background about research related to bacterial analysis
- Contains an animation that shows how enzymes work on cutting DNA strands
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
- Background on tracking human ancestry using the alu marker
- Animation on polymerase chain reaction, PCR
- Interactive activity for performing PCR
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
Learn how to build a circuit
Show the difference between AC and DC
Describe the effect of an inductor on a circuit
Describe the effect of a capacitor on a circuit
Learn how to use an ammeter and a voltmeter in a circuit
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
Paul Anderson explains the structure and importance of proteins. He describes how proteins are created from amino acids connected by dehydration synthesis. He shows the importance of chemical properties in the R-groups of individual amino acids in the polypeptide.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This video examines the vocabulary essential for understanding the nature of science and evolution and illustrates how evolution is a powerful, well-supported scientific explanation for the relatedness of all life. A clear definition and description of scientific theory is given.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This video discusses how bacteria spread and the pros and cons of bacteria.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
An introduction to what cancer is and how it is the by-product of broken DNA replication.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This video describes the chromosomal basis for gender and sex-linked traits.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This video gives more detail on the light reaction and photophosphorylation that occur in photosynthesis.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
In this National Science Foundation video and reading selection lab ecologist Janis Dickinson explains how she depends on citizen scientists to help her track the effects of disease, land-use change and environmental contaminants on the nesting success of birds.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This site has fantastic short Flash animations of intricate cell processes, including photosynthesis and the electron transport chain.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This simulation shows the spread of a favorable mutation through a population of pocket mice. Even a small selective advantage can lead to a rapid evolution of the population.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This lesson introduces students to Green Chemistry, the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and/or the generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry is a proactive approach to pollution prevention that teaches chemists how to develop products and materials in a manner that does not use hazardous substances, thus avoiding much waste, hazards and associated costs. The goal of this lesson is to introduce students to the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and how they relate to a chemical process. These principles provide a framework for scientists, engineers and chemistry students to use when designing new materials, products, processes, and systems. The Principles focus on sustainable design criteria and have proven to be the source of innovative solutions to a wide range of problems. Through this lesson, students will also use weight and measurement to understand the concept of a recipe as it is applied to a chemical process and think critically about that process and how it might be improved. Students will be asked to use a wasteful, inefficient procedure to make glue and be challenged to improve the procedure-during which they will unknowingly use the 12 Principles. Before starting this lesson, students should have been introduced to the periodic table and properties of matter. The estimated time for this lesson is 50-60 minutes.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This is a lesson about phenotypical variation within populations and how these differences are essential for biological evolution. Students will use a model organism (in this case, kidney beans) to explore variation patterns and subsequently connect these differences to artificial & natural selection. The NGSS’ CrossCutting Concepts and Science & Engineering Practices are embedded throughout the lesson.
The main learning objectives are:
- Using a model (kidney beans) to explore the natural variations within a population.
- Measuring differences between individuals in a population (population of beans).
- Describing how genetic/phenotypic variation is a key part of biological evolution because it is a prerequisite for natural selection.
- Demonstrating in which ways genetic variation is advantageous to a population because it enables some individuals to adapt to the environment while maintaining the survival of the population.
The NGSS Performance Expectations covered are HS-LS4-2. & HS-LS4-4.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
Virtual Manipulatives
This tutorial explores the work of Gregor Mendel and his foundational genetics experiments with pea plants. It provides practice opportunities to check your understanding of inheritance patterns including single gene recessive traits and sex linked traits. The tutorial also covers more complex patterns of inheritance such those resulting from multiple alleles. Note: This resource is part of a larger collection of information regarding Genetics. Users may view information before and after the specific genetics components highlighted here.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
The split brain experiments revealed that the right and the left hemisphere in the brain are good at different things. For instance, the right hemisphere is good at space perception tasks and music while the left is good at verbal and analytic tasks. This game guides students through some examples of the split-brain phenomenon and how the differences are understood.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This virtual manipulative will help the students learn about enzyme-substrate docking. Students will observe that the shapes of these surfaces and electrostatic forces are the major factors that govern docking.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This virtual manipulative will help the students to understand that osmosis is the movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration across a semipermeable membrane to an area of low concentration. This illustration of the diffusion process will help the students to understand the concept of osmotic pressure which is created by the movement of the water based on their concentration gradient and thus resulting in the difference of the solute concentration.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
Learn how to build a circuit
Learn how to measure voltage in a circuit using a voltmeter
Determine the resistance of certain objects that can be used as part of an electric circuit
Explain the difference between parallel and series circuits
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This virtual manipulative will allow the user to see how the equation form of ohm's law relates to a simple circuit. Learners can adjust the voltage and resistance, and see the current change according to Ohm's law. The size of the symbols in the equation change to match the circuit diagram.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This virtual manipulative will allow you to explore what makes a reaction happen by colliding atoms and molecules. Design your own experiments with different reactions, concentrations, and temperatures. Recognize what affects the rate of a reaction.
