National Institutes of Health
Turning Discovery Into Health

Advancing Secondary Science Education through Tetrahymena (ASSET)​

ASSE​T provides education materials that stimulate hands-on, inquiry-based learning of biology. Each lab module features living Tetrahymena, a single-celled protozoan that’s safe and easy to grow and work with. Students cultivate samples of this organism in lab exercises to learn about topics such as chemotaxis, microevolution, organelle growth and regeneration, and effects of vaping. Downloadable teacher guides and student activity sheets are also available.

Grades: elementary through high school
Produced by: Cornell University (SEPA funded)​​​

​Alcohol and Your Brain: A Virtual Reality Experience​

This immersive interactive teaches teens about alcohol’s effects on five areas of the human brain. It simulates a rollercoaster ride weaving and bobbing its way through the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Students can control the rail car and pause at stations to learn about these key brain regions affected by alcohol—and how the substance, in turn, affects behavior. Educators and students can access Alcohol and Your Brain in two ways: 1.) a free virtual reality (VR) version for those ages 13+ with access to Quest, Quest 2, or Meta Quest Pro VR headsets, or 2.) a free video or audio-described version.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Alzheimer’s and Aging​ Resources for Students

This webpage provides easy-to-read materials, articles, and fact sheets on Alzheimer’s and related dementias, and on caregiving, aging, and issues related to older adults. Visitors can also learn about internships at the National Institute on Aging and NIH.

Grades: high school
Produced by: National Institute on Aging​​

BiblioTech CityHacks: In Search of Sleep​

How much sleep should you get? What happens when you're sleeping? What happens if you don't get enough sleep? In this interactive reading experience about sleep, circadian rhythms, and health, students help a young girl answer these questions so she can convince her mom to let her stay up late for CityHacks, a cool coding club that she wants to join.
See other sleep curriculum from The Partnership in Education.

Grades: 4-6
Produced by: The Partnership in Education, Duquesne University (SEPA funded)​

BiblioTech REBOUND: Beating Concussions

In this interactive reading experience about concussions, sports, and brain health, students travel along as a BMX-rider uncovers the truth about concussions to help his twin sister get back on the basketball court.

Grades: 4-6
Produced by: The Partnership in Education, Duquesne University (SEPA funded)​​

Biology of Human​

Biology of Human helps students and the public better understand advances in biomedical research relating to human biology. This program seeks to increase awareness of and interest in new biomedical research developments, and their importance to people's health and communities. Resources include comic books, activities, lessons, and other curricula with accompanying teaching guides, videos, and additional learning materials.

Grades: middle through high school
Produced by: University of Nebraska, Lincoln (SEPA funded)​​

Biomedical Beat Educator’s Corner

With this free resource, educators can build on existing NIH STEM content through the integration of supplemental material in Biomedical Beat blog posts. The Educator’s Corner is intended to give teachers additional tools to use in lesson plans.

BrainU: Neuroscience Resources​​

Students learn neuroscience concepts with materials that include lesson plans, handouts, activities, and videos. Lesson support and other teacher resources are also provided.

Grades: elementary through high school
Produced by: University of Minnesota Twin Cities (SEPA funded)​

Cannabis: The Facts You Need to Know​

This curriculum informs students about cannabis, including its use as medicine, an explanation of CBD (cannabidiol), and the short- and long-term health effects of cannabis use, such as memory problems and addiction. Materials include a student article, lesson plan, teacher’s guide, and interactive.

Grades: 6-12
Produced by: National Institute on Drug Abuse and Scholastic, Inc.​

Cell Size and Scale

This interactive from Learn.Genetics helps put the size of many biological structures in context. Students can zoom in from the scale of a coffee bean all the way down to a carbon atom. Along the way, they also see bacteria, a range of human cells, a chromosome, a flu virus, and more.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: Genetic Science Learning Center, University of Utah (SEPA funded)​​​​

Charles Darwin Synthetic Review

In this free interactive experience, students learn about Charles Darwin, the naturalist, geologist, and leading contributor to the fundamental principles of evolution. Students select from a list of questions to ask a virtual Darwin and receive insight into various topics.
See other evolution curriculum from The Partnership in Education.

