Berkeley Natural History Museums
The Egg Activity
Source Institutions
Learners observe the outside and inside of raw chicken eggs, record descriptions, and hypothesize what will happen when a facilitator drops an egg on the floor.
Scientific Measurement Exercise
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Learners measure irregularly shaped bones using a variety of measurement methods and tools. Then, they measure again using standard conventions and metric tape measures.
Exercise in Creating Drawings for Field Notebooks
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Learners draw and describe a leaf, and then re-find leaves drawn and described by other learners. Learners can observe leaves outside, or leaves may be brought into the classroom.
Natural Selection in Protected and Unprotected Populations
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In this simulation, learners model two elephant seal populations and how they change over time. Learners start with cards representing a variety of seals.
Insect Collection
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Learners use several types of insect sampling and collection equipment to make an insect collection. Learners can collect insects from their schoolyard or yard at home.
Dirt Life
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After an interest-generating discussion about "dirt" and microbes, learners select and collect soil samples from a variety of locations (schoolyard, home, etc.).
Measuring Biodiversity
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Learners use a variety of beans to represent a variety of species, and scatter these beans over a large piece of paper representing the environment.