Proving an Ecosystem’s Health Through Succession
Students engage in viewing day three of ecosystem changes in lab groups to determine if the ecosystem is healthy or unhealthy based on scientific data and factors.
Mendelian Genetics Using Monohybrids
Students will work collaboratively through a fictitious, real-world scenario to determine the probability of each breeding pair of dogs producing offspring with the desired trait for a fictitious client.
Circuit Designers
Students will work in small groups of two to three on a structured challenge around circuits which includes requirements such as including using a switch or a conductor. They will then use that knowledge to work on a collaborative challenge to solve a relevant problem related to elephant poaching. Students will create a containment system that will have an alarm system, a lighting system, and a way to pass through. Finally, they will review the other projects and discuss similarities and differences in the design.
Earth’s Movements
Students will work in small collaborative groups to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth as it revolves around the Sun which creates a day and night cycle.
Producing Plump Produce
In collaborative groups, the students investigate the transport of water within potato cells placed in various tonicity solutions.
Teacher explains the task to the students
Energy Transfer in an Ecosystem
All matter contains energy. Energy can be transferred from one object to another. Energy transformation can occur through the conversion of energy from one form to another. Energy is never created nor destroyed; it is always transferred and/or transformed. Students will demonstrate how energy is transformed and transferred in an ecosystem. To do this, students will create energy pyramids by stacking cups that represent organisms and available amounts of energy. Students will graph and analyze the data.
Students working on the task
Uses of Energy Lab
Students will rotate through lab stations equipped with objects and videos as they explore the uses and conversion of five different types of energy.
Going on an Expedition
Students observe how dunes and canyons are created through agents of erosion by weathering and erosion.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
Click below to learn about the TEKS related to the unit and Research Lesson. The highlighted student expectation(s) is the chosen focus for the Research Lesson.
Manifest Density
Students will design a foil boat and add mass to test relative density.
Students describing how they got their boat to float.
Stop, Collaborate, and Rotate
Students will explore the Earth's rotation and its relation to the Sun and the Moon. Then, students will create a visual representation of this relationship and present it to the rest of the class.
Teacher doing Introduction
DNA Sequencing
In this lesson, students will investigate how gene expression is a regulated process controlled by DNA and the interpretations of codons through translation.
Plant, Parts, and Function
Students use prior knowledge of body systems as they make connections to systems in plants. Students learn that some plant systems have similar functions as the respective animal systems. The lesson highlights the following systems in plants: root system, shoot system, vascular system, and reproductive system.
Soft and Hard Skills for Success
Students will focus on learning and identifying hard and soft skills that can be used among a variety of careers.
Students working on project
17 OnTRACK Scientific Process Skills
This binder contains seventeen separate resources focused on the scientific processes for conducting laboratory and field investigations.
6 Section 2: Education Laws and Rules
This section provides an overview of general state and federal education laws and rules related to work-based learning (WBL).
5 Section 4: Local School Policies
This section discusses local school policies pertain to work-based learning (WBL), as well as how those policies are typically applied in Texas high schools.
5 Section 3: Texas Education Agency Rules Impacting Work-Based Learning
This section describes Texas Education Agency (TEA) rules related to work-based learning (WBL), with an emphasis on Section V of the Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (SAAH) and rules regarding career preparation and practicum courses. In addition, it provides a brief overview of career and technical education (CTE) funding and coding guidelines.
4 Section 7: Training Plans for Career Preparation and Practicum Courses
This section explains what a work-based learning (WBL) training plan is, how it is used, why it is important, and how to correctly complete it.
6 Section 5: Workplace Laws and Rules
This section describes workplace laws and rules that must be considered when overseeing student work-based learning (WBL) experiences and where to find additional information and resources related to the laws and rules.
7 Section 6: WBL Training Sites
This section explains how to identify and select appropriate training stations for students’ WBL experiences, and ensure that training sponsors understand their responsibilities.