Grades: middle school through grade 9
Produced by: The Partnership in Education, Duquesne University (SEPA funded)​​​

Climate Change and Human Health Lesson Plans​

These climate and health learning modules are for a variety of student audiences to explore the health impacts of climate change both in the United States and globally. Materials are suitable to teach high school courses on earth, life, and environmental sciences; history; geography; health care; or social studies. The lesson plans challenge students to consider the complex interactions between environmental health and human health and encourages them to improve their communities and design interventions to enhance climate resilience. Students also learn more about disease prevention, such as how to eliminate breeding sites for mosquitoes and how vectors—and the health risks they present in their community—may change as the climate does. Some lessons are also available in Spanish.

Grades: high school
Produced by: National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences​​

​Dangerous Decibels Educator Resource Guide

Dermis Defense Game​

Players of this interactive follow a typical teen named Benji to help him beat his acne breakouts and learn about the immune system. Features include colorful, comic-style storytelling; scientific content about the immune system and its functions; challenging and fun gameplay; and links to supplementary reading materials about the immune system.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: The Partnership in Education, Duquesne University (SEPA funded)​​

Digital Shareables on Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Resources that educators and others can use to raise awareness about the importance of child and adolescent mental health. Includes graphics and social media messages, videos, and educational resources.

DIY Human Body

Families and educators investigate and learn about the human body at home, at school, or anywhere with 13 easy-to-use, hands-on activities, plus videos and more. This resource is from the PlayPads project and is available in English and Spanish.

Grades: elementary and middle school
Produced by: University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Hall of Science, in partnership with University of California, San Francisco, Benioff Children’s Hospital (SEPA funded)​​

DNA Extraction​

In this virtual laboratory from Learn.Genetics, students learn about some uses of DNA extraction. They also perform a cheek swab and extract DNA from human cells.
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Grades: high school
Produced by: Genetic Science Learning Center, University of Utah (SEPA funded)​​

Dr. Allevable’s Lab

This mobile app for iOS and Android devices provides games that explore topics related to regenerative medicine. Students become super scientists who learn about topics such as stem cells, growth factors, and regenerative medicine technologies.

Students can also check out Dr. Allevable's laboratory and meet her friend Regenerobot in animated videos.

Grade: 5-9
Produced by: The Partnership in Education, Duquesne University (SEPA funded)​

​Federal Partner Resources

​In addition to NIH, many federal agencies provide STEM education resources. Check out the offerings our federal partners, such as NASA, NOAA, the Smithsonian Institute, and more.

​Grades: elementary through high school
Produced by: U.S. Federal Government

FoodMASTER​

FoodMASTER (Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource) is a compilation of hands-on and virtual programs that use food to teach math and science skills. Subjects include biology, chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, and health, as well as math concepts such as numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, and problem-solving.

Grades: elementary through high school
Produced by: Northern Illinois University (SEPA funded)​​

Genetics

This reading resource introduces the subject of genetics, including details about scientist Gregor Mendel’s work, an overview of DNA, videos on Punnett squares, and illustrative examples of pedigree charts.

Grades: high school
Produced by: The Partnership in Education, Duquesne University (SEPA funded)​​​

Get Excited About the Brain!​

This science education activity book helps kids learn facts about the brain through games and puzzles about brain science and research.

