Students will use tyrosinase extracted from mushrooms to create an enzymatic reaction under different conditions. After comparing the results of each condition, it is clear which factors affect enzyme function.
Ocean acidification is a phenomenon related to current global climate changes, and is becoming a major threat to marine ecosystems ranging from tropical coral reefs to the chilly waters of the Antarctic. In this lesson, students observe and investigate the mechanisms driving ocean acidification. The lesson and lab make connections to basic chemical principles such as acids/bases and the pH scale.
Students learn that odors are molecules that have a specific shape. Students also learn why chemists write chemicals the way they do!
Graduate Fellow Carmen Vélez & Teacher Partner Colleen Robinson
Students investigate the chemistry behind forensic science, solving a mystery of who destroyed the classroom through separation techniques, including column chromatography.
Graduate Fellow Zephen Specht & Teacher Partner Duke Raley
1: Students explore electron density and nodes, along with orbital shape. 2: Students explore heterogeneous and homogeneous solutions, solubility of gases, liquids, and solids, and explore a computer simulation.
Graduate Fellow Nellie Shaul & Teacher Partner Lisa Yoneda
1: A year-long activity in which students design and implement a water sampling and analysis plan to look for presence of baking and cooking spices in local water supplies. 2: Introduces students to the experiment toxicologists use to determine how toxic substances are to model organisms. 3: This lesson introduces students to solid phase extraction chromatography.
Graduate Fellow John Goeltz & Teacher Partner Rachel Stein
1: Students explore the concept of activation energy kinesthetically. 2: Students experimentally determine relative densities of recycleable plastics and solutions.
Graduate Fellow Kristina Mitchell & Teacher Partner Colleen Robinson
Students are introduced to the concept of "nano" and one potential use of nanoparticles in medicine.
Graduate Fellow Emily Satkiewicz & Teacher Partner Jewyl Clarke
Students learn about the processes by which drugs are discovered and designed, and mimic that process through performing a synthesis and subsequent analysis.
Graduate Fellow Jillian Blatti & Teacher Partner Jenelle Javier
Students explore the principles behind biofuels.
Graduate Fellow Gabriel Reyes-RodrÍguez & Teacher Partner Colleen Robinson
In this activity, students are able to learn about college-level organic chemistry concepts including solubility, polarity, attraction forces, acid/base reactions, and extractions.
Graduate Fellow Andro Rios & Teacher Partner Gerald French
This activity, through the use of pleasant-smelling molecules, gives students the necessary introduction to organic structures and the skills in interpreting molecular representations that will carry over to molecules introduced in biology.
Graduate Fellow Kristina Mitchell & Teacher Partner Sara Dozier
Students create their own working definition of a solution based on observations of familiar items.
Graduate Fellow Kate Hanson & Teacher Partner Rachel Stein
Students observe and investigate the mechanisms driving ocean acidification. The lesson and lab make connections to basic chemical principles such as acids/bases and the pH scale.
Graduate Fellow Ameya Phadke & Teacher Partner Ryan Benedict
This lesson plan allows students to develop an understanding of how cells can respond to changes in their environment, with an emphasis on stem cells (emphasis on cell signaling mechanisms/organelle function/central dogma).
Graduate Fellow Johnnie Lyman & Teacher Partner Duke Raley
Using fluorescent beads, students explore the use of light as an investigative tool in oceanography. Using this knowledge, they then analyze a real deep-sea scenrio involving changes in lead concentration off the coast of San Diego.