Lesson Plans: High School

Synopsis: Students will study the effects of the neurotransmitters nicotine, caffeine, ethanol, and acetylcholine on Daphnia Heart Rate. This experiment will be conducted with 1 partner.

Purpose: Students will observe and learn about cellular communication and its importance in multi cellular organisms.

Written by: Eric Nam

Lesson Plan: Effects_of_agonist_and_antagonist_drugs_on_Daphnia_Heart_Rate.pdf (197 KB)

Power Point: Effects_of_agonist_and_antagonist_drugs_on_Daphnia_Heart_Rate.pptx (1.2 MB)

Synopsis: Students will experiment with objects of different size, surface area, and mass in order to better understand the concept of gravity and air resistance. This experiment will take place in groups of 3 or 4 students and is for students in grades 8 through 11. The students will have different roles in the groups such as meter stick holder, object dropper, timer and recorder.

Purpose: For students to understand the relation between air resistances, surface area, mass, gravity/acceleration, as well as force.

Written by: Nichole Stoner

Lesson Plan: Air_Resistance_and_Gravity.pdf (484 KB)

Power Point: Air_Resistance_and_Gravity.pptx (490 KB)

Synopsis: Students will build a floatable boat out of 5 by 5 foil squares. Later, students will test their structure based on sturdiness by placing pennies into the boat.

Purpose: For students to think outside the box to construct a sturdy boat and should consider making multiple boats before finalizing their boat. Overall, students will understand the importance of how trial and error can lead to open doors and new ideas. Therefore, collaborating ideas to build the sturdiest boat.

Written by: Mona Patel

Lesson Plan: Float_My_Boat.pdf (381 KB)

Power Point: Float_My_Boat.pptx (831 KB)

Synopsis: Students will be able to understand the concept of surveying and mapping ground elevations by analyzing a fabricated data set in multiple ways and eventually constructing a model of what this region would look like in reality. This experiment will be for groups of 3 to 4 students. Students should be in grades 10-12.

Purpose: Students will be able to understand the importance and complicated nature of ground surveying. They will also be able to question how the creation of graphs, charts and models can be used to determine water flow, soil erosion, road and building construction and other important factors.

Written by: Kirstie Korzeniowki

Lesson Plan: Surveying_Lesson_Plan.pdf (479 KB)

Power Point: Surveying.pptx (4.8 MB)

Synopsis: Students will use Newton’s second law (F=m*a), along with previous knowledge of kinematic equations, to explore the acceleration of a constant-mass system consisting of a cart of known mass, a hanging mass, and several 50g weights. This activity is intended to be done with a partner.

Purpose: For students to understand how changing the force applied on a constant mass system affects the acceleration of the system, reaffirming Newton’s second law. (It is important that students understand that we are analyzing the acceleration of an entire mass-cart system, and not just the acceleration of the cart)

Written by: Laura M. Wentworth

Lesson Plan: Newton's_Second_Law.pdf (294 KB)

Power Point: Exploring_Newton's_Second_Law.pptx (480 KB)

Synopsis: Students will examine how a gene and associated trait from one organism can be isolated, transferred to another organism and replicated. Students will then utilize sterile technique to make fluorescent “art” on petri dishes with the newly transformed bacteria.

Purpose: For students to learn what a plasmid is and be able to see how introducing one can affect bacteria through the process of transformation. Students also practice sterile technique and learn about cell culture.

Written by: Nick Slawson

Lesson Plan: pGlo_and_Bacterial Art.pdf (387 KB)

Power Point: Bacterial_art_and_GFP.pptx (1.3 MB)