Grades: elementary and middle school
Produced by: National Institute of Mental Health​​​

Health In Our Hands Curriculum​​

Health in Our Hands teaches students to investigate critical community health concerns and use real-world contexts to appreciate the importance of both genetic and environmental factors in their risk for disease. The middle school curriculum consists of two units that focus on gene-environment interactions and natural selection through two subjects: Type 2 diabetes and substance use disorder. The high school curriculum consists of two units that focus on concepts in molecular genetics, genomics, and evolution through exploring variation in monkeyflowers and in skin color, among other topics related to human health.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: Create for STEM Institute at Michigan State University in collaboration with the Health in Our Hands-Flint/Genesee Partnership (SEPA funded)

​Health Quest

Health Quest focuses on engaging student interest in health science careers. Middle school students learn about various c​areer paths through career videos​ and role model interviews from biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research health professionals. The program also includes a narrative-driven health sciences adventure game, where students choose a science field and then embark on a mission to help solve a scientific problem or answer a critical research question. Teachers can request the tools and resources​ needed to implement Health Quest in their classrooms.

Grades: middle school
Produced by: North Carolina State University and University of California San Francisco (SEPA funded)

Heartbeat: A Mindfulness Exercise to Calm Your Emotions

This mindfulness exercise video can help to calm overwhelming emotions and the racing heartbeat associated with them. The activity doesn't require any materials and takes just a few minutes for students to complete.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: The Partnership in Education, Duquesne University (SEPA funded)​​

How Does the Human Body Produce Voice and Speech?​

How do we produce voice and speech? This animated video explains the processes of breathing, voicing, and speaking. It shows the sequential movements within the body that allow us to create voice and speech, starting with breathing.

Grades: 9-12
Produced by:​ ​​National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

How We Grow

Students learn about how different living things grow and develop through the story of a student who has to write an essay for his science class. The essay is on growth and development, but he just doesn’t understand what’s interesting about how we grow. That is, until his room starts to come to life.
See other cell and growth curriculum from The Partnership in Education.

Grades: 5-8
Produced by: The Partnership in Education, Duquesne University (SEPA funded)​​

I Got This

This interactive, first-person, educational story from the PlayPads project follows a young teenage girl who discovers that she has type 2 diabetes. Told in a real-world setting, this app focuses on the symptoms, remediation, and social aspects of the disease.

Grades: elementary and middle school
Produced by: University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Hall of Science, in partnership with University of California, San Francisco, Benioff Children’s Hospital (SEPA funded)​​

Is This Legit? Accessing Valid and Reliable Health Information

Health literacy can play a role in how teens interpret messages about alcohol and other substances, and can shape their expectations about what may happen if they consume drugs and alcohol. This new lesson plan helps high school students apply skills in analyzing, evaluating, and comparing different sources of health information to empower them to reject misinformation and make choices to access content that is evidence-based and supports their overall health and well-being.

Grades: high school
Produced by: National Institute on Drug Abuse​

It’s a Noisy Planet. Protect Their Hearing.​

The Noisy Planet’s teacher toolkit helps educators teach preteens about the causes and prevention of noise-induced hearing loss. It provides easy-to-use resources and step-by-step instructions for fun activities. This toolkit builds on the success of the Noisy Planet team’s classroom presentations at Washington, D.C., metropolitan area schools and offers key resources and tools to teachers, school nurses, and other educators across the country.

Grades: middle school
Produced by: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders​​

Journey of Sound to the Brain​

How does our sense of hearing work? Travel to the tune of a trumpet and explore sound’s journey through the ear and to the brain. The Journey of Sound to the Brain video provides a step-by-step explanation of the complex hearing process, which involves many parts of the ear working together to convert sound waves into information the brain understands and interprets as sounds.

Grades: middle school
Produced by: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders​​​​

Kahoot! Quizzes

These quizzes engage students in fun and interactive competition as they learn about various science-related subjects. Topics include circadian rhythms, superbugs, and the science of drug addiction. (Note: To access the quizzes, create a free account and log in. Then this link​ will direct you to the NIH Kahoot! content.)

Grades: 6-12
Produced by: National Institutes of Health​

Kids Environment. Kids Health.​

This resource is intended for kids, parents, and teachers to find fun and educational materials related to health, science, and the environment we live in today.

