Jane Strohm's List: Plant Biology Webliography

This interactive reviews descriptions of the different levels of classification while students select from options to properly classify a bear, orchid, and sea cucumber at the kingdom, phylum, order, class, family, genus and species level. Great to reinforce concepts of classification/taxonomy while also learning some specific details about these organisms. Check out additional interactives here http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/resources/subj_06_02.html

This simple interactive works as a matching game of animal pollinators to seven different flowers. Use this to explore pollination and plant-animal interactions. Ideal for 5-10 grade, it may be useful for students to also find images of flowers and elaborate on this interactive by making a bulletin board game that prints out the image and identifies the pollinator.

This lesson collection include 5 activities for introducing students to plant identification and making a plant press and collection. Consider modifying these by using technology to make a virtual collection.

Use this site for reference for your students or to refresh your knowledge on plants from photosynthesis, plant diversity, xylem & phloem, and plant structures.

Use this NY Times (article included) lesson for students to compare common food items with the parts of a plant. Additional lesson options include: growing plants to assess the difficulties in assisting a plant’s growth and reproduction.

This link includes three quiz games on photosynthesis basics and 10 videos/ppts to explore photosynthesis at several levels.

These three interactive comics allow students to explore the importance of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium through plants. These are generated by a company that promotes the use of fertilizers. It may be interesting for students to discuss bias. They also have annoying sounds, muting is recommended! Ideal for grades 5-8.

This flash interactive explores the basics of photosynthesis and allows students to watch a very simple animation about the change in molecules as photosynthesis occurs. It offers three puzzles to which there are not perfect answers and could generate some good discussions among students.

This recent Science News article would be great for higher level biology students discussing evolution, plant reproduction, or even plant-animal interactions. Use this article to enrich a class discussion, or encourage students to reflect on what future organisms might look like after several million more years of evolution.

The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources. Use this site to explore Coatal Fisheries, Pacific Protect Areas, A Disease Interactive Map, Nature Images, and Lichens. You can use the menu bar at the top to dig deeper into resources, or try a lower level NBII for kids http://kids.nbii.gov/index.html

Tutorials and animations on genetic technology, DNA basics, plus virtual labsl on DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis and DNA Microarray. Great graphics and additional modules include topics like addition, genetic disorders, and family history. Be sure to view the scale animation! http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/index.html