Young scholars participate in an extended laboratory research to experience how scientific information is obtained, upon which we build scientific knowledge and understanding.

How do different minerals affect the growth of plants? Budding botanists find out in a multi-week experiment that has them using solutions with specific mineral deficiencies. While there is a lot of preparation for the investigation,...

Students explore digestion/nutrition and utilize scientific investigation skills. They complete meal logs for several days and graph their results. After analyzing their data, they write formal lab reports.

Pupils research a topic in the various fields of science that interests them. Using a computer, they type their information to use on their project and use a scanner to place pictures or articles in the document. They use the steps...

Pupils prepare successful wet mount slide of Elodea. They determine and identify environmental conditions that induce cytoplasmic streaming. They determine the positive aspects of cytoplasmic streaming. They illustrate knowledge and use...

Students use a light microscope to observe the organisms living in a sample of ocean or fresh water. Students create a drawing of the organisms that they observe. Students then discuss the different body plans of the organisms and the...

High schoolers compare bacteria and viruses and their roles in biotechnology and bioterrorism. They outline fundamental steps of bacterial transformation and the possible selection processes to identify transformants. They discuss...

Learners apply the the scientific method to an investigation.They develop and perform a scientific procedure for determining lung capacity. In addition, they write a report to display information and share their procedures with the class.

Students view bacteria through a microscope. They draw and label the bacteria using microbiology software loaded onto their Palms.

Students design and conduct an experiment to test their ideas about how to speed up or slow down the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. They have access to an array of physical and chemical factors that might influence enzyme...

Students examine the differences between biotic and abiotic factors, explain the difference between habitat and niche and compare how organisms get their nutritional needs.  In this local environment lesson students trace the path...

Young scholars investigate various substances to determine the perpetrator of a crime. In this biology lesson, students test for the presence of organic compounds in various samples. They identify an unknown substance based on its...

Students examine the characteristics of fungi. In this biology lesson, students investigate the factors needed for fungi growth. They collect data and observations and write a report about them.

Third graders investigate how and why scientists use classification. They discuss classification strategies using animals, and as a class fill in a flowchart with their responses. Next, in small groups they cut out a variety of shapes...

Students observe termite trail-following behavior.  In this termite trails lesson plan, students draw a circle or other shape approximately eight inches across with a ball point pen.  Teacher taps out termites into the circle...

In this biosphere learning exercise, students identify the different levels of organization that ecologists study. Students complete charts, sentences, and answer short answer questions.

Students investigate the mystery of the "destructive force." They explore the concepts of natural phenomena. Students discuss the limited aspects of natural phenomena and the "whole truth" to generate new hypotheses that can be tested.

Biology stars extract DNA samples from beef thymus and then examine its properties. They use enzymes to digest the DNA samples, and then use electrophoresis to separate fragments. Finally, they discuss methods and principles of...

A mix of scientific details and background information about the well-known sites of radiation attacks or accidents. This topic may open up details that you may consider as sensitive, and could be upsetting to some pupils. This is a...

Students take on the role of epidemiologists. They investigate an "outbreak" in serious birth defects that occur in infants born to teenage girls. students discover a link between the use of the acne drug called Accutane and birth defects.

Seventh graders pretend they were Anton looking through the microscope for the first time. They describe the way he felt when he observed tiny moving objects in the sample of pond water. They look at their own samples of pond water,...

Students explore the behavior of crickets during courtship. They measure the number and types of interactions between household crickets. Students discriminate between quantitative and qualitative observations. They collect data to...

Young scholars discuss methods used by forensic scientists and the basics of DNA and how it can be used to identify an individual after reading an article from The New York Times.