Exploring Products - Sunblock activity components like the construction paper, swabs, and sunblock.

Health and Medicine

A compilation of health and medicine public engagement resources. These resources may be useful for incorporating into annual events such as World Health Day, DNA Day, Mosquito Awareness campaigns, and events focused on human health.

Mosquitoes

Mosquito up close on human hand

Should We Engineer the Mosquito? Forum

Building with Biology public forum where participants discuss whether the mosquito should be genetically engineered.
Advertisement featuring a hand holding a phone with a colorful app being displayed

Globe Observer App

This citizen science tool allows people to observe and submit observations about Clouds, Mosquito Habitat Mapper, Land Cover and Trees.

Clean Air and Water

An illustration of water on a hydrophobic surface. The water forms perfect spheres.

Water

A compilation of water public engagement resources and activities; topics include water quality, pollution, supply, hydrological cycle, oceans, properties at the small scale including hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, bubbles, ice, and clouds. Also included are resources for annual events including Groundwater Awareness Week, World Water Day, Earth Day, World Oceans Day, National Pollution Prevention Week, Coastal Cleanup Day, Earth Science Week, and Imagine a Day Without Water.
NASA Satellite photo of the Korean peninsula

Air Quality

A compilation of educational resources and activities about air, air quality, and pollution.
Half of the blue marble for Earth Day hero

Earth Day

A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the Earth, Earth Day, and Earth science. Resources can be used for celebrating Earth Day April 22, Earth Week, and Earth Month.
Cumulonimbus cloud over Africa

Climate & Weather

A compilation of climate and weather public engagement and professional learning resources for informal science educators.

Genetic Engineering DNA

Two children extracting visible DNA from wheat germ in Building with Biology kit

Genetics

A compilation of resources about genetics including DNA, genes, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology. These resources may be useful for incorporating into annual events such as DNA Day and events focused on human health, genetics, and biology.
Building with Biology Rewriting the Human Genome forum logo

Editing Our Evolution: Rewriting the Human Genome Forum

Building with Biology public forum where participants discuss the future of human genome editing and its societal implications.
Should We Edit the Genome title slide

Should We Edit the Genome? forum

Building with Biology public forum where participants discuss CRISPR technology used to precisely edit DNA, and if we should.
Facilitators and learners building a VirEx delivery container with crafting supplies

Building with Biology: VirEx Delivery

In this activity, learners explore the potential for engineered viruses to deliver beneficial, targeted genetic information to sites throughout the body.
Children exploring Building with Biology DNA activity using pipette

Exploring Structures - DNA

In this activity, learners create a necklace of wheat germ DNA to explore self-assembly
learners and facilitator extract sample with pipette

Building with Biology: See DNA

In this activity focused on synthetic biology, learners extract visible DNA from wheat germ and create necklaces to display their own sample of wheat germ DNA.

Nanotechnology and Health

Nanomedicine Explorer Website and Videos

The Nanomedicine Explorer is an interactive, bilingual, multimedia program and website with a standalone 3-minute intro video.
What is Nanomedicine video and interactive graphic

Nanomedicine in Healthcare Forum

In this forum, learners explore nanotechnology-enabled medical technologies and their potential to transform health care, while considering the societal, ethical, environmental and economic impacts of this emerging technology.
Exploring Products - Sunblock activity components like the construction paper, swabs, and sunblock.

Exploring Products - Sunblock

In this activity, learners compare sunblock containing nanoparticles to ointment.
Presenter with a UV meter

A Little Bit of Sunshine

In this O Wow Moments video, Mr. O compares sunblock containing nanoparticles to ointment.
Components in NanoDays sunblock activity including sunscreen and black paper.

Invisible Sunblock

In this activity, learners compare nano and non-nano sunblock products to discover the effect of particle size on visibility.
Water being poured into a Glass - iStock photo

Cleaning Our Water with Nanotechnology

In this stage presentation, learners experience demonstrations about how we can make contaminated water safe to drink using a variety of technologies.
Educator on stage showing nano pants hydrophobic properties

Nanotech and Consumer Products

In this stage presentation, learners consider the potential environmental and health risks of using nanotechnology in consumer products.
Title card of the video showing Dr. Mauro Ferrari

Battling Cancer with Nanotechnology Video

In this 6-minute video, Dr. Mauro Ferrari presents his research on cancer nanomedicine.
Scientists pointing to a screen with medical imagining

Stealth Imaging with Iron Nanoparticles Video

In this 5-minute video, Drs. Weissleder and Harisinghani talk about their efforts to improve medical imaging with nanoparticles.

