What characterizes a living thing? Scholars explore the concept during a differentiated instruction unit on living things. They perform lab experiments to determine how animals adapt to stimuli, watch videos and learn about...

Is it easy to make snow? Scholars use critical thinking skills as they investigate the concept of polymers by making snow. The class tests several different variables and takes measurements over the course of several days. They then...

Peru's coastal ecosystem is only one of the country's amazing features. But travelers don't need passports, expensive plane tickets, or heavy suitcases to examine the biodiversity of coastal Peru. Armed with a field trip log and graphic...

An outbreak of illness hits a refugee camp and the local population worries about the spread of the deadly disease. Scholars virtually travel to the area to determine what causes the disease and how it is spread. Next, they must put...

Science can be quite tasty. A delectable unit from NASA shows learners why it's important to consider food, nutrition, and health in space. Four lessons explore the idea in great depth, including testing cookie recipes. Along the way,...

A terrorist threat of a biological attack requires fast action. Scholars search for clues, learn about any possible contamination, and stop the spread of any pathogen as they play through the complex fifth mission in the seven-part...

Calling all science sleuths! A patient appears to have a disease eradicated years ago—how do you treat it? Scholars must research the illness, the possible causes, and find a cure before the disease spreads and wipes out the entire city....

A dozen years after a great plague wipes out the majority of Earth's civilization, a group of scientists joins together to fight infectious diseases. Scholars join the training mission and learn about viruses, bacteria, pathogens and...

More than 100 cities around the world have shifted from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Scholars investigate a city wanting to make this switch, but needs help determining how to make the shift. Groups consider all options,...

Scholars learn about a series of three challenges when they design a bus system for a small town. They determine the bus routes and then figure out the best type of fuel to use before considering the cost of going electric. Learners...

Creating a solar system map is a snap thanks to a hands-on activity! Science scholars explore the solar system by building it wherever they choose during an interactive from PBS's Space series. Users pick both the location and scale for...

How is a dodo bird like a beach ball? Science sleuths discover amazing size comparisons using a hands-on Internet resource. Individuals examine the metric scale of objects and organisms ranging from the smallest possible to the largest...

Here's a force to be reckoned with in the physics classroom! Scholars discover the movements associated with tension, compression, and other common forces through a hands-on simulation. Pupils pull, push, and twist their way through each...

Imagine a mammal with the metabolism of a plant! This strange mammal appears cold-blooded like a reptile and demonstrates the social life of an insect. A short video examines learning the incredible adaptations of the naked mole rat.

Scientists estimate anywhere from two to thirty percent of the world's population suffers from insomnia at any given time. A short video details the causes of insomnia, what happens to sufferers, and offers some possible solutions.

Between 1957 and 1962, thousands of infants born in Canada, Great Britain, and Germany had serious deformities due to thalidomide, a drug marketed to pregnant women as a mild sleeping aid and to relieve pregnancy nausea. However, the...

Will the next generation have the option of living on the moon? Discover the challenges and adjustments required to live in such a harsh environment with a short video that describes some of the obstacles scientists must overcome in...

Out of all vertebrates, the largest brain when compared to body size belongs to humans. Studying the working brain presents challenges to scientists. Learn about three of the most common tests used to understand how the living brain...

Some species of fish are more closely related to humans than they are to other species of fish! How did so many species, that aren't closely related, develop the same body shape? A short video explains the evolution of fish. 

We find dust almost everywhere, but have you ever considered it fascinating? Dust contains a variety of materials and varies greatly based on location. After learning about dust, scholars answer multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

Chronic constipation includes those people with fewer than five bowel movements per week. Understanding the causes of constipation helps determine appropriate treatments. Changes in diet, schedule, stress, and age alter the way our body...

Scientists measure dark matter based on gravity, but how do we find something that can't be detected by anything on the electromagnetic spectrum? Understanding what doesn't work leads to new tests and machines in the search for dark...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it ... thundersnow? Explore the thundersnow phenomenon with a video and lesson as part of the Seasonal Science series. The video describes what causes the unique weather event, explains just how rare these...

Scientists replace incorrect ideas when new evidence appears, but what happens when scientists reject the new evidence? Learn the story of the Avalon explosion and the scientists who resisted the fossils proving it existed as one part of...