This demo comes from Flinn Scientific. Flinn provides a Chem Fax! service, which are free demos that Flinn emails you. This demo demonstrates the changing color of an indicator when pH changes. Here is the procedure:

1. 100 ml of a 0.1 M NaOH solution is added to 350 ml of distilled water in a 500 ml graduated cylinder.
2. 10 ml of universal indicator solution is added, which turns the solution dark purple, indicating a highly basic solution.
3. An Alka-Seltzer tablet is added, which results in carbon dioxide bubble being produced. The carbon dioxide gas causes carbonic acid production, thus lowering the pH (more acidic). The solution starts turning green, then to yellow.
4. When the Alka-Seltzer tablet rises to the top (due to the attached carbon dioxide gas bubbles lowering the tablet’s density), add 10 ml of vinegar to the solution. This will cause a bright red color to be produced at the top, indicating high acidity (low pH).

This demo demonstrates that yeast do cellular respiration. When sugar (glucose) and oxygen are present, yeast mitochondria will make those chemicals react and release energy as well as the products water and carbon dioxide. Bromothymol blue solution will change to yellow in the presence of carbon dioxide. If there is no more oxygen, then yeast cells will shift to fermentation.

Protein synthesis is the process that the cell goes through to make a protein from the information stored in the DNA. The video below shows a demonstration that you can do in your classroom to show how protein synthesis works. This demonstration emphasizes the following points:

1. DNA contains the information to make a specific protein.
2. The DNA is in the nucleus of the cell.
3. The DNA cannot leave the nucleus.
4. The ribosomes make the protein from the information.
5. The ribosomes are in the cytoplasm and cannot go into the nucleus.

The metaphor that I use in class is that the DNA is like a series of recipe books in the library. These books cannot be checked out/taken out of the library. The only way to get the information that is in the books out of the library is to make a copy. mRNA is the copy of the information that can leave the nucleus and go into the cytoplasm so that the ribosome can read and make the protein. Watch the video to see how it comes all together.

Teaching tips: Place the amino acids around the classroom (cytoplasm). Assign students to be specific tRNA’s. They will get the specific amino acid and bring it to the ribosome for you.



Acceleration is the change in velocity over time. Velocity changes when speed, direction, or both changes. Anyone can build a simple accelerometer. The video below shows how to build an accelerometer and how to use it.

Teaching how the eyeball works usually involves showing diagrams of the eyeball and showing how light passes through the lens. Science teachers can also use Jello to make lenses that will show laser light refraction.  I tried that and had disastrous results.  I started to play around with mixing baby powder (mostly cornstarch) with red food coloring and water.  I was quite pleased with the results.  Go ahead and watch the video below to see what happens.