Breaking Down Barriers

Supporting Community Engagement and Effective Science Communication

Over the years, NCSE has developed and field-tested many climate change and evolution activities, from The Evolution of the Flu to Rising Tides. They’ve been used effectively across the country, engaging thousands of participants to help them overcome misconceptions and misinformation they may have about evolution and climate change. Detailed descriptions of each activity are available online, including how-to videos and resource lists. (Note: You are responsible for purchasing any necessary materials beyond what is downloadable. We strive to make the materials as affordable and accessible as possible.)

March 26, 2020
Activity Kit
Bioluminescence
In this fun and illuminating activity, participants learn that the ocean presents a strong selective environment for bioluminescence — a trait that has evolved in the oceans over 40 t
Child at home
March 19, 2020
Article
Climate activities for at-home learning
Due to the spread of coronavirus, millions of parents and guardians are finding themselves having to take on the role of parent and teacher this spring.
March 13, 2020
Activity Kit
To Lose a Tooth
Designed primarily for learners ages eight and older, To Lose A Tooth presents an evolutionary puzzle focused on human teeth. Participants will explore how natural selection, sexual selection, gene flow, and isolation result in genetic diversity.
Woman looking at a computer, chewing pencil
February 13, 2020
Article
How to (productively) discuss climate change online
It took less than five minutes to destroy my YouTube recommendations.
January 29, 2020
Activity Kit
EcoStax
Climate change affects ecosystems in multiple ways.
January 7, 2020
Activity Kit
Journey to Flight
Dinosaurs, pterosaurs, birds, oh my! Explore the evolution of flight with a phylogenetic tree of prehistoric and living creatures. Use character-trait observations and DNA sequences as evidence to re-create the tree and solve the mystery.
December 5, 2019
Activity Kit
In Case of Cellulose
In Case of Cellulose dives into the digestive tracts of four species - human, panda, horse and cow; and explores how cellulose is digested differently.
October 21, 2019
Activity Kit
Geology Park
Misconceptions about evolution are addressed in Geology Park as participants must travel a scaled model of deep time. In addition to exploring the radiations of important phylogenetic groups, participants can also collect data useful in reconstructing the past.
Ear bones
October 18, 2019
Article
The Evolution of Hearing
Mammals exhibit remarkable variety in their sense of hearing; from elephants communicating with infrasonic sounds to bats navigating their environment through echolocation calls at ultrasonic frequencies, many non-human mammals hear outside the typical human hearing range.
September 27, 2019
Activity Kit
Climate Change in my Community: Changes in Precipitation–Climatograms of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
This project uses Climatograms to determine change in precipitation over the last 100 years, using Pittsburgh, PA as a reference point. Participants pick a time point and build the precipitation for that year using counting cubes.
September 27, 2019
Activity Kit
Climate Change in my Community: Climate Change on File, Trees as Environmental Secretaries
The activity, Climate Change on File: Trees as Environmental Secretaries, by NCSE Graduate Student Outreach Fellow Taryn Dunivant describes many environmental conditions that trees rely on and face and how they become recorded in their wood.
September 5, 2019
Activity Kit
Climate Change in my Community: Shrinking Glaciers: Why We’re Losing Ice and Why It Matters
Choose from three modular activities, developed by NCSE Graduate Student Outreach Fellow Meera Sethi, to achieve linked learning goals. In the first, historic vs. contemporary photos of the same glaciers dramatically illustrate the retreat of mountain ice.
September 4, 2019
Activity Kit
Climate Change in my Community: West Nile Virus Climate-Health Awareness Emoji Activity
Engage in a climate-health discussion focused on the spread of West Nile virus, transmitted by mosquitoes which flourish during the warmer, wetter conditions brought about by climate change.
August 28, 2019
Activity Kit
Climate Change in my Community: Flash Floods and our Changing Climate
As the climate continues to change, we see changes to the hydrologic cycle occurring worldwide.
August 16, 2019
Activity Kit
Buzz Off!
Mosquito populations are predicted to extend their ranges to new areas as a result of climate change. This brings about concerns for the spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, and West Nile.

Become a DIYSci Affiliate

DIYSci Affiliates (formerly Science Booster Clubs) lead science activities in communities that may not have strong connections to science learning opportunities. Run by local volunteers, DIYSci Affiliates hold activities in publicly accessible places, such as libraries, farmers’ markets, and community centers. DIYSci Affiliates can make use of fully stocked activity kits sent quarterly by NCSE, as well as any of the materials available for download on this page. Love science and communicating science with kids? Then consider organizing a DIYSci Affiliate.

Learn More

National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, EIN 11-2656357. NCSE is supported by individuals, foundations, and scientific societies. Review our annual audited financial statements and IRS 990 forms at GuideStar.

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