This integrative, cross-curricular lab engages middle school biology students in an exercise involving ecology, arthropod biology, and mathematics. Students research the anatomy and behavioral patterns of a species of brine shrimp, compare the anatomy of adult and juvenile brine shrimp, and graph and interpret results. In this article, the authors…

Teaching science by means of inquiry-based projects has the potential to transform the science lab into a place of debate and discovery, but teachers run the risk of either leaving students to work too independently or forcing them to be too dependent on our guidance. To counter these challenges, the author implemented changes in the way topics…

Presents a strategy for teaching anatomy to middle school students. Recommends teaching about an organism's niche and ability to make connections between structure and function rather than using standard anatomy lessons. (YDS)

Middle schoolers are often first introduced to detailed cellular anatomy through one-dimensional drawings in basic life science books, fill-in-the blank handouts accompanied by notes from the teacher, or desktop hard-plastic commercial models that resemble giant lollipops. One of the most important, yet difficult, life science concepts for…

Presents an activity that helps students visualize the major systems of the human body. Involves students building models of those systems, and gives them an understanding of the relationships between different organs by enabling them to see the organs' positions in the body. (JRH)

Through this middle school curriculum, students observe bird feeders outside their classrooms, learn to identify birds that visit, and use a simple protocol for counting the birds and collecting other data before sending it to Cornell scientists via the Internet. The activities within the curriculum are inquiry-based and interdisciplinary. This…

Middle school students represent a wonderful target audience for introducing neurological concepts. The preteen years of the middle grades represent a time of incredible physical and mental development. Students in a seventh-grade classroom are experiencing dramatic physiological and psychological changes. Understanding the parts and functions of…

Proposes a microbial mystery activity to test students' knowledge of human anatomy and their ability to identify microbes. Provides an opportunity for students to develop logical deductive reasoning. Includes national science education standards related to this activity, activity sheets with whole procedures, and Internet resources. (KHR)

The authors' seventh-grade science curriculum includes a study of nutrition, anatomy, and physiology. Over several years, the authors' teaching partner and herself reworked the nine-week unit to include the Tour de France and the exploits of Lance Armstrong. What makes this unit so engaging for middle school students is that it provides an…

In this online exploration of sound energy and the human ear, students carry out an inquiry-based activity, which leads them to websites featuring a diagram of a human ear, an interactive demonstration of the Doppler effect, a model of longitudinal waves, and an animation of human hearing. In the activity, students formulate, justify, and evaluate…

Presents a science activity that integrates the disciplines of anatomy, physiology, genetics, and forensics in which students act as detectives unraveling evidence at a murder crime scene. This project is designed to enhance student interest by providing immediate application of these disciplines. (DKM)

Describes a mouse skeleton reconstruction activity from owl pellets. Gives information about the materials, directions for students, and a five-day unit schedule. Provides some owl pellet sources. (YP)