Science Resources from AMNH
   
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York offers a curated collection of online educational resources for learners of all ages, including preK–12 teachers and students and families. The materials include lesson plans, videos, articles, games and interactives, museum guides, and activities from a wide range of subjects (e.g., anthropology, careers in science, climate change, Earth science, health and human body, life science, paleontology, and space science). For example, students can observe butterflies and compare their patterns on a Virtual Trip to the Butterfly Conservatory (grades K–2), or explore weather phenomena with weather instruments they build themselves (e.g., Make a Barometer; Make a Rain Gauge; a Make a Wind Vane, all for grades K–5). Ecology Disrupted, a case study–based curriculum unit for grades 7–12, uses real science data to help students see how daily life links to environmental issues and ecological principles. 

The collection also includes pedagogical resources for educators. For example, teachers can access videos highlighting classroom-tested strategies to support science instruction in various areas, including vocabulary instruction, summarizing in science, and interactive read-alouds.

Developing Science Literacy Through Primary Sources: Science v. Pseudoscience

Explore the work of F. Christian Miller and his ideas about fitness, and use them to help students evaluate nutrition claims of the past and present. Most appropriate for middle and high school levels, the activity—described in the Library of Congress blog Teaching With the Library—tasks students with evaluating claims presented in a newspaper article, “How to Keep Fit,”  written by Miller and published in the Omaha Daily Bee (December 31, 1911). Following provided question prompts, students work in groups to identify causal relationships mentioned in the article, consider scientific evidence for these claims, and challenge the article’s assumptions. Based on the reasoning and evidence provided in the article, students discuss as a class whether the article’s claims are scientific or pseudoscientific and give reasons for their beliefs. 

To connect the article to the present day, students conduct a second evaluation, this time reviewing a post or article from a modern-day social media account and/or influencer making claims about food, fitness, and the body. Do the modern posts contain the necessary evidence and reasoning to classify the claims as scientific? Where might students find information that is missing from the current-day posts or the 1911 newspaper article? 

Evolution Unit on Hybridization and Climate Change

Galactic Polymath's newest three-lesson unit for grades 9–12 centers on hybridization and its role in evolution, with a special focus on climate change. The unit explores key questions such as these: What is hybridization and how does it impact evolution? Is hybridization good, bad, or neutral? How is climate change affecting hybridization and evolution? This unit is standards-aligned and includes interactive games, videos, and real-world data.

•    Three-Lesson HybridZones Unit. Use it to supplement your evolution lessons. 
•    Watch the Trailer: Hybrids are all around you, and we don’t mean cars! 1-Minute Video
•    Foraging Frenzy Game. A fun natural selection memory game in which students forage and compete in a hybrid zone. 
•    Video Playlist. Seamlessly integrated videos cover topics like hybridization, natural selection, and climate change. 

Name a Quasi-Moon: A Contest From Radiolab and the International Astronomical Union

Radiolab is partnering with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to launch a global naming contest for a whole new moon, one of Earth’s quasi-moons! A quasi-moon is a space rock that orbits the Sun nearby a planet. The contest is open to anyone in the world; students younger than age 18 must have a teacher or parent submit their entry. Names must be in Latin script, 16 characters or less, and from a mythological source of any culture. Names can’t be your pet's name, a generic word, or a number. (Check the contest rules at https://radiolab.org/moon-official-rules/.)

Submit your name now through September 30, or vote on a name you like best in October. In October, a panel composed of Radiolab staff, IAU members, and special guest consultants will choose 10 finalists. The finalists will be selected based on their adherence to the naming convention set by the IAU’s working group WGSBN, the name’s creativity and uniqueness, and its relevance to the science of quasi-moons. 

Popular VOTE. From November 1 until December 31, the contest will hold a popular vote: Everyone everywhere will be able to vote for their favorite, boosting its chance to become the newest (official) name in the Solar System! The winner will be announced in mid-January 2025 by the IAU in their bulletin. 

Whole Kids Foundation Bee Grants

Schools and nonprofit organizations in the United States and Canada can apply for support for educational beehives and bee programming that allow students to observe bees up close and learn about the importance of these pollinators in our food system. The grant may be used to start a new or enhance an existing bee program hosting live bees on campus. Applicants can choose a $1,500 Monetary Grant or an Equipment Grant for an Indoor Observation Hive. (Deadline October 15)

Samull Classroom Herb Garden Grants

The Herb Society of America awards grants to public and private school teachers of grades K–6 with classes of at least 10 students. The society will award 15 $300 grants to establish indoor or outdoor herb gardens. In addition to purchasing plants, the funds may be used for supplies such as soil, plant trays, containers, and child or youth sized tools. (Deadline October 15)