7.1 - Cells by the Numbers - http://biobeat.nigms.nih.gov/2014/11/cells-by-the-numbers/ - Interesting statistics by cells
7.1.d - Make glucose using photosynthesis in the digital game "Ruby Realm Flash" - http://cct2.edc.org/rubyrealm/bin/RubyRealmFlash.html - The Ruby Realm is a 20-level adventure/maze game about photosynthesis that addresses the misconception that soil provides the mass in plants. Players navigate a vast cavern in search of missing friends, only to discover that they have entered a hidden, treasure-filled world whose vampire inhabitants do not like intruders. Luckily, players have a trusty guide in Biobot Bob, a robot powered by artificial photosynthesis, who helps them fend off hungry bats and angry vampires. Players must find light sources where Bob can generate the glucose he needs for power. Using Bob’s Molecule Replicator, they shoot light beams at carbon dioxide and water molecules, breaking them apart and recombining the atoms to form glucose. They can also make other substances, such as tear gas, which Bob uses to repel the vampires. The game helps students construct an understanding of photosynthesis by letting them actively participate in the process of chemical change.
7.1.d - http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/waterweed_sim.html - Run an experiment to investigate the effect of - 1) light level, 2) CO2 level, or 3) color of light - on the amount of oxygen produced by water weed.
7.1.d - http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/LS12/LS12.html - Use the virtual lab to determine "Which colors of the ligt spectrum are most important for plant growth?"
7.1.d - http://www.reading.ac.uk/virtualexperiments/ves/preloader-photosynthesis-full.html - Measure the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea.
7.1.e - Cell Division - http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/asset/lsps07_int_celldivision/ - This interactive activity adapted from the Exploratorium takes you through a process that is critical to life—cell division. Division enables cells to replicate their genetic material and then create an exact copy of themselves. Explore the individual steps of this process, by which single-celled organisms reproduce and multicellular organisms develop, grow, repair damaged tissue, and reproduce.
7.1.f - Create a Stem Cell Line - http://www.edheads.org/activities/stem1/index.shtml - Learn what a stem cell is and help our scientists create a stem cell line!
7.1.f - Stem Cell Heart Repair - http://www.edheads.org/activities/stem3/index.shtml - Learn about the science behind Stem Cell Heart Repair!
7.1.f - Stem Cell Transplant - http://www.edheads.org/activities/stem2/index.shtml - Learn what a stem cell transplant is and help our scientists perform one!
7.2.a - VIDEO - Budding In Hydra - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5oHMjGqjyo
7.2.a - VIDEO - Hydra - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=489CSop00sY - This video does not have sound.
7.2.a - VIDEO - Sea Star Regeneration - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7cXeWxxfD4
7.2.b - What Is a Trait? - http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/inheritance/traits/ - Take a tour of the basics of genetics and learn about DNA, genes, chromosomes, proteins, and how genetic traits are inherited in this interactive from the University of Utah.
7.2 - Genetics by the Numbers - http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/insidelifescience/genetics-numbers.html - Interesting statistics about genes and DNA.
7.2.d - Dragon Genetics Game (The Geniverse Lab) - http://www.concord.org/activities/geniverse-lab - Students investigate dragon phenotypes and genotypes, run breeding experiments and solve genetic problems in a virtual lab. Warning: This probably won't work on Chromebooks because Chromebooks don't have Java. For computers with Java, download "Pedogogica" and play the full version of Dragon Genetics.
7.2.d - Dog Breeding - http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/games/game_dogbreeding.html - This online Flash game gets learners thinking like geneticists in order to breed a border collie puppy with select traits, including coat color, coat length, and ear length. Progressive levels of play encourage learners as they move from novice to master breeders. Learners can click on the Why button to learn more about genes and dog breeding.
7.2.d - The RoboRiot game - http://cct2.edc.org/rubyrealm/roboriot2/bin/RoboRiot.html - addresses two common misconceptions about genetics among students—that randomness is relative, and that a dominant trait is stronger (more powerful) than a recessive one. RoboRiot can serve as a metaphor or model for several key concepts in Mendelian genetics, including probability, sex cells, complex genetic patterns, and natural selection. The game is a conventional one, whose play mechanics are familiar to many students: Players recycle robots to rescue and disarm other robots that have run amok. There are various models of robots, each with a single function—as represented by a single “power"—and the distribution of powers among robots is not hierarchical. In other words, there is no “strongest” robot. Successfully creating and playing one’s team of robots requires strategic thinking about the relationships among heritable traits. We have made randomness central to the gameplay activity. When recycling or deploying their robots, players experience the element of randomness in their action choices. The logic of the robot models and their relative powers is like the classic “rock-paper-scissors” game: circular, but complex enough to present a challenge. The focus on a single trait helps to clarify the logic of inheritance. The inclusion of different species/models of robots provides an illustration of the idea that a dominant trait can be more or less advantageous, depending on the circumstances (in this case, on the nature of the opponent).