Areas to Explore:
- Explain why and how a pinball shooter can be used to help understand ideas about reactions.
- Describe on a microscopic level what contributes to a successful reaction.
- Describe how the reaction coordinate can be used to predict whether a reaction will proceed or slow.
- Use the potential energy diagram to determine : The activation energy for the forward and reverse reactions; The difference in energy between reactants and products; The relative potential energies of the molecules at different positions on a reaction coordinate.
- Draw a potential energy diagram from the energies of reactants and products and activation energy.
- Predict how raising or lowering the temperature will affect a system in the equilibrium.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
Explore how a capacitor works in this simulation. Change the plates and add a dielectric to see how it affects capacitance. Change the voltage and see charges built up on the plates. You can observe the electric field in the capacitor, measure voltage and the electric field.
Other investigations can include:
- Determine the relationship between charge and voltage for a capacitor.
- Determine the energy stored in a capacitor or a set of capacitors in a circuit.
- Explore the effect of space and dielectric materials inserted between the conductors of the capacitor in a circuit.
- Determine the equivalent capacitance of a set of capacitors in series and in parallel in a circuit.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This manipulative will help the students to learn about the physics of resistance in a wire. The electrical resistance of a wire would be expected to be greater for a longer wire, less for a wire of larger cross sectional area, and would be expected to depend upon the material out of which the wire is made, to understand this, students can change the resistivity, length, and area to see how they affect the wire's resistance. The sizes of the symbols in the equation change along with the diagram of a wire.
Some of the sample learning goals can be:
- What characteristics of a resistor are variable in this model?
- How does each affect the resistance (will increasing or decreasing each make the resistance correspondingly increase or decrease?)
- Explain your ideas about why they change the resistance.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This activity will allow you to make colorful concentrated and dilute solutions and explore how much light they absorb and transmit using a virtual spectrophotometer.
You can explore concepts in many ways including:
- Describe the relationships between volume and amount of solute to solution concentration.
- Explain qualitatively the relationship between solution color and concentration.
- Predict and explain how solution concentration will change for adding or removing: water, solute, and/or solution.
- Calculate the concentration of solutions in units of molarity (mol/L).
- Design a procedure for creating a solution of a given concentration.
- Identify when a solution is saturated and predict how concentration will change for adding or removing: water, solute, and/or solution.
- Describe the relationship between the solution concentration and the intensity of light that is absorbed/transmitted.
- Describe the relationship between absorbance, molar absorptivity, path length, and concentration in Beer's Law.
- Predict how the intensity of light absorbed/transmitted will change with changes in solution type, solution concentration, container width, or light source and explain why?
Type: Virtual Manipulative
An electronic kit in your computer! Build circuits with resistors, light bulbs, batteries, and switches. Take measurements with the realistic ammeter and voltmeter. View the circuit as a schematic diagram, or switch to a life-like view.
Other options for exploration:
- Discuss basic electricity relationships
- Build circuits from schematic drawings.
- Use an ammeter and voltmeter to take readings in circuits.
- Provide reasoning to explain the measurements and relationship in circuits.
- Discuss basic electricity relationships in series and parallel circuits.
- Provide reasoning to explain the measurements in circuits.
- Determine the resistance of common objects in the "Grab Bag".
Type: Virtual Manipulative
The lac operon is a set of genes which are responsible for the metabolism of lactose in some bacterial cells. Students will explore the effects of mutation within the lac operon by adding or removing genes from the DNA.
- Predicts the effects on lactose metabolism when the various genes and DNA control elements are mutated (added or removed).
- Predicts the effects on lactose metabolism when the concentration of lactose is changed.
- Explain the roles of Lacl, LacZ, and LacY in lactose regulation.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
The students will have the opportunity to build their own circuit loop with the materials presented to them.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
In this interactive Biotechniques virtual lab, you will isolate DNA from a human test subject and learn the uses for DNA obtained through extraction. The "Try It Yourself" section below the virtual lab gives instruction and background information about how to extract DNA from living tissue using basic materials available in grocery stores.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This virtual manipulative histogram tool can aid in analyzing the distribution of a dataset. It has 6 preset datasets and a function to add your own data for analysis.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This site provides an introduction to microscopy and microscopes including history, images, and interactives.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This is a simplified, interactive demonstration of genetic principles. Using a fictional species named the Norn, students can predict the outcome of genetic crosses (mono and di-hybrid, sex-linked, and multiple-allele). This could be used to strengthen the students understanding of genetics, practice Punnet squares, or practice calculation of genotypic/phenotypic ratios. However, it is unlikely to be useful as an independent assignment (if used as designed).
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This interactive cell membrane simulation allows students to see how different types of channels allow particles to move through the membrane.
Sample learning goals:
- Predict when particles will move through the membrane and when they will not.
- Identify which particle type will diffuse depending on which type of channels are present.
- Predict the rate of diffusion based on the number and type of channels present.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
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