Course Standards
General Course Information and Notes
General Notes
Laboratory investigations that 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. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) recommends that at the middle school level, all students should have multiple opportunities every week to explore science laboratory investigations (labs). School laboratory investigations are defined by the National Research Council (NRC) as an experience in the laboratory, classroom, or the field that provides students with opportunities to interact directly with natural phenomena or with data collected by others using tools, materials, data collection techniques, and models (NRC, 2006, p. 3). Laboratory investigations in the middle school classroom should help all students develop a growing understanding of the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work, as well as the skills to calibrate and troubleshoot equipment used to make observations. Learners should understand measurement error; and have the skills to aggregate, interpret, and present the resulting data (NRC 2006, p. 77; NSTA, 2007).
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.
Literacy Standards in Science
Secondary science courses include reading standards for literacy in science and technical subjects 6-12 and writing standards for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects 6-12. The courses also include speaking and listening standards. For a complete list of standards required for this course click on the blue tile labeled course standards. You may also download the complete course including all required standards and notes sections using the export function located at the top of this page.
English Language Development ELD Standards
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
Additional Instructional Resources:
A.V.E. for Success Collection is provided by the Florida Association of School Administrators: http://www.fasa.net/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=139. Please be aware that these resources have not been reviewed by CPALMS and there may be a charge for the use of some of them in this collection.
General Information
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorials
Join a group of friends in a STEM challenge to build the quickest toy car as they use evidence from a series of controlled experiments to make a scientific claim in this interactive science tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the inheritance of traits using a pedigree chart in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Join a group of friends in a STEM challenge to build the quickest toy car as they analyze data from a series of controlled experiments in this interactive science tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Use Punnett squares to determine the probabilities of genotypes and phenotypes in this original tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Come investigate heredity using the American alligator to help you understand many of the terms and ideas associated with the passing on of genetic traits from parent to offspring, in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Join a group of friends in a STEM challenge to build the quickest toy car as they conduct a series of controlled experiments in this interactive science tutorial.
This is part 2 in a 4-part series.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Join a group of friends in a STEM challenge to build the quickest toy car as they plan a controlled experiment in this interactive science tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how scientific research is done based society's goals and what current group needs as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how different scientists all over the world use vastly different skills to work toward the common goal of understanding and fighting an emerging disease in this interactive tutorial
Type: Original Student Tutorial
You'll explore how science does and does not influence decision-making about climate change, sea turtles, and human health, in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn the importance of replication and repetition in science as you investigate the composition of a penny with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how innovation is important in moving scientific thinking forward with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the interconnected world of science, society, economy, and politics and how they all influence one another with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about scientific theories and how they can change when new information is presented with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Take a microscopic journey into the immune system and the world of infectious fungi and parasites.
This is Part 2 in a two-part series of interactive tutorials. Click to open Part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Take a microscopic journey into the immune system and the living and non-living worlds of bacteria and viruses.
This is Part 1 in a two-part series of interactive tutorials. Click to open Part 2.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore how we define and describe scientific phenomena using scientific laws in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about viruses that can infect the human body, how they can cause epidemics and pandemics, and how best to protect yourself against infectious diseases like COVID-19 in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how math models can show why social distancing during a epidemic or pandemic is important in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate various limiting factors in an ecosystem and their impact on native populations as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about scientific theories and how they can change in this space-themed, interactive tutorial
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Continue your scientific experiment about ghost ant food preferences by collecting the data, analyzing the results, and forming a conclusion with this interactive tutorial.
This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Click to open Part 1, Setting Up an Experiment.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to design a scientific experiment involving ants and what food they prefer. In this interactive tutorial, you will learn about variables and scientific processes required to conduct an experiment.
