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Fluorescing frogs
Light up your class with examples of fluorescence, including recently found biofluorescence in many frog species. Learn about the discovery of fluorescing frogs, discuss the potential evolutionary advantages of fluorescence, answer questions about the chemistry behind fluorescence and perform a demonstration of fluorescence from common objects.
Syncing the power grid to renewable energy
How is the U.S. doing in its transition away from coal-fired power plants to renewable energy sources? Analyze state and national data to learn about the transition and one of the major challenges: keeping the grid stable as large power plants shut down.
Not too hot. Not too cold
Staying cool in the summer and keeping warm in the winter may
become easier. Learn about a new thermal fabric prototype and its ability to regulate temperature,
answer questions about its design and function and discuss potential applications.
Applying the ideal gas law
Summary: Students will review the ideal gas law and use a simulation to explain the assumptions made in a recent study about how climate change is impacting baseball.
Learning Outcomes: Exploration of the cause and effect of manipulating conditions of a gas using a simulation, identifying relationships of variables using a mathematical equation and application of theoretical concepts to real-world examples.
How heat and home runs are connected
Students will answer questions about the online Science News article “Baseball’s home run boom is due, in part, to climate change,” which explores how increases in temperatures boost home run numbers. A version of the article, “Climate change spikes baseball homers,” appears in the May 6, 2023 & May 20, 2023 print issue of Science News.
Building bread reveals physical and chemical changes
Many of the things people make — from concrete to bread — undergo physical and chemical changes during production. While making bread, students will learn more about the differences between chemical and physical changes and how the two are related.
Defining and defying Roche limits
Students will review force diagrams and gravitational force and discuss planetary ring and moon formation using the concept of the Roche limit.
Learning Outcomes: Applying gravitational forces and interactions in space to understand ring and moon formation.
Vibration check
Most of us drive across bridges every day and never question their structural integrity. We trust that the bridge will stand. In this activity, students will study a famous bridge collapse and consider how it could have been prevented. They also will learn how engineers are testing whether crowdsourced cell phone data could be used to determine when bridges need repairs. Using simulated data of bridge vibration frequencies, students will identify whether an imaginary bridge might be unstable. Students have the option of creating model bridges and testing their structural integrity.
Fermentation and Pasteurization in the classroom
The multitalented Louis Pasteur was a chemist, biologist, the father of microbiology and the inventor of pasteurization. In this hands-on lab, students will learn about Pasteur’s contributions by conducting an inquiry-based yeast fermentation experiment that explores the concept of pasteurization. In this experiment, students will observe, calculate and graph the volume of carbon dioxide produced by yeast during fermentation at different temperatures and identify the point where the yeast have been killed and pasteurization occurs.
Chemists Crack the Code to Ancient Roman Concrete
The ancient Romans built concrete structures that have stood for thousands of years. In this Guide, students will learn how scientists experimented to make Roman-style concrete — without causing explosions!
Concrete physical and chemical changes
Use a real-life example to give students a deeper understanding of physical and chemical changes and properties of substances.
Write a scientific question based in history
In this quick activity, students will write a scientific question to learn more about a historical artifact.
Learning Outcomes: Asking scientific questions