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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.

Use this lesson plan and the provided template to have your students practice the 3-2-1 strategy. This literacy strategy is a quick way to check students’ understanding of a concept, reading or lesson. It helps them summarize and organize their thoughts by listing three responses to one prompt, two responses to another prompt and one response to a final prompt.

Use this lesson plan to learn about an article type called Technically Fiction that is published by Science News Explores in print and online. Technically Fiction articles focus on a fictional phenomenon and explain whether it could be possible and the science it would take to make it a reality. You can also access a lesson plan template that can be used with any Technically Fiction article.

Use this lesson plan and the provided template to have your students practice creating concept maps for any article. This literacy strategy boosts critical thinking and reading retention by having students organize information and connect important ideas, concepts and terms.

Use this lesson plan to learn about an article type called Explainers 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 Explainer article. Explainer articles take a deep dive into a key scientific concept or process.

Use this lesson plan and the provided template to have your students practice the Cornell Note-taking System with any article. This literacy strategy organizes notes into two columns that provide structure for note-taking, analysis and review and that will help increase students’ learning, comprehension and retention.

Scientists have discovered an enzyme that helps oxidize the pigment aldehyde psittacofulvin, which colors parrot feathers red, to carboxyl psittacofulvin, a yellow pigment. After reviewing the basics of molecular structure and bonding, use this activity to introduce functional groups to students before having the students describe how different pigments might create the feather colors in a photo of a parrot. Finally, discuss the importance of understanding properties and reactivity of functional groups.

A carnivorous plant enzyme and an enzyme from a symbiotic fungal friend expedite digestion of ants. Use this as an example of enzymes, to introduce catalysts to your students. Then have students investigate how enzymes relate to catalysts, create their own catalyst metaphor and find another example of a catalyst or enzyme. Have students share examples and, as a class, discuss why scientists are interested in learning more about enzymes or other catalysts and potential applications of catalysts.

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.

Just when we all thought we had evaporation all figured out, clever experiments shine a new light on old assumptions. A new study points to light having the ability to help sever bonds (a type of intermolecular force) between water molecules to boost evaporation. Learn how these findings support new scientific claims and challenge the old notion that light affects evaporation only indirectly, through heat generation.

Sweating has a surprising purpose for one desert plant. Students will learn about a chemical adaptation that allows the plant to collect moisture in an arid environment. They’ll answer questions about using videos to collect data and then draw molecular diagrams that illustrate the plant’s adaptation.

Colliding tectonic plates might make your diamond blush. Learn how differences in crystal structure give rise to distinctive physical differences, such as the rare pink diamonds of Western Australia. Answer questions about the value of skepticism in science and discuss how uncovering the history of our planet can give us a treasure-hunting lead.