Science Grades 7-9

The earth has been through some major changes -- learn about them here.

Animal Diversity Web (ADW) is an online database of animal natural history, distribution, classification, and conservation biology at the University of Michigan

Explore how human activity is permanently changing the Earth’s natural systems

A site from the UK that discusses how the presence of bats is an indication of healthy biodiversity

Resources to use with your students to explore biodiversity.

An umbrella species is a species whose wellbeing and population numbers are suggestive of the entire ecosystem’s health.

In this episode, we’ll see how conservation biology aims to restore habitat and preserve biodiversity.

Meet the animal influencers that play an oversize — and often surprising — role in shaping our world.

With large and diverse home ranges, the grizzly bear is an ecological umbrella species, meaning its presence on the landscape ensures a healthier ecosystem for countless other animals and plants.

When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park, the most remarkable "trophic cascade" occurred.

Lands inhabited by Indigenous Peoples contain 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity. Indigenous Peoples’ traditional knowledge and knowledge systems are key to designing a sustainable future for all.

Keystone plant genera are unique to local food webs within ecoregions. Remove keystone plants and diversity will be diminished.

While all life has the right to exist, there are two groups of animals that are more important to an ecosystem than other animals. These are known as keystone species and the indicator species.

Information about conservation, research, regulations, monitoring and permits relating to migratory birds in Canada.

An immersive Minecraft world with standards-based lessons. Explore these resources for hands-on learning about ecosystems, conservation and biodiversity.

A keystone species helps define an entire ecosystem. Without its keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether. Learn who some of the keystone species are.

Join Hank Green for a new episode of SciShow—it'll make you go bananas!

Giant Pandas present a conservation challenge like no other. But why?

A look at our dependence on the insect population, what is leading to their rapid decline, and what their extinction could mean for the future of our world

We've only explored about 5% of the oceans. In the deepest parts of the oceans are ecosystems with more diversity than a tropical rainforest. This 8 minute video explores the wonder and beauty of marine life on a voyage into the ocean, from the deepest trenches to the remains of the Titanic.

This is an interesting video explaining fruit breeding. Why are there so many different types of apples and how were they all created?

What makes one ecosystem strong and another weak in the face of change? This video explains why biodiversity is the key.

"This cladogram shows a few important groups of species in the Tree of Life." (site) Learn how to read a cladogram if you haven't seen one before.

Experience these wonderful marine animals via video and audio files. Click on the menu links beside each animal to explore their voices in the sea.

Humans have changed the planet. Should that go on the geologic calendar?

This is a highly visual, narrated tour of the basics of DNA. Learn what DNA is and how it works in our bodies.

You may have heard the word "niche" before, but what does it mean when we talk about an organism's niche? Learn in this video

The Umbrella species concept is a brilliant conservation strategy to use a single species to protect an entire ecosystem, but how effective is it?

This site is virtual experience; it uses science-based artwork to show the diminishing biodiversity on Earth. The map shows endangered or extinct species. You will find embedded videos as well.

The Wild Species reports represent the most comprehensive look at the state of Canada’s species and contain the general status assessments many species.

You know all about how DNA bases can code for an organism's traits, but did you know there's more influencing phenotype than just the bases?

Join the Amoeba Sisters as they explore the meiosis stages with vocabulary including chromosomes, centromeres, centrioles, spindle fibers, and crossing over.

The Amoeba Sisters walk you through the reason for mitosis with mnemonics for prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.

It’s not nature versus nurture—it’s both! In this episode, we’ll explore how complex interactions between genes and the environment shape all sorts of traits, from human skin color to honeybees’ “royal jelly.”

What’s a human?In this episode, we’ll meet some of our closest relatives and trace how we evolved into the brainy, inventive, complex species we are today.

How do traits get passed down in our DNA? And what do genes have to do with cat fur?

Ever wonder why we aren’t exact clones of our parents, or why siblings aren’t exactly alike? The reason traces back to meiosis.