This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Click to open Part 2, Conducting an Experiment and Analyzing Results
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate the benefits and limitations of experiments, observational studies, and comparative studies with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about different types of scientific investigations as you discover the Zebra Longwing, a special type of butterfly that calls Florida home. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also learn how scientists collaborate with each other and share empirical evidence.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Help Ryan revise his soccer science experiment to make it replicable. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn what "replicable" means and why it's so important in science.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Join our class hamster experiment to learn about making hypotheses, organizing and analyzing data into graphs, and making inferences in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Join our class hamster experiment and learn to identify independent, dependent, and controlled variables in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Join the investigation into our class hamster's respiration! In this interactive tutorial, we will explore different methods of investigation, hypothesize, interpret data, determine appropriate conclusions, and make predictions.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the tools of science as we look at the mystery of bird migrations in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how scientific knowledge is open to change and how the knowledge about the Earth's surface has changed in the past 100 years as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Science isn't just about experiments! Learn about other ways to do science such as observational and comparative studies in this interactive tutorial. Science is varied and interesting as we use scientific skills to learn about the world!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn the differences between science and pseudoscience in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how science can help us make informed decisions that improve our lives as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the processes of science and how it changes over time. This interactive tutorial uses the historical development of The Cell Theory to illustrate these ideas.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Engineering and science may be similar but their goals are somewhat different. In this interactive tutorial, learn about engineers; some of the different fields of engineering, where engineers work, what they do, and some of their goals.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the work of geo-scientists: What they do, where they work and the types of questions they strive to answer in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the world of physics and explore what physicists do. In this interactive tutorial, you'll discover where they work and what kinds of questions they try to answer.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the work of chemists, various fields of chemistry, where chemists work and the types of questions they strive to answer in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the varied job of a biologist; where they work, what they do and the types of questions they try to answer.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to interpret histograms to analyze data, and help an inventor predict the range of a catapult in part 2 of this interactive tutorial series. More specifically, you'll learn to describe the shape and spread of data distributions.
Click HERE to open part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to create a histogram to display continuous data from projectiles launched by a catapult in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 1 in a 2-part series. Click HERE to open part 2.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Cells are very diverse, but are the foundation of all living things. Take a look at different types of cells and learn how they have similar needs. Cell are alike, but different!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore computer coding on the farm by using relational operators and IF statements to evaluate expressions. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also solve problems involving inequalities.
Click below to check out the other tutorials in the series.
- MacCoder’s Farm Part 1: Declare Variables
- MacCoder's Farm Part 2: Condition Statements
- MacCoder's Farm Part 4: Repeat Loops
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to calculate and interpret the Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) of data sets in this travel-themed, interactive statistics tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how pedigree charts can represent inheritance patterns and how genetic diseases are passed down through generations in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how science relies on creative and innovative thinking as we explore the science of discovering exoplanets in this interactive tutorial. Science is a problem solving endeavor as we try and figure out and learn new things. The answers are hard to find, but if we keep asking questions and building on what we know, then we can solve problems to things we once were thought were impossible!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Help scientists find the most effective vaccine for Zombie Virus vaccine by effectively analyzing and summarizing experimental data. In this interactive tutorial, you'll write a scientific question, a claim, supporting evidence and an explanation of what happened during the experiment.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to write an effective hypothesis with sharks as a focus in this interactive tutorial. A hypothesis should be testable and falsifiable.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the amazing science discoveries by people from all over the world and all walks of life. In this interactive tutorial, you'll see that science is by and for everyone!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Help Igor learn about the immune system as he works to build Dr. Frankenstein’s creature!
This is part 8 of 9, in a series of interactive tutorials on human body systems. Click below to open the others in the series.
- The Nervous System (Part 1)
- The Respiratory System (Part 2)
- The Circulatory System (Part 3)
- The Musculoskeletal System (Part 4)
- The Digestive System (Part 5)
- The Excretory System (Part 6)
- The Reproductive System (Part 7)
- The Immune System (Part 8)
- Body Systems and Homeostasis (Part 9)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore biotic and abiotic factors that can influence the growth of populations of organisms in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to predict the probability of offspring inheriting different traits and combinations of genes using Punnett squares. In this interactive tutorial you also review genotypes and phenotypes.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how human body systems work together to achieve homeostasis, a balance between their external and internal conditions.
