Recent Posts

My experiences as a PlantingScience mentor

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PlantingScience is an online mentoring program that virtually connects scientists with junior high or high school students as they participate in inquiry-based activities with plants. Mentors commit to an hour or so per week over roughly two to four weeks, during which they respond to student questions…

Backyard Mystery, a free curriculum about pathogens

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A free curriculum for grades 5 - 7 Download at http://ucbiotech.org/backyardmystery/ About Backyard Mystery Backyard Mystery is part of the STEMware™ project, “Collaborative Research Strategies: STEMware™ – Designing Immersive Biology Learning Simulations for Formal and Informal Settings”.…

It's all in the touch: Plant Biology Curriculum for grades 5 - 8 (ages 10 - 13)

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The All In the Touch curriculum was developed by Dr. Peggy G. Lemaux and her assistant, Science Communication Specialist Ms. Barbara Alonso at the University of California, Berkeley with funding from the American Society of Plant Biologists (http://aspb.org ). Dr. Cristina Reynaga-Pena also contributed…

“How to Read a Scientific Paper” and “Case Study: Reading a Plant Physiology article”

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One of the most important skills a young scientist needs to learn is how to read (and write) scientific papers. Some students begin to learn this in a high school biology classes, and others as they begin their university coursework. To help instructors teach these critical skills, we created two articles…

From LUCA to Lily: 12 perspectives for teaching about plants

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The other day I was talking to a friend about the need to demystify plants, so that teachers feel as confident in their teaching of plant biology as they do about animal biology. I wonder if sometimes we teach plants too much in isolation, so it’s not always clear how plants relate to other organisms…

Plant "Vampires" Lay in Wait

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A summary of recent research onto the recognition of strigolactones by parasitic plants, written for high school students, including a glossary. Source: Science News for Students View resource

Greening the Classroom - Arabidopsis project modules for grades 8-10

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These free modules catalyze exploration of Arabidopsis and heredity, cellular processes, characteristics of life, and responses to the environment. Modules include seed stocks, protocols, teaching guides, and videos. Aligned with Ohio Department of Education standards for grades 8-10.  Most modules…

Lessons: Make the Link, bringing global dimensions to science lessons (Sheffield Hallam University)

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Free resources to bring a global dimension to science lessons Make The Link offers four units looking at topics like the provision of clean water, the impact of climate change across the world, the development of clean, fuel-efficient stoves for cooking meals in areas with limited infrastructure and…

Lesson Set. Drought: EarthLabs for Educators (Carleton College)

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Earth science is emerging as a demanding high-school science course that prepares learners for college admissions and informed citizenship. Earth science classes integrate physics, chemistry, and biology to introduce students to a rich body of concepts and knowledge with which to understand the world…