Lesson Plans

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    Red orange and pink flatworm
    Lesson Plan
    Flatworms: The First Hunter Questions
    There are three separate lessons here based on questions.A list of questions about the characteristics of flatworms to use after viewing the video Flatworms: The First Hunter.A Shape of Life: The First Hunter worksheet. Students make sketches and write short answers to questions about the amazing world of flatworms. This was created by Rachel Miller from Science from Scratch.A Powerpoint with questions to use while watching the video Flatworms: The First Hunter. 

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    yellow glass sponge
    Lesson Plan
    Spectacular Simple Sponges
    Students explore unique sponge adaptations through short Shape of Life videos and student-centered activities.

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    Lesson Plan
    Phylum Mollusca: Macroevolution Module
    Through a sequence of “explore-before-explain” laboratory investigations, coupled with segments from the Shape of Life videos, students study molluscs in the present and their long  evolutionary history. The module includes those listed below, which can also stand alone.

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    Lesson Plan
    SNIPS AND SNAILS AND GASTROPOD TAILS
    A brief hands-on investigation of Class Gastropoda (snails and slugs), followed by a critical thinking exercise centered on segments of the Shape of Life. Students first examine the bodies and behavior of live slugs or snails, then use water balloons to model their unique style of locomotion, and finally tackle a series of analytical questions designed to cultivate a grasp of divergent evolution: the branching of a single ancestral form into multiple new forms for diverse new functions, niches, and habitats.

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    Lesson Plan
    Nature’s Innovations
    Antoni Gaudi, the famous Spanish architect, found his inspirations from nature. From trees to light to whale bones, Gaudi used solutions from nature for structural support or decoration. He is not unique in using natural engineering to solve problems in our daily lives. In this lesson, we will investigate how, through the process of evolution, animals have solved their engineering problems and how people have mimicked those natural solutions.

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    Lesson Plan
    Marine Arthropod Adaptations + Engineering Design
    Students explore the diversity and adaptations of marine arthropods.

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    Artful Echinoderms
    Lesson Plan
    Artful Echinoderms
    Engaging Students with Echinoderm Phenomena, Adaptations, and Art

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    Lesson Plan
    Terrestrial Arthropod Adaptations + Engineering Design
    Students explore the extraordinary adaptions and diversity of terrestrial arthropods through short Shape of Life videos and student-centered activities in the 5E Instructional Model.

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    big momma
    Lesson Plan
    EXPLORING OCEAN MYSTERIES CURRICULUM
    The "Exploring Ocean Mysteries: From Dynamic Shores To the Deep Sea" curriculum consists of Lesson Plans and Resources that make it easy to teach the seven principles of Ocean Literacy.

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    Alitta Succinea
    Lesson Plan
    Annelid Adaptions + Art
    This lesson begins with students engaging in the practice of science -- observing the phenomena, describing their observations, and making sense of what they see. They observe annelid behaviors using a Shape of Life video with the audio turned off. They try to figure out what the phenomenon (the behavior) is, how it might help the organism survive, and how it might impact the environment. Working with a partner, they make hypotheses about what they are observing and organisms' adaptions that allow it to perform the behavior.

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