7.2.e - Transcribe and Translate a Gene - http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/transcribe/
7.2.e - DNA - The Double Helix Game - http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/dna_double_helix/
7.3.a - Darwin Evolution Game ("Who Wants to Live a Million Years?") - http://science.discovery.com/interactives/literacy/darwin/darwin.html - This online game shows how genetic variation and environmental changes affect evolution.
7.3.b - animation explaining Natural Selection - http://www.nysci.org/charlieandkiwi_finches/ - This animation explains how finches' beaks are affected by the environment and how the size of the beak changes over time by natural selection.
7.3.b - Darwin Evolution Game - http://science.discovery.com/interactives/literacy/darwin/darwin.html
7.3.b - Nowhere to Hide - http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.life.oate.nowherehide/nowhere-to-hide/ - This interactive activity from Kinetic City illustrates how environmental change affects the process of natural selection. A quickly changing environment can put an organism in a vulnerable position and present an evolutionary disadvantage. In this game, you control the amount of pollution produced by a nearby factory. Observe how the pollution affects the trees and the populations of different colored bugs that live in the trees.
7.3.b - Understanding Evolution - http://evolution.berkeley.edu/
7.3.b - Peppered Moth Simulation - http://www.techapps.net/interactives/peppermoths.htm - "A bird's eye view of natural selection" has a peppered moth simulation in two different environments.
7.3.b - Natural Selection (simulation) - http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/natural-selection
7.3.b - Bird Beaks - http://lawrencehallofscience.org/kidsite/activities/beaks/pickup/rice - Learn how birds beaks are adapted to let birds eat various foods in their habitat. This activity simulates bird feeding by giving learners a chance to try out different "beaks" or tools, including tweezers, chopsticks, toothpicks and a spoon to pick up different-shaped "foods" such as dry rice, beans, rubber bands and marshmallows. Learners enter online which beaks they chose as the best for picking up food, and see their results graphed along with results entered by other learners. This activity page includes a link to several activities about birds. Take it further by going birdwatching to birds feeding in nature
7.3.b - VIDEO - Evolution - episode 1 (part 1 of 2) - "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" (57 min) - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9073555471451092793#
7.3.b - VIDEO - Evolution - episode 1 (part 2 of 2) - "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" (57 min) - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1066758608286493679#
7.3.b - VIDEO - Evolution - episode 2 - "Great Transformations" (57 min) - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6573746166487556397#
7.3.b - VIDEO - Evolution - episode 3 - "Extinction" (57 min) - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3096294419966875944#
7.3.b - VIDEO - Evolution - episode 4 - "Evolutionary Arms Race" (57 min) - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7293185927768983820#
7.3.b - VIDEO - Evolution - episode 5 - "Why Sex" (57 min) - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8590222764542986609#
7.3.b - VIDEO - Evolution - episode 6 - "The Mind's Big Bang" (57 min) - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7000929389205786708#
7.3.b - VIDEO - Evolution - episode 7 - "What About God" (57 min) - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8868710003807845640#
7.3.b - Human Evolution in 3D - http://www.anth.ucsb.edu/projects/human/# - Students can examine 3D renderings of skulls from humans and their biological ancestors at this site developed by the University of California at Santa Barbara.
7.3.d - Animal Characteristics Game - http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/animalclassgame.htm - Organize the characteristics of certain animal groups into the correct bin.
7.3.d - Tree of Life Interactive - http://paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs/interactives/tree_life/tree.html - The Tree of Life is an interactive phylogeny that represents the evolutionary history of vertebrates. Students can see at which different species evolved in history and learn about species that exemplify important branches of the vertebrate evolutionary tree.
7.3.d - Classy Parasites - http://wonderwise.unl.edu/02teach/paraact.pdf - In this activity (on pages 2-8), learners experience how scientists use classification in their study of animals. They sort pictures of parasites according to characteristics such as shape, size, wings, legs, body sections, cells, site on host organism, and food source. The "What We Know" section introduces divisions in the animal kingdom, including two broad groups of parasites—endoparasites that live inside a host organism, and ectoparasites that live on the exterior of or outside a host organism. Excerpts from the video and biography of parasitologist Judy Sakanari are available online, and the full version of the video can be purchased in the commercial Wonderwise Parasite Sleuth Kit.
