Is there more to evaporation than just less liquid? Show young scientists the energy transformation that occurs during a phase change through a series of simple experiments. Lab partners place drops of water, ethanol, and ethoxyethane on...

Bacteria outnumber all other forms of life on Earth. Scholars observe the growth of bacteria in petri dishes to understand their role in maintaining good health. Then, they observe the growth of bacteria after they introduce...

The radical reactions of polymers seems abstract to many pupils, but this lesson turns them into a fun building game. Scholars use dice and building pieces to build polymers. Then, they determine the theoretical and experimental weight...

Can science put an end to the poaching of endangered species? Show your young forensic experts how biotechnology can help save wildlife through an exciting electrophoresis lab. Grouped pupils analyze shark DNA to determine if it came...

Why is lactase important? Biology scholars explore enzyme function in a structured inquiry lab. The activity tasks lab groups with observing how temperature and pH affect enzyme activity, as well as determining which milk products...

Which sports drink provides the best pick-me-up after the big game or grueling workout? It may not be the one you'd think! Food science is the focus in a surprising lab activity. Pupils use colorimetry to determine the amount of protein,...

What will your class learn in a curious tale of a fungus, a virus, and a chestnut tree? Biology scholars discover the world of viral biocontrols through a DNA restriction lab. Groups research the decline of the American chestnut tree at...

Can your biology class crack the Case of the Crown Jewels? Junior forensics experts try their hands at DNA restriction analysis in an exciting lab activity. The lesson introduces the concept of restriction analysis, teaches pipetting and...

Transform your class' understanding of genes and antibiotic resistance with the Transformation Lab. Junior geneticists create and observe their own resistant strains of E. coli through research, discussion, and experimentation. The...

By measuring the wavelength, frequency, and intensity of electromagnetic radiation, scientists determine the temperature, density, and composition of far away items. Scholars rotate through ten lab stations using a spectroscope at each...

Can microorganisms live in the dry, cold climate of Antarctica? Young scientists view a research project measuring microorganisms in the Taylor Glacier. They record the findings from dirty ice, clean ice, boots, sediment, and more. Then...

Did you know the hole in the ozone is seasonal and filled by January every year? The lesson plan uses scientific measurements of the ozone over the South Pole to understand patterns. Scholars learn that the hole grew bigger annually...

In Beacon Valley, katabatic winds regularly knock fit adults to the ground. The lesson compares the actual temperatures to the wind chill after factoring in katabatic winds in Beacon Valley. Scholars learn to calculate wind chill and...

Ice cores provide scientists with knowledge of historic melt layers, air temperatures, greenhouse gases, and climate stability. Scholars work in groups to build layers representing snow and ice over thousands of years. Then, groups...

The thaw depth of tundra creates a positive feedback loop with both global warming and the carbon cycle. Scholars sort photos and develop a hypothesis for ground cover and permafrost depth. Then they review the data and measurements...

In 2015, Peter Cook found that sea lions with high levels of exposure to toxins suffered permanent brain damage if they survived at all. Scholars learn about the accumulation of toxins at various levels of the food chain. Using...

The Kuril islands stretch from Japan to Russia, and the ongoing dispute about their jurisdiction prevents many scientific research studies. Scholars learn to create a topographic profile of a specific area around their schools. Then they...

Many scholars struggle to picture electrons traveling in a circuit but understand water going through a pipe. The simulation compares circuits to water pipes. It walks pupils through four levels of questions, allowing them to switch...

How exactly does touch help us identify items? Learners test this question by feeling a coin without moving their fingers and trying to determine if it is heads or tails. They test their accuracy by rubbing their...

Does practice make perfect or just improvement? Scholars practice drawing a triangle on an Etch-A-Sketch. They learn about the part of the brain that controls sensory-motor integration and apply that to an analysis question.

Teachers encourage using memory tricks, but do they actually work? Scholars test word association in a short yet engaging activity. They use 10 seconds to memorize as many items as possible and determine if they are more successful if...

Do all areas of your skin have the same sensitivity to touch? Playing with the sense of touch, this experiment has scholars guessing how many pin heads gently touch their arm and hand. In the second part, pupils...

Have you ever tried following confusing or incomplete directions? In a hands-on experiment, partners give and follow directions to build a structure. Scholars apply their years of experience taking instructions to prove they know...

Stephen Perry invented and patented the modern rubber band in 1845. Young scientists put his discovery to work as they use rubber bands to observe entropy and enthalpy. They determine the change in free energy to figure out if it...