All Resources

Journal Article

Science Shorts: Ecosystem in a Jar

Stories about global warming and habitat loss are common news these days. Additionally, there are numerous reports about the loss of diversity among living things across the globe. These ideas and concepts are abstract and convoluted even for most ...

Journal Article

Quest Guidebooks

A Quest is a treasure hunt-style poem in which the writers lead the visitor to special places on the property. The poems have movement clues to take the visitor from place to place and educational clues that teach about aspects of each property. The ...

Journal Article

Environmental Education Saves the Day

At the start of each school year at Oil City Elementary Magnet School in Oil City, Louisiana, eager students ask, “What’s our theme this year?” This curiosity comes from their expectations that they will study a different environmental concept ...

Journal Article

Scope on Safety: Chemical tracking systems—not your usual global positioning system!

The haphazard storing and tracking of chemicals in the laboratory is a serious safety issue facing science teachers. To get control of your chemicals, try implementing a chemical tracking system. A chemical tracking system (CTS) is a database of che...

Journal Article

Bridging the Gap Between Classrooms and Research Laboratories

In the ever-expanding realm of science, educators struggle to share new discoveries and techniques with their students. Keeping abreast of recent advances can be daunting, even for the most motivated teacher. Fortunately, the National Science Fou...

Journal Article

Building Leaves and an Understanding of Photosynthesis

Where does cellular respiration take place? How does a plant make food and in turn use the food to produce its own energy? Do animals carry on this process also? To help students answer these and other questions, have them build a model leaf, plant c...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Radio-wave inquiry with web-controlled receivers

This article describes a web-enhanced investigation of radio waves suitable for upper middle school science students that correlates with the National Science Education Standards. In this engaging lesson, students are involved in science inquiry usi...

Journal Article

Issues in-depth: Are you what you eat? An inside look at high-tech food

If we abide by the familiar saying “you are what you eat,” it is understandable that people may be concerned with the incredible advances in food science technology and their possible impacts on human health. For example, in recent years high-tec...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Beyond Yellowstone

In 2001, Yellowstone National Parks’ education staff launched Windows Into Wonderland (WIW), a series of six internet-based, electronic field trips, or “eTrips,” designed especially for middle school students. Today 17 programs are available, m...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: The experiment event

The annual Experiment Event is the culminating activity of an extensive study of questioning, problem solving, and the inquiry process. Easily addressing national and state standards for science inquiry, the Experiment Event is only part—perhaps th...

Journal Article

Science 101: How does photosynthesis work?

Energy transformations are an important part of the functioning of ecosystems, and a key part of those energy transformations is photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, bacteria, and other organisms use the energy of sunlight t...