Weblinks for REAL Science Odyssey: Biology 1
Lower Price Range ($100 or less)
Wireless Digital Microscope Handheld USB HD Inspection Camera 50x-1000x Magnification with Stand
BEBANG 100X-2000X Microscope for Kids, Students, or Adults with Microscope Slides
Mid-Range ($200-$300)
ESSLNB 40X-2000X Microscope with Phone Adapter LED Lab Microscopes for Adults and Students
Upper Price Range ($400 or more)
AmScope T490B-DK Compound Trinocular Microscope, WF10x and WF20x Eyepieces, 40X-2000X Magnification
Microscope Slides
Field Guide Suggestions
INSECTS
Peterson Field Guide to Insects: America North of Mexico by Donald J. Borror and Roger Tory Peterson
Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America by Eric R. Eaton
BIRDS
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America by Jonathan Alderfer and Jon L. Dunn
The Stokes Field Guide to Birds by Donald and Lillian Stokes:
Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America by Roger Tory Peterson
Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Western North America by Roger Tory Peterson
Birds of North America (Golden Guide) by Chandler S. Robbins et al.
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
MAMMALS
Peterson Field Guide to the Mammals of North America, 4th Edition by Fiona Reid
PLANTS AND MUSHROOMS
Audubon Society Field Guide to North America Trees: Eastern Region
Audubon Society Field Guide to North America Trees: Western Region
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers Eastern Region
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers Western Region
Weblinks
There is some technical vocabulary and concepts that is not presented in the class, but it is a really good video explaining some important tardigrade biology. https://ed.ted.com/lessons/meet-the-tardigrade-the-toughest-animal-on-earth-thomas-boothby
This is a nice video sequence of tardigrades viewed with a microscope. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHsVyb_VfeA
A video discussing how tough tardigrades are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH3ABle9k7A
This is a good video to go along with the For My Notebook section. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWBrusrCmX4
This is a song about seven of the characteristics that make something alive. It is kind of funny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5_3BFJFbRE
The characteristics that make life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30qOijVBS7o
The website to use with the field research lab.
https://www.inaturalist.org/
You can see Joel Sartore’s photos at his website. https://www.joelsartore.com/gallery/the-photo-ark/
Recommended Books
The Tardigrade Do Your Kids Know This? by Tanya Turner
What is the Scientific Method? Science Book for Kids by Baby Professor
These beautiful works are from National Geographic and by nature photographer Joel Sartore:
National Geographic The Photo Ark: One Man’s Quest to Document the World’s Animals by Joel Sartore
Rare: Portraits of America’s Endangered Species by Joel Sartore
Weblinks
This is an advanced discussion of cell theory and relates them to the characteristics that make life using vocabulary not taught in the book, but might be a good fit for older students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQPVXrV0GNA
A complex but great photo about cells. http://www.kidsdiscover.com/spotlight/kids-cells/
A beautifully animated video about cells.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFuEo2ccTPA
An easy overview of DNA and what it does.
An overview of DNA, including the structure. Slightly higher-level than the previous video. https://youtu.be/McUgIzvSJa0
This is an advanced but good discussion about DNA and how it works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwibgNGe4aY
Recommended Books
The Basics of Cell Life with Max Axiom, Super Scientist by Amber J. Keyser et al.
Decoding Genes with Max Axiom, Super Scientist by Amber J. Keyser et al.
My First Book About Genetics by Patricia J Wynne
Enjoy Your Cells by Fran Balkwill
Have a Nice DNA by Fran Balkwill
You Share Genes with Me by 23andMe Inc.
Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas by Cheryl Bardoe
Genetics: Breaking the Code of Your DNA by Carla Mooney
Weblinks
All body systems. www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
Molting. https://dirtyclassroom.com/the-skinny-on-shedding-and-molting-becca-baiers/
Photosynthesis. https://www.scienceforkidsclub.com/photosynthesis.html
Recommended Books
The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body by Joanna Cole
Me and My Amazing Body by Joan Sweeney
The Medical School for Kids Series by Brandon Pham MD
Boy, Were We Wrong About the Human Body! by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
Weblinks
Information on the nervous system. http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html
Information and labs on the senses. http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsense.html
Recommended Books
The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses by Joanna Cole
My Five Senses (Let’s Read and Find Out Science) by Aliki
Nocturnal Animals by Abbie Dunne
Science Comics: The Brain: The Ultimate Thinking Machine by Tory Woollcott
Slap, Squeak and Scatter: How Animals Communicate by Steve Jenkins
Lab sheets 125% enlarged for Chapter 11 Lab #1: Model of Me! Pulling Me to Move
Weblinks
Digestive system.http://discoverykids.com/articles/your-digestive-system/
Nutrition.