Zapping Tumors with Gold Nanoshells Video

In this 9-minute video, Drs. Halas and West talks about their nanomedicine-based approaches to cancer treatment.
stock image of bars of gold

Treating Tumors with Gold

In this stage presentation, learners hear about a potential nanotechnology treatment that could kill tumor cells before considering questions about future targeted cancer therapies.
Image of a brain taken by a MRI

Cognitive Enhancement Teen Role Play Forum

In this forum, learners grapple with the implications of two different future technologies that would enhance one's cognitive ability.
Blue logo for online workshop recordings

Online Workshop Recording: Nano Brown-Bag: Nano Show and Tell: Nano in Consumer Products

Online professional development workshop recording (2013).
Museum educator demonstrates biobarcodes hands-on activity

Biobarcodes: Antibodies and nanosensors

In this activity, learns explore antibodies and a nanomedical technology called Biobarcodes by assembling a jigsaw puzzle model.
A wire being encircled by a much smaller wire.

Short Articles on topics in Nanotechnology

This collection of short articles features various topics in the field of nanotechnology.
Facilitator showing a spring toy prop from the presentation

Making Molecular Movies with QSTORM

In this stage presentation, learners are introduced to an interdisciplinary research project making advances in biological imaging.

Brain and Neuroscience

stylized brain and network graphic

Brain and Neuroscience

A collection of public engagement and professional development resources about the brain, neuroscience, and neuro-ethics. Also included are resources for annual events including Brain Awareness Week, World Brain Day, Mental Wellness Month, and more public engagement events.

Viruses and Vaccines

COVID vaccine vial in gloved hand Photo by Hakan Nural

Vaccine Museum Resources

A compilation of vaccine resources for museums that include science communication approaches and public engagement strategies that apply to discussions about most viruses and vaccines.
Coronavirus COVID-19 image from CDC

Coronavirus COVID-19 Resources

A compilation of resources for Coronavirus COVID-19 for museums and informal science education institutions including safety practices, closures, digital engagement, evaluation resources, and more.

Nanomedicine Exhibits

Image of a large interactive exhibit that features a display monitor connected to a hands-on rotating patient chart that allows guests to pretend to pipette a blood sample onto a microscope slide enhanced with nanotechnology

Detecting Disease exhibit

An exhibit that was part of the Nanotechnology: What's the Big Deal? exhibition that introduces new ways of diagnosing and monitoring disease by using nanomaterials.
Large interactive orange and blue exhibit with a large diagram of an organ and an interactive touchscreen display

Treating Disease exhibit

An exhibit that was part of the Nanotechnology: What's the Big Deal? exhibition that is about cutting-edge medical treatments that are being developed with nanotechnology.
Viewing the Regenerating Tissue exhibit from the left

Regenerating Tissues exhibit

An exhibit that was part of the Nanotechnology: What's the Big Deal? exhibition that shows how nanomaterials are able to form tiny structures called nanoscaffolds that help the body repair damaged muscle, bone, and nerve tissues.
a young learner uses the Nanomedicine Exhibit, where a video plays on a computer monitor

Nanomedicine Explorer Kiosk exhibit

An exhibit that was part of the Nanotechnology: What's the Big Deal? exhibition that is an interactive, updateable multimedia kiosk and media package, that is also available as a component of the Nanomedicine Exhibition.
What is Nanomedicine video and interactive graphic

Intro to Nanomedicine video

An exhibit that was part of the Nanotechnology: What's the Big Deal? exhibition that is the introductory component for the Nanomedicine exhibit package; but the video on it's own is also an informative stand-alone media piece for other uses.
blue and orange nanotechnology "whats the big deal" exhibition logo

Nanotechnology: What's the Big Deal? exhibition

The Nanotechnology: What's the Big Deal? exhibition is a large, traveling exhibition that engages visitors about nanotechnology, the science behind it, potential societal impacts, and the many ways it will improve sciences like biology, medicine, and material science.

Annual Events

World Health Day (April 7) / National Public Health Week (first week in April)

DNA Day (April 25)

World Malaria Day (April 25)


National Mosquito Control Awareness Week  - Fight the Bite (last full week in June)
World Mosquito Day (August 20)

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month (May)

More Resources

Working with STEM Experts Guide cover including an image of expert puring a liquid and using a strainer with a girl and her family at a museum public event

Finding STEM Experts