Video on Bubonic Plague – with closed captions
This video segment from A Science Odyssey recounts the tactics employed by San Francisco’s health officials to prevent bubonic plague from reaching America’s West Coast. Download Bubonic Plague Video (no captions) to save the video. It is recommended that you have the latest version of QuickTime installed to properly view this video. This video is from the Teacher’s Domain.

Activity 25
A Closer Look at Animal and Plant Cells

SEPUP Cell Simulation: What Do Cells Do?
Click on the link above to launch the simulation in your browser. Having trouble? Email us.

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Unit 3: Genetics

Science Grade 7 Texas Edition Book Cover

Activity 38 Gene Combo
Activity 42 Analyzing Genetic Data

Activity 38
Gene Combo

Submit data for Activity 38
Some activities provide the opportunity for students in classrooms across the country to compare their data with each other. Click the above link to submit your students’ data.

Activity 42
Analyzing Genetic Data

Submit data for Activity 42
Some activities provide the opportunity for students in classrooms across the country to compare their data with each other. Click the above link to submit your students’ data.

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Unit 4: Ecology

Activity 44 The Miracle Fish
Activity 45 Introduced Species
Activity 48 Sustainability of Ecosystems
Activity 50 Coughing Up Clues
Activity 51 Eating for Energy
Activity 53 Nature’s Recyclers
Activity 57 Too Many Mussels?

Activity 44
The Miracle Fish

The Global Invasive Species Database
Find current information about the ecology, distribution and management efforts of the Nile perch on The Global Invasive Species Database.

National Invasive Species Information Center
Find out whether the Nile perch has been found in the U.S.

Activity 45
Introduced Species

Kudzu

Kudzu in Alabama
Kudzu was classified as a pest in 1972 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Find out more at Alabama’s Cooperative Extension site.

The Amazing Story of Kudzu
Did you know that people make kudzu baskets, kudzu jelly, and kudzu hay? You can link to recipes and other kudzu innovations at the University of Alabama Center for Public Television & Radio site.

Asian Tiger Mosquito

The Washington Post: Asian Tiger Mosquito Spreads Trouble
Find out what the Asian tiger mosquito looks like, where it can be found, and more at the on-line version of The Washington Post newspaper.

Asian Tiger Mosquito
More information on the Asian tiger mosquito from the US Department of Agriculture.

Nutria

Nutria in Louisiana
The history and biology of nutria can be found on the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries site.

The Mammals of Texas: Nutria
Read about the growth of nutria and its spread across Texas. Site maintained Texas Tech University.

Hydrilla

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species: Hydrilla
Learn why this aquatic plant, also known as water thyme, is considered a problem. Site maintained by U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s Center for National Invasive Species Information Center.

University of Florida, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: Hydrilla
What does research say about getting rid of this invasive plant? What can you do to help? Find out this and more at the University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants site.

Asian Longhorn Beetle

Asian Longhorn Beetle Fact Sheet
Find all the latest information on the Asian longhorn beetle at the University of Vermont’s site.

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Asian Longhorn Beetle
What is the U.S. government doing to stop the spread of this insect? Find out this and more at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service site.

Purple Loosestrife

Purple Loosestrife – Plant Conservation Alliance
Find current information about Purple Loosestrife on the Plant Conservation Alliances’s Alien Plant Work site.

Purple Loosestrife Page
Get the facts on this invasive plant at Cornell University’s Ecology and Management of Invasive Plants Program site.

Starling

Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology: European Starling
You can listen to the sounds of a European starling while learning about its diet, habitat, and nesting behavior. Site maintained by Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology.

Animal Diversity Web: European Starling
Find the European starling’s biological classification and much more at this site supported in part by the University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology.

Brown Tree Snake

Invasive Species: Brown Tree Snake Profile
The life cycle of the brown tree snake, its classification, and its habitat are just some of the types of information that can be found at this site.

Nile Perch

Nile Perch
Find current information about the ecology, distribution and management efforts of the Nile Perch on the Global Invasive Species Database.

Activity 48
Sustainability of Ecosystems

The World’s Biomes
Find information about biomes and the global threats they are under on this site from the University of California’s Museum of Paleontology.

Mission: Biomes
Learn more about the earth’s biomes on this site maintained by NASA.

Grassland and Tropical Rainforest Biomes
Find information about the grassland and tropical rainforest biomes on this site maintained by Sea World.

Interactions within Ecosystems
Find out more about the relationships of living things within ecosystems on this fact sheet from Edquest. Learn about symbiosis, mutualism, parasitism and commensalism.

