This well organized article is accompanied by photos focusing primarily on the needs of epiphytes and how the plants' structure facilitates the plants getting what they need.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Curriculum connections - investigating plant tropisms

http://www.kidsgardening.com/growingideas/projects/july04/pg2.html

This 3 page article discusses thigmatropism, heliotropism, and geotropism. Photographs provide examples plants demonstrating the tropisms.

Resource Type: Reference Material - Article, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference, Audio/Visual - Photograph
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

The Case of the Prize-Winning Plants

http://scifiles.larc.nasa.gov/educators/episodes/2003_2004/Winning_Plants.pdf

This booklet from NASA presents a fictionalized case study where the needs of plants are revealed, including soil type and temperature, through the story of Tony and Kali. Tony wants to start a fertilizer company, but he has a lot to learn about plants.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Photosynthesis

http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPS.html

A learning module on photosynthesis enhanced with colorful graphics, questions for review, and additional links.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Tutorial, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference, Audio/Visual - Illustration
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Monocots and dicots

http://www.backyardnature.net/monodico.htm

A brief description of monocots and dicots with photos.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 4, 5, 6

Living things - habitats and ecosystems

http://www.fi.edu/tfi/units/life/habitat/habitat.html

Text and photographs regarding habitats, populations and communities, biomes, niches and ecosystems in general with numerous links to lessons, activities, and organizations on specific subtopics in ecology.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Energy Flow

http://www.teachersdomain.org/3-5/sci/life/oate/energyflow/index.html

Through the process of photosynthesis, plants harness the sun's energy and in so doing make many forms of life, including human life, possible. What path does this energy follow, and how is it transferred from one type of organism to another? In this feature, adapted from Interactive NOVA: Earth, learn why 400 pounds of corn can't be converted into a 400-pound cow.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Audio/Visual - Movie/Animation, Audio/Visual - Sound, Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual, Instructional Material - Tutorial
Grade Level: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Dr. Saul's Biology in Motion

http://www.biologyinmotion.com/evol/index.html

The user can vary the strength of the selection pressure, a predator, pathogen, or pollution for example, which is how change in the environment is simulated. Mutation rates can also be varied. The interaction of these two variables gives rise to adaptations, thus evolution. However, the same two variables also explain extinctions when random mutations produce traits which decrease, rather than increase fitness and/or when environmental change is so severe, a large proportion of a species is killed off in a few generations, not leaving enough individuals to repopulate before other species' outcompete the now rare species.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Movie/Animation, Audio/Visual - Graph, Instructional Material - Interactive Simulation
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

Japan's secret garden - secrets of hibernation

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/satoyama/hibernation.html

Describes hibernation in animals and states that perhaps humans may be able to learn to use this process too.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Article, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Forest biology and ecology for educators - dormancy and cold hardiness

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/forestbiology/htmltext/chapter6.htm

An online text discussing types of and duration of dormancy, environmental triggers, release from dormancy, genetic influences, and cold hardiness.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Textbook, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Seedless plants

http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/Michael.Gregory/files/Bio%20102/Bio%20102%2...

Details the life cycle, structure, reproduction and ecology of bryophytes which includes mosses and ferns. Several photos are included.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Gymnosperms

http://hcs.osu.edu/hcs300/gymno.htm

Details structures, life cycle, reproduction and ecology of conifers, cycads and ginkos.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5

Teacher's domain - body control center

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/tdc02/sci/life/reg/bodycontrol/index.html

Interactive media and printed text illustrating homeostasis in humans.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Movie/Animation, Audio/Visual - Sound, Instructional Material - Interactive Simulation, Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Life cycles of animals - cycles

http://www.uen.org/themepark/cycles/animal.shtml

After a brief introduction, the page is divided into Places to go, People to see, Things to do, Teacher resources and a Bibliography. Each division has several links. For example the Places to go division has links to frog, ant, coral reef, and American bald eagle life cycles.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Activity, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Butterfly Lab

http://www.naturemuseum.org/online/thebutterflylab/index.htm

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.This focused and comprehensive site includes pages on butterfly anatomy, life cycle, behavior and ecology. Each page is enhanced with photographs. There is an additional link to ongoing research A Tool Box side bar links to Ask-an-expert, My lab, and For teachers.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Instructional Material - Experiment/Lab Activity, Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Insecta - Information

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Insecta.html

The world is convered in bugs, so shouldnt you know a little bit about them? Find out what you need at Insecta Inspecta World!

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Audio/Visual - Sound, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Animal Diversity Web

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/index.html

Thousands of species accounts about individual animal species. These may include text, pictures of living animals, photographs and movies of specimens, and/or recordings of sounds. Descriptions of levels of organization above the species level, especially phyla, classes, and in some cases, orders and families. Hundreds of hyperlinked pages and images illustrate the traits and general biology of these groups. Professional biologists prepare this part.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Audio/Visual - Sound, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference, Reference Material - Classification Key
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Plantkingdom - the clickable taxonomic tree of the plant kingdom

http://www.plantkingdom.com/

plantkingdom.com is a brief introduction into the taxonomic world of the plant kingdom. The plant kingdom taxonomic tree in its most basic form is divided into the cellular plants (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, etc.) and into the vascular plants. The vascular plants are further divided into the spore producing plants and the seed producing plants. Those are the 3 primary divisions that plantkingdom.com deals with, each of which breaks down into hundreds of further divisions.