This is part 9 of 9, in a series of interactive tutorials on human body systems. Click below to open the others in the series.
- The Nervous System (Part 1)
- The Respiratory System (Part 2)
- The Circulatory System (Part 3)
- The Musculoskeletal System (Part 4)
- The Digestive System (Part 5)
- The Excretory System (Part 6)
- The Reproductive System (Part 7)
- The Immune System (Part 8)
- Body Systems and Homeostasis (Part 9)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Compare and contrast plant and animal cells in this interactive tutorial. You'll learn about the structure and function of major organelles of cells, including the cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, chloroplasts, mitochondria, and vacuoles.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to write a valid conclusion from a scientific investigation. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also learn how to answer questions using scientific reasoning.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how food is broken down to produce energy for cells in the in the form of ATP in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Discover how the excretory system removes waste products from your body.
This is part 6 of 9, in a series of interactive tutorials on human body systems. Click below to open the others in the series.
- The Nervous System (Part 1)
- The Respiratory System (Part 2)
- The Circulatory System (Part 3)
- The Musculoskeletal System (Part 4)
- The Digestive System (Part 5)
- The Excretory System (Part 6)
- The Reproductive System (Part 7)
- The Immune System (Part 8)
- Body Systems and Homeostasis (Part 9)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Help Agent Icky compare and contrast types of infectious agents that may infect the human body, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. By completing this interactive tutorial, maybe you can be a Microbe Buster one day too!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Chew on facts about the digestive system as you help to bring Dr. Frankenstein's famous creature to life.
This is part 5 of 9, in a series of interactive tutorials on human body systems. Click below to open the others in the series.
- The Nervous System (Part 1)
- The Respiratory System (Part 2)
- The Circulatory System (Part 3)
- The Musculoskeletal System (Part 4)
- The Digestive System (Part 5)
- The Excretory System (Part 6)
- The Reproductive System (Part 7)
- The Immune System (Part 8)
- Body Systems and Homeostasis (Part 9)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Get answers to your questions about the reproductive systems of biological males and females.
This is part 7 of 9, in a series of interactive tutorials on human body systems. Click below to open the others in the series.
- The Nervous System (Part 1)
- The Respiratory System (Part 2)
- The Circulatory System (Part 3)
- The Musculoskeletal System (Part 4)
- The Digestive System (Part 5)
- The Excretory System (Part 6)
- The Reproductive System (Part 7)
- The Immune System (Part 8)
- Body Systems and Homeostasis (Part 9)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore the circulatory system as we bring Frankenstein's creature to life.
This is part 3 of 9, in a series of interactive tutorials on human body systems. Click below to open the others in the series.
- The Nervous System (Part 1)
- The Respiratory System (Part 2)
- The Circulatory System (Part 3)
- The Musculoskeletal System (Part 4)
- The Digestive System (Part 5)
- The Excretory System (Part 6)
- The Reproductive System (Part 7)
- The Immune System (Part 8)
- Body Systems and Homeostasis (Part 9)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Come with me as we select Scientist's Next Top Model! When does an abstract idea become a real scientific model? When the model appears in scientific journals and textbooks all over the world. Before a model can grace the cover of these high profile, peer reviewed journals and textbooks it must go through a rigorous process. How does a model go from an idea to a scientific model? What took me 2000 years I am going to make happen for one lucky model in just 15 short minutes!
Competition is tough and each model will have to showcase why they are able to represent themselves as Scientist’s Next Top Model.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how the musculoskeletal system enables us to run, dance, even chew!
This is part 4 of 9, in a series of interactive tutorials on human body systems. Click below to open the others in the series.