What’s the life of a cell like? In this episode, we’ll follow a cell’s life cycle, from its beginning as a shiny new cell all the way to division via mitosis.

There are lots of ways that evolution happens, and natural selection is just one of them. In this episode, we’ll find out how this process works and shapes traits in all living thing

Punnett square is used to predict the chances of an offspring to have its parents' traits.

Natural and Artificial Selection are fairly straightforward, and in this video, I give you everything you need to know.

Here’s a conundrum: Identical twins originate from the same DNA ... so how can they turn out so different — even in traits that have a significant genetic component? We can find the answer in epigenetics

3 levels of biodiversity: genetic, species, and ecosystem. Try out this interactive to learn more about each of these levels.

This video explains the basics of genetics; learn about DNA, genes, chromosomes, proteins, and how genetic traits are inherited.

Traits are characteristics or features that can be passed from one generation to another.

This 2-minute video explains how traits pass from parents to offspring. Learn how each offspring is a mix of inherited traits.

The Fidgits need help getting ready for their dance party. Set up your factory; you'll need circuits, wires and a power source. Can you get it all working?

Lesson plans and resources to use with your class as they explore electrical principles and technology. You can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image

Try this amazing tool for learning the concepts of motion, forces, electricity, magnetism, light, and so much more. You can bounce and slide your way through the developed levels or get creative and make your own level.

This 3 minute video reviews how we harness solar energy and the benefits of this renewable source. The video also describes the challenges that we need to overcome to make this source even more viable.

This activity guides students through the process of creating a working battery using common household resources.

This video examines renewable energy and some of the challenges of exchanging our fossil fuel dependence for only renewable energy sources.

The video explains the science of batteries. How were they developed, why do they lose charge, and how do batteries even store charge in the first place?

The concepts of work and power help us unlock and understand many of the physical laws that govern our universe.

Is it possible that one day the world could be completely reliant on solar energy? This video examines how solar panels convert solar energy to electrical energy.

Explore the incredible adaptations of Elysia chlorotica, a species of sea slug that can photosynthesize food. How is this possible?

Watch this animated video to learn how solar towers and panels work and why cloud cover is an important factor in the future of solar energy production.

Explore biomagnification which can happen when toxins become more highly concentrated when moving up through trophic levels in the food chain.

Resources to use with your class to explore environmental chemistry. If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

Rachel Carson investigated into the misuse of chemicals in nature and published her findings in “Silent Spring,” which drew a lot of attention to the problem

An essay by Margaret Atwood about Rachel Carson who wrote one of the most influential books about the environment: Silent Spring.

This is a virtual model of Earth's gyres and the pollution that flows through them.

An animated video that explores the high-tech industry’s millions of tons of e-waste.

This video answers the question: What are nurdles? They are the tiny, factory-made pellets that form every plastic product that we use, from toys to toothbrushes. In their quest for ocean domination, they can wreak havoc on our oceans.

"Build an atom out of protons, neutrons, and electrons, and see how the element, charge, and mass change. Then play a game to test your ideas."

Learn about the phases of matter, kinetic theory and temperature in this video.

This 11-minute video discusses "the most important table ever". Learn about Mendeleev and the development of the periodic table of elements.

Here is a great interactive periodic table - Each element has a link to show what the element looks like, with the history of discovery, and other useful information about the element.

How can you tell the difference between compounds that are ionic and molecular (also known as covalent)? It has to do with the elements that make them up

Learn about the atom, proton, neutron and electron

We'll learn about the five major types of chemical reactions: synthesis, decomposition, synthesis, single replacement (also called single displacement) and double replacement (also called double displacement)

Resources to use with your students to explore matter and chemical changes. If you click the links, there is a sign-in prompt -- but you can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image instead and will be able to access all the Google slides associated with that image

Use the unique chemistry features of Minecraft to engage your students in the classroom.

We'll learn how to name ionic compounds that have transition metals in them. The names for transition metal compounds often have roman numerals in them, because the roman numerals indicate the charge on the transition metal.

