What do your students know about the food of the gods, chocolate? Do they know it is extracted from a plant? Do they know where the plant occurs naturally, how it is cultivated, or processed? Do they realize the scope of the chocolate industry worldwide? What news stories relating chocolate to health are valid? Why […]

When you conjure up an image of cells, what do you see? What do you think? You may see a snapshot of an animal tissue, perhaps with actively dividing cells. That’s understandable because, as animals ourselves, we’re aware that cells come from other cells, thus the need to undergo mitosis, or cell division, frequently.
But one […]

I have just returned from the regional conference of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) in Cincinnati, Ohio. As usual, I’m filled with inspirational new knowledge regarding science and instructional approaches. I have already created a review activity using my newfound knowledge, not 24 hours post-conference, and I cannot wait to implement it this week!
But […]

Those of us born after World War II have take antibiotics for granted. Strep throat? Ear infection? Acne? Bronchitis? Not a problem. Take the full prescribed antibiotic dose and you are cured. The reality of antibiotic resistant bacteria however, disrupts that scenario. No longer can we always trust in a full recovery from a bacterial […]

Typically, a middle school life science study of cells explores the parts of the cells, cell diversity and how cells reproduce through mitosis. Discussion of cancer at this time is appropriate since cancer cells share the needs of normal cells in terms of obtaining nutrients and getting rid of waste. However, they differ in their […]

This week’s post focuses on the definition of species and its implications beyond science content knowledge—specifically, how the definition is related to species conservation and protection.
For example, the brown bear of the Iberian Peninsula is a different species compared with other European brown bears because it is geographically isolated, right? According to a press release, […]

Seed gene banks exist throughout the world. As you might guess, their purpose is to catalog, store, and protect as many varieties of plants as possible. These banks are useful to plant breeders trying to find crop species that are more drought or disease resistant, for example. They also provide a resource for countries in […]

Depression, Exercise, and Genetics
Chances are some your students or their family members are currently battling depression, and thus may be interested in this story. The link between regular exercise and mood enhancement has been known for some time now. Scientists have established that exercise increases levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which in […]

With the popularity of science-fiction movies like Jurassic Park that simplify the effects of DNA and genes and ignore environmental factors, teachers may find it challenging to convey to students the important role of the environment on gene activities, and vice versa.
For example, individuals may possess a gene combination that could predispose them to certain […]

A man is driving down a country road, when he spots a farmer standing in the middle of a huge field of grass. He pulls the car over to the side of the road and notices that the farmer is just standing there, doing nothing, looking at nothing. The man gets out of the car, […]