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In these lesson plans paired to articles from the March issue of Science News, students will compare the basics of asexual and sexual reproduction while learning the reproductive strategy of a newly invasive wasp species and will investigate the role that bark-dwelling microbes play in lessening concentrations of greenhouse gases.

In this lesson, students will compare asexual and sexual reproduction while analyzing the rate that offspring are created. Then, they’ll explore how the elm zigzag sawfly is spreading across North America, the threat this poses, why this case is different from other insect invasions and what concerned citizens can do.

In atmospheric chemistry, an equilibrium will develop as the system balances gains and losses in important molecules. Calculate the role of bark-dwelling microbes on the overall concentrations of atmospheric methane, all while answering questions about how a new understanding of microbial diets might suggest paths to a more sustainable future.

A group of single-celled microbes that belong to the domain of life known as archaea may have been crucial to the evolution of complex life. Members of this group, known as Asgard archaea, seem to have evolved in several ways that primed them to give rise to multicellular life. This suggests that complex life may evolve more easily than biologists have thought, but researchers are still working out how exactly it could have happened.

In these lesson plans paired to the March issue of Science News Explores, students will explore the cosmic timeline of the universe’s evolution era by era and analyze graphs tracking bats’ predatory behavior.

Students will explore the cosmic timeline of the universe’s evolution era by era, from the Big Bang until today. Students will present about one of the eras using a visual aid they created to help communicate what happened during the era and the physics behind it.

Swoop aside, vampire bats. The grisly-eater prize may go to Europe’s greater noctule bats. Discuss how various measurements can combine to increase our understanding of a complex predator-prey behavior, all while interpreting graphs and discussing how other forms of evidence could improve the current model.

Many people fear sharks even though it’s more likely for someone to be struck by lightning than bitten by a shark. People should instead fear for sharks, many of which are threatened. Researchers are working to convince people that sharks, which are vital to maintaining the ocean’s health, are more valuable alive than dead.

Sexual harassment of science students is widespread in the United States, according to a 2018 report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. To improve, universities need to change their culture and environment, and research and legislation could help guide their actions.

In these lesson plans paired to the February issue of Science News, students will investigate how researchers applied chemistry principles to create a potential needle-free solution to deliver insulin and will answer questions about how biologically derived innovations could address technological limitations of 3-D printing.

Students will investigate how researchers apply chemistry principles to create a potential solution to help diabetes patients. Students will define the problem of why it’s difficult to create skin patches to deliver diabetes drugs and brainstorm possible solutions by thinking about the structure and function of the different layers of the epidermis.

To 3-D print tiny things, researchers need tiny tools. Learn about how nature’s age-old designs might be repurposed to address technological limitations. Discuss obstacles that hold 3-D printing technology back from reaching its full potential, all while answering questions about how biologically derived innovation might expand to other applications and lead to a more sustainable future.