This activity is designed to engage a wider range of students. Using the principles of ‘science capital’, it makes the issue of Vitamin D deficiency highly accessible and relevant to students’ everyday experience. Rickets and other bone diseases in young people have risen 400%, Some scientists are recommending teenagers take vitamin D supplements, particularly in autumn and winter. […]
Now that scientists have discovered that sugar is like an addictive drug, pressure is building for action to reduce the amount of sugar that children and young people consume in sugary drinks. In this activity, students consider the evidence for causal links between sugar consumption, obesity and disease. They then weigh up arguments for and […]
As people live longer the demand for new organs to replace failed ones increases. One possible solution is to build new organs in a dish from cells taken from the patient’s own body. Students use evidence from case studies to work out if this is possible and then to decide whether this new technology offers […]
1.2 million EU citizens have signed a petition for the complete ban of animal testing. Their argument being it is both unethical and not useful. In this activity students are asked to decide whether they agree. They apply their knowledge about how asthma affects the gas exchange system to examine evidence and decide if animal […]
The Zika virus is linked to brain damage in unborn babies and is spreading rapidly through South America. The World Health Organisation declared it an international emergency. Scientists are working on a vaccine and will soon want to test it on people. The Dilemma for students is: would you test a Zika vaccine? They review the science […]
Scientists have discovered a giant 30 000 year old virus still alive under the permafrost. As the world warms, others will be uncovered. Could such an ancient virus wipe out the human race? In this activity, learn how to interrogate sources to separate science fact from fiction. Learning objectives Apply knowledge of microorganisms to check […]