This periodic table has student-friendly pictures and descriptions for the elements. The pictures show things that relate to each of the elements.

This is an entire periodic table, with videos about each element. These videos are chemistry adventures in the laboratory, as well as journeys into the world, to learn more about the unique qualities of each element.

In this video we will learn about physical and chemical changes.

This video explains the law of conservation of mass. Everything in our universe has mass, from the smallest atom to the largest star. How has the amount of mass remained constant throughout existence even during the birth and death of stars and planets?

This site offers a multimedia presentation to the standard periodic table. Each element is represented in many ways, with information, history, media when available, and more.

Learn the basics about Catalysts. What are catalysts? How do catalysts work?

This is a virtual tour of the closest stars to our own Sun. It's very interactive; you can click, drag and zoom with your mouse. You may want to visit the top left corner and Take a Tour to get started.

How do composers hear outer space? What does space sound like? Is there music in space? This series looks at the way music and outer space connect. PS - You'll probably be thinking about Star Wars.

Elder Wilfred Buck, a Knowledge Keeper and science facilitator, tells the Cree story of the Dog Stars which are also called 'the little dipper'.

What is space junk? Where it is? How can affect our space travels? Learn the answers to these questions now!

Canada joined the space race in 1962 with the launch of our first satellite -- we were only the fourth country to operate a satellite. Discover more about this and other extra-planetary events in NFB's playlist of films on space and space exploration.

Now that we’ve finished our tour of the planets, we’re headed back to the asteroid belt. Asteroids are chunks of rock, metal, or both that were once part of smallish planets but were destroyed after collisions.

Today on Crash Course Astronomy, Phil explains comets. Comets are chunks of ice and rock that orbit the Sun. When they get near the Sun the ice turns into gas, forming the long tail, and also releases dust that forms a different tail.

This 12-minute video explains how our solar system works, focusing on how astronomers have searched for other stars and planets. Astronomers think there may be many billions of Earth-like planets in our galaxy.

In which John Green, Hank Green, and Emily Graslie teach you about what happened in the Universe after the big bang. They'll teach you about cosmic background radiation, how a bunch of hydrogen and helium turned into stars, formed galaxies, created heavy elements, and eventually created planets.

Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system. It has a dynamic atmosphere with belts and zones, as well as an enormous red spot that’s actually a persistent hurricane.

Before moving on from Jupiter to Saturn, we’re going to linger for a moment on Jupiter’s moons. There are 67 known moons, 4 of which are the huge ones that we want to explore in greater detail.

Today Phil helps keep you from ticking off an astronomer in your life by making sure you know the difference between a meteor, meteorite, and meteoroid.

Nebulae are clouds of gas and dust in space. They can glow on their own or reflect light from nearby stars. When they glow it’s usually predominantly red from hydrogen and green from oxygen, and when they reflect and scatter light it’s from massive hot stars, so they look blue.

Today Phil’s explaining the stars and how they can be categorized using their spectra. Together with their distance, this provides a wealth of information about them including their luminosity, size, and temperature.

Big History is the history of everything. We're going to start with the Big Bang, take you right through all of history (recorded and otherwise), and even talk a little bit about the future. It is going to be awesome.

The end of humanity and the end of the universe. John and Hank Green will teach you about what the future holds for humanity and the universe.

In today's episode, Phil looks at how gravity plays out across the universe.

Learn about our Sun and the formation of the planets and quite a few other things too!

You can explore the International Space Station with Google Street View. Choose any of the sections to explore. Click on any areas that you want to see in more detail.

The California Academy of Sciences provides this 25 minute video, free for educational use. "Float up through Earth’s atmosphere, and gain an astronaut’s view of your home — the only planet currently known to support life. Then travel to the Moon, Mars, and even beyond the Milky Way to search for habitats that might support extraterrestrial life."