http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/kids/main.asp
This is a video that starts with a tardigrade coming out of its tun state. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVDtzHM2-QQ
A cartoon for what happens to tardigrades as a tun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL1HN8xq11M
A Ted talk on the toughest animals on Earth (tardigrades!). https://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_boothby_meet_the_tardigrade_the_toughest_animal_on_earth?language=en
Lungs. http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/lungs.html
A variety of videos on the skeletal system. http://www.neok12.com/Skeletal-System.htm
Short introduction to the bones of the skeletal system. https://youtu.be/VHCCgrNSSOg
Two websites on human reproduction. https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=310&language=English
https://www.factsjustforkids.com/human-body-facts/reproductive-system-facts-for-kids.html
Recommended Books
The Digestive System (A True Book: Health and the Human Body) by Christine Taylor-Butler
True or Poo?: A Kid’s Guide to Animal Facts & Fakes by Nick Caruso et al.
A Drop of Blood by Paul Showers
Your Respiratory System by Judith Jango-Cohen
TIME For Kids Informational Text: Look Inside: Your Heart and Lungs by Ben Williams
The Skeleton Inside You (Let’s Read and Find Out Science) by Philip Balestrino
The Skeleton Book: Get to Know Your Bones, Inside Out by Robert Winston
TIME For Kids Informational Text: Look Inside: Your Skeleton and Muscles by Ben Williams
Grow: Secrets of Our DNA by Nicola Davies
Making a Baby by Rachel Greener – This book is anatomically accurate.
Life Cycles: Everything from Start to Finish by DK
The Life Cycle of a Frog by Bobbie Kalman and Kathryn Smithyman
Weblinks
Two websites with seed activities. www.thirteen.org/edonline/nttidb/lessons/cb/plantcb.html www.theseedsite.co.uk/seedparts.html
Recommended Books
Botany: Plants, Cells and Photosynthesis (Super Smart Science) by April Chloe Terrazas
How Do Plants Grow? (Young Scientist) by G.A. Sealy
Next Time You See a Maple Seed by Emily Morgan
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Aston
The Magic and Mystery of Trees by Jen Green
Trees Make Perfect Pets: A Story About Nature, Plants and Gardening for Kids by Paul Czajak
The Reason for a Flower: A Book about Flowers, Pollen, and Seeds (Explore) by Ruth Heller
National Geographic Readers: Seed to Plant by Kristin Rattini
Weblinks
Chapter 16, Lab 1
A short general introduction to the ecosystems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr_U1P7XwhI
Do polar bears belong in the desert? A short cartoon about animals, their habitats, and the food webs they exist in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p15IrEuhYmo&list=PLkAVUURATZSdyaIHMG1l60-XXVg_fa25Q&index=7
Discussion of biotic and abiotic factors; the three types of living things: producers, consumers, and decomposers; populations and communities. A great introduction to the major vocabulary of this unit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJEToQ49Yjc
An eleven-minute introduction to the major biomes: aquatic, desert, rainforest, tundra, grassland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvQP7hI9UvM
A thirteen-minute introduction to the major biomes: ocean, mountain, grassland, rainforest, and desert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fb8143ndo8
Chapter 16, Lab 2
A series of good videos on pollinators and bees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta154f5Rp5Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9zZ48jJZyk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jsm7_Z-0Qo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUPzbTuJlgc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3JU9P59_yY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CxCTyxRFh0
https://jmgkids.us/kids-zone/jmgkidsweb/pollination/
Chapter 17
Food webs. https://blog.littlelives.com/explain-to-kids-food-chains-c34731760728
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFloV2J-eKI
What happens when an ecosystem gets out of balance? A short cartoon about how the loss of one species affects a food web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtb3I8Vzlfg
Two videos on seed dispersal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1hRxuy1ezQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY4JFOSuqvY&feature=emb_logo
Chapter 18
Coral reef biome. www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/coralreef/coralreef.shtm
Two videos on migration. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKbjjQA2amE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMAS4SdPj-w
A video on hibernation and brumation.
