After learning, comparing and contrasting the steps of the engineering design process (EDP) and scientific method, students review the human skeletal system, including the major bones, bone types, bone functions and bone tissues, as well as other details about bone composition. Students then pair-read an article about bones and bone growth and compile their notes to summarize the article. Finally, students complete a homework assignment to review the major bones in the human body, preparing them for the associated activities in which they create and test prototype replacement bones with appropriate densities. Two PowerPoint(TM) presentations, pre-/post-test, handout and worksheet are provided.

This lesson plan explores many ways animals help and support people including providing food, clothing, companionship, and service, as well as secondary benefits like soil conservation and fertility, and stabilizing farm businesses with diversification of risk. Lesson plan from the New Mexico Animal, Plant, and Soil Science Lesson Plan Library.

Students will learn about fiber by looking at what fiber is, the different types, what it does for the body, sources of fiber, and diseases associated with an under-consumption. Lesson 1 of 5 addressing middle school nutrition.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) is one of our gut microbiota’s key roles. These microbes primarily produce SCFAs from dietary fiber; then the SCFAs reduce inflammation and promote gastrointestinal barrier integrity. The impact of supplemental dietary fiber, or prebiotics, varies among individuals. Is this because individuals respond differently to different prebiotics? Or does a given person respond to various prebiotics similarly? A recent study examined this question using a crossover study in healthy adults. Metabolic responses to the three prebiotics were similar within each individual, and a major determinant of SCFA response was individual identity. Further, higher habitual fiber consumption was associated with elevated basal fecal SCFA concentrations, which was then associated with a smaller prebiotic response. The same effect was seen in culture-based experiments: the participant's microbial SCFA production capacity was negatively associated with their habitual fiber consumption..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Today's obesity epidemic is driven by increased consumption of foods that are high in fat and low in soluble fiber, which alters the makeup of the gut microbiome. These changes also vary by age and sex, causing differences in susceptibility to obesity. Unfortunately, most animal studies compare diets that vary in both fat and fiber, making it difficult to determine which has an effect. Now, a new study suggests that fiber could play the more prominent role. The authors of the study profiled the microbial community in mice fed diets varying in either fiber or fat, but not both. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that changes in fiber accounted for most of the variance in microbes. While these changes were age- and sex-specific, they were not dependent on dietary fat. Although further studies are needed to fully understand these effects, the results suggest that in animal obesity studies, the choice of control diet matters..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

In this activity, learners explore the question "What is paper?" Learners discover the processes and materials required to make paper while experimenting with different recycled fibers and tools.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Stronger than steel yet more flexible than nylon, spider silk is one of the most impressive materials in the natural world Many researchers have tried to manufacture artificial spider silk Producing silk protein through gene expression is straightforward, but getting the subsequent spinning process to perform like the real thing has been challenging A new study describes a quick and simple way to monitor the properties of natural and artificial spider silk using second harmonic generation microscopy Researchers used the method to track the protein structure of spider silk as it stretched Stretching caused the β-sheets in the silk proteins to align in one direction and was sensitively detected by second harmonic generation When stretched too far, the silk separated into several thin fibers The structure of these fibers changed during stretching, making each fiber stronger and lengthening the time before they broke Beyond giving new insights into the physical properties of the silk, the work va.."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.