Relevant material from MIT's introductory courses to support students as they study and educators as they teach the AP Biology curriculum.

The biosphere is the region of the earth that encompasses all living organisms: plants, animals and bacteria......

This is a series of stories about what scientists do at the Agricultural Research Service. It is geared to kids 8 to 13 years old.

Add acidity to a healthy lake and see what happens to the plants and animals in this interactive activity adapted from EcoKids.

Interactive animation showing the changes occurring to an ice-shelf in relation to the temperature of the surrounding water.
The animation has been created on the basis of the most recent models created by the modelling team of the antarctic research called ANDRILL.

Reviews selected issues including learning, cognition, perception, foraging and feeding, migration and navigation, defense, and social activities including conflict, collaboration, courtship and reproduction, and communication. The interacting contributions of environment and heredity are examined and the approaches of psychology, ethology, and ecology to this area of study are treated. The relation of human behavior patterns to those of nonhuman animals is explored. Additional readings and a paper are required for graduate credit.

This fun Web site is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. Here, they see how DNA is used to solve crimes against animals. The activity starts with an introduction to George Amato, an AMNH scientist who sometimes helps the U.S. government solve mysteries. In a three-part online slide show, students see how Amato earned the title "DNA Detective" in 1993 when he helped the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service catch someone trying to sneak protected reptile skin into the United States. Then students are challenged to Crack the Code, an online game in which they play DNA detective and determine which of a collection of handbags, clothing, figurines, and other items are made from protected species.

The Soil Association has produced Mole's Dream, a short film to explore current issues around food and farming. It is suitable for KS1 and early KS2, and ideal to use on your interactive whiteboard.

This is an inquiry-based animal study for early childhood students centered around a visit to the African Continent of the North Carolina Zoo.

In this web-based, interactive story, Tutangiaq (Too-tang-geye-ack - nicknamed 2T), a Canada Goose, flies across Alaska looking for his family. As he flies, he tells children about the fascinating 49th state. Children learn how Alaska was purchased from the Russians, and other facts about the state. They can also compare the size of Alaska to other states. 2T takes a flight across the volcanic chain in Alaska and helps the students to interactively explore how scientists monitor volcanoes from satellite images in near-real time. At the coast, the bird also meets his Walrus friend who shows him how the sea ice edge has receded and gives an example of an adverse effect on marine life. Finally, 2T arrives in Fairbanks where children use satellite imagery to help 2T find and unite with his family.

This video from First Alaskans Institute spotlights the Alaska Native community of St. Paul and its hands-on commitment to care for the land and animals on which it depends.

This red algal cell (Chlamydomonas nivalis) gives mountain snow packs a red tint. It uses the pollutants in snow as food. It cannot be seen without a microscope.

Bycatch, the unintended capture of animals in commercial fishing gear, is one of the hottest topics in marine conservation today. About 25% of the entire global catch is by-catch This surprisingly high level of by-catch is responsible for the decline of hundreds of thousands of dolphins, whales, porpoises, seabirds and sea turtles each year. Through this curricular unit, students will analyze the significance of by-catch in the global ecosystem and propose solutions to help reduce by-catch Students will become familiar with current attempts to reduce fishing mortality of these animals, such as acoustic alarms, breakaway links, gear modification, and time-area closures. Through the associated activity, the problems that managers face today will be reinforced and students will be stimulated to brainstorm about possible engineering designs or policy changes that could reduce the magnitude of by-catch

Evolution has resulted in changes in the sizes and forms of organisms. Everything about the biology of an animal, including its physiology, anatomy, and ecology, is influenced by its body size. Frequently there seem to be limits on the sizes that different organisms can attain, even when larger size might be thought to be evolutionarily advantageous. Often an increase or decrease in size is correlated with a change in proportions. Understanding the significance of a particular morphology or interpreting the factors that underlie a particular evolutionary trend involve studying the relationships that exist among size, shape, and function. This lab introduces allometry, the study of size and its consequences, using celery and woodlice as subjects.

Students use their knowledge of the alphabet and letter sounds to create an alphabet PowerPoint presentation. Each slide will contain a letter of the alphabet, a sentence and the sound that corresponds to that letter.

There are many reasons to seek alternatives to the use of vertebrates, including cost and concerns with use of vertebrates in undergraduate laboratories. This major workshop explores examples of alternatives, including: a) an exploration of thermoregulation without using animals at all, b) an investigation of actomyosin function and membrane excitation using giant alga, and c) using insects to investigate taste receptors and digestion. This workshop explores the importance of providing good background information to vertebrate processes and connecting the alternative experimental system to homologous physiological processes in vertebrates. Students can appreciate the commonality in biological processes and the importance of underlying physiological principles.

This "Rethinking Reports" series of articles offers alternative research-based assignments on folktales, animal adaptations, and biodiversity.

This video segment from NOVA: "Animal Imposters" shows the lightning-fast strike of the anglerfish.

Students will describe animals as they review nouns and verbs associated with these animals. They will learn to use adjectives as they describe the animals. They will use this knowledge to write their stories about animals.