Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning
In this lesson, students learn about Complete Blood Count (CBC), blood-specific vocabulary, common disorders which may be detected with a CBC and the role of CBC in patient diagnosis. They will conduct an investigation where they analyze the characteristics of simulated blood samples and diagnose patients... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: February 11th, 2025
Understanding Complete Blood Counts (CBC)
Students will explore the effects of an increase in nitrogen and phosphorus in aquatic ecosystems. They will collect data from an algae growth investigation and complete a reading about human-produced nutrient inputs. Using these sources of evidence, students will develop a causal explanation of the... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: January 31st, 2025
Effects of Disturbance on Ecosystems
This middle school lesson is adapted from the high school lesson "How Does Your Garden Grow?" Students will explore principles of soil health, soil chemistry, and nutrient cycles by testing and analyzing soil samples. Students will also explore humanity's impact on soil health and create public service... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: January 22nd, 2025
Conservation, Ecosystems, and Soil Health
In this lesson, students investigate how digital and analog waves carry information by developing models and relating these to information transmission. This lesson is Part 3 of the "Beyond the Slinky®" series on waves and their properties. Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: December 6th, 2024
Information Transmission Through Waves
This middle school lesson is adapted from the high school lesson "How Does Your Garden Grow?" Students will explore principles of soil health, soil chemistry, and nutrient cycles by testing and analyzing soil samples. Students will also explore humanity's impact on soil health and create public service... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: December 4th, 2024
Conservation, Ecosystems, and Soil Health
Students will explore the relationship between the fossil record and the digestive system using coprolites (i.e., fossilized poop) as a phenomenon. Students will explain what coprolites can tell us about the diet of the organisms they came from by investigating the chemical and physical processes of... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: October 16th, 2024
Digestion and the Fossil Record
In this lesson, students will explore a variety of plant reproductive structures and determine differences between sexual and asexual reproduction through hands-on observations and online research. Based on their findings, students will use engineering design to create and test "seed dispersal" structures.... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: October 9th, 2024
Plant Reproduction and Seed Dispersal
In this professional development, participants explore elements of student engagement and examples of positive classroom culture. Next, they participate in a variety of engaging instructional strategies as learners and gain experience modifying and/or scaffolding these strategies to support their own... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: August 13th, 2024
In this lesson, students explore a variety of examples of how science is conducted in the world outside of the classroom. Examples come from a variety of Twitter trends where scientists share their mistakes, unexpected mishaps, and use of non-standard equipment in the course of their research. Additionally,... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: January 19th, 2024
The Nature of Science
This lesson introduces the idea of energy flow in ecosystems using energy pyramids. It also exposes students to a career in scientific illustration. Students participate in a game that models energy flow through trophic levels and calculate the transfer of energy up an energy pyramid. After learning... Read more »
Created by: Heather Shaffery
Date Updated: March 10th, 2023
Ecological Energy Pyramids and Science Illustration
