Chasing Equilibrium

Chasing Equilibrium: Osmosis and Diffusion is a Science Unlocked Launch level curriculum kit that will help your student discover the internal conditions that keep the human body in balance. The Chasing Equilibrium curriculum kit is a fantastic experience for a young biologist or future doctor! 

In this kit, students will discover osmosis, diffusion, and homeostasis through a series of hands-on experiments, including a mammal kidney dissection. Additionally, students will understand how organ systems work together for the benefit of human health. Chasing Equilibrium comes with a full-color Student Curriculum Workbook and Teacher Guide. This kit contains activities and information that focuses on osmosis, diffusion, and maintaining homeostasis. Students will discover how passive active transport mechanisms work and why the body relies on these mechanisms for survival. As part of a special program from Home Science Tools, this Launch level kit will provide over 14 hours of knowledge, educating your student about bodily processes that keep them healthy and in a state of equilibrium. 

In this kit, the student will partake in these fun activities: 

1. Watch osmosis and diffusion occur before their eyes
2. Discover the factors that impact the rate of diffusion 
3. Test how salt impacts tonicity 
4. Learn why homeostasis is crucial to survival and the homeostatic relationship between osmosis, diffusion, and equilibrium 
5. Dissect a mammal kidney
6. Connect multiple body systems to understand how sodium flows through the body

Use "Chasing Equilibrium" to answer questions such as:

• How are osmosis and diffusion similar and different? 
• What is homeostasis and why is it important?
• What is negative feedback and how does it relate to homeostasis?
• What are the different types of blood vessels?
• How does glucose relate to blood sugar levels?
• How do kidneys impact blood pressure?
• How do materials move throughout the body?

This kit takes activities and helps students apply their learning to real life scenarios including the effects of exercise, breathing rate, heart rate, blood flow, what may affect body temperature, and the body's ability to break down and use different types of food. Students will also participate in a mammal kidney dissection, which allows students to work independently or with group members.

Our Chasing Equilibrium kit is a part of the Science Unlocked Launch series and is recommended for grades 8-12.

Interested in learning more? Check out our Student Workbook Sample and Teacher Guide Sample! 

More Information

• Safety Information (SDS)

This kit contains:

• 3 Cups
• 2 Dialysis Tubing
• 1 Dissection Tray
• 1 Mammal kidney dissection specimen
• 1 Food Coloring
• 1 Pair of Gloves
• 1 Graduated Cylinder
• 1 Pepper Packet
• 4 Rubber Bands
• 31 Salt Packets
• 1 Scalpel

You will also need:

• Scissors
• Water
• Way to boil water

• Learning outcome: Conduct a series of hands-on activities to learn the details of the mechanisms that keep your body regulated.
• NGSS science standards alignment
• HS-LS1-2 Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.
• HS-LS1-3 Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.