All Resources

Journal Article

A Case of Mistaken Identity?

This case explores the fundamental principles of memory, eyewitness accuracy, and police questioning techniques in witness identification in a criminal case. Studying the details of an actual series of attacks and subsequent police investigation, stu...

Journal Article

The “Lady” of Charleston

This case uses the story of Dawn Langley Simmons, who may have been misidentified as male at birth, to illustrate the developmental basis of human sexual dimorphism and how gender misidentification may occur: Students also consider the emotional, leg...

Journal Article

Of Mammoths and Men

The recent discovery of a mammoth frozen in the Siberian tundra is the backdrop for this case study, which explores the various theories for the extinction of the great Ice Age mammals and Homo neanderthalensis. Students research evidence for and aga...

Journal Article

Idea Bank: Science in Fiction

The Idea Bank provides tips and techniques for creative teaching, in about 1,000 words. This month’s Idea Bank features the Science in Fiction project where students write an essay comparing and contrastng a science fiction book with a correspondin...

Journal Article

To Spray or Not to Spray?

In this case study, students grapple with the complex issues surrounding the use of DDT to control malaria, which affects millions of people in developing nations. In their examination of the issues, students consider risk/benefit analysis and the pr...

Journal Article

The Building Blocks of Geology

Elementary level students often have difficulty grasping the difference between minerals and rocks. Because minerals and rocks are basic to the understanding and study of Earth science, knowledge of their characteristics and relationships is critical...

Journal Article

Idea Bank: "Seeing" the Light

The Idea Bank provides tips and techniques for creative teaching, in about 1,000 words. In this month’s Idea Bank, students begin the physics class by studying the behavior of light. In this activity, the teacher pretends to be a member of the blin...

Journal Article

Spring Break: A Lesson in Circuits

This case, taught in a problem-based learning format, introduces students to the topics of electricity and circuits within the context of house wiring. Students explore the properties of series and parallel circuits, research local wiring codes, calc...

Journal Article

Assessing Student Participation in the Classroom

We know that students should participate constructively in the classroom. In fact, most of us probably agree that a significant portion of a student’s grade should come from his or her participation. However, like many teachers, you may find it dif...

Journal Article

The Tokaimura Nuclear Accident

The 1999 accident at the Tokaimura nuclear fuel processing plant near Tokyo is the context for a student discussion on nuclear power and the consequences of a nuclear accident. The case covers issues ranging from chemical process safety to risk manag...

Journal Article

Editor's Note (September 2001)

Science and Children’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue....

Elementary General Science Policy

Journal Article

Concrete Inquiry: An introduction to materials science

Students walk to school on concrete sidewalks every day. Yet how many of them understand how concrete is made, how it can be strengthened, or the difference between cement and concrete? In this materials science unit, students design and test a sampl...

Journal Article

Learning by Heart: Students use heart rate patterns to identify nervous system imbalances

In this article, students use computer-based sensors to detect beat-to-beat variations in heart rate, known as heart rate variability (HRV). HRV analysis is a rapidly evolving field of study, with connections to biology, health, mathematics, and musi...

Journal Article

Niños Desaparecidos

This case is based on the experience of 50 children who were displaced during Argentina’s “dirty war” of the 1970s, underwent DNA and protein analysis, and subsequently were reunited with their biological families. Students consider not only th...

Journal Article

Sonic Hedgehog: A Good Gene Gone Bad?

In this case of a baby born with the genetic condition holoprosencephaly, students explore the “Sonic hedgehog” gene, signal transduction, and the ethics of body and tissue donation. The two-part assignment involves students writing an informed c...