2009 has been designated the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) because it marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s telescopic observations of the Moon and other bodies in the solar system, which challenged, and subsequently changed, the prevailing geocentric view of the universe. IYA organizers place a strong emphasis on education and the involvement of young people, for whom their goal is to provide “a year of rich astronomical experiences.” This issue of Science Scope is dedicated to helping IYA achieve that purpose.
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The ballpoint pen is an ideal example of simple engineering that we use everyday. But is it really so simple? The ballpoint pen is a remarkable combination of technology and science. Its operation uses several scientific principles related to chemistry and physics, such as properties of liquids and simple machines. They represent significant advancement in the engineering development of writing instruments. This article describes how basic engineering ideas can be integrated with properties of matter using the 5-E Learning Cycle model of inquiry pedagogy (Moyer, Hackett, and Everett 2007).
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In 1609, Galileo turned his telescope to the sky and began a series of observations that would forever change our view of our place in the universe. This year, each and every one of us has an opportunity to follow in Galileo’s footsteps by taking advantage of one of the many opportunities that the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) provides to discover the universe for ourselves, and by sharing the wonders of the universe with our students, colleagues, neighbors, friends, and families. Therefore, chart your course to the universe by using the ideas and resources highlighted in this article.
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An important goal of the current reform movement in science education is to promote scientific literacy in the United States, and scientific inquiry is at its heart. However, the National Science Education Standards clearly indicate that to promote inquiry, more emphasis should be placed on “science as argument and explanation” rather than on science as “explanation and argument.” They also call for scientific argumentation to play a more central role in the teaching and learning of science (NRC 1996). To that end, this article describes a multiple-day, inquiry-based lesson about the phases of the Moon that engages students in scientific research and argumentation.
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In the exciting, “out of this world” activity described here, students measure the Earth using meter sticks while measuring their shadows in two distant locations. To obtain the size of the Earth, students discover the connection between the measurements of the shadows and a model of the spherical Earth following the method developed by Eratosthenes. In the process, students learned about the history of science and the value of collaborating with students in an international setting, and appreciated the fact that a complex and large object such as our planet can be measured using simple geometric concepts.
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It’s almost May and review for final exams will soon be in full swing. Mother’s Day is celebrated every second Sunday in May. Have students combine their use of science vocabulary and their love for Mom by creating scientific Mother’s Day greeting cards.
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Earth and space science figure prominently in the National Science Education Standards for levels 5–8 (NRC 1996). The Earth in the Solar System standard focuses on students’ ability to understand (1) the composition of the solar system (Earth, Moon, Sun, planets with their moons, and smaller objects like asteroids and comets) and (2) that gravitational force holds us to Earth and governs movement in the solar system. With a little creativity and thought, movement can be added to lessons addressing these abstract concepts. This article provides some examples found especially useful by students and teachers in the lower-middle-level grades.
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The Chemical Hygiene Officer's (CHO) role is absolutely critical in fostering and ensuring both chemical hygiene practices and the chemical hygiene plan. OSHA defines the Chemical Hygiene Officer as an “employee who is designated by the employer, and who is qualified by training or experience, to provide technical guidance in the development and implementation of the provisions of the Chemical Hygiene Plan.” The CHO position is also essential in helping to facilitate the safeguards put in place as part of the chemical hygiene plan to protect both the teacher and students.
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During April and May, the innermost planet, Mercury, will have its greatest apparition (morning or evening viewing opportunity) for the year as it graces the evening skies over the western horizon after sunset. Considering that Mercury, the fastest-orbiting planet, is typically only visible for a couple of weeks at each apparition (morning or evening), what is it that determines that one will be better than another? The answer, as they say in the real estate business, is location, location, location. By regularly observing the planet’s orbital motion, it becomes apparent why it is all about location.
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Some of the most difficult concepts for students to understand in Earth science are the ideas and explanations related to the Sun and seasons. The daily rotation of the Earth causes day and night, and the differences of how it is observed at different locations on Earth is a concept that is a challenge for many middle-school-age students to grasp. This article describes how to present these ideas to students using an international perspective and integrated approach that includes myth, archaeology, culture, and science.
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Following in the footsteps of YouTube, TeacherTube is a website where teachers can access a trove of videos that can be used in the classroom to improve instruction. The inclusion of YouTube as a venue in the presidential debates of 2008 has brought a level of legitimacy and recognition to this kind of electronic meeting place, and TeacherTube is similarly being acknowledged as a rich web resource of particular interest to science teachers. This article describes how to you can utilize TeacherTube in your science classroom, and explains how you can contribute to the collection with a video of your own.
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After studying phenomena related to the positions and motions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon, many students are familiar with the positional ordering of the planets, but their knowledge of the distances involved is vague. Scale models are one means of bringing extreme sizes into better focus, cutting them down to relative values that they can better comprehend. The Solar System in the Hallway activity consists of a scale model of the inter-planet distances set up in a hallway for students to explore. This article describes how to send your students on a trip to the Solar System via your school’s hallway!
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Water is one of our most precious resources. However, for many in the United States, having fresh, safe drinking water is taken for granted, and due to this perceived lack of relevance, students may not fully appreciate the luxury of having safe running water—in the home. One approach to resolving water-quality issues in the United States may reside in providing education that presents accurate information in a meaningful way. Accordingly, this article describes a unit designed to emphasize the importance of water-quality testing and purification and to introduce students to local water-quality issues. The engineering-based module of this eighth-grade science activity is particularly important due to the design-build-test component.
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