Through this 4:33 minute animation, Col. Chris Hadfield, Canada's first astronaut to walk in space, tells us why "Exploration is Canada." Learn about some of Canada's key contributions to space exploration.

The Inuit peoples living in the Canadian Far North can view the dark night sky continuously for long periods of time. Their knowledge of the stars helped them navigate in a hostile environment where reference points are few and far between

This is a collection of videos about new developments and projects in space exploration and research with the Webb Space Telescope.

Learn about the 5 methods used by astronomers and scientists to search for exoplanets. Click on each method to see an animation of how it works.

This is your chance to navigate the Mars Rover Curiosity. You can choose to roam the Mars landscape on your own or watch the Rover Replay.

This site is a 3-D environment full of real NASA mission data. Students can "explore the cosmos" from their computers

Mars Trek is an application that allows you to view imagery and perform analysis on data from the planet Mars.

This playlist tells the extraordinary story of Canadian Chris Hadfield, which starts when he was inspired by the Apollo missions as a young boy and ends after his return to Earth from his mission as the first Canadian to command the International Space Station.

Space travel presents many physiological and psychological challenges to astronauts. Mental and physical health are at the core of astronaut recruitment and training. This playlist engages students in physical activities, mental challenges and team-building exercises that introduce them to the training regimen astronauts undertake when preparing to journey into space.

Have you ever gotten lost? Don't panic, have some bannock! Wilfred Buck, a Knowledge Keeper and science facilitator, tells a story of how he got lost in the bush and shares how he used orienteering to get out safely using his knowledge of sky science

A 3D adventure through our cosmic neighborhood with NASA and Google. Learn about the planets, moons, and man-made objects that are part of our solar system.

Carl Sagan muses on our planet's appearance in a photograph taken by the Voyager 1 space probe.

Resources to use with your students as they learn about space exploration. You can bypass the sign-in by clicking an image.

How do we find Earth-like habitable worlds among billions of galaxies and billions of stars? This video explores what is essential to support life as we know it.

Could human civilization eventually spread across the whole Milky Way galaxy? Could we move beyond Earth to establish colonies out among the stars? This video describes the conceptual von Neumann machine, a self-replicating machine that would be sent out into the universe.

What would it actually be like to live in a colony on Mars? This video "details the features of Mars that are remarkably similar to those of Earth — and those that can only be found on the red planet."

Prolonged space travel is hard on the human body: microgravity impairs muscle and bone growth, and high doses of radiation cause irreversible mutations. As we consider becoming space travelers, can we adapt to the extreme environments of space?

Neil deGrasse Tyson takes us on a quick (3 minute) tour of our solar system. Could we live on the other planets in our solar system?

This animated video shares the story of the very first asteroid ever discovered and explains how asteroid hunters search for these celestial bodies. Learn how astronomers find asteroids and how they tell the asteroids apart.

In this six minute video, Olivier Guyon examines the possibility of finding other life-bearing planets among the billions of stars and galaxies in the universe.

In 2026, an unmanned NASA spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at 16 Psyche, a massive, metallic asteroid floating somewhere between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This video explains why NASA is interested in this heavy metal asteroid.

What if the next wave of spacecraft were small enough to fit into our pockets? This video describes the future of microspacecraft, and how scientists at NASA are hoping to use micropropulsion to launch tiny vessels outside of Earth’s orbit.

Universcale provides a look at objects from sub-atomic particles to red giants and all things in between using an interactive scale. This graphically beautiful tool is an outstanding way to measure and compare objects of different sizes.

Explore the massive structures known as the Fermi bubbles, and dig into the prevailing theories about how they came to be.

The creator of this website calls it "a tediously accurate scale model of the universe". Scroll to explore the immense size of our galaxy or click on the icons at the top of the screen to jump to specific planets.

In 1944, amateur astronomer Hisako Koyama’s latest endeavor was sketching the sun’s shifting surface. She spent weeks angling her telescope towards the sun and tracking every change she saw with drawings. Little did she know, these drawings were the start of one of the most important records of solar activity in human history.