Grades: elementary through high school
Produced by: National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences​​

Know the Science​

Why is it important to know the science of health? Simply put, there’s a lot of misinformation out there—from anecdotes disguised as evidence and excessive claims from supplement companies to TV doctors tou​ting the latest "miracle cure." Know the Science provides tools to help people better understand complex scientific topics that relate to health research so they can discern what they hear and read and make well-informed decisions about their health. Know the Science features a variety of materials including interactive modules, quizzes, and videos that provide engaging, straightforward content. Available in Spanish.

Grades: high school
Produced by: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health​​​

Let's Get Healthy!​

Let's Get Healthy! provides teachers and students with online access to community-specific research data generated from an education and research exhibit. These teaching resources explore different aspects of healthy choices, chronic diseases, advocacy, epigenetics, research ethics, and development, among other subjects.

Grades: elementary through high school with a focus on middle school
Produced by: Oregon Health & Science University (SEPA funded)​​

Migraine Trainer App

Migraine Trainer [PDF] is an app designed to help users ages 13+ understand possible causes of their migraines, and take a greater role in their treatment by creating an individual migraine management plan with their parents and medical team.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke​​​

Mind Matters Series

This series includes 9 booklets, each devoted to a specific drug or drug group. Free hard copies of the booklets in English are available for order, and both English and Spanish booklets are provided online as printable PDFs. The accompanying teacher’s guide, which includes background information and activities to enhance student learning, is also online in a printable PDF format.

Grades: 5-8
Produced by: National Institute on Drug Abuse​

Mobile Lab Experiences and TRIPs (Teacher-Research Institute Partnerships)
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This project creates innovative science curriculum focused on epidemiology and infectious diseases. Several formats of the Investigations in Infectious Disease curriculum are available in varying lengths to provide teaching flexibility. Each version includes teacher and student manuals, videos, and readings as appropriate. Educators must submit a request form to access the curriculum.

Grades: 7-9
Produced by: Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SEPA funded)​​

Monster Heart Medic

In this educational adventure from the PlayPads project, students explore the cardiovascular system and how healthy living affects it. They help diagnose a friendly, three-eyed monster and assist him on his path to a healthier life. Available in English and Spanish.

Grades: elementary and middle school
Produced by: University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Hall of Science, in partnership with University of California, San Francisco, Benioff Children’s Hospital (SEPA funded)​​​

NEI for Kids​

This web portal teaches kids about how their eyes work and how to keep them healthy, plus lots of fun eye facts.

Grades: elementary through high school
Produced by: National Eye Institute (NEI)​​

NIDA Lesson Plan and Activity Finder Database

Search for free lessons and activities on the science and consequences of drug use. All lessons are based on national science education standards and were developed by scientists from leading universities and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Grades: elementary through high school
Produced by: National Institute on Drug Abuse​

NIDA National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge Kahoot!​

Test teens' knowledge about drugs and drug use by taking the NIDA National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge Kahoot!

Grades: high school
Produced by: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)​

NIH BRAIN Initiative BRAIN Explorer Educational Experience

This choose-your-own-experiment educational experience is based on discoveries from real NIH BRAIN Initiative researchers! Students learn about the scientific method and the brain as they explore scientific experiments with the knowledgeable octopus, Dr. Octowise.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: National Institutes of Health (NIH)​​​

​​​​NINDS Brain Resources Page​​

This webpage provides educational resources related to brain health and function for parents, students, and teachers. These and additional educational materials can be ordered online in bulk for use in classrooms. Additional neuroscience educational videos and activities you can do at home to learn about the brain can be found on the NINDS Outreach and Science Education YouTube playlist.

Grades: high school
Produced by: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)​​​

​Nurturing My Mental and Emotional Health

Mental and emotional well-being is critical to overall health. Supporting teens in developing healthy coping skills can set them up for success in dealing with stress and challenging circumstances in the future. This activity helps promote mindfulness and teaches teens how to practice health-enhancing behaviors, which can support better management of stress and reduce the chances of exploring substance use as an alternative. Available in Spanish.