Chapter 19
A great discussion of the Yukon to Yellowstone Conservation Initiative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqHinMdejEc&t=4s
Chapter 19, Lab 1
Safety tips to go over while you and your child(ren) are cleaning up the environment. https://www.litterbegone.org/safety-tips/
Recommended Books
There are some good animal focused books in the Comic Science Series by various authors.
The Natural World (Usborne Illustrated Encyclopedia) by Lisa Watts, Ed.
What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins
What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French
True Books: Ecosystems Series by Peter Benoit:
Next Time You See a Spiderweb by Emily Morgan
Next Time You See a Bee by Emily Morgan
Can You Hear the Trees Talking?: Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest by Peter Wohlleben
Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming
What Eats That?: Predators, Prey, and the Food Chain by Ryan Jacobson
The Fascinating Animal Book for Kids: 500 Wild Facts! by Ginjer Clarke
Pass the Energy, Please! by Barbara Shaw McKinney
Who Eats What?: Food Chains and Food Webs (Let’s Read and Find Out Science) by Patricia Lauber
Weblink
Channel Island webcams. http://www.nps.gov/chis/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm
Recommended Books
The My Incredible World: Nature and Animal series is good for young readers.
An Anthology of Intriguing Animals by DK
An Anthology of Aquatic Life by Sam Hume
Invertebrates (Animal Classifications) by Angela Royston
Classifying Animals into Vertebrates and Invertebrates by Baby Professor
Weblinks
Animation that shows how humans evolved from early life. No narration, only text to go with the images. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W5hOJaFjxU&feature=youtu.be
How did life begin and evolve? Covers LUCA as discussed in our text. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl4kF_j0Dwo
Stromatolites are not taught in the course, but if you want to learn more around this topic, they are interesting to learn about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIaq4HUD3jo
A twelve-minute history of geologic time. https://youtu.be/rWp5ZpJAIAE
A ten-minute video about where eukaryotic cells came from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LhBZ2H5SwM
A shorter video on how the evolution of complex life on Earth began. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q71DWYJD-dI
A short Ted talk on how we think complex cells evolved. Imagine if you swallowed a small bird and could suddenly fly, or if you ate a cobra and could spit poisonous venom! Parallels to the endosymbiotic theory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i7kAt97XYU
This is the simplest of the videos and requires reading. It is not narrated. It is very effective. https://youtu.be/D3ROxXi1Jj8
Plant parts mystery called “The Great Plant Escape.” www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/index.html
Learn how to make a compost bin. http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/recycle/compost2.htm#bin
Informational websites on cnidarians. http://www.animalstown.com/animals/c/cnidarian/cnidarian.php
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/jellies
Coloring page of cnidarians. http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=89&detID=2811
Unit 6 Introduction in reference to Chapter 21
Here are two articles discussing endosymbiosis as a mechanism for the evolution of the eukaryotic cell. Neither is behind a paywall. The first is less technical. The second article is a primary source for the first. https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/looking-for-luca-the-last-universal-common-ancestor/
https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1007518
Chapter 23, Lab 1
It is recommended that you watch this video with your child(ren) during the cnidarian lab. https://www.shapeoflife.org/video/jack-costello-biologist-why-jellyfish-swim
Recommended Books
Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story by Lisa Westberg Peters
The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin by Peter Sís
Jellyfish (A Day in the Life: Sea Animals) by Louise Spilsbury
Weblinks
Information on worms. Note that you will have to create a free account through National Geographic to access their articles. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/earthworm
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/earthworm
Fun autobiography of Squirmin’ Herman the worm. A fun way to deliver worm facts. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/worms/
Informational websites on mollusks. http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-mollusks
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/stories/cinderella-cephalopods
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/exhibits/giant-pacific-octopus
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/bloodybelly-comb-jelly
Classification exercise on insects. Suggested grade level is 3rd through 6th. http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=109&detID=2539
Website on butterfly metamorphosis. Includes lots of great pictures. http://www.butterflyschool.org/new/meta.html
Spider information, poems, and lessons. http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/spiders/activities.htm