7.3.e - some extinct species of mammals - http://education.eol.org/educators/mammoths_mastodons
7.3.e - Weebit World - http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/games/game_balance.html - In this online Flash game, learners experiment with an ecosystem, trying to find a balance between weebits, their plant food source, and the right climate to keep the plants growing. Weebits are small creatures that live on plants. When they get big enough, they divide, making two weebits. Learners try to produce the largest number of weebits by feeding them plants and making sure the plants have water. This game has three levels (easy, not so easy, not at all easy) which learners can master
7.3.e - Adventures at Dry Creek - http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/reslab/newdc/index.html - You are about to embark on an exciting adventure as a paleontologist where you will learn about life in Montana 60-70 million years ago. Along the way, you will gather fossils, receive help from mentors, use lots of tools, and keep track of your ideas in a notebook.
7.3.e - Life of a Vertebrate Fossil - http://paleobiology.si.edu/LVF/index.htm#start - In this interactive, students follow a field team's experience as they discover, excavate, transport, study, and display a vertebrate fossil.
7.3.e - Virtual Dinosaur Exhibit - http://paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs/interactives/tour/main.html -
In this online exhibit, students can explore 3D models of specimens from the Museum’s collections and learn more about how fossils are discovered, unearthed, and preserved.
Virtual Dinosaur Dig In this interactive simulation, students can find and excavate a specimen and learn about its anatomy, where it lived, what it ate, and how large it was. They can also see a recreation of what the specimen might have looked like with skin and muscle tissue.
7.4.d - Dendrochronology - http://www.webrangers.us/activities/dendrochronology/ - In this online interactive, learners measure time using the growth rings of trees. This resource explains the meaning of growth and rest bands, the causes of variations in "tree calendars," and how dendrochronology is used by archaeologists to understand how wooden tools and structures were made long ago. Learners use a simulated increment borer to drill a hole in a tree, examine the rings, and create a tree calendar to date a piece of wood.
7.4.f - Heat Transfer - http://cct2.edc.org/rubyrealm/module4/bin/Module4.html - Many students think that ice cools a drink because it transfers its “coldness” to the warmer liquid. That notion is challenged by Galactic Gloop Zoo, a game in which success depends on understanding that heat is transferred from warmer to colder objects through conduction, convection, and radiation.
7.4.f - This Dynamic Planet - http://mineralsciences.si.edu/tdpmap/ - An interactive map lets you explore 1,500 volcanoes, 44,000 earthquakes, 170 impact craters, and all the tectonic plates that make up the earth's crust. If a volcano erupts, or the crust trembles, you can find the event on this map. The back of the map would make a great poster for the classroom.
7.4.f - Plate Tectonics - http://www2.vims.edu/bridge/DATA.cfm?Bridge_Location=archive0902.html - In this in-class activity, learners work in teams to predict and outline the location of plate boundaries using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Acoustic Monitoring Program's underwater earthquake data. Then, learners compare their estimates to the USGS's map of the plates and discuss.
7.4.g - Geologic Time - http://paleobiology.si.edu/geotime/ - Travel through 4.6 billion years of life's history on Earth and get a sense of the interplay between Earth and life processes.
7.5.a - All Systems Are Go - http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/asset/lsps07_int_bodysystems/ - In this interactive activity from Kinetic City, Arnold is missing all of his organ systems. The organs of the human body are critical for maintaining conditions that are necessary for life, and must operate in concert with each other to do their jobs. Help Arnold identify these important organ systems and put them back into his body where they belong.
7.5.b - Heart Problems & Disease- http://www.cosi.org/files/Flash/openHeart/disease.html - In this online activity about heart disease, learners will pick one of three patients (based on actual patient histories) and help a cardiologist diagnose and prescribe treatments for him or her. Before doing this activity, it is helpful to read the sections "Diagnostic Tools" and "Heart Problems" linked to on the same page. This activity is part of a rather extensive collection of activities and information surrounding the wonder of the human heart.
7.5.g (Ear) - Place Matters - http://www.wildmusic.org/en/soundscapes/placematters - This is an online simulation of how sound changes due to environment. How does place--like a cave, a pier, or a forest--affect certain sounds? Move the sound pieces around and change the location to see. This sound activity requires speakers or headphones.
7.5.g (Ear) - The Mosquito Interactive Sound Game - http://www.wildmusic.org/en/aboutsound/mosquito - In this online activity, learners test their ability to hear different frequencies and compare their frequency range with the frequency range of other animals and insects. Learners can record their hearing ability and compare to other people who have visited the site. Also includes link to story about the "mosquito frequency" and activity suggestion for making sounds. This activity requires headphones or speakers.
