Curated OER
Cell Wall Recipe: A Lesson on Biofuels
Biotech engineers discover that changes in the DNA code for cell wall formation can help create crops better suited for biofuel production. They extract DNA from wheat germ. They decode paper strips with codes and relate the activity to...
Curated OER
Sensational Soil
Fourth and fifth graders explore soil by taking a simulated field trip under the earth. They go to an Internet site that runs a simulation which charges them with finding a source of pollution that could destroy all of Earth's soil, and...
Curated OER
Toxicants and California Blackworms
Students determine the normal behavior of California blackworms. They determine how various concentrations of assigned toxicants affect the worm's behavior. Students are introduced to testing of potential toxicants, an important...
Curated OER
Health Care
Students analyze information and draw conclusions about the reality of human life expectancy; the battle between health care technology and our own internal time clocks. Students answer questions such as "Why does aging occur and can...
Curated OER
Effects of Oil Spills on Environment and Marine Life
Students explore oceanography by conducting an environmental experiment in class. In this oil spill lesson, students discuss the human need for oil and what is at stake when we drill for oil in our oceans. Students read a book in class...
Curated OER
Polymers and Products from Petroleum
Over four sessions, learners survey the production and use of polymers and petroleum products. First, they participate in a kinesthetic activity to demonstrate how polymers act, and review a list of common products made from polymers....
Curated OER
Watershed Protection
Students explore environmental care by participating in an Earth science activity. In this clean water lesson plan, students discuss what a watershed is, how they become polluted, and how it affects the overall quality of drinking water....
Curated OER
Natural Selection
Students use discussion questions, handout information and research topics to explore several issues related to natural selection and evolution. They examine Darwin's research on the finch and antibiotic resistance.
Curated OER
Communications
Students incorporate different disciplines into this lesson. In this science lesson, students investigate the use of communicating without words, and how it is different than communicating with words. They discuss the pros and cons of...
Curated OER
Water Filtration
Students investigate our water system and how it is filtered. In this science instructional activity, students perform a laboratory activity to investigate the process that goes into filtering water. They relate this activity to other...
Curated OER
How Machines Help Us Stay Healthy
Students visit different departments at a local hospital to see how machines help peoples such as the CAT scan machine. They build a model of such a machine that shows how patients are moved in and out of the machine.
Curated OER
Acid or Base? Toxie's on the Case
Students recognize the difference between acids and bases. In this ToxMystery lesson, students play a computer game and experiment to find the difference between acids and bases. Students use litmus paper to determine if household...
Curated OER
Respecting Differences
Fifth graders brainstorm what a relationship looks like in which both people respect each other. After completing a worksheet, they discuss the importance of respecting other beliefs. To end the lesson, they identify things they can do...
Curated OER
Variety Is the Spice of Cellular Life
Do you need to review animal cell structure? Investigate the ways in which different types of cells interact in a common human reflex. Your students can explore the functions of stem cells, consider various illnesses and assess stem...
Kenan Fellows
Designing and Analyzing Data Collected from Wearable Devices to Solve Problems in Health Care
Wearable devices have become more the norm than the exception. Learners analyze data from a sample device with a regression analysis in a helpful hands-on instructional activity. Their focus is to determine if there is a connection...
Kenan Fellows
Impacting the Risk of Falling: How Do Accelerometers Work?
Young engineers consider how to apply accelerometers and sensors to help prevent falls in elderly people. They consider forces of motion and gravity as part of the engineering design process.
Curated OER
Insurance Quotes
You're in high school and you just got the coolest car ever! But, now you need to start thinking about car insurance. Luckily, your teacher prepared you by engaging you in a life skills lesson like this one. The class actually calls...
Curated OER
How Does a Friend Act?
Students brainstorm a list of characteristics that friends should and should not have. In groups, they are given a set of hand puppets in which they role-play different scenerios in front of the class. To end the instructional activity,...
Curated OER
How Toxic Is It?
Students participate in an activity in which they investigate the scientific method and seed germination as well as practice graphing and metric measuring skills. Students examine toxicity by exposing Wisconsin Fast Plants seeds to toxic...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Help or Hype: The Ethics of Bio-Nanotechnology
Ethical concerns are not always black and white. A well-designed lesson presents learners with scenarios for which ethics may come into question. Scholars learn to consider the different sides of a situation and make an unbiased conclusion.
Teach Engineering
Tell Me Doc—Will I Get Cancer?
Can you beat the odds of cancer? In the first installment of a seven-part series, future biomedical engineers consider how to detect and diagnose cancer. An article on biosensors provides useful information toward this goal.
Curated OER
Invention Project
Students study air pollution and design inventions to prevent indoor environment problems. In this air pollution inventions lesson, students read about and discuss famous inventors and inventions. Students then research indoor air...
Curated OER
Using the Problem Solving Wheel
Students solve problems about air quality. In this air quality lesson, students receive a scenario from the problem wheel and find solutions to the air quality problem. Students write a paragraph summarizing what they learned.
Curated OER
Movement of Air Diorama Activity
Students make a diorama to illustrate the process of mechanical airflow. In this movement of air lesson, students discuss ventilation and air movement indoors. Students discuss ventilation systems and study pictures of the systems....