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Scientists are still chipping away at the challenge of completing the puzzle of human genetics. Draw diagrams of DNA, chromosomes, genes and other genetics terms to review their relationships before piecing together the new findings of recent studies that fully sequenced Y chromosomes for the first time.

This little snake’s “big gulp” puts 7-Eleven to shame. Stretchy tissue in the snakes’ jaws enables them to swallow prey much wider than themselves. And the Gans’ egg-eater snake takes the cake — or egg — for most outsized meals. Learn how snakes gulp down meals much bigger than themselves while answering questions discussing proportions and comparing relative values vs. absolute measurements.

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.

Ever wonder how soil and seeds transform into bushes and trees? And why do these plants have specific requirements for light and water? Are there conditions that push plants to the brink? Explore such questions by taking a deep dive into the chemical processes of photosynthesis. Create a series of comics to illustrate how green plants convert light energy into stored chemical energy. Then, investigate how changes to light, water and temperature can impact plants’ ability to photosynthesize and how plants can adapt when conditions aren’t ideal.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, provides a new way to focus a camera’s lens! Researchers have now used AI to overcome limitations in thermal-imaging technology — and they didn’t stop there. Learn how applying this AI to existing technology, such as self-driving cars, might solve safety problems and help transform what had been science fiction into reality. Apply knowledge to new applications and answer questions that confront the nuance sometimes lost by dichotomies as literary devices.

Gardens have many functions ranging from vegetable and fruit production to flood mitigation and erosion control. Gardens also can be a haven for pollinators and a repository for native plants. Over the course of a year, students will design a garden for their school or a community organization using scientific concepts they learn in class.

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.

Light up your class with examples of fluorescence, including recently found biofluorescence in many frog species. Learn about the discovery of fluorescing frogs, discuss the potential evolutionary advantages of fluorescence, answer questions about the chemistry behind fluorescence and perform a demonstration of fluorescence from common objects.

In a “perfect comeback” move, birds may be fortifying their nests with anti-bird spikes plucked from rooftops and eaves. Learn about the new findings and foster healthy skepticism by inviting students to evaluate evidence used in the article to support claims.

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 […]

How is the U.S. doing in its transition away from coal-fired power plants to renewable energy sources? Analyze state and national data to learn about the transition and one of the major challenges: keeping the grid stable as large power plants shut down.

How clever! Bees use geometry tricks to make the most of their hive’s space. Learn how bees, wasps and other hive-makers accommodate changes in their colony’s needs, answer questions about evolution’s approach to problem-solving and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of analogies as literary devices.