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Students will consider how atoms and molecules interact with one another. Then they’ll analyze the effects of different types of energy on chemical reactions and how forces impact the motion of gas bubbles in a solution. Students will work in pairs to formalize their thinking using models to understand matter, energy and forces during chemical reactions.

Sudents will learn the differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods by observing how covering the holes on a pickleball affects the ball’s drag and motion through the air. Students will leave this activity with an understanding that qualitative and quantitative research methods are both valid forms of research and that personal experiences and qualitative research often precede quantitative research methods.

Pollution that runs off into streams, rivers and lakes can travel far because watersheds are connected by underground aquifers. Students will identify and describe the characteristics of their local and adjacent watersheds before describing how to monitor watershed pollution.

In this lesson, students will review genetics concepts, explore natural and artificial selection, and take a closer look at hybridization.

Some plants have evolved to produce putrid scents. Consider the phenomenon of smell before doing a card sort to show the biological and chemical processes happening in these plants. Then, answer questions about why and how the plants evolved to increase their stench.

Predation occurs when one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. In this lesson, students will learn about the recently discovered chemical predation tactics of the feather-legged lace weaver spider, which vomits toxins on its prey. Students will explore the possible evolutionary advantages and disadvantages of this technique and research another organism that uses chemical means for predation.

Use this lesson plan to learn about an article type called Analyze This 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 Analyze This article. Each Analyze This article includes a graph or data visualization that is paired with questions for students to answer and a short story that provides context.

Use this lesson plan and the provided template to have your students practice the KWL strategy. This note-taking strategy helps students organize their thoughts and reflect on their knowledge around a particular reading.

In this lesson, students will compare and contrast observational studies with experimental studies and practice identifying the study types from provided examples. Then, they will apply that knowledge to two studies outlined in Science News articles. As an optional assignment, students will be asked to create an example of a possible study.

By studying fossils, scientists have nailed down the evolutionary connection between birds and dinosaurs. Students will consider how changes to the way some species are now classified highlight the evolutionary relationship between birds and dinosaurs. This guide also will discuss evidence for this relationship using an example fossil.

Have students explore ecological relationships among organisms through a case study on a newly identified fungus named after biologist Sir David Attenborough that zombifies spiders — taking over their bodies before killing them. Students will compare and contrast commensalism, mutualism, parasitism and predation and then use the definitions to identify examples.

How can comic strips help teach experimental design of research studies? Use this lesson plan to learn about an article type called Wild Things that is published by Science News Explores in print and online. Wild Things use comic strips that tell the stories of research studies on animals’ biology and behavior. You can also access a lesson plan template that can be used with any Wild Things article.