Resources for InnovatioNation Participants

Welcome to the Science Buddies InnovatioNation page!

As you explore the world of science through Life Technologies' InnovatioNation program, Science Buddies can help extend that exploration and make it even easier and more fun. Below are resources for parents, teachers, and students, as well as examples of science projects that tie in specifically with the InnovatioNation modules.

Recommended Projects for Each Module to Get You Started

Are you searching for a science project related to your InnovatioNation module? We've hand-selected sample projects from our library that are relevant for each InnovatioNation module. (Click the "show" button(s) to see suggested projects for each module.)

5th grade: Genetics & Agricultural Biotechnology (Show) Easy Attack of the Killer Cabbage Clones: What does it mean to clone a plant? Find out for yourself by cloning a cabbage. Do-It-Yourself DNA: Want to get a look at DNA? You can with this project and a few strawberries. Moderate Dust Busters: How No-Plow Farmers Try to Save Our Soil: Plowing creates a lot of dust and lets good nutrient rich blow away. Experiment to see what happens if farmers use "no plow" farming methods instead. Molecular Scissors: How do scientists cut DNA? Use this project to discover all about it. Challenging May the Best Plant Win! Experiment with Genetically Modified Seeds: When fertilizer and water are scarce, farmers want all those resources to go to their crops – and not the weeds! Investigate whether genetically modified (GM) crops combined with a non-GM specific herbicide can really give the crops a leg up on the weeds. Growing Great Gardens: Using Human Urine as a Fertilizer: In some countries fertilizer is too expensive for farmers to buy, but the soil needs extra nutrients to grow a good crop. Urine has several of the same nutrients as commercial fertilizers. Experiment to see if urine can be a cost-effective way of fertilizing plants.

7th grade: Human Identification & King Tut (Show) Easy Minding Your Mummies: The Science of Mummification: Mummification is an ancient science, but how did they do it? Use this project to discover the answer. Moderate What Makes a DNA Fingerprint Unique? : TV shows and the news always refer to DNA evidence, but how reliable and unique is it? Find out for yourself in this project. Pedigree Analysis: A Family Tree of Traits: Sometimes siblings look similar, and sometimes they don't! Confused? This project will help you explore why that happens and learn more about your own family genetics. Challenging Trace Your Ancient Ancestry Through DNA: Have you ever wondered about your ancient relatives? Where did the come from? Who were they? This project can help you explore those answers. Drugs & Genetics: Why Do Some People Respond to Drugs Differently than Others?: DNA can help identify people; it can also help predict which medicines will work for them and which will not. Discover how small genetic changes can lead to big drug response differences.

9th grade: Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cells (Show) Easy How Much Worm Is a Worm?: Yes, it is cool that worms can regenerate after being chopped up. But just how much worm is required? Any specific part(s)? Explore the answers in this project. Shoots: How do Mint Plants Branch to Form New Stems?: Signals from within a cell and/or surrounding cells help determine cell growth. Discover more about how cell growth is controlled using this project. Moderate Animal Magnetism: Do Magnets Affect Regeneration in Planaria?: Human can often heal from a wound, but planaria can do something even cooler – they can regenerate! Use this project to discover if magnetic fields affect Planaria's rate of regeneration. Rad Radishes: The Effects of Radiation on Seed Germination: Radiation is one type of stress that can radically change how cells function. Investigate the effects of different doses of radiation on radish plant cells with this project. Challenging Taking Short Cuts: How Direct Reprogramming Can Transform One Type of Cell Straight into Another.: Scientists are finding ways to reprogram one type of adult cell in to another. This project will help you explore how they are doing it. Exploring DNA Damage: What Effect Do Ultraviolet Rays Have on Yeast Colony Growth?: A cell's ability to live, grow, and replicate can be affected by a number of things including the environment. Investigate the affects of one type of environmental damage, UV radiation, with this project.

How Science Buddies Can Help

The following table highlights some of the core resources and offerings on the Science Buddies website and identifies whether these resources are useful for students, teachers, or parents. We encourage you to browse the Science Buddies website, but we hope this chart helps guide you as you begin the process.

Special Resources for First-time Science Projects

The two most challenging things about completing a first-time science project are: picking a topic and understanding all the different parts of a science project (e.g., the question, hypothesis, variables). Science Buddies helps solve the first challenge by encouraging use of the Topic Selection Wizard to help find a suitable project. The following Science Buddies resources help students and teachers overcome the second challenge:

• Project Guide: the guide helps break down and explain to students each and every part of a science or engineering project.
• Teacher's Guide to Science Projects: the guide walks teachers through how to explain and organize science project materials for students and parents.