Full Unit

Postgame Analysis

In this high school 5E unit, students investigate how milk helps athletes recover from intense exercise. Students begin by observing a series of professional athletes undergoing intense exercise and drinking milk after their exercise sessions. Across a series of four modules, students figure out how exercise impacts the body and how milk helps with recovery. Students explore body temperature and water balance, heart and breathing rate increases, and muscle fatigue. To conclude the unit, students explore muscle recovery.

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Why Can Cattle Live on Grass, but Humans Cannot?

In this multi-day science task, students will investigate a biological phenomenon: why cattle and other ruminants can survive on grass while humans cannot. Students will explore how digestive structure, microbial fermentation, and energy transformation allow ruminant animals to access chemical energy stored in cellulose-rich plant material. 

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Can Houseplants Impact Indoor Air Quality?

In this task, students analyze and compare multiple data sets and visual sources to identify and interpret patterns in how plants remove indoor air pollutants. They use these patterns as evidence to construct explanations of how specialized plant structures, such as stomata and guard cells, regulate gas exchange and contribute to pollutant uptake.

Other Resource

Transfer Task e-Learning Module

Transfer tasks are assessments that require students to apply their understanding and knowledge of science concepts and practices from one context to another. This 20-minute asynchronous module is a valuable resource for integrating transfer tasks into classrooms. Here, you'll learn how to access, implement, and interpret student results of an NGSS transfer task.

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Soil Your Undies for Healthy Soil

In this middle school task, students explore how soil health is maintained by understanding the complex interactions between living and nonliving factors in a soil ecosystem.

Phenomena Bank

Butter From Cream

This phenomenon explores how butter is made from cream.

Phenomena Bank

Lactic Acid Bacteria

This phenomenon explores why some individuals sensitive to lactose eat some fermented dairy foods without any issues.

Phenomena Bank

Spicy Peppers and Milk

This phenomenon explores why milk provides relief after eating spicy peppers.

Phenomena Bank

Milk As Recovery Drink

This phenomenon explores why swimmers who added chocolate milk to their regular post-training routine swam faster than swimmers who used carbohydrate sports drinks or calorie-free beverages.

Phenomena Bank

Lactase Persistence

This phenomenon explores the frequencies of lactase persistence worldwide. It offers an opportunity for students to see the changing nature of science.

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More Cheese, Please – Middle School

In this middle school task, students use models and data to explain why lactose intolerant people experience lots of gas, bloating and diarrhea when they eat certain dairy products. 

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More Cheese, Please – High School

In this high school task, students use models and data to explain why lactose intolerant people experience lots of gas, bloating and diarrhea when they eat certain dairy products. 

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Food Fermentation

In this task, students will develop an explanation for how one organism’s population growth in an ecosystem may cause the population growth of other organisms in the same ecosystem to decrease.

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Frog Fungus

In this high school task, students evaluate a series of mathematical models to determine how a mysterious fungus impacts various populations in a pond ecosystem. 

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Are All Bacteria Harmful?

In this high school task, students explore the food ecosystems of two samples of yogurt with different bacteria to figure out which types are harmful and then explore the environmental conditions that allow harmful and less harmful bacteria to thrive. 

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Genetics Task

This task is intended to be used as a formative assessment to identify student strengths and weaknesses with the ideas of genetics and heredity and evaluation of possible solutions considering sustainable practices. The use of this task will help to identify students’ strengths and needs to provide feedback to students. This will support shifts in instructional practice during a mid-unit assessment. 

In this middle school task, students will write an argument that justifies the selection of a particular bull to be mated with a group of cattle to meet the criteria set forth by the producer. 

Other Resource

Curds Lab Activity

How does milk become cheese? This lab activity shows students the science behind milk curds. Students will wonder why the milk changes once acidic lemon juice is added and explore science through the lens of their food!