As the great and hilarious Tim Minchin once said, "Science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organizing our curiosity." Science is more than just a guess; it is based on questions, observations, and evidence. High...

"Have respect for the dead!" Scholars investigate how science and religion often clash. As they look into the laws of science and the laws of religion, the legal ramifications at the federal level of both play into an argument they...

Here is an ambitious lesson plan which has learners take a look at which nations came up with the most important scientific inventions/advancements during the 20th century. Focusing on group work, cloning is explored. All of the...

Discuss the difference between legitimate debate on a political issue and arguments that are based on hate through a science-fiction scenario that shows how a controversial issue can be discussed in both ways. Then learn how purveyors of...

Here is an outstanding 10-page lesson plan on global warming. Learners discover that there is a lot of controversy surrounding this topic in that the science behind global warming is difficult to prove. The best thing about this plan is...

Everyone should take an interest in the fate of wild cats. A thorough lesson explores the habitat changes of native North American wild cats and asks learners to make connections to human development. They consider the implications of...

Urban development and habitat retention are often at odds. A three-part lesson examines the pros and cons of forest clearcutting. Learners review data and characteristics of a specific mammal to make conclusions about the effect...

Each of the three activities submitted presents difficult science topics in the context of the human experience. The activities focus on real-world problems, which have science components, from the students' perspectives.

Students discuss the difference between designed and natural elements. After reading an article, they discover information about current controversies in evolutionary science. In groups, they research and write dialogues between two...

Students consider the impact of genetics on a person's intelligence and appearance. After reading an article, they examine the controversy over using human growth hormones. They debate the approval of using the hormone to increase the...

Students use the Internet to discover the physics behind Maglev technology. They examine properties of magnets at Canada's Science and Technology museum. They participate in tutorials in which they can observe how different objects work.

Learners explore, examine, experiment and study the energy believed to exist in the vacuum of space called zero-point energy. They design and build a machine and then place their machines to test zero-pointed energy into a competition.

Students examine the history of the National parks. In groups, they discuss the concepts of conservation and preservation. They discuss the use of natural resources and how some are renewable and non-renewable. To end the lesson, they...

Young scholars brainstorm and write arguments for Evolution and Intelligent Design. They research the history of each of these ideas. They also examine the controversy of teaching one or both ideas in schools.

Explore genetically modified foods through various experiments. In this biology lesson, young scholars discuss the safety issues related to GMF's. They conduct a PCR analysis to identify the presence of genetic modification.

Students convert measurements from one unit to another. In this math lesson, students study the environmental consequences of oil spills. They replicate an oil spill event by modeling and scaling.

This is mostly an exploration of race through an interactive website, class readings, and discussion. Individuals take an online quiz about race, they answer questions on a worksheet by visiting another website, and discover that race is...

Students discuss the latex balloon release controversy and review suggested alternatives to the latex balloon.

Eighth graders explore the Nature vs. Nurture controversy and discover how variations in species is due to the interaction of genetic material. Students engage in a twin study experiment in this unit.

Students investigate the history of Earth by creating a geologic time scale.  In this Earth History instructional activity, students practice sequencing events in their life as a way to get familiar with creating a time scale....

Students use the Internet to discover information about human embryonic stem cells from the National Institutes of Health. They examine different sides of the debate to use or not to use stem cells. They can also listen to speeches given...

Students review the meanings of global warming and global dimming. While watching a video, they take notes on different aspects of the issue. In groups, they develop a list on what can be done to reduce global dimming. They...

Middle schoolers identify one object that would tell the story of their lives. In groups, they determine what can and cannot be told from objects left behind. After watching a video, they compare and contrast chicken bones to human...

Students dissect a cricket and note the three body regions, wings, and legs. They observe the yellow malphigian tubes and remove them. They dissect the esophagus and analyze the heart for respiratory rates and heart beat rates.