We start the course by looking far beyond Earth to find what may be common between kitchen foods and Jupiter's Moon Europa. Then we grow bean shoots, look at cell organelles of gazpacho soup under the microscope, and find out how plants grow in health and disease. We use Legos and spinach to learn about photosynthesis, then work out the genetics of Honeycrisp apples, peas, and mustard using an online game.

We dig into the structure and function of DNA, and how variation is introduced in genetions of organisms. We develop our investigating superpower by analyzing at a series of whale fossils over time including Ambulocetus, the walking whale. We build a cladogram (family tree) using DNA sequences, and we explore life's amazing diversity over Earth's history.  We build our explaining superpowers with the case study of Rock Pocket Mice of the Sonoran Desert, CA, whose fur coat changed color after volanic ash covered their environment.

The first part of this unit explores how we can engineer DNA selectively or artificially. We learn how bacteria and viruses can be used to insert genes in other organisms to cure genetic disorders and create medicines such as insulin. We perform a DNA fingerprinting lab using household materials, and solve a kitten paternity question. The second part of this unit explores the engineering of our own bodies, focusing on the nervous system and the cardiovascular system. 

We explore the diversity of the ecosystems around our homes and parks using an iNaturalist & National Geographic mapping system. We visit US biomes using 360 VR. We build living bottle ecosystemsn to see how matter cycles. We explore cellular respiration as we grow and weigh caterpillars as they develop into butterflies, to see energy transfer. We look at ecosystem interactions in a Borneo case study to explain why parachuting cats were used to fix a problem caused by DDT insecticide. We wrap up by awarding students with the 8 Superpower Badges earned during the course.