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Catchy catalysts and exciting enzymes

A carnivorous plant enzyme and an enzyme from a symbiotic fungal friend expedite digestion of ants. Use this as an example of enzymes, to introduce catalysts to your students. Then have students investigate how enzymes relate to catalysts, create their own catalyst metaphor and find another example of a catalyst or enzyme. Have students share examples and, as a class, discuss why scientists are interested in learning more about enzymes or other catalysts and potential applications of catalysts.

A Nuclear-Shmear Campaign

Love mayonnaise or hate it, physicists just put this contentious condiment to work. Scientists struggle to study the behavior of matter during the process of nuclear fusion. Learn how researchers overcame some of these obstacles: They used a condiment with some surprisingly similar characteristics. It also helped them answer questions about the value of models for illustrating scientific processes.

When atoms collide, new elements arise

Take note — there could soon be a new element on the block. By smashing atoms together, scientists have been expanding our periodic table of elements beyond what occurs in nature. Learn how scientists create them while answering questions and discussing how such innovations may help us in the future.

Neutrino-detection issues? Time to tree-cruit!

Physicists propose that trees may help detect high-energy subatomic particles called neutrinos. Learn how Earth’s atmosphere alters these incoming high-energy subatomic particles from space. Then, explore how scientists could use this interplay to develop new ways to detect high-energy neutrinos.

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.

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.

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.

Solving sports problems with science

Get your students exploring the scientific method by applying scientific problem-solving to their favorite sport. Learning outcomes: Scientific method.

Cellulose Helps Ice Cream Go Down Smooth

In this guide, students will learn about how food scientists are using chemistry to improve the texture of ice cream, discuss the science of ice cream on a molecular level and brainstorm testable scientific questions about favorite frozen desserts.

Ice cream under the microscope

Students will analyze and write a caption for microscope images of crystals in an ice cream–like solution, discuss how molecules behave as ice cream freezes and thaws, and pose scientific questions about one of their favorite frozen desserts.

The physics of flying seeds

Students will design and build models inspired by flying seeds with the goal of making the models travel as far as possible. Students will test the models, analyze which ones performed the best and explain why those models performed well using physics principles.

Meteorite’s Organics Aren’t Signs of Life

In this guide, students will learn about the origin of organic material found inside a meteorite from Mars and discuss how new evidence can be used to reevaluate scientific claims.