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Incorporate articles from the October 19 issue of Science News to begin a unit on energy transfer by having students compare how convective cells of gas on the surface of a distant star are like a lava lamp and discuss how an experimental failure led to a surprising discovery of photoluminescent bat toes.

For astronomers, watching convective cells of gas move on the surface of a distant star was kind of like looking at a lava lamp. Begin a unit on energy transfer by having students discuss lava lamps and the process of convection at work in them. Then have students read about the first observation of convection on a distant star and its potential scientific importance. Finally, students will brainstorm and diagram other examples of devices or natural processes that involve convection.

Biologists didn't design their experiments looking for glow-in-the-dark feet, but sometimes scientific failures yield surprising discoveries. If glowing toes sound batty to you, learn how scientists illuminate the secrets of a flighty mammal while answering questions about the scientific process.

Check out recent articles from the October 5 issue of Science News to have students investigate a recent study of backflipping springtails before designing their own Olympic event with another impressive arthropod and learn how mayo served as a model for nuclear fusion experiments.

Scientists have discovered that Dicyrtomina minuta, a species of globular springtail, can perform the fastest backflip of any animal on Earth. In this activity, students will review how the team studied springtail backflips by analyzing high-speed footage. Then, they will research another Olympics-worthy competitor and describe how they’d measure performance in their imagined sports event.

Love mayonnaise or hate it, physicists just put this contentious condiment to work. Scientists struggle to study the behavior of matter during the process of nuclear fusion. Learn how researchers overcame some of these obstacles: They used a condiment with some surprisingly similar characteristics. It also helped them answer questions about the value of models for illustrating scientific processes.

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.

Use shooting stars as an example phenomenon to explain how phenomena are studied using the Science and Engineering Practices and have students evaluate the claim, evidence and reasoning for why hydraulic engineering may have helped ancient Egyptians build the pyramids using these lesson plans tied to articles from the September 7 & 21 issue of […]

To investigate why some meteors create persistent trails, scientists filmed the New Mexico sky for two years, recording streaks of light. Use shooting stars as an example phenomenon to generate student interest, wonder and questions. Then, have students explore how this phenomenon was studied using Science and Engineering Practices, while evaluating the study’s design, limitations and possibilities for future research. Finally, have students search for another phenomenon that interests them and begin asking questions about it.

How did the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids? It's an age-old mystery. A new study points to hydraulic engineering. But does this idea really hold water? Some experts in the field argue against new evidence being provided to support such claims. Learn how researchers use evidence to support claims while discussing the value of healthy skepticism in science.

Use news articles from the August 24 Science News issue to discuss a new possible element and learn how elements get onto the periodic table and practice what happens during transcription and translation while learning about recently analyzed woolly mammoth DNA.

Scientists studied ancient woolly mammoth DNA that had been freeze-dried in place, preserving it and retaining its shape. The researchers adapted a technique for studying the structures of chromosomes within a nucleus to determine which genes were turned on and off in the mammoth genome. In this activity, students will review what happens when genes are turned on by completing exercises that illustrate hypothetical DNA base pairing and simplified examples of transcription and translation.