7.5.g (Ear) - String Thing (musical pitches) - http://pbskids.org/designsquad/games/string_thing/index.html - String Thing is an interactive online game in which learners change a virtual string's tension, length, and gauge to create different musical pitches. Educators can use this game as an introduction to sound and before completing any activities on music or building instruments. Alternatively, educators can use this game to review or assess these concepts
7.5.g (Eye) - Change Blindness - http://www.robotsandus.org/sensing/blindness/ - This online activity lets learners discover to what extent they notice changes to an online image. The activity has two parts; in one learners look at a scene and try to notice what happens as the scene changes quickly. The second part of the activity shows a very gradual change. Learners discover that humans do not take in the whole scene, but instead glance at things that interest us, ignoring unimportant details.
7.5.g (Eye) - Cow's Eye Dissection - http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/asset/lsps07_int_coweye/ - This interactive activity adapted from the Exploratorium delves into the structure and function of the vertebrate eye. Follow a videotaped dissection of a cow eye and then compare and contrast what you've seen with an interactive diagram of the human eye.
7.5.g (Eye) - Colorblindness in Dogs - http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/pdf/DoggoneIt.pdf - In this simple chemistry activity (page 1 of PDF) about acids and bases, learners will mix a baking soda and water solution and use it to paint a message on a sheet of white paper. Once the paint has dried completely, learners reveal the secret message by painting over the entire sheet of paper with grape juice. Relates to the linked video, DragonflyTV: Colorblind Dogs
7.5.g (Eye) - Fading Dot - http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/fading_dot/fading_dot.html - This online exhibit is a visual illusion in which a fuzzy blue dot disappears into a green background. The illusion is created by the tiny jittering movements that your eyes are continually making. Take your investigation further by making your own hands-on fading dot illusion.
7.5.g (Eye) - Cafe Wall Illusion - http://www.exploratorium.edu/seeing/exhibits/caffe.html - In this fun and interactive online exhibit, the straight lines of a tile wall appear to curve. The learner moves the rows of tiles and changes the color of the grout to achieve the intriguing effect. Although the exhibit requires a computer, the concept can be adapted into a longer, hands-on exploration of optical illusions.
7.5.g (Eye) - Bird In a Cage (Illusion) - http://www.exploratorium.edu/seeing/exhibits/bird.html -
7.5.g (Eye) - Changing Illusions - http://www.exploratorium.edu/seeing/exhibits/changing.html -
7.5.g (Eye) - Disappearing Act (Illusion) - http://www.exploratorium.edu/seeing/exhibits/disappearing.html -
7.6 - Tour the Electromagnetic Spectrum - http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/assets/swf/1/electromagnetic-spectrum/electromagnetic-spectrum.swf - Technological advances have made wide use of electromagnetic waves. This interactive activity from the NOVA Web site provides a self-guided tour of the electromagnetic spectrum, including examples of some of the most common uses of different types of waves.
7.6 - Mix-N-Match Light - http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/mix_n_match/index.html - This is an online exhibit about color perception. Learners set a random background color and then try to mix red, blue, and green light to match. Although this is a perception activity, it also demonstrates the difference between mixing colors of light and mixing pigments. Why when mixing pigments does the color darken? How does this differ from mixing colored light? Find out here!
7.6 - Mixing Primary Colors - http://www.omsi.edu/tech/colormix.php - This is an online activity where learners can virtually mix different colors of light or paint (you can switch between them) and see how the colors combine. It demonstrates how millions of colors are created on computer monitors and TVs, and in art and printing. Learners can try to match a given target color ("Mix to Match"), or simply play around with mixtures ("Mix for Fun"). Background information explains how light is additive (more colors tends towards white), whereas paint absorbs color and is subtractive (more colors tends towards black). There's also information about how the human eye works.
7.6 - Canned Heat - http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/atmos/ll_cannedheat.htm - In this outdoor activity, learners explore how light and dark colored objects absorb the Sun's radiations at different rates. Learners place one shiny coffee can and one coffee can painted black, each filled with the same amount of water, in direct sunlight for two hours. Learners measure and compare the temperature of the water before and after the test. Use this demonstration to introduce learners to solar radiation and albedo as well as the importance of summer safety and sun protection.
7.6.i - Putting Simple Machines To Work - http://www.cosi.org/files/Flash/simpMach/sm3.html - This is an online activity about simple machines. Learners will try their hand at putting these amazing devices to work. They will use several simple machines to help "build" a tree house. This is an excellent activity to demonstrate how science - in particular, simple machines - are at work in our every day lives.
