Educator Guides
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Water Burbling Physics and THC and the Teenage Brain
Have students investigate the physical science behind everyday phenomena, like the sound of running water, and critically analyze the potential risks of consuming THC-products using these lesson plans paired to two Science News articles from the February 10 issue. -
Analyze a Clinical Trial and Horned Reptiles
Engage students with news articles from the January 27 Science News issue to have them answer graphical analysis questions about a gene editing medicine’s clinical trial and comprehension questions about how evolutionary trees may help scientists determine if reptiles with a certain hunting style are more likely to have horns. -
AI in Bioacoustics Research and Napping Penguins
Integrate two articles from the January 13 Science News issue to have students explore how AI was used as a research tool in a recent bioacoustics bird study and how an adaptation of the chinstrap penguins’ allows them to keep their guard up while grabbing a few z’s. -
Evaporation by Light and Scaling Telescopes
Use articles from the December 16 & 30, 2023 issue of Science News to have students investigate a recent study about how light, and not just heat, may aid in the evaporation of water and how describing aspects of The Great Magellan Telescope can provide many examples of scale and relative values. -
Make a Möbius Strip and A Sweaty Plant Adaptation
Check out recent articles from the December 2 issue of Science News to have students navigate some unexpected turns in the mathematics of a Möbius strip and apply their knowledge of electrostatic attraction forces to explore a chemical adaptation of desert plant. -
Analyzing Images and an Exoplanet Collision Afterglow
Use news articles from the November 18 Science News issue to show students an animation of an exoplanet collision along with infrared and visible light graphs to have them assess related scientific claims and get students wondering about the 2023 Nikon Small World photo contest winner or any scientific image from the article archive. -
Pink diamonds and Demystifying myths with data
Integrate recent articles from the November 4 Science News issue to have students explore how scientific inquiry and data can help size up the probability behind myths and how Earth’s tectonic plate history may explain the structure and location of pink diamonds today. -
Snake Gulps and Chromosome Sequencing
Engage students with news articles from the October 7 & 21, 2023 double issue about record-breaking snake gulp proportions and recent studies that fully sequenced Y chromosomes for the first time and teach about relative values vs. absolute measurements and genetics. -
AI Technology and Photosynthesis
Dive into recent news articles from the September 23 issue of Science News to have students learn how applying AI to existing technology in self-driving cars might solve safety problems and to explore the chemical processes of photosynthesis and how changes in environment can impact plants’ ability to photosynthesize. -
Bird Behavior and Fluorescing Frogs
Use recent news articles from the September 9 Science News issue to have students evaluate hypotheses made by scientists based on evidence gathered about defensive bird behaviors and to light up your class with applications of light and atomic structure in newly identified fluorescing frogs. -
Geometric Hives and Renewable Energy Sources
Check out lesson plans paired to recent news articles from the August 26 Science News issue covering how bees and other hive-makers have evolved with efficient hive geometry to accommodate changes in their colony’s needs and the progress and major challenges the U.S. is facing as it transitions away from coal-fired power plants to renewable […] -
Health Effects of Climate Extremes and Thermal Technology
Climate extremes are impacting human health and inspiring new technology. This guide provides lesson plans paired to recent news articles covering a new thermal fabric prototype and its ability to regulate temperature and how wildfire smoke impacts the air quality index and human health.