Meet the Bio Builders—a team of scientists at the Thomson Lab who are using stem cells to repair damaged tissue and improve human health treatments.

Resources available for learning about this lab include:
• Interactive cards designed to introduce students to scientists in a more personal way
• A video with a personal story that explains why the lab's research matters in real life
• Questions to consider that will spark connection, reflection, and conversation
• An interactive video experience where you can ask questions of scientists in the lab and learn about their research
• An inquiry-based activity that focuses on doing science, using some of the same science practices that the lab uses
• An educator guide with information about standards alignment, curriculum connections, and tips for using the media resources

These resources are part of Meet the Lab, a collection of educational resources for middle school classrooms.

Meet the Cancer Detectives—a team of scientists at the Skala Lab who develop new ways to treat cancer using laser microscopes.

Resources available for learning about this lab include:
• Interactive cards designed to introduce students to scientists in a more personal way
• A video with a personal story that explains why the lab's research matters in real life
• Questions to consider that will spark connection, reflection, and conversation
• An interactive video experience where you can ask questions of scientists in the lab and learn about their research
• An inquiry-based activity that focuses on doing science, using some of the same science practices that the lab uses
• An educator guide with information about standards alignment, curriculum connections, and tips for using the media resources

These resources are part of Meet the Lab, a collection of educational resources for middle school science classrooms.

Biological membranes are selectively permeable; some molecules can cross while others cannot. One way to affect this is through pore size. Change the pore size with the slider to change the permeability of the membrane to the different types of molecules. Trace an individual molecule to see the path it takes.

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School has an annual sugarbush within a few miles of the school.  During the Spring sugarbush season, students are bussed to the site, by class, to do the variety of daily tasks required to successfully produce maple syrup.  The LCO middle school students follow the Ojibwe traditions.  They hear the traditional stories, learn words and phrases in the Ojibwemowin language, tap trees, collect and boil sap, chop wood and build fires. The students learn about tree identification, photosynthesis, and aging trees using cross sections.  They also learn about the importance and uses of Maple trees.  The students learn that the environmental conditions needed to make maple syrup are only found in a very small part of the world that includes Wisconsin.  The combination of hands-on exploration and culturally - relevant texts personalize the learning experience for this region.   

Meet the Nervous System Engineers—a team of scientists at the Ashton Group who make nervous system tissue to find treatments for nervous system diseases and injuries.

Resources available for learning about this lab include:
• Interactive cards designed to introduce students to scientists in a more personal way
• A video with a personal story that explains why the lab's research matters in real life
• Questions to consider that will spark connection, reflection, and conversation
• An interactive video experience where you can ask questions of scientists in the lab and learn about their research
• An inquiry-based activity that focuses on doing science, using some of the same science practices that the lab uses
• An educator guide with information about standards alignment, curriculum connections, and tips for using the media resources

These resources are part of Meet the Lab, a collection of educational resources for middle school science classrooms.

A key component of wildlife management is understanding the impact that humans have on their surrounding environment. In this activity students will begin to explore the human impacts that their school yard is experiencing from air, soil, and water pollution.

Meet the Virus Investigators—a team of scientists at the John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Center for Research in Virology who study how viruses replicate and evolve so that we can better control them!

Resources available for learning about this lab include:
• Interactive cards designed to introduce students to scientists in a more personal way
• A video with a personal story that explains why the lab's research matters in real life
• Questions to consider that will spark connection, reflection, and conversation
• An interactive video experience where you can ask questions of scientists in the lab and learn about their research
• An inquiry-based activity that focuses on doing science, using some of the same science practices that the lab uses
• An educator guide with information about standards alignment, curriculum connections, and tips for using the media resources

These resources are part of Meet the Lab, a collection of educational resources for middle school science classrooms.

In this lesson students will learn about food allergies and how food manufacturing companies, like McCain Foods, work hard to properly label foods and protect against cross contamination. Students will analyze data from allergen testing and make recommendations to improve cleaning procedures.

The smallest unit of life is the cell. Cells are tiny factories that work with incredible precision. All living organisms consist of one or more cells. Regardless of their shape and form, which vary greatly, in each cell we can distinguish common organelles. The two most important cell categories are animal and plant cells. In this lesson, we will talk about the similarities and differences of the organelles found in animal and plant cells as well as their functions.