7.6.i - Find the Simple Machine - http://www.cosi.org/files/Flash/simpMach/sm2.html - This is a web activity about simple machines. Learners will explore a lawn mower and identify six different simple machines which work together to help make our lives easier. This is an excellent activity for exploring how simple machines, and science in general, apply to learners' everyday lives.
7.6.i - Simple Machines - http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/index.shtml - Learn about simple and compound machines while you explore the House and Tool Shed!
7.6.i - Compound Machines - http://www.edheads.org/activities/odd_machine/index.shtml - Learn how forces and simple machines can work together to create The Compound Machine!
7.6.j - Assemble the Human Heart - http://www.cosi.org/files/Flash/openHeart/anatomy2.html - In this online activity about anatomy, learners will drag and drop pieces of the heart into their proper positions and explore what function each part of the heart has. This activity is part of a rather extensive collection of activities and information surrounding the wonder of the human heart.
7.6.j - Construct a Heart Circulation Model - http://www.cosi.org/files/Flash/openHeart/anatomy3.html - In this online activity about anatomy, learners will correctly order the path blood takes through the heart in order to absorb oxygen to deliver to the rest of the body. When they have completed the task, they will see an animation of a heart doing what it does best: pumping blood. This activity is part of a rather extensive collection of activities and information surrounding the wonder of the human heart.
7.6.j - Stem Cell Heart Repair - http://www.edheads.org/activities/stem3/index.shtml - Learn about the science behind Stem Cell Heart Repair!
7.6.j - Open Heart: Virtual Heart Surgery - http://www.cosi.org/files/Flash/openHeart/surgery2.html - In this online activity about heart disease, learners will, with the virtual help of an actual surgeon, watch a virtual bypass surgery. There isn't a lot for the learner to do, but it is fascinating to watch, and there is a wealth of information. This activity is part of a rather extensive collection of activities and information surrounding the wonder of the human heart.
7.6.j - Math from the Heart - http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/multimedia/captions/canic-captions.html - Cardiologists and computer programmers have come together to study stents—tiny mesh tubes that hold blood vessels open. A simplified computer program helps doctors examine the strengths and weaknesses of various stents on the market, design new stents tailored to specific heart procedures and even search for more effective stent coatings. These simulations could improve patients' health by helping manufacturers optimize stent design and helping doctors choose the best stents for particular procedures.
Dissections - http://www.animalearn.org/links.php#.VQN9e2A3PmL - a collection of online dissections for many animals.
Here are some other websites for 7th grade science:
Global Warming / Environment
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What's Your EQ (Energy Quotient)? - http://www.omsi.info/teachers/psd/2002/eq/ - This online interactive calculates your EQ (Energy Quotient), which is a measure of how much energy you use compared to an average household. The interactive asks you about different things in your house that consume electricity, such as computers, DVD players and air conditioners, and compares your annual kilowatt-hour consumption to an average home. The questions are basically an inventory of the appliances you use. Suggestions are provided at the end for reducing your energy use at home.
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Investigation Global Connections - http://www.webrangers.us/activities/global_connect/ - In this online interactive, learners investigate changes in the environment at various locations across the United States. Investigation of an Alaskan coastal community, the Pika, coral reef habitat, the American goldfinch, glacier ice melt, and the pine beetle lead learners to discover that our climate is changing.
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Prehistoric Climate Change - http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/students/idealabs/prehistoric_climate_change.html - In this online interactive, learners use fossils to infer temperatures 55 million years ago, at the sites where the fossils were found. Using their observation skills, learners examine fossils of tree leaves and sort them into "smooth" and "toothed" leaves. Learners follow the process founded by Smithsonian paleontologist Scott Wing (featured in a video) to determine the temperature at the site where the fossils were found. Learners are challenged to: distinguish between smooth and toothed leaves using a scientific method called "leaf-margin analysis"; calculate the smooth-leaf percentage; calculate average annual temperature at two fossil sites; compare calculations between sites; and consider how prehistoric climate change matters today.
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Water Quality - http://www.webrangers.us/activities/waterquality/ - In this online interactive, learners explore the various types of life that live in fresh water systems and how the presence of these organisms is an indication of the overall health of the water. Learners perform a water quality test that simulates tests performed in the field and use the data to determine the pollution level of three different streams. This activity also introduces learners to macroinvertebrates (animals without backbones).
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Using Solar Energy - http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/web/climatechangeguide/activities/solarenergy.html - In this activity, learners discover how solar energy can be used to heat water. Learners first discuss energy usage in their daily lives and then divide into pairs to conduct an experiment in which they use the sun to heat water. As an optional extension, learners can follow this activity with a project to design their own alternative energy invention.