{"id":1317,"date":"2025-08-07T17:40:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T17:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discover.hubpages.com\/education\/Middle-School-Biology"},"modified":"2025-08-07T17:40:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T17:40:21","slug":"middle-school-biology-first-day-of-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/?p=1317","title":{"rendered":"Middle School Biology First Day of Class"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><time datetime=\"2025-08-07T13:40:21-04:00\" title=\"Aug 7, 2025\">Aug 7, 2025<\/time><br \/><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Middle School Biology First Day Lesson Plan\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/a7a5b2b83882f358cd913d0ae85badd2.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Middle School Biology First Day Lesson Plan<\/p>\n<p>This is the 1st lesson in a series of 32 hands-on lessons covering middle school biology. This is the lesson for the first day of class and covers introductions, how to use the textbook, and plant identification. I used this plan while teaching a 55 minute middle school biology class. Each lesson plan includes homework assignments and a variety of hands-on activities to make each lesson engaging &amp; memorable. Use these fun lessons with your classroom, homeschool, after-school program, or co-op!<\/p>\n<p>These lessons are written for a class that meets once a week. If your class meets 5 days a week, simply do this lesson one day a week and use the homework assignments (at the bottom of the page) for the work for the other days of the week.<\/p>\n<h2>Welcome &amp; Introductions<\/h2>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Student Name Plate\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/c2826df3f7e90aaa5914e0958bb7cf58.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Student Name Plate<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Welcome everyone to the first day of biology class! Each class everyone will need to bring a 3 ring binder with paper, colored pencils, a pencil, &amp; their textbook. Our class textbook is A Beka&#8217;s <em>Science: Order &amp; Design<\/em>, but any textbook of your choice could be used.<\/li>\n<ul>\n<li>Create nameplates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Pass out a sheet of paper to each student and have them fold it into thirds. Using a marker or bright color, have them write their name in big letters in the middle section. This will act as a nameplate at the front of each student&#8217;s desk until I learn everyone&#8217;s names.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>On their nameplates, have them answer (using words or drawings) the following in each of their four showing corners: What you did this summer, your favorite animal, favorite activity or something you like doing, &amp; your favorite flower or plant. (If they need help with the last one, remind them that fruits and vegetables are plants.)<\/li>\n<p><\/ul>\n<p><strong>You will need per student:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>blank paper<\/li>\n<p><\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li>Have each student say their name and share what they wrote on each corner. Then have them put the nameplate propped up at the front of their desks so that I can see their names.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Tickets <\/h2>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tickets passed out for students doing homework, answering questions, &amp; doing extra credit\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/f29f80be366fd4dfb74a378b31ed3697.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Tickets passed out for students doing homework, answering questions, &amp; doing extra credit<\/p>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Student envelopes for holding their tickets\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/574a6be0f4d4f0dc629d3048892adae9.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Student envelopes for holding their tickets<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Explain the ticket system.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Pass out an envelope to each student and have them write their name on it. They will need to keep this in their binder.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>They will get tickets for completing homework, answering questions, and completing extra credit assignments. The tickets will be used to redeem prizes before winter break and before summer break.<\/li>\n<p><\/ul>\n<p><strong>You will need per student:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>an envelope<\/li>\n<p><\/ul>\n<h2>Textbooks<\/h2>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Our class textbook: A Beka: Science: Order &amp; Design (2nd edition)\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/2c06181e5b2d8fe00a70c62963d63255.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Our class textbook: A Beka: Science: Order &amp; Design (2nd edition)<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Have everyone open their textbook to the first chapter. Give everyone a question they need to answer. (I used the questions from the end of the unit review for Chapter 1.) If needed, show them how to use the index.<\/li>\n<ul>\n<li>Have them flip through Chapter 1 from the textbook with you &amp; quickly summarize the chapter. When you get to a part that one of the students answered or defined, have them share that answer or definition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>The Need for Botanists<\/h2>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A Rose by Any Other Name Might Just Be a Rhododendron from the August 15, 2018 edition of the Wall Street Journal\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/e969e921304c0ae78c0b5fdba63731dd.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A Rose by Any Other Name Might Just Be a Rhododendron from the August 15, 2018 edition of the Wall Street Journal<\/p>\n<p>7. <em>(Optional)<\/em> Project or pass out copies of the article <em>A Rose by Any Other Name Might Just Be a Rhododendron<\/em> from the August 15, 2018 edition of the Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Quickly summarize the article, which shares how America is in desperate need of botanists who can actually identify plants.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>Ask students to come up with ideas on jobs they might have that would involve botany or identifying plants.<\/li>\n<p><\/ul>\n<p><strong>You will need:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a copy of<em> A Rose by Any Other Name Might Just Be a Rhododendron<\/em> from the August 15, 2018 edition of the Wall Street Journal<\/li>\n<p><\/ul>\n<h2>Plant Identification<\/h2>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Learning how to use guide books to identify wild flowers\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/e9d3a5c5a1ae5834b865b76e3b02e405.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Learning how to use guide books to identify wild flowers<\/p>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt='Flower identification key from \"Florida Wild Flowers and Roadside Plants\" is what I use when identifying wild  flowers.' src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/ddad9559cc3ed56aa6a9fb395d08b272.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Flower identification key from &#8220;Florida Wild Flowers and Roadside Plants&#8221; is what I use when identifying wild  flowers.<\/p>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Flower identification worksheet from Considering God's Creation is also a good option.\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/5c2e78b8a68c6ec0c1f53cebc11010cd.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Flower identification worksheet from Considering God&#8217;s Creation is also a good option.