Informational website on crustaceans. http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-crustaceans
Thirty bug craft projects for kids. http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/04/30-bug-crafts-for-kids.html
Creating housing for beneficial garden insects like ladybugs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpau_m2OCaE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQQFT2xgOvU
Informational website on echinoderms with lots of print-out options. www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/invertebrates/echinoderm/
Recommended Books
It’s a Good Thing There Are Earthworms (Rookie Read-About Science) by Jodie Shepherd
An Earthworm’s Life (Nature Up Close) by John Himmelman
Next Time You See a Pill Bug by Emily Morgan
Next Time You See a Seashell by Emily Morgan
What a Shell Can Tell by Helen Scales
The Book of Brilliant Bugs by Jess French
Starfish (Let’s Read and Find Out Science) by Edith Thacher Hurd
Weblinks
Basic information on vertebrates. http://www.biology4kids.com/files/vert_main.html
Fish classification exercise called “Treasures of the Great Barrier Reef. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/education/activities/2215_reef.html
Informational website about fish. http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/fish1.htm
Informational website on amphibians. http://www.ducksters.com/animals/amphibians.php
Links to fourteen amphibian activities as well as six field projects; several have multiple grade level options to choose from. www.amphibianark.org/education/links-to-curriculum-materials/
Recommended Books
Don’t Mess with Me: The Strange Lives of Venomous Sea Creatures (How Nature Works) by Paul Erickson
Freaky, Funky Fish: Odd Facts about Fascinating Fish by Debra Kempf Shumaker
Uncover a Shark by David George Gordon
National Geographic Readers: Sharks! by Anne Schreiber
Weblinks
Informational website about reptiles. http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/reptiles1.htm
Information specific to green sea turtles. http://www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/green-turtle
Videos about birds. http://www.neok12.com/Birds.htm
Information, coloring pages, and activities on birds. www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/
Bird anatomy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vL_2rF8JHU
Why are birds the only surviving dinosaurs? https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/why-are-birds-the-only-surviving-dinosaurs.html
Are birds modern-day dinosaurs? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaWb0UUNc00
Informational website on dinosaurs. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-are-dinosaurs.html
Is the cassowary a living dinosaur? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgUdRo9eYoQ
Chapter 27, Lab 3
In the instructor’s note, we discuss a study conducted at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in which researcher Elizabeth R. Dumont found that bird bones are denser than mammal bones. Here is the link to that study. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2010.0117
Recommended Books
Dinosaur Feathers by Dennis Nolan
Science Comics: Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers by MK Reed
Science Comics: Bats: Learning to Fly by Falynn Koch
Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers? (Let’s Read and Find Out Science) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
The Dinosaur Book by DK and John Woodward
Where on Earth? Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Life and Other Prehistoric Life from The Smithsonian
Weblinks
Facts, characteristics, and classification of mammals. http://animalstime.com/facts-mammals-characteristics-mammals-classification-mammals/
Videos on mammals. http://www.neok12.com/Mammals.htm
Informational website on mammals. http://www.ducksters.com/animals/mammals.php
This is a really good video entitled “There was no first human.” https://youtu.be/xdWLhXi24Mo
Information and activities on whales. www.zoomschool.com/subjects/whales/
How marsupials are different from other mammals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ_xT1Hzkts
Video that gives interesting facts about marsupials. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lg66n9QPCI
Quick facts about marsupials. https://blog.csiro.au/quick-facts-marsupials/
A website that has videos and photos of baby marsupials in their mothers’ pouches. https://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/marsupial/
Website that gives examples of monotremes. https://animals.mom.com/examples-monotreme-animals-7555.html
A twenty-minute video on monotremes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGuIezLFidY
Why echidnas are evolutionary misfits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YB6mVWadKQ
A video on platypuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNoQvjlmGdk
A one-minute video showing an echidna hatching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHocViqKbbc
Recommended Books
Mammals (Animal Classifications) by Angela Royston
Wild and Woolly Mammoths by Aliki
Pouch Babies by Ginjer L. Clarke
Children of Time: Evolution and the Human Story by Anne H. Weaver
When We Became Humans: Our Incredible Evolutionary Journey by Michael Bright
