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| By: Helen A. Buttemer |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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“Yuuuck!” “Gross!” “Cool!” The response to slugs is never indifference. These slimy creatures are perfect for captivating students’ imagination and curiosity, and they are ideal subjects to introduce investigative science. This article describes a classroom... [view full summary]
“Yuuuck!” “Gross!” “Cool!” The response to slugs is never indifference. These slimy creatures are perfect for captivating students’ imagination and curiosity, and they are ideal subjects to introduce investigative science. This article describes a classroom activity in which students design a research investigation to answer the question: “Is slug slime a good glue?” Through a series of guided steps, students work in small groups to decide how to measure the success of an adhesive. Each research team invents a unique tool, the “Sticky-O-Meter,” to quantify glue stickiness. Students compare results for slug slime with those from a commercial adhesive. [hide full abstract]
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| By: Megan Sullivan |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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While most of us may never see or feel Arctic sea ice ourselves, it directly influences the climate, wildlife, and people who live in the Arctic—and because of the link to global warming, the fate of sea ice affects the rest of us, too. As an ice scientist... [view full summary]
While most of us may never see or feel Arctic sea ice ourselves, it directly influences the climate, wildlife, and people who live in the Arctic—and because of the link to global warming, the fate of sea ice affects the rest of us, too. As an ice scientist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Julienne Stroeve studies the changes in Arctic sea ice to piece together what its decline means for our planet. [hide full abstract]
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| By: S. Monroe Duboise, Karen D. Moulton, and Jennifer L. Jamison |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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The Maine ScienceCorps is a project sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Teaching Fellows in K–12 Education (GK–12 ) program. Through this program, the University of Southern Maine’s (USM) virology and transmission electron microscopy... [view full summary]
The Maine ScienceCorps is a project sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Teaching Fellows in K–12 Education (GK–12 ) program. Through this program, the University of Southern Maine’s (USM) virology and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) research group provides high school teachers and students in rural areas with access to the nanoscale world of viruses. This article illustrates how access to the university research community’s advanced technological resources can enrich science learning in high school classrooms. [hide full abstract]
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| By: Steve Metz |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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This issue of The Science Teacher (TST) continues our tradition of devoting one issue each year to partnerships that connect students, teachers, and their communities. Science activities that take students outside school walls can combine the... [view full summary]
This issue of The Science Teacher (TST) continues our tradition of devoting one issue each year to partnerships that connect students, teachers, and their communities. Science activities that take students outside school walls can combine the best aspects of community service, problem- and project-based learning, and lessons in good citizenship. Over the last five years, TST has published more than 50 articles describing community partnership programs. The model projects found in this issue add to TST’s archive of successful community partnership projects. [hide full abstract]
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| By: Jeff Marshall, Robert Horton, and Chris White |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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For many years, publications such as the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996) and The Science Teacher (TST) have encouraged teachers to focus science classes more heavily on inquiry-based instructional practice. One way to... [view full summary]
For many years, publications such as the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996) and The Science Teacher (TST) have encouraged teachers to focus science classes more heavily on inquiry-based instructional practice. One way to improve our teaching practice is to use a benchmark assessment to obtain a solid point of reference that honestly reflects what we do in the classroom, and then to design a developmental plan to raise the level of performance. The Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol (EQUIP) is helpful in providing both a benchmark and a guide to improving the quality of inquiry implemented in our classrooms. [hide full abstract]
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| By: Stephanie Liberatore |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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The number of MRSA cases per year is rising—especially during football season. Could you tell me more about MRSA and what is causing this rise?