Resource Type: Reference Material - Classification Key, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 4, 5, 6

Tree of life webproject - eubacteria

http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Eubacteria&contgroup=Life_on_Earth

Taxa of Eubacteria, with links to more information on bacteria.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Movie/Animation, Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 4, 5, 6

Tree of life web project - fungi

http://www.tolweb.org/Fungi

Shows a phylogenetic tree of the fungi phyla, followed by information, photos and more links. Click on the hotlinks in the phylogenetic tree for specifc examples within the phyla also accompanied by photos.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference, Reference Material - Classification Key
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Green Algae

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/green.html

Color photomicrographs of several species of green algae with brief descriptions of their chief characterisitcs and habitat. Scroll to the bottom of the page to links to bacteria, and more protists including diatoms, desmids and rotifers.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Reproduction - protists and fungi

http://bio.rutgers.edu/~gb101/lab6_protists/l6i1.html

Contrasts sexual reproduction cycles with asexual. Click on the schematic drawings for larger, colored views. Click on Assignment at the bottom of the page for a three page tutorial which includes photomicrographs of protists at various magnifications and a movie of Euglena dividing, ie reproducing via mitosis.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 5, 6

Cells Alive

http://www.cellsalive.com/index.htm

This comprehensive interactive website covers just about every topic associated with cell biology. The left side bar of contents allows the user to quickly navigate to topics such as microbiology, and cell biology. Inside Cell Biology, one can choose, among others, cell, structure models, mitosis, and meiosis.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Audio/Visual - Movie/Animation, Audio/Visual - Photograph, Instructional Material - Interactive Simulation, Instructional Material - Simulation, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Mendelian Genetics

http://www.ndsu.edu/instruct/mcclean/plsc431/mendel/mendel1.htm

Comprehensive presentation of Mendelian genetics enhanced with schematic diagrams and color photos. A sidebar of topics includes Variations to Mendel's First Law, Pedigree Analysis, Mendel's Second Law, Pleiotropy, Epistasis, Modifier Genes, Penetrance and Expressivity, Study Questions, Mendelian Genetics Overheads, Mendelian Genetics WWW Links Genetic Topics

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Audio/Visual - Photograph
Grade Level: 5, 6

Plants defy Mendel's inheritance laws

http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/2005/050323.Pruitt.inheritance.html

Article describes how a researcher at Purdue discovered an unusual pattern of inheritance in the Arabidopsis plant. When two crossed parent plants each with two copies of the same mutant gene produced seeds, 10% of the mature plants from these seeds showed no mutation. This is never predicted by Mendel's laws. This suggests plants have cryptic copies of genes. If this is also true in animals, genetic disease maybe avoidable.

Resource Type: Reference Material - Article
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Introduction Primer on Molecular Genetics

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/publicat/primer/prim1.html

Article distinguishes between genes, chromosomes and DNA.

Resource Type: Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference, Reference Material - Article
Grade Level: 5, 6

Evolution and natural selection

http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/current/lectures/selection/selection....

Article describes natural selection, its dependence on genetic variation and the role of the changing environment in natural selection.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Sex linked traits

http://ghs.gresham.k12.or.us/science/ps/sci/soph/genetics/notes/sexlinked.htm

Describes inheritance of sex linked traits with illustrations and examples.

Resource Type: Reference Material - Article
Grade Level: 6

The new eugenics - genetic engineering

http://geneticengineering.org/eugenics/jack-a-palmer.html

Author describes the history, aims, potential benefits, and dangers of genetic engineering in this one page article. He also compares genetic engineering to selective breeding.

Resource Type: Reference Material - Article, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 5, 6

Metamorphosis

http://exhibits.pacsci.org/insects/metamorphosis.html

Describes both complete and incomplete metamorphosis using specific examples, and colored schematic illustrations for each stage.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Animal structure and function

http://bioweb.usc.edu/courses/2004-spring/documents/bisc221-baudry_lecture21.pdf

A slide show discussing hierarchical organization tissues, organs, systems, regulation of internal environment: metabolic rate, body plans and external environment, and bioenergetics of animals.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Lecture/Presentation
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Animal behavior - resources for applied ethology

http://animalbehaviour.net/About.htm

This site is written by a veterinarian and has separate pages for various classes of animals such as domesticated, farm, and exotic animals. There is also an online book available to the user in which they can find more information on some of the same plus some additional animal behaviors.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Drift Seeds And Drift Fruits - Seeds That Ride The Ocean Currents

http://www.teachersdomain.org/6-8/sci/life/stru/driftseed/index.html

This essay from Wayne?s Word explores seed dispersal by water and describes some of the physical adaptations that evolution has produced in the seeds and fruits that travel this way.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference, Reference Material - Article
Grade Level: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Floral Arrangements

http://www.teachersdomain.org/6-8/sci/life/stru/floral/index.html

Explore a few of the ways plants pollinate each other in this video segment from Sexual Encounters of a Floral Kind.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Movie/Animation, Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Lamarckism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamarckism

Article describing Lamarckism, the erroneous idea that acquired characteristics are heritable, and its history with hotllinks to natural selection, adaptation, natural selection and more.

