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Cases of sleeping sickness, a disease that can cause brain damage and death, are at an all-time low. An experimental drug called acoziborole could help to eliminate the nightmarish parasitic illness. Use the graph “Sleeping sickness efforts pay off” to have students analyze the reported cases of both forms of sleeping sickness from 1990 to 2021.

The success of vaccines has sometimes obscured the power of infectious diseases to sicken, kill and upend lives. Still, the epidemics of the last century contain stories to listen to and learn from. Use the data table “Big Impact” to have students analyze how vaccines have impacted the number of disease cases.

When Ötzi, the mummified iceman, was discovered in 1991, researchers thought they knew how he got his ink. But new findings cast doubt on those assumptions. Learn about unconventional approaches to tattooing and answer experimental design questions, such as the importance of sample size to a scientific study and the difference between quantitative and qualitative evidence.

Social media is part of our everyday lives. It provides entertainment, news, reference information, and so much more. However, not all the content we find on social media is accurate. In this activity, students will investigate the prevalence of misinformation on popular social media platforms. In their investigation, students examine how platforms’ biases and algorithms influence the type of content social media users see and the level of misinformation displayed.

Being legal doesn't mean a drug is harmless. As the adult legal access to cannabis products goes up, teens' perception of cannabis risks falls. Learn how science reveals the harm THC may pose to teens while answering questions and discussing how the evidence from such studies supports conclusions.

Patients with a genetic disorder that increases the risk of severe heart disease took a gene editing medicine called VERVE-101 in a clinical trial. Have students answer a set of graphical analysis questions to learn more about the trial’s outcomes and the scientists’ proposed next steps.

Humans have modified organisms for millennia through selective breeding and other techniques. But only in the past few decades have people gained the ability to directly alter organisms’ DNA to create Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). GMOs can help advance fields such as medicine and agriculture. In this activity, students will learn more about GMOs and their uses before creating an awareness campaign to address GMO misconceptions.

Air pollution and wildfire smoke are affecting many areas of the country. Check your air quality index and learn how poor air quality could impact your health with this quick activity!

The world population has reached 8 billion people, according to the United Nations. In this guide, students will learn about how the human population has grown over time and how it is projected to grow in the future, then analyze a graph of world population data. In a quick activity, students will think about how a growing human population might impact various industries and how changes at the national or international level might help those industries support a larger population.

Students will answer questions about the Science News article “The world population has now reached 8 billion,” which explores trends in human population growth. A version of the article, “Human population hits a milestone,” appears in the December 17, 2022 & December 31, 2022 issue of Science News.

Students will read and answer questions about the online Science News article “Black Death immunity came at a cost to modern-day health.” A version of the article, “Plague immunity left a lasting mark,” appears in the November 19, 2022 issue of Science News.

Population genetics bridges the basic concepts of genes and inheritance, often studied at the individual level, with the larger concept of how a species evolves. In this discussion, students will review basic genetics concepts and investigate an example of evolution within the human population.