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Use this lesson plan to learn about an article type called Technically Fiction that is published by Science News Explores in print and online. Technically Fiction articles focus on a fictional phenomenon and explain whether it could be possible and the science it would take to make it a reality. You can also access a lesson plan template that can be used with any Technically Fiction article.

Use this lesson plan and the provided template to have your students practice creating concept maps for any article. This literacy strategy boosts critical thinking and reading retention by having students organize information and connect important ideas, concepts and terms.

Ocean explorers just uncovered a treasure trove. A newly discovered undersea mountain may be home to 20 new species. Explore these life forms while answering questions about the value of such discoveries in a time of rapid climate change.

Use this lesson plan to learn about an article type called Explainers that is published by Science News Explores in print and online. You can also access a lesson plan template that can be used with any Explainer article. Explainer articles take a deep dive into a key scientific concept or process.

Use this lesson plan and the provided template to have your students practice the Cornell Note-taking System with any article. This literacy strategy organizes notes into two columns that provide structure for note-taking, analysis and review and that will help increase students’ learning, comprehension and retention.

Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Along with providing food and shelter for a variety of marine organisms, coral reefs reduce erosion and protect coastal cities from storms. However, coral reefs are threatened by the effects of climate change. In this activity, students will model the complex interactions that occur within corals, their ecosystem and the Earth’s spheres to learn about how climate change harms coral reefs. After modeling how these interactions change with increasing ocean temperatures, students will brainstorm potential ways to solve or mitigate coral bleaching.

Remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, are often used in environments that would be unsafe or difficult for people to enter to explore. In this activity, students will think critically about how engineering practices can be used to monitor environmental issues or solve real-world problems before designing and modeling an ROV that could be used to investigate a real-world problem impacting their local environment.

In this guide, students will answer questions about how scientists discovered that octopuses laying eggs in warm waters near geothermal springs are speeding up hatching. Students will then define rates and their units of measurement for biological and chemical processes and discuss factors that affect rates.

Students will define rates and their units of measurement for biological and chemical processes before discussing factors that affect rates.

Students will answer questions about the Science News article “Some deep-sea octopuses aren’t the long-haul moms scientists thought they were,” which describes how octopuses laying eggs in warm waters near geothermal springs speed up hatching. A version of the article, “Deep-sea ‘octomoms’ seek the heat,” appears in the April 9, 2022 issue of Science News.

In this guide, students will learn about how the amount of heat energy that Earth’s upper oceans have absorbed has increased over time. Then, students will discuss strategies for interpreting, understanding and communicating data.

Students will answer questions about the online Science News article “Earth’s oceans are storing record-breaking amounts of heat,” which explores how the upper oceans’ heat storage capacity has changed over time. A version of the story, “Earth’s oceans broke heat records in 2020,” appears in the February 13, 2021 issue of Science News.