- The Nervous System (Part 1)
- The Respiratory System (Part 2)
- The Circulatory System (Part 3)
- The Musculoskeletal System (Part 4)
- The Digestive System (Part 5)
- The Excretory System (Part 6)
- The Reproductive System (Part 7)
- The Immune System (Part 8)
- Body Systems and Homeostasis (Part 9)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate the respiratory system in this interactive tutorial as you help Dr. Frankenstein continue to build his Creature.
This is part 2 of 9, in a series of interactive tutorials on human body systems. Click below to open the others in the series.
- The Respiratory System (Part 2)
- The Circulatory System (Part 3)
- The Musculoskeletal System (Part 4)
- The Digestive System (Part 5)
- The Excretory System (Part 6)
- The Reproductive System (Part 7)
- The Immune System (Part 8)
- Body Systems and Homeostasis (Part 9)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how evolution is influenced by genetic variation, natural selection, and allele frequency in this interactive tutorial.
This is part 1 in a two-part series. After you finish this tutorial, check out .
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how the nervous system serves as the bridge between the outside world and our bodies.
This is part 1 of 9, in a series of interactive tutorials on human body systems. Click below to open the others in the series.
- The Nervous System (Part 1)
- The Respiratory System (Part 2)
- The Circulatory System (Part 3)
- The Musculoskeletal System (Part 4)
- The Digestive System (Part 5)
- The Excretory System (Part 6)
- The Reproductive System (Part 7)
- The Immune System (Part 8)
- Body Systems and Homeostasis (Part 9)
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Examine how evolution is influenced by genetic variation, natural selection, and allele frequency through the lens of organism genotype.
Click below to open part 1.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to differentiate replication (by others) from repetition (multiple trials) in experimental design through the information and practice exercises in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore relationships among organisms, including mutualism, predation, parasitism, competition, and commensalism in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore relationships between key species in Kenya and learn how they interact with each other.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore how scientists have used scientific thinking and methods to develop hypotheses about the development of life on Earth. Throughout this interactive tutorial, you'll see how learning through science requires retesting data, reconsidering evidence, and debate between scientists.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to make and interpret boxplots in this pet-themed, interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how arguments are formed with claims, reasons, and evidence. In this interactive tutorial, you'll read several short speeches from students hoping to be elected president of the Student Council. We'll trace the claim made by each student and the reasons and evidence they use to support it.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore heredity--how genetic information in DNA is passed from parents to offspring. In this interactive tutorial, you'll see how inherited genetic information impacts traits in offspring.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to identify models and their use in science with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how and why plants, animals, and other organisms are classified as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to identify the independent variable and the dependent variable in an experiment with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to identify the importance of scientific laws and how they are different from societal laws.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to identify and explain the three parts of the Cell Theory in this interactive, bee-themed tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate the limiting factors of a Florida ecosystem and describe how these limiting factors affect one native population-the Florida Scrub-Jay-with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to identify explicit evidence and understand implicit meaning in a text.
