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Don't tell your kids that they are smart. More than three decades of research shows that a ocus on "process"-not on intelligence or ability-is key to success in school and in life

This case study details the historical discovery of the structure of DNA. Images of this key molecule are as iconic as those of the Mona Lisa, and identifying its structure has proven to be as intriguing a mystery for scientists as the reason behind Mona Lisa's smile has been for art historians. The case is woven together by a series of fictional diary entries that detail the history of the discovery of DNA's structure, the major players involved, their ethical dilemmas, and the role of women in science. The case is designed for a high school course or introductory undergraduate genetics/ biochemistry courses. It can also be used as an interdisciplinary case study bridging genetics, bioethics, art, and the status of women in science. Designed as an interrupted case, it may be used in its entirety or in parts that pertain to a particular topic or discipline. No prior knowledge of genetics is required.

BioLEAP is a comprehensive educational resource for students who do not wish to take part in classroom dissection exercises, and for teachers and school districts looking to introduce dissection alternatives into their curricula. These "alternatives" are really "advancements" in teaching tools that capitalize on 21st century technologies that can enhance a student's understanding of anatomy, physiology and the life sciences in general. The following links will provide you with cost-effective and humane alternatives to animal use in the classroom, as well as provide you with information about student choice laws and policies that protect students' rights to use dissection alternatives.

Middle school resources for environmental health

Each person in the United States generates five or more pounds (2.3 kilograms) of waste a day: about the weight of a medium bag of sugar. More than half of that garbage is buried and stored in landfills. Increasingly, however, cities are promoting recycling programs, often getting schools involved so students can learn about recycling and follow these practices at home. A person in a Scandinavian country (such as Sweden, Denmark, or Norway) generates about the same amount of waste as an American. People in developing countries generate less waste than Americans or Europeans; for example, a person in India generates about three-fourths of a pound (0.34 kilograms) per day. Still, every country must find a way to process the garbage that each of its residents generates every day, month, and year.

Watch the adventures of the inept "Staph Sargent" and his trusty sidekick as they try to infect the world with germs in this animated educational video. But as they plot their evil plan, they are thwarted at every turn by trained PDI Agents (Protect Don't Infect) who thwart their attempts by washing their hands, covering their cough and sneeze and staying home when sick. This wacky video is aimed at kids aged 6-11 but there's plenty of humor that goes right over their head and finds it's target with mom and dad! With worries about the spread of the H1N1 "Swine Flu," this program is perfectly timed for the beginning of school season. The video was produced by the creative team at Omni Productions in Orlando, FL and is part of a very successful campaign by the Orange County Department of Health.

[ February 17, 2008 ] People who lack a certain large segment of DNA have a previously unrecognized syndrome characterized by mental retardation, seizures, and slight physical abnormalities, according to a genetic analysis conducted by HHMI investigator Evan E. Eichler at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a team of international collaborators. The deleted DNA segment is responsible for just a small percentage of cases of mental retardation, but "when you think about how common mental retardation is," Eichler says, "this deletion has a significant impact on human health."

Biomimicry in Youth Education: A Resource Toolkit for K-12 Educators is a digital flipbook indexing over 80 biomimicry education resources, selected to assist teachers working with students from kindergarten through high school.  The collection includes quality lesson plans, curricular units, digital media, and more, gleaned from a broad survey of available materials. For educators new to the subject of biomimicry, the toolkit also offers a thorough introductory section containing an orientation to biomimicry’s core concepts and suggested strategies for communicating those ideas to students.

How does the real process of science really work?  Gain a new perspective of the dynamic process of science and how it relates to you with this iTunes U course co-produced by the California Academy of Sciences and University of California Museum of Paleontology.  Content from this course was inspired by the Understanding Science website produced by UCMP. Designed for middle- and high- school science educators to broaden their own knowledge and understanding and to use with students, the course weaves together activities, videos, and classroom-ready materials into a primer on the process of science that includes exploration and discovery, testing ideas, community feedback and peer review, and benefits and outcomes. 

Project NEURON develops curriculum materials for middle and high school teachers to use in their science classrooms. Each unit addresses various science education standards, including the Next Generation Science Standards, within the context of neuroscience topics and research performed on the University of Illinois campus. All of our completed materials, which have been classroom-tested and revised, are available on this website to teachers and educators for free. For teachers who wish to engage with our materials hands-on, we also provide professional development opportunities through local workshops and national teaching conferences such as NSTA.

Engineering concepts, games, lessons, information on schools and programs

Made possible through Toyota USA Foundation funding, the REMS curriculum options include nine online lesson plans and interactive activities themed to examine three pressing challenges in the US: preserving sustainable, competitive manufacturing; distributing products and services across the world; and developing and delivering efficient health care services. Each of the lesson plans provides age-appropriate math and science curriculum that tie to the Common Core Learning Standards for elementary, middle and high school students.

Because we want to understand what genes are required for blood vessel development, Courtney Griffin studies certain enzymes that help turn genes on and off. These enzymes are specifically involved in relaxing DNA that is normally tightly coiled up in our cells. Dr. Griffin is now an Assistant Member in the Cardiovascular Biology Research Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation after receiving her B.A. from Harvard University and her Ph. D. from the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have found that mutations that cause autism in children are connected to a pathway that regulates brain development.

Dr. Carolyn Henry, a veterinary oncologist at the University of Missouri veterinary school, says that, unlike lab mice, dogs get cancer naturally, just like humans. So their cancers are more likely to behave like human cancer when treated. "It's the same disease, it really doesn't matter what the species is," Henry says. "It's the same disease if it occurs naturally. And so, answers in one species should translate to answers in other species in many cases."

The following six lessons enable students to use different features of the site to explore trends in population, the environment, and human well-being over the past 2,000 years, as well as projections of future growth. The lessons are designed for high school science and social studies classrooms and address current national and state standards, as well as content for several Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Links to standards and AP course outlines are available in a searchable database.

Kenneth Wesson works as a keynote speaker and educational consultant for pre-school through university-level institutions and organizations. He speaks throughout the world on the neuroscience of learning and methods for creating classrooms and learning environments that are "brain-considerate."

The Virtual Biology Lab Project is designed to provide interactive activities that demonstrate ecological principles. We provide agent-based models that simulate classic ecological experiments or concepts across a wide range of ecological topics. Students manipulate experimental parameters and observe the results. These results are provided numerically and graphically and are reinforced with a visualization of the model's "world". The content is suitable for advanced high-school and college students.

Middle and high school students need an opportunity to construct evidence-based explanations for how variation and natural selection can lead to adaptation of populations over time (NGSS MS-LS4-4 and HS-LS4-4). However, managing a population of classroom-friendly living organisms that consistently grow, develop, and thrive while students observe variation among individuals can be a real challenge.

This case study presents the fictional tale of two neighboring towns that have recently experienced a growth boom and are now suffering the environmental consequences. The case provides an opportunity to explore a wide variety of anthropogenic causes of natural capital degradation. Students are assigned the role of scientists working for the regional Department of Environmental Resources Management, and it is their job to discover the underlying causes for a wide variety of citizen complaints and to suggest reasonable and cost effective solutions. The case may be assigned as a recap activity after teaching a unit on natural capital degradation. The case includes a PowerPoint presentation as well as three lab activities that are included in the teaching notes. The case would be appropriate for high school or lower level undergraduate ecology or environmental science courses.