Activity 1 Establishing a Baseline
Activity 3 Factors Affecting Population Size
Activity 8 Life in the Dark
Activity 10 Crossing Ecosystem Boundaries
Activity 13 Ecosystems at the Tipping Point
Activity 14 The Great Lakes Ecosystem
Activity 17 Vertical Ocean Farming

Activity 1
Establishing a Baseline

Wild Rice Quadrat Sampling Simulation

Activity 3
Factors Affecting Population Size

The Song Sparrows of Mandarte Island

Activity 8
Life in the Dark

2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Activity 10
Crossing Ecosystem Boundaries

Salmon swimming upstream

Activity 13
Ecosystems at the Tipping Point

Aral Sea Video is found on both of these websites:
Aral: The Lost Sea (We Are Water Foundation)
Aral: The Lost Sea (YouTube)

Activity 14
The Great Lakes Ecosystem

How Chicago Reversed Its River: An Animated History

Great Lakes Research Links – Annotated
The Story

Asian Carp: Threats to the Lower Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River?
Moderate length, approximately mid-upper high school reading level.

Asian carp: how one fish could ruin the Great Lakes
Short article, some pop-ups and ads that students may find distracting. Lower high school reading level.

Asian Carp in the Great Lakes
Scrollable format, good visuals, lower high school reading level.

Great Lakes Invasive Species: 180 and Counting
Broader focus (not just carp). Short article, lower high school reading level.

Great Lakes Fishery Commission – Asian Carp
Includes a video. Article is short, mid-high school reading level.

Asian Carp & the Great Lakes
A series of short audio files and brief articles. Articles are middle school to lower high school reading level. Ideal for students who might prefer listening to the information.

What would happen to the ecosystem?

New Study Finds Asian Carp Threat to Lake Michigan Is Greater Than Previously Thought
Focuses on ecological impact of potential invasion; suggests severe consequences. Short article with lower high school reading level, links to published scientific study.

Asian Carp Would Have Adequate Food to Survive in Lake Michigan
Focuses on feeding behavior of carp and why it will thrive. Short article with lower high school reading level.

Asian carp have never breached a body of freshwater the size of Lake Michigan. Here’s the bizarre way they could survive and thrive in the world’s fifth largest lake.
Focuses on feeding behavior of carp and why it will thrive. Medium length article with a built-in option to listen to the article via a text reader. Page has ads that students may find visually distracting.

Invasive carp fueled by mussel poop could spread across Lake Michigan
Focuses on feeding behavior of carp and why it will thrive. Medium length article at a middle school to lower high school reading level.

Asian carp may cause Lake Erie fish to decline
One of the few articles to predict lesser extreme outcomes. Short article at lower high school reading level. Several interesting visuals of the food web and graphs predicting effects on various species.

Facts About Invasive Bighead and Silver Carps
Written as a fact sheet instead of an article format. Lower high school reading level. Includes a selected references list for published scientific journal articles.

Detection and mitigation efforts (including cost)

Asian carp DNA found in Lake Calumet, only 7 miles from Lake Michigan
ocuses on detection methods and how much money is being spent on it because of threat. Medium length article with a built-in option to listen to the article via a text reader. Page has ads that students may find visually distracting.

Asian Carp Risk Assessment : Great Lakes Region
Focuses on how assessment is being done, and what variables are being measured. Short article. Lower to middle high school reading level.

Great Lakes Fishery Commission Eforum
Focuses on the different organizations that are addressing the issue, and what is being done. Medium length article. Lower to middle high school reading level.

Asian Carp Control
Transcript of expert testimony to a congressional committee. Comprehensive in that it discusses the ecological impact, but it has a lot of discussion of the economic impact and the cost of mitigation and control. Upper high school reading level.

Keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes will cost billions and take decades
Focus on economic impact and cost of control. Medium length article. Lower high school reading level.

Stopping Asian Carp
Focuses on preventing invasion. Medium length article. Lower high school reading level.

Assessment of Asian carp in Illinois waterways
Focuses on monitoring, what is working, what is not working. Longer article. Good visuals. Middle high school reading level.

Economic impact on Fisheries

Socio-Economic Impact of the Presence of Asian Carp in the Great Lakes Basin
Executive summary for a much more extensive formal report (linked to on the page). Longer article. Mid-upper high school reading level.

Great Lakes Fishery Commission – The Fishery
Not about carp, but talks about the dollar value of Great Lakes Fisheries. Moderate length article. Middle school to lower high school reading level.

Asian Carp and the Great Lakes Region
Very comprehensive, long article, but has sections that are clearly titled and easy to navigate as well as clear data tables. Middle high school reading level.

