Science and Engineering Practices

In the three-dimensional learning model, dimension 1 is science and engineering practices. The National Research Council (NRC) states that “…students cannot fully understand scientific and engineering ideas without engaging in the practices of inquiry and the discourses by which such ideas are developed and refined.” (NRC 2012) Scientific and engineering practices are identified by the NRC […]
Newton’s Laws, Friction, and Hovercraft

A Carolina EssentialsTM Activity Total Time: 60 mins Prep: 30 mins | Activity: 30 mins Physical Science 6-12 Middle/High School Total Time: 60 minutes [ Prep: 30 mins | Activity: 30 mins ] Subject: Physical Science Grade: Middle and High School Overview Students can engineer a simple hovercraft that illustrates Newton’s laws of motion and […]
The Physics of Vision

A Carolina EssentialsTM Activity Total Time: 30 mins Prep: 10 mins | Activity: 20 mins Physical Science 8-12 Middle/High School Total Time: 30 minutes [ Prep: 10 mins | Activity: 20 mins ] Subject: Physical Science Grade: Middle and High School Overview Understanding vision requires a knowledge of physics, anatomy, and physiology. This activity emphasizes […]
Survey of Protista

Carolina LabSheets™ Overview In this lab, students observe a variety of protists and record basic observations of them. Traditionally, protists were classified under Domain Eukarya, Kingdom Protista, and were divided into phyla mainly on the basis of their mode of locomotion. However, it has long been recognized that Protista is not a natural grouping, and that mode […]
Meiosis and Genetics

Carolina LabSheets™ Overview In this lab, students investigate how the events of meiosis relate to Mendelian genetics. The lab is designed to supplement the Meiosis Activity of our Carolina BioKits ® : Chromosome Simulation. Download Student Lab Sheet Needed Materials Carolina BioKits ® : Chromosome Simulation (#171100) Optional Materials Small, colored adhesive dots can be used […]
Modeling Mitosis and Meiosis

Introduction Have student groups use sock “chromosomes” and string to model mitosis and meiosis. These 2 simple activities take approximately 30 min to complete. Discussion questions and answers are provided so that you can assess student understanding of each type of cell division. Next Generation Science Standards Life Science The Cell The Molecular Basis of […]