The number of MRSA cases per year is rising—especially during football season. Could you tell me more about MRSA and what is causing this rise? [hide full abstract]
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| By: Jeremy Brown |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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There are all kinds of computer-based software programs and websites available to help students understand and manipulate vector quantities. But if you have the time and want to do something different, this Idea Bank describes an easy, low-tech, and fun... [view full summary]
There are all kinds of computer-based software programs and websites available to help students understand and manipulate vector quantities. But if you have the time and want to do something different, this Idea Bank describes an easy, low-tech, and fun activity for teaching the “head-to-tail” method of combining vectors and the difference between “distance” and “displacement.” All you need for this activity are scissors, some envelopes, metersticks, and a football field. [hide full abstract]
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| By: Ken Roy |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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Basic knowledge and adoption of biosafety guidelines, including disinfection and sterilization techniques, are a necessary component in high school biology laboratories. This is especially important if students or instructors are working with growing... [view full summary]
Basic knowledge and adoption of biosafety guidelines, including disinfection and sterilization techniques, are a necessary component in high school biology laboratories. This is especially important if students or instructors are working with growing cultures or are involved in recombinant DNA activities. Also of concern is the growing presence of bloodborne pathogens, other potentially infectious materials (OPIMSs), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and immune-suppressed or compromised students and teachers. This month’s Safer Science column addresses how these “bugs” can be kept under control. [hide full abstract]
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| By: Charles Hill and Laura Baumgartner |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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Storytelling is not just something experienced at bedtime, in the movies, or with friends. Rather, it is a way that knowledge has been transferred for generations. Stories allow the listener to gain understanding in a natural way. A good story can capture... [view full summary]
Storytelling is not just something experienced at bedtime, in the movies, or with friends. Rather, it is a way that knowledge has been transferred for generations. Stories allow the listener to gain understanding in a natural way. A good story can capture the imagination of students, making them eager to learn more. This article describes the use of one science story, “FloJo: The Word’s Fastest Woman,” in the physics classroom. Students are engaged with the science content material through the personal frame of the story. In the activity described in this article, students study physics and kinetics while designing and running their own races.
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| By: Earle Adams, Tony J. Ward, Diana Vanek, Nancy Marra, Carolyn Hester, Randy Knuth, Todd Spangler, David Jones, Melissa Henthorn, Brock Hammill, Paul Smith, Rob Salisbury, Gene Reckin, and Johna Boulafentis |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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The University of Montana (UM)—Missoula has implemented a problem-based program in which students perform scientific research focused on indoor air pollution. The Air Toxics Under the Big Sky program (Jones et al. 2007; Adams et al. 2008; Ward et al.... [view full summary]
The University of Montana (UM)—Missoula has implemented a problem-based program in which students perform scientific research focused on indoor air pollution. The Air Toxics Under the Big Sky program (Jones et al. 2007; Adams et al. 2008; Ward et al. 2008) provides a community-based framework for understanding the complex relationship between poor air quality and respiratory health outcomes by teaching students chemical, physical, and health concepts in the classroom setting. In addition to designing controlled experiments, students are guided through the process for conducting independent research projects to explore a real-world issue in their communities. [hide full abstract]
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| By: Alan Colburn |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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Although the title of this month’s column may make your skin crawl—read on. Everyone should understand a few basics about the “A” word. Being able to distinguish formative from summative assessment and criterion-based from norm-referenced testing helps... [view full summary]
Although the title of this month’s column may make your skin crawl—read on. Everyone should understand a few basics about the “A” word. Being able to distinguish formative from summative assessment and criterion-based from norm-referenced testing helps not only teachers, but also parents, the larger community, and students. In a school system awash in assessment data, helping others understand where the data comes from and how it is meant to be used becomes critical. Together, we can turn the “A” word from “awful” to “awesome” (or at least “all right”)! [hide full abstract]
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| By: Paul L. Heasley and William G. Van Der Sluys |
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The Science Teacher, Apr 09
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Through a collaborative project in Pennsylvania, high school students developed a method for converting batches of their cafeteria’s waste fryer oil into biodiesel using a 190 L (50 gal) reactor. While the biodiesel is used to supplement the school district’s... [view full summary]
Through a collaborative project in Pennsylvania, high school students developed a method for converting batches of their cafeteria’s waste fryer oil into biodiesel using a 190 L (50 gal) reactor. While the biodiesel is used to supplement the school district’s heating and transportation energy needs, the byproduct—glycerol—is used to make hand soap to sell in the school store. Proceeds from both of these products are used to support the continuation of the project, in which students learn the science behind biodiesel and its relation to our environment. This article provides an overview of the State High Biodiesel Project with the hope of inspiring other school districts to develop their own programs. [hide full abstract]
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