Nanoparticles: Benefits and Health Risks

These lessons were developed with funding from Science Education Partnership Award R25RR023285 from the NIH National Center for Research Resources.

Nano Benefits

Students use Internet research to create a "4-square" poster to inform others about the benefits of current or potential uses of nanoparticles.

Nano Benefits Teacher Guide
Nano Benefits Teacher Guide
Nano Benefits Student Guide
Nano Benefits Student Guide

Nano Ecology

Students use information about ecosystem research to model how biological magnification results when nanoparticles flow through a food chain.

Nano Ecology Teacher Guide
Nano Ecology Teacher Guide
Nano Ecology Student Guide
Nano Ecology Student Guide

Nano Particles

Activities illustrate the relationships among size, surface area, particle numbers, and diffusion. Students consider the ability of nanoparticles to enter and move throughout the body.

Nano Particles Teacher Guide
Nano Particles Teacher Guide
Nano Particles Student Guide
Nano Particles Student Guide

Nano Risks

Students explore the answers to three questions: Where could nanoparticles enter the body? Where could nanoparticles go once in the body? What does research say about potential health risks of nanotechnology.

Nano Risks Teacher Guide
Nano Risks Teacher Guide
Nano Risks Student Guide
Nano Risks Student Guide

Nano Scale

Students create a "super-sized" nanometer ruler. They compare Health Risks the sizes of nanoparticles and cell structures.

Nano Scale Teacher Guide
Nano Scale Teacher Guide
Nano Scale Student Guide
Nano Scale Student Guide

Nano Silver

Are silver nanoparticles harmful? Students design and conduct a nanotoxicology experiment using seeds as model organisms.

Nano Silver Teacher Guide
Nano Silver Teacher Guide
Nano Silver Student Guide
Nano Silver Student Guide

Nano Survey

Conduct a survey to determine whether people feel the risks of Health Risks nanotechnology outweighs the benefits. Read different articles on nanotechnology then discuss biases in the articles.

Nano Survey Teacher Guide
Nano Survey Teacher Guide
Nano Survey Student Guide
Nano Survey Student Guide

Nanoproducts: Benefits and Risks

Students weigh the benefits and risks of using sunscreens that contain nanoparticles. They propose actions that people might take when risks are poorly understood.

Nanoproducts Teacher Guide
Nanoproducts Teacher Guide
Nanoproducts Student Guide
Nanoproducts Student Guide

Nanotoxicology

Students conduct simulated research on the effects of nanoparticles: epidemiology studies, human studies, animal studies, and in vitro studies.

Nanotoxicology Teacher Guide
Nanotoxicology Teacher Guide
Nanotoxicology Student Guide
Nanotoxicology Student Guide