Grades: 6-12
Produced by: National Institute on Drug Abuse​

On Our Minds​ Podcast

This student-led and student-produced podcast discusses the biggest mental health challenges young people face. In each episode, two teen reporters explore stories from high schoolers of PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs that highlight the teenage experience.

Grades: high school
Produced by: PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SEPA funded)​

Our Cells, Our Selves

Travel along on a richly animated, dreamy bedtime story and explore the wonders of the immune system through the eyes of a 7-year-old who has just been diagnosed with Type 1 juvenile diabetes. See other immune system curriculum from The Partnership in Education.

Grades: 5-8
Produced by: The Partnership in Education, Duquesne University (SEPA funded)​​

Pathways: Basic Science Careers

The basic science careers unit of Pathways teaches students about basic science, its contribution to people’s health, and the interesting careers that students could pursue. Pathways provides a collection of free educational resources about basic biomedical science and research careers.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: National Institute of General Medical Sciences and Scholastic, Inc.
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Pathways: Circadian Rhythms

The circadian rhythms unit of Pathways introduces students to circadian rhythms, the “schedules” our bodies follow over the course of a day. These rhythms influence processes like hunger and the sleep-wake cycle. Pathways provides a collection of free educational resources about basic biomedical science and research careers. Be sure to check out the corresponding Kahoot! quiz.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: National Institute of General Medical Sciences and Scholastic, Inc.​

Pathways: Imaging

The imaging unit of Pathways highlights imaging tools that scientists use to peer into the microscopic world of cells and molecules. It helps students uncover how these techniques can aid researchers in learning about the body’s normal and abnormal processes and lead to more effective, targeted treatments for illness. Pathways provides a collection of free educational reso​​urces about basic biomedical science and research careers. Be sure to check out the corresponding Kahoot! quiz.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: National Institute of General Medical Sciences and Scholastic, Inc.​

Pathways: Regeneration

The regeneration unit of Pathways introduces students to the amazing world of regeneration research, ways it can improve people’s health, and the inspiring scientists who work in this fascinating field. Pathways provides a collection of free educational resources about basic biomedical science and research careers. Be sure to check out the corresponding Kahoot! quiz.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: National Institute of General Medical Sciences and Scholastic, Inc.​

Pathways: Superbugs

The superbugs unit of Pathways explores the basics of infectious diseases and drug resistance. Students uncover why some viruses and bacteria can’t be treated with drugs and how they can help prevent the spread of superbugs. Pathways provides a collection of free educational resources about basic biomedical science and r​esearch careers. Be sure to check out the corresponding Kahoot!​ quiz.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: National Institute of General Medical Sciences and Scholastic, Inc.​

Pathways: The Brain and Anesthesia

The brain and anesthesia unit of  Pathways teaches students about how scientists research the mysteries of pain. It also describes the function of anesthesia on the brain and features some anesthesiologists who study pain. Pathways provides a collection of free educational resources about basic biomedical science and research careers. Be sure to check out the corresponding Kahoot! quiz.

Pathways​: Vaccine Science 

The vaccine science unit of Pathways teaches students how COVID-19 vaccines work in the body and introduces them to scientists dedicated to vaccine research. In addition, Vice President Kamala Harris and top researchers share their insights. Pathways provides a collection of free educational resources about basic biomedical science and research careers.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: National Institute of General Medical Sciences and Scholastic, Inc.​​​​

Personal Genetics Education Project (pgED): Lesson Plans​

pgEd provides interactive lessons for educators to engage students in discussions of ethics and personal genetics. Subjects include biology, health, social studies, physical education, and psychology. All lesson plans contain background reading for teachers and students; classroom activities; discussion points; in some cases, a slide presentation or video clip; and an evaluation. Lessons can stand alone or be taught as a unit.