Coral Reef Connections
Learn about adaptations and relationships among living things on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. There is competition for space, food and mates. Some are dependent on each other and all are either predators or prey or sometimes both. Flash Interactive.

Biodiversity in the Dzangha-Sangha Rain Forest
Follow clues to find out how animals in this rain forest depend on each other. Identify feeding relationships, animal behaviors and resources in this interactive game.

Analyzing an Ecosystem
Identify the living and non-living components of an ecosystem and the find the producers and consumers in this interactive activity.

Activity 50
Coughing Up Clues

Owl Pellets
Perform a virtual owl pellet dissection on this site.

Activity 51
Eating for Energy

Dynamic Map of Zebra Mussel Distribution
You can find out how far zebra mussels have spread each year in the United States on this interactive map produced by the U.S. government.

Activity 53
Nature’s Recyclers

Food Webs
Explore grassland food webs in Australia and Africa as well as in the arctic and in the ocean, on this interactive site.

Activity 57
Too Many Mussels?

Zebra Mussel Research Program
The Zebra Mussel Research Program looks into different types of technology that can be used to control zebra mussels. It is funded by the U.S. government.

Invasive Species: Zebra Mussel Profile
The latest information on the zebra mussel, including laws and news, can be found at this site.

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Unit 5: Evolution

NSTA Position Statement on the Teaching of Evolution
This document clearly states the importance of teaching evolution in schools as a major unifying scientific concept, provides background information, and appeals to teachers, administrators and local leaders to take informed and active positions on this issue.

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Unit 6: Environmental Change

Activity 68 Ecoregions of Texas
Activity 69 Mapping Soils
Activity 75 Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition
Activity 79 Building for Sustainability

Activity 68
Ecoregions of Texas

Ecological Regions of Texas

Eco Regions of Texas (EPA)

Activity 69
Mapping Soils

Soil Taxonomy
This site provides the second edition of the US classification system, based on soil properties actually seen in the field, called Soil Taxonomy, A Basic System of Soil Classification for Making and Interpreting Soil Surveys. There is a PDF format for printing or viewing that includes text and soil maps. Printed copy is also available.

The Twelve Soil Orders
This site gives a detailed description of the twelve soil orders and detailed maps of their locations in the United States.

Activity 75
Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition

American Geological Institute’s Earth Science World Image Bank
To view many photographs of structures formed by erosion, go to this site maintained by the American Geological Institute and do a search for key words such as: erosion, deposition, delta or canyon for many excellent images.

The following photographs relate well to this unit:

Soil erosion on unprotected soil in a developing area.

Coffee Pot Rock, a feature formed by erosion of the Coconino Sandstone (top) and Supai Group rocks at the base.

Devils Tower at Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming.

Delta where a river enters a lake in Alaska.

Housing development on Mississippi River Delta.

Comparing Erosion

Compare the photos from the following links either by printing each of them or by opening them in separate windows on your computer:

Photo 1 – from the Earth Science World Image Bank

Photo 2 – from the Earth Science World Image Bank

Photo 3 – a gallery of 11 photos showing erosion and weathering from National Geographic

Arrange the landforms due to erosion by size, from smallest erosion channel to largest. Which do you think might form in a very short time? Which do you think took the longest to form?
Hint: Use other objects in the picture to determine the size of the channels.

Extension

The following links can be used for the Extension:

How Caves Form
Use this interactive website developed by Nova to explore four types of cave formation.

All About Glaciers
The National Snow and Ice Data Center provides information about the formation and effects of glaciers.

Activity 79
Building for Sustainability

Texas Environmental Sustainability Issues
This website features a case study from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, titled “Texas Environmental Resource Stewards and Texas Ecological Assessment Protocol.”

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Unit 7: Life in Space

Activity 80 Is Anybody Out There?
Activity 81 Conditions for Life
Activity 82 From the Earth to Space
Activity 83 Manned Space Flight
Activity 84 Plant Responses
Activity 87 Space Settlements

Activity 80
Is Anybody Out There?

Hunt for Alien Planets

Transit Simulation

Getting to know the Goldilocks Planet

Kepler Mission:
Kepler Mission Discoveries
Kepler Mission Planet Candidates
Kepler Range of View Animation

Transits:
Kepler Occulation Graph Animation
Animation of HAT-P-7 Light Curve

Activity 81
Conditions for Life

Planetary Atmosphere Comparison Chart

Activity 82
From the Earth to Space

Orbiter Spaceflight Simulation Software

Activity 83
Manned Space Flight

NASA: Space Suit Evolution, From Custom Tailored To Off-The-Rack