7th Grade Extra Credit Articles
Living Systems Articles
Next Cure? Stem cell research is on the cutting edge of medical technology. What exactly are stem cells? How can they be used? Why are they controversial? This article outlines the basics behind the issue.
Separating Sisters Over 10 years ago, the world watched as a complicate medical drama unfolded. Two sisters, joined at the top of the head were separated in a marathon surgery. This article outlines how it was done.
Impossible Victory What makes the best race horse? Believe it or not, there are significant differences in the organs of leading racehorses compared to an ordinary horse. Read this article to find our more about how organ systems work together to create a champion.
Learning from Bears In order to hibernate, the organs in a bear's body must function in special ways. Learn more about how bears survive the hibernation process and what we can learn from them in order to treat human diseases.
Earth's Internal Processes Articles
Island of Fire Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is one of the largest and most active in the world. Marie Edmonds who studies the processes that make this volcano work and the materials it produces as it erupts.
Disaster in Japan In 2011, a massive earthquake off the initiated a large tsunami that devastated Japan. Why does Japan have so many earthquakes? Why did this earthquake cause a tsunami? Read this article to find out.
America's Most Dangerous Volcano Mt. Rainier, in Washington State, is often referred to as the most dangerous volcano in America. This article discussses what makes it such a threat and what would happen if it erupted.
Waiting for the Big One The San Andreas Fault is world famous. It could also be making California a ticking time bomb when it comes to earthquakes.
Genetics and Adaptations
Spirit Bears Ghostly bears roam the forests of British Columbia. Trek to a cool rainforest in Canada to discover the world of these rare, genetically unique bears.
Bananas Split The banana might soon become an endangered species and slip away. Check out what is threatening this popular fruit.
Pooch Pedigree Where are some of America's oldest dog breeds from? Check out how scientists have tracked the ancestry of breeds using their DNA.
Eye to Eye Predator or prey? The shape of your pupil may give it away! This article discusses how the structure of an animal's eye relates to its function.
Future Jocks Genetic engineering can unlock the door to many medical miracles. It could also pave the way for some seriously controversial athletic advantages. This article discusses how.
Earth's External Processes Articles
Cemetery Science A lot can be learned from old gravestones. Find out how scientists measure air pollution by measuring the weathering effect of acids in the air.
World's Wonders Worn Down? All rocks can be victims to the natural processes of weathering and erosion, including the rocks that make up historical sites. This article describes how.
Facing the Cliffs Expert rock climbers discuss the challenges faced when scaling famous climbing routes made of various rock types.
Rockhounds Like to collect rocks and minerals? This article gets into the details of how to identify your finds and what to do with them.
Trapped in Time What can a bug trapped in amber tell us about the past of entire continents? Read this article to find out.
Adaptations Over Time Articles
Feathery Find When scientists discovered a massive fossil field in China, they had no idea the treasure trove they had unearthed. This article talks about the fossils found and what we can learn from them about life of the past.
T. Rex Brought Back to Life Learn more about the time of dinosaurs as you read this article about one of the most complete T. Rex skeletons found. Find out what it takes to unearth an entire skeleton and what we can learn from such fossils.
Barely Evolved Most species change quite a bit over time while some hardly change at all. This article discusses four species that have barely changed over millions of years.
Forces and Motion Articles
Freefall Skydiving without a parachute? This stunt man made history by doing it. Find out how in this article.
Fast Track Maglev trains are the fastest trains in the world. This article explains how, using magnets, engineers have designed trains that have reduced friction and zoom along rails at astounding speeds.
Air Force What does it take to be a successful ski jumper? Well, you have to know a lot about how to use forces like drag and gravity. This article explains how ski jumping works and how olympians train to be better.
Galactic Showdown What is a black hole? What happens when something gets sucked into one? This article discusses a collision of epic proportions that may help answer those questions.