Resource Type: Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Osmosis Diffusion

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/diffus.html

Osmosis and Diffusion: The concepts of diffusion, rate of diffusion, osmosis, osmotic pressure are explained on this site as well as how to measure osmotic pressure and membrane transport.

Resource Type: Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 6

The nitrogen cycle - what goes around comes around

http://msteacher.org/epubs/science/science12/science.aspx

This publication provides a variety of resources. Some assist you in your content knowledge, some are actual lessons or activities, some are good graphic representations of both concepts and organisms of the nitrogen cycle, and some provide real data from current issues for you and your students to analyze and interpret.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual
Grade Level: 5, 6

The carbon cycle - what goes around comes around

http://msteacher.org/epubs/science/science11/science.aspx

Elementary students often successfully memorize and repeat back the stages in cycles, with no deep conceptual understanding of the complexities of the processes involved. Their ability to synthesize knowledge of the cycles with a wider breadth of information related to real-world, unresolved environmental issues such as global warming, greenhouse gas emissions or the burning of biomass for fuel is probably less well developed. In order to engage in meaningful discussions of carbon-related environmental issues, students also need an understanding of the changing nature of the earth s atmosphere. The relative proportion of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, ozone and other gases is neither consistent around the world nor constant over time. What factors contribute to the variability in atmospheric content? Which of the factors should be controlled? What are the possible approaches to controlling them? What are the possible and probable outcomes of such controlling measures?

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Interactive workshop - workshop 6

http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/sheddinglight/highlights/highlights6.html

The food made by plants is a source of energy for other organisms living in ecosystems. In this workshop we will investigate the flow of energy from plants to animals as we construct food webs and energy pyramids.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Symbiosis

http://www.ms-starship.com/sciencenew/symbiosis.htm

Discusses various forms of symbiosis including commensalisms, mutualism, parasitism and mimicry. Photographs of animals exhibiting each trait are provided.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 4, 5, 6

PBS-American Field Guide - Primary and Secondary Succession in Americas Forests

http://www.pbs.org/americanfieldguide//teachers/forests/forests_unit.html

From PBS-American Field Guide, this website offers high school educators a multimedia lesson plan on Primary and Secondary Succession in Americas Forests. Hyperlinked video clips introduce students to several different North American Forests while learning about concepts associated with succession in both natural and disturbed environments.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Movie/Animation, Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual, Instructional Material - Lesson/Lesson Plan
Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6

Plant structure - leaves, stems and roots

http://www.kew.org/ksheets/pdfs/b3plant.pdf

Page one consists of a full color illustration of an idealized plant, showing various leaf, stem and root features. Page two illustrates various adaptations of plant flowers, leaves and stems. All illustrations are accompanied by explanations of the structures' functions.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Taxonomy - the science of classification

http://www.williamsclass.com/SixthScienceWork/Classification/ClassificationNotes/Clas...

This site begins by defining taxonomy and classification and gives a brief history of the two disciplines. It then shows the modern classification system and the kinds of evidence used in taxonomy. Next the rules and advantages of binomial nomenclature are described. Finally the kingdoms are described and enhanced with photos. This source describes the moneran kingdom as the fifth kingdom, containing the eubacteria and archaea. Other sources claim these two categories are domains in their own right, not kingdoms at all.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Photograph, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 4, 5, 6

Salamander superpowers - a question of regeneration

http://www.sciencecases.org/regeneration/regeneration.asp

This story of a brother, sister and a found salamander reveals the concept of regeneration. Five questions at the end of the story connect regeneration to human biology and stem cell research.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Case Study
Grade Level: 4, 5, 6

Natural vegetative propagation

http://plantphys.info/plants_human/vegprop/vegpropn.html

Describes and illustrates bulbs, tubers, corms, stolens and more asexual means of plant reproduction.

Resource Type: Audio/Visual - Illustration, Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Regulation and behavior

http://www.teachersdomain.org/sci/life/reg/index.html

How can animals and plants exist in every biome on Earth: blazing hot or freezing cold, sopping wet or bone dry? How does homeostasis help organisms survive changes in their environment? How do animals, including humans, sense change in their environment, and how do they respond? Explore these questions and more in this collection of Regulation and Behavior resources.

Resource Type: Instructional Material - Instructor Guide/Manual , Instructional Material - Lesson/Lesson Plan
Grade Level: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Metabolism

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/M/Metabolism.html

This is a brief overview of the concepts encompassed by metabolism. Imbedded links allow the user to obtain additional details if they wish. A few line drawings are included.

Resource Type: Reference Material - Nonfiction Reference
Grade Level: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6