You should be able to describe the hierarchical organization of living things from the atom, to the molecule, to the cell, to the tissue, to the organ, to the organ system, and to the organism.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Compare and contrast asexual and sexual reproduction with Mix the Fish and Stan the Starfish in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate how temperature affects the rate of chemical reactions in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how scientific knowledge can change when new evidence is discovered or new ideas are developed. In this interactive tutorial, you'll look at some famous example from the history of science, including the cell theory and the theory of plate tectonics.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn what genetic engineering is and some of the applications of this technology. In this interactive tutorial, you’ll gain an understanding of some of the benefits and potential drawbacks of genetic engineering. Ultimately, you’ll be able to think critically about genetic engineering and write an argument describing your own perspective on its impacts.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore energy transfer in the Antarctic ecosystem to help Brian solve the mystery of the declining krill population in this interacitve tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to recognize that fossil evidence is consistent with the scientific theory of evolution, that living things evolved from earlier species by natural selection, with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Follow our quest to learn how the element carbon is cycled on Earth with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how matter and energy are continuously transferred within and between organisms and their physical environment and cite evidence that living systems follow the Laws of Conservation of Mass and Energy with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how the environment on Earth is constantly changing and that populations of organisms adapt to this change by evolving via natural selection. In this interactive tutorial, you'll discover how organisms do and do not avoid extinction.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to recognize and explain the difference between scientific theories and scientific laws in this interactive tutorial. You'll also explore several examples of scientific theories and the evidence that supports them.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how scientists use models to simplify and understand the world around us. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also explore the benefits and limitations of scientific models.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about the process of photosynthesis and ways that plants convert energy from the sun into glucose with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Explore methods used in scientific inquiry by following an actual astronomer in search of new planets within our solar system in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Educational Games
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
In this interactive dive through Australia's Great Barrier Reef, discover relationships that have evolved between the resident organisms. Some are predators and prey; others compete for space, food, or mates; and still others are dependent or codependent on each other. Select one of four reef zones, then click on a type of relationship, predation and parasitism, competition or commensalism and mutualism to learn more about these relationships among reef creatures.
Type: Educational Game
Image/Photograph
This site uses text and images to describe methods that the U.S. Geological Survey measures water temperature, pH, specific conductance, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, hardness, and suspended sediment.
Type: Image/Photograph
Perspectives Video: Experts
A viticulture scientist discusses biotechnology and its impact on society with tendril-loving care.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
<p>It's impossible to count every animal in a park, but with statistics and some engineering, biologists can come up with a good estimate.</p>
Type: Perspectives Video: Expert
Some scientists' labs are outside! Learn all about a large-scale environmental model called LILA!
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
Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast
Find out how math and technology can help you (try to) get away from civilization.
Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.
Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast
Presentation/Slideshows
This interactive tutorial explores the evolution of time measurement through the ages, beginning with Stonehenge and ancient calendar systems. It progresses through sun and water clocks, mechanical and quartz-movement clocks, and atomic clocks.
Type: Presentation/Slideshow
Resource provides a succinct overview of the nature of science; what science is and is not. Information includes the aims of scientific pursuits, principles, process and thinking.
Type: Presentation/Slideshow
Problem-Solving Tasks
Students are given a context and a dotplot and are asked a number of questions regarding shape, center, and spread of the data.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
Using the information provided, create an appropriate graphical display and answer the questions regarding shape, center and variability.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
In this task students use different representations to analyze the relationship between two quantities and to solve a real world problem. The situation presented provides a good opportunity to make connections between the information provided by tables, graphs and equations. In the later part of the problem, the numbers are big enough so that using the formula is the most efficient way to solve the problem; however, creative use of the table or graph will also work.
Type: Problem-Solving Task
Student Center Activity
Students can practice answering mathematics questions on a variety of topics. With an account, students can save their work and send it to their teacher when complete.
Type: Student Center Activity
Text Resources
This site features information on endangered species as well as various organizations and laws pursuing their protection. It includes a list of acronyms, bibliography, index, and one classroom activity.
Type: Text Resource
This resource comes from the Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory: DNA from the Beginning online module series. There are 41 modules located on this site all focused on DNA and organized by individual concepts. The science behind each concept is explained in each module by: animations, an image gallery, video interviews, problems, biographies, and additional links. This is the 2nd module in the series, and it is focused on how genes come in pairs.
Type: Text Resource
This resource comes from the Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory: DNA from the Beginning online module series. There are 41 modules located on this site all focused on DNA and organized by individual concepts. The science behind each concept is explained in each module by animations, an image gallery, video interviews, problems, biographies, and additional links. This is the 4th module in the series and it is focused on concept that some genes are dominant.
Type: Text Resource
This resource comes from the Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory: DNA from the Beginning online module series. There are 41 modules located on this site all focused on DNA and organized by individual concepts. The science behind each concept is explained in each module by animations, an image gallery, video interviews, problems, biographies, and additional links. This is the 3rd module in the series and it is focused on presenting the concept that genes don't blend.
