Can your biology class crack the Case of the Crown Jewels? Junior forensics experts try their hands at DNA restriction analysis in an exciting lab activity. The lesson introduces the concept of restriction analysis, teaches pipetting and...

Students test for organic molecules to determine if a solution contains once living molecules. In this characteristics of life lesson, students test common liquids for the presence of organic molecules, including starch, protein, and...

Emerging ecologists need a full understanding of life, from the inner workings of a cell to the complex relationships among organisms. This examination is meant to assess high schoolers after an entire year of courses on the living...

Without water there would be no life on this planet. Biology learners find out why by reading this handout. Create a worksheet of questions to answer after the reading. Follow it up with quick demonstrations or laboratory activities that...

Young scientists investigate the elements found in our solar system and then construct a model of a comet. They apply their new knowledge to the formation of the solar system. 

Marine biologists research sea ice communities. Assign some groups to construct paper models of sea ice communities in winter, and some to construct models of them in summer. The lesson is simplistic, but the Internet resources provided...

Determining whether or not something is living can be more difficult than it seems. Put your young scientists to work defining their own criteria to identify life, then work with three samples to see if they are alive or...

Students examine how traits are passed to offspring.  In this genetic reproduction lesson students develop a model of dna and learn about its structure, replication and function.

Here is a well-designed science lesson that shows learners that everything that organisms do in ecosystems, including running, breathing, burrowing, growing, requires energy. After a thorough discussion of their own eating and drinking...

Young scientists roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty in this three-day earth science investigation. Following the scientific method, children monitor the growth of algae in pond water samples in order to determine...

Introduce organic chemistry through an analysis of flavor. A three-part unit begins with an overview of the components of flavor. Next, scholars prepare esters through esterification. Finally, they examine how all senses have an impact...

Fourth graders engage in this interactive lesson which illustrates diffusion and osmosis and shows them that molecules of life move dynamically and powerfully. They must analyze their lab orally and in writing.

High schoolers examine a PowerPoint production on molecules. Then they construct their own molecule and define what an atom, molecule, and matter is. They make a H2, HCI, and an H2O molecule. Finally, a drawing to accompany the actual...

Compare and contrast macromolecules made from the same elements. Young scholars learn how the structure of a molecule has as much influence on a compound as the elements in the molecule. They experiment with molecular model kits to...

Glucose is a simple sugar and a molecule that can be illustrated through modeling. Scientific investigators with visual impairments use hands-on models to reconstruct the process of bonding molecules. The tools used in this activity are...

Students study about electrochemistry by increasing their understanding of electron transfer and its role in chemical changes. They explain that energy appears in different forms. Heat energy is in the disorderly motion of molecules.

When the sun's rays can't reach the producers in a food web, where does all the energy come from? Extreme environments call for extreme food sources. Young scientists investigate creatures that appear to get their energy from methane...

For this chemistry worksheet, young scholars fill in the chart for question one. The chart is filled out examining the mass, protons, electrons, and neutrons for specific atoms.

Photosynthesis requires energy and produces food, and cellular respiration produces energy and requires food. An interesting lesson analyzes the factors that affect the rates of photosynthesis and respiration. Classes spend one day...

Young scholars study the effects of dietary supplements on bodily functions.  In this health instructional activity students calculate their caloric needs and research dietary supplements. 

Students explain the concepts of what DNA is and where it is located in a cell, identify the two types of molecules that make up the rungs of a DNA molecule and identify the two types of Purine and Pyrimidine molecules

Students discuss what heat is and how it travels. They discover that one way to cool an object in the presence of a heat source is to increase the distance from it or change the angle at which it is faced.

The Environmental Protection Agency monitors sensors to track air pollution and set clean air standards. Enthusiastic young scientists use similar sensors to gather data in their area and then apply the gas laws and conservation of...

Bacteria outnumber all other forms of life on Earth. Scholars observe the growth of bacteria in petri dishes to understand their role in maintaining good health. Then, they observe the growth of bacteria after they introduce...