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Pass out flower identification guide pages and walk through how to identify a plant. Pass out wildflowers and have the students work together to sketch it, record its traits, and use a wildflower guide book to try to identify it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>You will need:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a flower identification guide page per student<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>local wildflowers (make sure to include the leaves)<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>wildflower guide books (Check out as many as you can find from the library.)<\/li>\n<p><\/ul>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Identifying wild flowers using guide books\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/b6b7dbcc91a1aeb23bc037ab6364fa5f.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Identifying wild flowers using guide books<\/p>\n<h2>My Favorite Florida Flower Guide Book<\/h2>\n<h2>Homework Review<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Pass out homework assignment sheets. Quickly walk through what to do.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Remind students that they will receive tickets for completing their homework. The tickets will be redeemed at the end of the semester for prizes.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>They will also receive tickets for answering questions when we review homework each week, so they can answer more questions in the book if they&#8217;d like in order to give them more opportunities to answer questions.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li>There is a <em>Thought Provoker<\/em> question in each review. It counts as a question.<\/li>\n<p><\/ul>\n<h2>Homework<\/h2>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A Beka Science: Order &amp; Design\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/512a75f93ad32e8e3a71f9759297f3ee.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A Beka Science: Order &amp; Design<\/p>\n<p>(Page numbers refer to the pages in A Beka&#8217;s <em>Science: Order &amp; Design<\/em>.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Friday<\/strong>: Flowers: Read pp. 34-35 &amp; answer 4 questions of your choice on p. 36.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><strong>Monday<\/strong>: Seeds: Read pp. 37-40 (skip \u201cScience Investigation\u201d on p. 39) &amp; answer 5 questions of your choice on p. 41.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><strong>Tuesday<\/strong>: Find 3 live wild flowers outside. Draw detailed pictures of them &amp; identify them.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><strong>Wednesday<\/strong>: Germination: Read pp. 41-43 &amp; answer 3 questions of your choice on p. 43.<\/li>\n<p><\/ul>\n<h2>Homework Example<\/h2>\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Homework assignment for Tuesday: Find and sketch 3 flowers and identify them.\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/archived\/9c0638e8d77e9df487c4026cef4a8052.jpg\" style=\"max-height: 500px; width: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Homework assignment for Tuesday: Find and sketch 3 flowers and identify them.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Looking for all my lessons?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Middle-School-Biology\">First Day of Class &amp; Plant Identifications<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Parts-of-a-Flower-Lesson\">Parts of a Flower<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Importance-of-Plants-Lesson\">Amazing Plants (Horticulturist Guest Speaker)<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Seeds-and-Flower-Families-Lesson\">Seeds and Flower Families<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Photosynthesis-and-Plant-Parts-Lesson\">Photosynthesis and Plant Parts<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Human-Body-Systems-Lesson\">Cardiovascular, Respiratory, &amp; Digestive Systems<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Skeletal-Muscular-Integumentary-Systems\">Skeletal, Muscular, &amp; Integumentary Systems<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Endocrine-Nervous-Health\">Endocrine &amp; Nervous Systems and Healthy Living<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Baby-Development-Lesson\">Human Baby Fetal Development (Pregnancy Care Center Guest Speaker)<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Creation-and-Science-Lesson\">Creation and Science<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Science-Worldviews-Lesson\">Creation, Evolution, &amp; the Eyes of Faith<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Classification-of-Plants-and-Mammals\">Classifying Plants &amp; Animals<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Amazing-Mammals\">Amazing Mammals<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Mammal-Dissection-Lesson\">Mammal Dissection<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Biology-Review-and-Party\">Semester Review &amp; Winter Party<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Bird-Anatomy-Lesson\">Bird Anatomy<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Bird-Features-Lesson\">Bird Features<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Bird-Watching-Lesson\">Bird Watching (Birding Guide Guest Speaker)<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Fish-Biology-Lesson\">Fish Anatomy and Dissection<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Invertebrates-Dissections\">Invertebrates Anatomy and Dissections<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Fish-Dissection-Lesson\">Frog Dissection<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Reptiles-Lesson\">Reptiles Show and Tell<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Insects-Lesson\">Insect Anatomy<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Insect-Lesson-for-Biology\">Singing &amp; Social Insects<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Beneficial-Insects-Lesson\">Beneficial Insects (Entomology Guest Speaker)<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Arthropod-Dissection\">Arthropods (Crayfish &amp; Grasshopper) Anatomy and Dissections<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Crustaceans-and-Arachnids\">Crustaceans &amp; Arachnids<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Cells-Algae-and-Fungi-Lesson\">Cells, Algae, and Fungi<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Protozoa-Lesson\">Protozoa and Bacteria<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Tree-Lesson-for-Biology\">Trees<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Biology-Biomes-Lesson\">Ecology<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/Biology-Review\">Semester Review &amp; End of Year Party<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/ColonialismWeeks3-8\">My Middle School American History Lessons<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/fun-hands-on-unit-studies\">All of My Hands-on Lessons &amp; Unit Studies<\/a><\/li>\n<p><\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a9 2018 Shannon<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Comments<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Shannon (author)<\/strong> from Florida on September 01, 2018:<\/p>\n<p>That is so kind of you to say! Thank you!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Liz Westwood<\/strong> from UK on September 01, 2018:<\/p>\n<p>I reckon if my biology lessons had been like this I would have got a lot more out of the subject.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aug 7, 2025 Middle School Biology First Day Lesson Plan This is the 1st lesson in a series of 32 hands-on lessons covering middle school biology. This is the lesson for the first day of class and covers introductions, how to use the textbook, and plant identification. I used this plan while teaching a 55 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1317\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shannon.wasmer.app\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}