Activity 17
Vertical Ocean Farming

Vertical ocean farming – the least deadliest catch | Bren Smith | TEDxBermuda

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Cells: Improving Global Health

Activity 1 Survival Needs
Activity 2 Everyday Hydration
Activity 3 Homeostasis Disrupted
Activity 4 Body Systems in Balance
Activity 6 What Do Specialized Cells Do?
Activity 8 Feedback Loops in Humans
Activity 10 Burning Calories
Activity 13 Feeding the World’s Population
Activity 15 Energy for Life

Activity 1
Survival Needs

Weather Related Fatality and Injury Statistics
A link to the most current data available on weather-related fatalities can be found on the U.S.

Natural Disasters and Severe Weather
Additional information on how weather events can impact human health and resources and how to prepare for natural disasters and severe weather.

Activity 2
Everyday Hydration

SEPUP Simulation: Modeling Cell Structure and Function

Activity 3
Homeostasis Disrupted

Our World in Data – Causes of Death
A link to the most current data available on leading causes of death world-wide

Activity 4
Body Systems in Balance

Our World in Data – Burden of Disease
A link to the most current data available on the global burden of disease.

Activity 6
What Do Specialized Cells Do?

SEPUP Simulation: Modeling Cell Structure and Function

SEPUP Simulation: What Do Specialized Cells Do?

Activity 8
Feedback Loops in Humans

Our World in Data – Upper Respiratory Death by Age
A link to the most current data available on global death rates from upper respiratory illnesses by age.

Activity 10
Burning Calories

Feel the Burn: How Do Scientists Count Calories?

Activity 13
Feeding the World’s Population

Climate Science and Effects
A source for more current data on climate effects on the food supply can be found here.

Activity 15
Energy for Life

SEPUP Simulation: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Simulation

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Genetics: Feeding the World

Activity 1 Superweeds: Where Did They Come From? (Extension)
Activity 2 Creating Genetically Modified Bacteria (Engineering Extension)
Activity 3 Mitosis and Asexual Reproduction
Activity 7 Protein Synthesis: Transcription and Translation
Activity 8 Cell Differentiation and Gene Expression (Extension)
Activity 11 Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction
Activity 13 Which Plant is Genetically Modified (Extension)
Activity 15 Benefits and Trade-offs of Genetically Modified Organisms (Engineering Extension)

Activity 1
Superweeds: Where Did They Come From? (Extension)

Attack of the Superweeds

Will Rising Temperatures Make Superweeds Even Stronger?

International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds

Australia Might Have the Answer to Herbicide Resistant Superweeds

Activity 2
Creating Genetically Modified Bacteria (Engineering Extension)

First Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Released in the United States

The U.S.’s First Open-Air Gentically Modified Mosquitoes Have Taken Flight

CDC Information Sheet: Genetically Modified Mosquitoes

Activity 3
Mitosis and Asexual Reproduction

SEPUP Simulation: Mitosis and Meiosis

Click on the link above to go to the Mitosis and Meiosis simulation.

Activity 7
Protein Synthesis: Transcription and Translation

SEPUP Simulation: Protein Synthesis

Click on the link above to go to the Protein Synthesis simulation.

mRNA Vaccines–A New Era in Vaccinology

Understanding mRNA COVID Vaccines

How Moderna’s Vaccine Works

Activity 8
Cell Differentiation and Gene Expression (Extension)

What is Epigenetics?

Epigenetics

Epigenetics Research News

Human Genome is Much More than Just Genes

A Turn Off for Mom or Dad

Activity 11
Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction

SEPUP Simulation: Mitosis and Meiosis

Click on the link above to go to the Mitosis and Meiosis simulation.

Activity 13
Which Plant is Genetically Modified

Gel Electrophoresis

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Fact Sheet

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Understanding COVID-19 PCR Testing

Activity 15
Benefits and Trade-offs of Genetically Modified Organisms (Engineering Extension)

Diseases CRISPR Could Cure

A Gene-Editing Experiment Lets Those Patients with Vision Loss See Color Again

Three People with Inherited Diseases Successfully Treated with CRISPR

Can CRISPR Cure Sickle Cell Disease

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Evolution: Managing Change

Activity 2 Changing Temperatures
Activity 3 Social Behavior
Activity 6 Increasing Time Scales
Activity 8 The Anthropocene
Activity 9 Evidence and the Theory of Evolution
Activity 13 Shrinking Salmon

Activity 2
Changing Temperatures

Video showing bubbles coming off the stem of Elodea

Video showing bubbles coming off the stem of Ludwigia

Prairie Dog Video—short video of prairie dogs calling

Prairie Dog Video—longer video of prairie dogs calling

Activity 6
Increasing Time Scales

Salamander Video

Anole Speciation Video
– Download
– Streaming

Activity 8
The Anthropocene

Are We Living in the Sixth Extinction?
Video from PBS (9 minutes)

Sixth Mass Extinction In Earth’s History Underway; Scientists Say Humans To Blame
Secondary Source, The Weather Channel

18 signs we’re in the middle of a 6th mass extinction
Secondary Source, Business Insider