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Opportunities for research-based learning at the high school level are limited, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, these have been further reduced. Such opportunities are particularly scarce for authentic research experiences (AREs), which allow students to identify as scientists by collecting data that contributes to scientists’ research. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted two of our AREs for classroom settings, as remote independent research experiences for students to conduct from home. User guides and protocols from the AREs, Genotype-to-Phenotype Research with Corn and Discover Volvox Development, were adapted to instruct high school students to work on their own with the guidance of scientists and ARE coordinators. These independent authentic research experiences (IAREs) were implemented in the summer of 2020 and have since been available to students. Student responses to reflection questions and the Laboratory Course Assessment Survey indicate that IAREs provide students with significant gains including learning science content and research practices, collaborating with scientists, facing and resolving challenges, and contributing to scientific research. 

Studies on the perception of animals and plants often report that students prefer to learn more about animals than plants and usually have more difficultly noticing plants in the environment. This could impact conservation programs and initiatives, as animals are often considered more important and may be deemed worthier of conservation efforts. Providing students an opportunity to connect to plants and understand how they affect their lives is one step toward raising awareness around this issue. Compositae, also known as Asteraceae or the sunflower family, is the largest family of flowering plants, accounting for ~10% of flowering plant diversity in the world. They are present in virtually all biomes and environments and fulfill multiple ecological niches. Some members of the family are widely cultivated as crops, such as sunflower, lettuce, artichoke, and chicory; several species are grown as ornamental plants; and others are used in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry. Compositae’s presence in so many contexts make the family a good candidate for activities aiming to increase plant awareness, as several Compositae species are already present in our everyday lives. Here we present Compositae in a Crate, a teacher-guided outreach activity aimed at the 4th and 5th school grades. This crate of activities contains four different modules focusing on different aspects of the sunflower family: biodiversity, morphology, society, and genomics. Each module has different learning objectives and can be used independently from each other. A guide and different activities, such as flash cards, puzzles, and 3D models, are provided in each module. The activities will be prepared to meet the national and state of Tennessee education standards for the 4th and 5th grades. The produced crates will be available at different institutions and all materials will be made available online so other interested parties can produce their own crates.