Biology Buff

NGSS standard 2-LS2 is about ecosystems and specifically, 2-LS2-2 asks students to develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants. Models can be drawing or physical representations. This worksheet can represent a simple model. You can use this to introduce pollination or use it as a stand-alone lesson. At the bottom of the enclosed "teacher notes" page, I suggest another idea where students can role-play pollination with one student bei

This little worksheet/coloring sheet can go along with your owl pellet lab. It explains about the owl's digestion and just where the pellet comes from. Students color as they follow the worksheet. You can have the kids color the sheet if they want to after they finish the required coloring. The answer key is included. Please see my lessons "The Owl's Anatomy 1 and 2, " listed as two separate lessons according to level of students. Level 1 is for grades 3 and 4 while Level 2 would be best fo

This is a good little worksheet for 5th and 6th graders. Kids often ask about chicken eggs: where they come from, how come their are chicks in some of them, why are some of them lacking a yoke, etc. So I decided to make a coloring worksheet that has some science in it. If you want to do a paper dissection of birds after or before this lesson, look for my pigeon paper dissection. This lesson can go with the discussion about human anatomy, etc.

This coloring sheet could be used when doing owl pellets or could be used when discussing human anatomy as a comparison. this sheet would be best for grades 3 and 4 since I enlarged the diagram and made the vocab easier. If you want a more difficult drawing, see "The Owl's Anatomy 2".

This dot-to-dot sheet shows a bee pollinating a flower and drinking up nectar. This goes along with 2-LS2-2 where students are to develop a simple model of pollination. Models can be drawings too, so this would work for that. It could be an introductory activity or part of the overall lesson. See my worksheet entitled "Bee Pollination" for more on this standard.

This reading challenges your students to learn some detailed information about our senses and how they tell our brain what we are sensing through receptors. 4-LS1-2 and DCI LS1.D ask the students to use a model (in this case a diagram as a model) to "describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways." Examples of animal's special senses are given to add interest. They are asked

The Next Generation Science Standards ask for students in elementary grades to understand the structure and function of animals and plants and be able to compare them. This worksheet compares the human and plant in such a way that the teacher can get a good discussion going about how plants and animals help each other survive and how their structures have some similar functions. For example, the blood vessels in humans and plant vessels (xylem and phloem) in plants both carry needed food and w

Here is an introductory lesson to what Science is. Many young students may not have a good grasp of just what science is so this worksheet give them the idea that there are really 3 areas of Science: Life, Earth and Physical Science. They are given the words that will be used in sentences on the next page. This worksheet would work for 2nd and 3rd graders who can read well. When this worksheet is done, you could have them cut and paste pictures from magazines into the 3 areas described as a

NGSS requires that students learn about body parts and their functions, learning about external parts in 2nd grade and both internal and external structures on a macroscale in 5th grade.(LS1A) furthermore, under LS4A, Evidence for evolution, students need to understand that comparative anatomy is one of the evidences. this worksheet shows various vertebrates in order of supposed evolution and shows their digestive and skeletal systems for comparison. 5th and 6th graders should be able to mast

This little worksheet is formatted like a "big kid" worksheet, but is meant to answer one of the common questions young children ask. Other questions I want to answer in future worksheets are: What does my heart do?, How do we breath?, Why do we drink water?, Why do we have to sleep?, and more. Students color as they read each step in each process. If students need help reading, the teacher would help, and might want to do a wrap-up at the end to make sure they understand.

This kindergarten worksheet helps students to understand the NGSS standard LS1-1 where students see how the sun, animals and plants interact in the life cycle. I also showed how the pumpkin develops from a seed, as a little nod to upcoming Halloween, and how a pumpkin can be made into pumpkin pie which shows how animals need food to survive. We also see a jack-o-lantern to see what the ultimate fate of the pumpkin is. The body is running off on the right after he has eaten the pie to indicate

This chart helps students to understand the characteristics of living things by having them look at 9 things and deciding if they contain all the characteristics of living things needed to be considered "alive". This is appropriate for the NGSS 3rd grade standards, but you may need to explain the characteristics with examples first. You could also use this for 4th and 5th if you like. I have a Middle School chart also which is a little more detailed appropriate for 6th-8th.

This article helps students understand what microbes (germs, pathogens) are and why they are not all bad. In fact, some are good and help us digest food, etc. It discusses why it might be good to GET a DOG!

This is a beginning science labeling sheet like the big kids do where the student labels and colors body parts according to instructions. Students cut out the correct words and glue them into the correct spot to label Rudolph.

This one-page little worksheet is meant to help 1st-3rd graders understand the cycle of a tree in a linear view from seed to tree. The different thing about it is that they read the prompts and fill-in the drawing as they go, coloring it also. They key has been done for you so you can see what the original and finished products look like. For younger students, you may have to draw in a few more guide lines before you copy them to make it easier for them.

Even though the NGSS standards don't cover the cell until 6th grade, it's nice to present a really simple cell to 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades if the kids are inquisitive and or are GATE students. My grandson is in kindergarten and is interested in learning about mummies, diffusion, microscopes/cells, etc. He is so proud when he learns a more difficult concept. This cell presents just the cell membrane, nucleus, chromosomes, cytoplasm and organelles in a simple fashion. Kids are asked to finish th

This activity/hand-out can be used to explain how animals change over time. The Next Generation Science Standards list this objective as one of their standards for elementary school. It can be simplified by having younger students place a letter in the missing box, and can be made more difficult by having students draw the missing animal and perhaps doing some internet research on the ancient animals environment, etc.

This worksheet is meant for 3rd-6th graders and works with the next generation science standards goals. This sheet goes along with your discussion of what plants and animals need to survive and how they help each other survive. This sheet is similar too, but a little more advanced than the cycle I drew for 1st and 2nd graders. I added in the gases that are given and taken by plants and animals to each other. Since I am a high school teacher, I have had to re-think the processes we learn abou

This is a lab intended to get your students introduced to the microscope. It is structured in such a way as to show them how to use the microscope while looking at a prepared slide. The second page has a drawing of a labeled microscope to help them understand the new words. My high school students love the microscope and your students will too. Get those dusty microscopes out of the cupboards and use them! I have included a "teacher notes" page with explanations for you.

This worksheet is meant for first and second graders and works with the next generation science standards goals. This sheet goes along with your discussion of what plants and animals need to survive and how they help each other survive. The students have to draw the little girl and the carrot in the appropriate box so they get some practice drawing and figuring out where each goes. I am going to make a similar life cycle for the older grades, but add the two gases, oxygen and carbon dioxide in