Tag: biology

Classroom Ideas, Creature Feature, Current Event Connection, Main

Unicorns of the Sea Get Brain Freeze

ENVIRONMENT Narwhals’ hearts beat only a few times a minute while escaping danger, adding to stress on their bodies from human interactions. (National Geographic) What adaptations help narwhals survive in the Arctic? Help students brainstorm with our activity. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas A new study examines narwhals’ response to fear or stress. What … Continue reading Unicorns of the Sea Get Brain Freeze

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Main, News from Nat Geo

Talking Evolution: The Challenge of Influenza – Part 1

It’s that time of year again. It’s “Flu Season”—and those words mean different things to different people. For some of us, “flu season” is synonymous with the idea that we might come down with a “cold” and feel crummy for a few days. For a smaller group, it means that we are at risk of a life-threatening illness. As a teacher of middle school students, … Continue reading Talking Evolution: The Challenge of Influenza – Part 1

John S. Mead7 Comments
Classroom Ideas, Main, News from Nat Geo

Talking Evolution: Are We Still Evolving?

As a biology teacher who is a passionate proponent of teaching evolution as the backbone of my classes, I constantly get bombarded by students with tons of evolution questions. I do a lot of work correcting their misconceptions and clarifying some of the more nuanced aspects of evolutionary theory. YES, evolution IS a theory and here’s why that is a GOOD thing. Perhaps my favorite … Continue reading Talking Evolution: Are We Still Evolving?

John S. Mead6 Comments
Classroom Ideas, Current Event Connection, Main

Huge Mouth, No Anus: Meet One of Our Earliest Ancestors

SCIENCE You won’t find it in your family album, but a tiny prehistoric creature with a bag-like body, a huge mouth and no anus has become the best candidate yet for our earliest known relative. (The Guardian and Christian Science Monitor) Where does this mouthy mystery fit in the circle of life? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers … Continue reading Huge Mouth, No Anus: Meet One of Our Earliest Ancestors

carylsue3 Comments
Classroom Ideas, Creature Feature, Current Event Connection, Main

How Did Animals Get Their Skeletons?

SCIENCE Animals with skeletons did not exist before about 550 million years ago. Then, suddenly, shells, exoskeletons, and skeletons showed up in the biological record. Why? (Science) A few of these ancient, armored species are still around. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas Life on Earth has been around for about three billion years, but … Continue reading How Did Animals Get Their Skeletons?

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