Get your class thinking about climate change as a scientific theory. Guided by a handout, emerging earth scientists read articles and take notes about glaciers and sea ice. To conclude, they write an evaluation of the evidence for...

It's not often that you come across a clever laboratory activity that is both imaginative and comprehensive! Using M&M's and Reese's peanut butter candies to represent two different clam species, young biologists test for "relative...

Explore nutrition and healthy eating habits with a study on youth obesity. Learners watch a PBS documentary on the obesity epidemic which discusses government programs aimed at healthier choices, as well as more localized efforts. Kids...

After a brief introduction to the history of women's colleges in the United States and a discussion of the resistance such institutions faced, young scientists investigate seven traditionally women's colleges and their physics programs....

The history of science instruction at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) is the focus of a lesson that explores the early challenges these institutions faced in accessing equipment for their labs and instructors for...

Explore the excitement and ethical challenges of CRISPR and genetic-editing technology. Participants engage in do-nows, view a slideshow, and collaborate on scenarios about genetic editing. Group members analyze scenarios to generate...

Explore the complexities of reproductive genetic testing respectfully in the learning space. Scientists read articles, view a slideshow, and complete a do-now about genetic technologies. A fishbowl activity allows scholars to discuss the...

Find out the science behind ancestry testing! Investigators watch a video exploring how ancestry works before participating in a hands-on group activity. Scholars role play scientists while learning about testing protocols and test...

Challenge young minds to build a better world with genetic engineering. Biologists learn potential solutions for environmental issues using genome editing while interacting with three case studies. Scholars read articles and view...

There's no substitute for the power of the sun. The second of four installments of the Solar Resources Assessment unit looks at macro-scale photovoltaic (PV) technology. Future scientists first learn about PV modules with a PowerPoint...

Let a video light the way to a better understanding of solar energy. Scholars first learn vocabulary terms related to the photovoltaic effect, solar cells, and electricity. They then watch a video to learn why silicon is often used as a...

Animals save lives. In small groups pupils research the role of animals in the development of vaccines. Each team investigates one disease to find out how the vaccine was developed and how animals played a role n the research. Groups...

It's sure getting hot out there! Scholars analyze satellite data on land use and surface temperatures, and then learn how to ground truth satellite data through an activity. They apply technology to identify urban heat islands and...

Is all research on animals bad? Learners use a video to understand how animal research benefits humans. Pupils read about a drug modification turned deadly and the result of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Scholars use a...

Enter the debate on vaccines. Small groups research topics related to vaccine safety in the last lesson in a unit of five. In the process of the research, team members learn how to determine the validity and credibility of a website. The...

My body is my castle. Pupils learn about the innate immune system in the second lesson plan of a three-part unit on the immune system by comparing the innate immune system to a castle and moat. Groups conduct a simulation where they try...

Stop the spread. Pupils work through two activities to gain an understanding of vaccines and immunity. Learners research different types of vaccines and how they are made and explore the advantages and disadvantages of them. Using a...

It's all in the cards. Using cards to simulate a disease's attack on the immune system, pupils develop an understanding of how the immune system and pathogens react to each other and why at times the pathogen wins. Groups play a game to...

Attack the pathogen from within. Learners delve deeper into the immune system and find out about the adaptive immune system such as T and B cells. Groups create graphical models of the adaptive immune system along with a multimedia...

It's virus-fighting time! Pupils learn how viruses attack and reproduce and how the immune system works to protect the body. They identify unfamiliar terms and tissues and organs of the immune system. Working in small groups, scholars...

Pore over the properties of plastic. Working through four different stations, pupils investigate some properties of plastic, including chemical decomposition, mechanical breakdown, density, and the ability to infiltrate the food chain....

Contemplate the causes of corrosion. An interesting lesson has learners first conduct an experiment where they place nails in different types of water. Based on the results, they consider how corrosion occurs and how engineers need to...

Understanding the science of the spread of infectious diseases is the first step in controlling them. Learners begin by researching the factors that affect the contraction and spread of these diseases and the challenges communities face...

Help learners find ways to become more efficient energy consumers. To start, individuals research how different countries address energy efficiency and then analyze their own carbon footprint. They use their research to identify ways to...