Students identify acids and bases, measure pH, and explore buffers.

Learning Objectives Include

• Measure pH in acidic, basic and neutral solutions and collect pH related data
• Examine factors that impact the pH of a solution
• Demonstrate how to adjust the pH of a solution
• Demonstrate how to maintain the pH of a solution using a buffer solution
• Discuss differences in the pH of different household solutions

Students test for carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, and fats.

Learning Objectives Include

• Write hypothesis statements based on biological principles
• Identify experimental variables as independent, dependent, or control variables
• Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative data
• Determine the presence of amino acids, proteins, glucose, and starch using indicator solutions

Students explore enzymes, substrates and reaction products, enzyme activity.

Learning Objectives Include

• Identify reactants and products in biochemical reactions
• Distinguish between enzymes, substrates and reaction products
• State the role of enzymes in biological chemical reactions
• Test how pH, temperature, and enzyme concentration impact enzyme activity

Explore the energy content of food, Calorie, and food calorimetry.

Learning Objectives Include

• Explain the role of macromolecules in energy expenditure in the human body
• Discuss the relationship between calories and quantification of energy needs in biological systems
• Explain how the energy content in food relates to macronutrient metabolism in biological systems
• Describe how a calorimeter works
• Use a calorimeter to measure the energy content of food samples

Thin-layer chromatography, types of lipids, and saturation levels of fatty acids.

Learning Objectives Include

• Apply appropriate experimental protocols to quantify fat (lipid) content in foods
• Differentiate among different types of lipids
• Explain how thin-layer chromatography works
• Quantify type of lipids and lipid content in food using thin-layer chromatography
• Discuss how chemical reagents can be used to distinguish the degree of unsaturation in lipids

Students explore motion, forces, and Newton's laws.

Learning Objectives Include

• Describe motion in terms of position, velocity, and acceleration
• Apply and interpret Newton's laws of motion
• Apply free-body diagrams to determine net force
• Use Newton's second law to determine coefficients of static and kinetic friction
• Interpret and use velocity vs time data plots

Students explore image formation, magnification, lens and mirror equations.

Learning Objectives Include

• Discuss converging and diverging lenses
• Discuss converging and diverging mirrors
• Define and determine focal distances
• Explore real image formation by lenses and mirrors
• Measure object and image distances
• Define and calculate magnification
• Calculate focal distances of a lenses and mirrors

Students explore atoms, isotopes, elements, types of radiation, and half-life.

Learning Objectives Include

• Define atom, isotope, and element
• List and discuss the components of atoms
• Describe radioactive decay
• Identify types of radiation
• Describe the concept of radioactive half-life
• Determine radioactive half-life
• Interpret and use decay rate vs time data plots