Grades: high school
Produced by: Department of genetics, Harvard Medical School (SEPA funded)​​​

Space Chef

This fast-paced activity from the PlayPads project provides the starting point needed to build healthy meals using simple, readily available, and nutritious ingredients. Students require quick thinking and even quicker fingers as they race against the clock to sort through an array of ingredients and construct healthy recipes.

Grades: elementary and middle school
Produced by: University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Hall of Science, in partnership with University of California, San Francisco, Benioff Children’s Hospital (SEPA funded)​​

Stress Management Resources

Life can get challenging sometimes, and it’s important for kids to develop strategies for coping with stress or anxiety. Stand Up to Stress! is a coloring and activity book for kids ages 8 to 12 to teach them about stress and anxiety and offers tips for coping in a healthy way. Stress Catcher is a fun “fortune teller” activity that offers some strategies children can practice and use to help manage stress and other difficult emotions. Video tutorials for coping with stress include Getting to Know Your Brain: Dealing with Stress and Guided Visualization: Dealing with Stress.

Grades: elementary through high school
Produced by: National Institute of Mental Health​​​

The Epigenome At a Glance​

This brief video from Learn.Genetics introduces students to the epigenome and explains how it influences DNA.

Grades: high school
Produced by: Genetic Science Learning Center, University of Utah (SEPA funded)​​​

The Great Diseases

The Great Diseases engages students with the science behind their real-world experiences. The program also aims to increase students' analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as improve their health literacy. Modules discuss subjects such as cancer, infectious diseases, neurological disorders, and COVID-19. Curriculum materials for modules include a teacher primer and lesson plans, classroom materials for each lesson, and unit assessments. Teachers must request access to download materials.

Grades: high school
Produced by: Tufts University in collaboration with Boston Public School teachers (SEPA funded)​​

The League of VetaHumanz SuperPower Shop​

The League of VetaHumanz SuperPower Shop teaches students about how veterinarians keep people and animals healthy. The Be a Veterinary Medicine SuperHero! series contains 59 short video lessons, many of which have activity sheets that can be downloaded. The This Is How We "Role" page includes a children’s e-book series in English and Spanish. It also offers an online game that explores how doctors and scientists use their superpowers to prevent and treat accidents, diseases, and other health challenges that people and their animals face. (This activity is free but requires users to set up an account.)

Grades: K-4
Produced by: Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine (SEPA funded)​​​

Ticks: How Climate Change Affects My Health

Transmission: Gone Viral​ Comic

This interactive comic tells the story of the discovery of a novel disease that spreads via mosquitos from birds to birds and infects humans as well. Students explore how scientists—disease detectives—solve this medical mystery with the help of three young “scientists." A PDF version of the comic and educator’s guide are also available.

Grades: 6-8
Produced by: New York Hall of Science (SEPA funded)​

Want to be a Bioengineer?​

Want to be a Bioengineer? is a game that introduces students to real-life examples of how bioengineers are improving people’s lives, from helping paralyzed individuals stand to regrowing fingertips and finding new ways to see inside the body. During the game, students answer a series of multiple-choice questions pertaining to subjects in rehabilitation engineering, regenerative medicine, and biomedical imaging. At the end, a score is generated based on how many questions are answered correctly.

Grades: high school
Produced by: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering​​

We Can!​

We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) is a national movement ​designed to give parents, caregivers, and entire communities a way to help children ages 8 to 13 stay at a healthy weight.

Grades: 3-8
Produced by: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute​​

You Make Me Sick Board Game

This downloadable board game is designed for two to four players who use their brains and the white blood cell “money” in their “blood bank” to fight 11 common diseases. As players move around the game board, they encounter viruses and bacteria while learning more about the immune system, vaccines, antibiotics, and steps to prevent the spread of disease such as COVID-19.

Grades: middle and high school
Produced by: The Partnership in Education, Duquesne University (SEPA funded)​​