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Variations in Life Science

Variations in Life Science

Difficult Science Topics Made Accessible: Variations in Life Science

Santa Cruz, CA — Learning in Motion is pleased to announce the release of our first video series: Variations in Life Science. A series of 12 individual video/print resource units, Variations takes a non-traditional approach to learning. It inspires students to construct their own knowledge by becoming actively engaged in the subject. As students witness dynamic processes in life science, they build a deeper understanding of key concepts and how these concepts relate to real-world situations affecting students’ lives.

The Variations package is easily integrated into all life science curricula. Each unit is based on a concept that experienced life-science teachers have identified as one they find particularly challenging to teach. Within each 10-minute video unit, students first learn what scientists know about the particular subject. In the middle of the unit, a “Stop Video Question” is posed for students to share their thoughts on the subject in class discussion. The second half of each video unit shows a case study in which the practical application of the topic is shown.

rainforest research

Is there any way to save the rainforest?

In the unit entitled “The Price of Survival: Tropical Forests,” students learn about tropical rainforests—what makes them special and why they are threatened. Drawing on what they have just learned in the first half of the video unit, students discuss the Stop Video Question: “Is there any way to save the tropical rainforest?” After the class discussion, students learn about one organization that is helping to save the rainforest—a group in Costa Rica that is collecting plants and animals for testing by drug companies. The promise of finding new drugs will help to preserve animals and plants of the rainforest.

The Teacher’s Guide, incorporating modern cognitive instructional strategies, contains a synopsis of each unit, science objectives addressed by each unit, and teaching ideas. Activities within each unit allow students to put what they have learned into practice. Worksheets and reproducible masters are part of most investigations.

Topics covered in the Variations in Life Science series are:

  • An Eye into Life: Cells and Microscopes
  • The Ultimate Survivors: Bacteria
  • Invisible Allies: Beneficial Bacteria
  • Something in Common: Classification
  • Without Which Nothing: Photosynthesis
  • The Price of Survival: Tropical Forests
  • What’s in a Face?: Skin
  • Life is Motion: The Muscular-Skeletal System
  • A Matter of Heart: Circulation
  • Angie’s Ear: Hearing
  • Like a Key: Hormones
  • The Way We Are: Genetics

The complete VHS package of Variations in Life Science contains four tapes and the Teacher’s Guide and is priced at $149. Individual unit packages consisting of 3 topic titles on a single VHS tape are available for $39 each. All packages include the Teacher’s Guide.

Variations in Life Science was created by the Educational Film Center in association with the Montgomery County, Maryland Public Schools and Toby Levine Communications, Inc.