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Cracking the Code of Life
High schoolers examine the concept of DNA. They work together to extract DNA cells from their classmate's cheek. They answer questions related to what to do with their DNA now that they have it.
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Crash of Flight 111
Students identify the locations on a map of the airplane crashes discussed in this instructional activity. After watching a video, they discuss the importance of an investigation after a plane crash. They use the same information as...
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Chasing El Niño
Students view a video clip about the effects of El Nino. They work together to develop a question about weather folklore. They participate in an experiment that tests their hypothesis.
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Dimming The Sun
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...
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Decoding Nazi Secrets
Students practice decoding messages given the key. They continue to practice solving messages without a key. They must determine the best way to view the message. They examine secret messages during World War II.
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Deadly Shadow of Vesuvius
Young scholars view a video clip about volcanoes. They collect data and create maps to see the relationship between volcanoes, earthquakes and plates. They share their maps with the class.
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Dying to Be Thin
Students view a video clip about how men and women are portrayed in the media. They gather examples from magazines and graph the results. They discuss body image to end the instructional activity.
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Eighteen Ways to Make a Baby
Students view a video clip about post-menopausal women having children. They identify the ethical, legal and social implications of this. They also read a case study.
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Ebola-The Plague Fighters
Students view a video clip about Ebola. They track the live of a virus and how it spreads. They participate in an activity in which they track the movement of germs on an envelope.
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Escape! Because Accidents Happen-Fire
Students view a video clip about fire safety. They work together to research fire safety strategies in public and private buildings. They create a prototype of a building using safety measures.
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What is the Evidence for Evolution?
Young scholars 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...
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Why Does Evolution Matter Now?
Students examine how natural selection creates antibiotic-resistant bacteria,
recognize applications of evolutionary principles for medicine, agriculture, and conservation, and discuss how science contributes to decisions in context of...
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How Does Evolution Work?
Middle schoolers are introduced to how the process of evolution works. As a class, they review the characteristics of natural selection and how those with advantageous traits reproduce and survive. To test this theory of natural...
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Flying Casanovas
Young scholars view a video clip on bowerbirds. They research and compare and contrast the different types of bowers created by them. They work together to answer questions on the birds behavior.
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Galileo's Battle for the Heavens
Students view a video about Galileo's discoveries. They work together to create graphs showing the current sunspot cycle. They discuss how sunspots can cause communication devices problems.
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Garden of Eden
Young scholars view a video clip about animals and their habitats. They work together to discuss how different animals adapt to their environments. They create a new habitat for a specific animal and draw new adaptations for them.
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Hitler's Lost Sub
Students watch a video clip about German submarines lost during World War II. They work together to create their own submarine out of a plastic bottle. They test the buoyancy of the submarine in different activities.
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Lost Treasures of Tibet: Mandalas
Students examine the history of mandalas from Tibet. After reviewing the Designing a Mandala handout, they use geometric symmetrical shapes to create their own examples. Next, they write poems or essays and explain the meaning of the...
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Lost King of the Maya
Students are introduced to the Mayan Long Count calendar system. They work in groups to calculate the date of their birth and use the calendar to determine important Mayan dates.
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1928 Flu
High schoolers state the some diseases are the result of infection. They describe the risks associated with biological hazards, such as viruses. Pupils name ways that infectious disease can be prevented, controlled, or cured. Students...
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Obesity
High schoolers examine how hormones affect different tissues. In groups, they make their own hormone-receptor model and identify the characteristics of tissues that respond to the different hormones. To end the lesson, they examine the...
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Earth's Age: The Dating Game
Students conduct a simulation to determine radioactive decay and half-life. Using pennies, dice or sugar cubes as isotopes placed in shoe boxes simulating rocks, they hold five trials representing 1000 years each to find the theoretical...
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Infectious Disease Detectives
Students participate in a simulation of how diseases are transmitted. Each student holds a test tube, with only one containing the "disease" while the others have water. They move around the room until told to stop. Using droppers to...
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Secrets of Lost Empires II -- Medieval Siege
Students design a working working model of a trebuchet and demonstrate the power of a Class 1 lever. They test their models by throwing grapes the greatest distance and raising and lowering bricks.