NGSS Discipline: Life Sciences
Free classroom-ready biology lesson plans created and vetted by educators
Life After Wildfires: Observing and Predicting Forest Recovery
1-period video activity exploring forest succession, observation practices, and science identity with elementary and middle school worksheets.
Lettuce Get to the Root of the Matter
Observe and compare monocot vs. dicot root growth with this hands-on germination activity for grades 3-12.
OBSERVER: Seeing, Sensing, and Inferring
NGSS-aligned middle school lesson to help students master the essential scientific distinction between observation and inference.
Genetic Engineering and Conservation
Should We Use Biotechnology to Save Endangered and Extinct Species?
Hormones on the Case! — Animal Behavior Investigations
Engage students in modeling hormonal pathways and redesigning zoo habitats to explore how stress impacts animal behavior and reproduction.
The Basis of a Good Hypothesis
Free Nature of Science lesson plan for grades 6-10. Includes a hands-on hypothesis cube activity and a video on indigenous knowledge and nitrogen cycling.
How to Kill a Superbug
Model evolutionary tradeoffs and play an interactive game to bring natural selection and antibiotic resistance to life.
Modeling DNA Replication
Engage students with how "the most beautiful experiment" in biology revealed the semiconservative nature of DNA replication with a free video and modeling activity.
