Educator Guides
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Where Bacteria Live On Our Tongues
In this guide, students will learn about bacterial communities on the human tongue and use existing knowledge of interspecific interactions to create metaphors about relationships in the students’ own communities. In an activity, students will practice note-taking and summarizing skills. -
A Tiny Dino and Iron Rain
In this guide, students will learn about the smallest-known Mesozoic dinosaur and use phase diagrams to explore meteorology on an exoplanet. In an activity, students will collect and analyze data in their own homes. Editor’s Note: A study included in this guide has been retracted. Please see the comprehension questions for more detail. -
Rover Peers Beneath Moon’s Farside
In this guide, students will explore the moon’s geology and learn how to display and interpret data through diagrams. In an activity, students will use their knowledge of Earth’s rock cycle to analyze data on rock samples. -
Why Bat Viruses Are So Dangerous
This guide will help students understand how viruses in other animals can infect people, sometimes leading to epidemics or pandemics. In a group activity, students will imagine they are health officials developing action plans to prevent or stop an epidemic. -
Concussion Leaves Clues in the Blood
This guide asks students to explore research into concussions and draw on their own experiences to think about the various signs and symptoms of injury or disease. After testing various materials, students will develop designs for protective headgear. -
How to Lick Cat Allergies
This guide asks students to explore how scientists are combating cat allergies, apply problem-solving strategies to an allergen of their choice, review basic concepts in genetics and analyze Punnett squares. -
Coating Provides Infrared Camouflage
This guide, based on the Science News article “Coating provides infrared camouflage,” asks students to explore the physics and potential technological applications of a material, discuss the various types of electromagnetic radiation, analyze infrared images and research how infrared imaging is used across a range of fields. -
Saving Notre Dame’s Sound
This guide, based on the Science News article “Saving Notre Dame’s sound,” asks students to explore how scientists resurrect the acoustics of historic places, consider factors that affect how sound behaves to design a room with specific sound requirements, and measure and compare how sound changes in different environments. -
2019 Year in Review
This guide, based on the biggest science stories of 2019 as reported by Science News, asks students to read and dissect a story of their choice and practice their summarizing skills. An activity from the Digital Library asks students to analyze and graph data about the moon’s orbit. -
Here Come the (Bigger) Mammals
This guide, based on the Science News article “Here come the (bigger) mammals,” asks students to analyze a graph about a recent fossil find, discuss how organisms evolve as ecosystems change and research important fossil sites across the world. -
Strontium Found in Neutron Star Crash
This guide, based on the Science News article “Strontium found in neutron star crash,” asks students to explore how elements are created. An activity from the Digital Library will help students understand the life cycle of stars and how stars produce various elements. -
Nobel Prize Winners Announced
This guide, based on Science News’ article “Nobel prize winners announced,” asks students to summarize the discoveries that won the prizes, create a timeline that puts one prize in context and explore activities related to batteries from our Digital Library.