Type: Text Resource
This Frequently Asked Question page can be used by educators and students as a scientific resource to answer the question, "Why isn't Pluto a planet?". From the International Astronomical Union, the definitive answer from the governing body that classified Pluto as a dwarf planet.
Type: Text Resource
Tutorials
In this video, you will see two ways to find the Mean Absolute Deviation of a data set.
Type: Tutorial
This video shows how to find the value of a missing piece of data if you know the mean of the data set.
Type: Tutorial
This video demonstrates how to construct a box plot, formerly known as a box and whisker plot.
Type: Tutorial
In this video, we organize data into frequency tables and dot plots (sometimes called line plots).
Type: Tutorial
Learn how to create histograms, which summarize data by sorting it into groups.
Type: Tutorial
In an equation with 2 variables, we will be able to determine which is the dependent variable, and which is the independent variable.
Type: Tutorial
Given a graph, we will be able to find the equation it represents.
Type: Tutorial
This resource helps the user learn the three primary colors that are fundamental to human vision, learn the different colors in the visible spectrum, observe the resulting colors when two colors are added, and learn what white light is. A combination of text and a virtual manipulative allows the user to explore these concepts in multiple ways.
Type: Tutorial
The user will learn the three primary subtractive colors in the visible spectrum, explore the resulting colors when two subtractive colors interact with each other and explore the formation of black color.
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
This resource is a brief TED Ed video that covers Mendel's contributions to the field of genetics. It clearly and concisely explains genotype, phenotype, dominance, and Punnett squares in a kid-friendly way.
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
This game aims at showing the use of model organisms in behavioral studies and in detecting the causes of certain diseases
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
A collection of crossword puzzles that test the knowledge of students about some of the terms, processes, and classifications covered in science topics
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
A wonderful interactive animation of cloning that helps increase understanding of how cloning using somatic cell nuclear transfer works.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This website allows students and/or teachers to refresh their memory on terms such as DNA, traits, heredity, and genetics.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
Excerpted from NOVA: "Volcanoes of the Deep", this video segment reveals strange and luminescent forms of life, such as giant tube worms, spider crabs, and billions of microbes clumped together like a cottony web. The site where life began on Earth may have been where black smokers stream from hydrothermal vents and chimneys along the sea floor.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This video segment from Interactive NOVA: "Earth" describes the role of decomposers in the living world. We've all been victimized by decomposers: Lettuce rots; bread becomes moldy. Bacteria and fungi often consume our food before we have a chance to. However, if we stop to consider the important work that decomposers do, we may be a little less disgruntled by their presence.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This 13-minute video segment produced by NOVA Science Now explores the work by one committed family and researchers to identify patterns in the genetic information of autism patients.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
This site explores the relationship of the size of the cell and many other common objects, molecules, and atoms. It is an interactive website that shows the scale of the objects in relations to each other.
Type: Video/Audio/Animation
Virtual Manipulatives
In this activity, students use preset data or enter in their own data to be represented in a box plot. This activity allows students to explore single as well as side-by-side box plots of different data. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the Java applet.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
This is an online graphing utility that can be used to create box plots, bubble graphs, scatterplots, histograms, and stem-and-leaf plots.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
Students will explore natural selection by controlling the environment and causing mutations in bunnies. This will demonstrate how natural selection works in nature. They will have the opportunity to throw in different variables to see what will make their species of rabbit survive.
Type: Virtual Manipulative
Users select a data set or enter their own data to generate a box plot.
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
In this activity, students can create and view a histogram using existing data sets or original data entered. Students can adjust the interval size using a slider bar, and they can also adjust the other scales on the graph. This activity allows students to explore histograms as a way to represent data as well as the concepts of mean, standard deviation, and scale. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.
Type: Virtual Manipulative