All Resources

Journal Article

Teacher's Toolkit: Scaffolding Students Toward Argumentation

This column provides how-to strategies and practical advice for the science teacher. This month’s issue discusses activities that teach argumentation....

Middle School General Science Inquiry NGSS Pedagogy Science and Engineering Practices Teaching Strategies Three-Dimensional Learning

Journal Article

Scope on Safety: Don't Bench Lab Safety

This column shares safety information for your classroom. This month’s issue discusses guidelines for purchasing lab benches....

Journal Article

Scope on the Skies: The Shape of Things

This column focuses on astronomy throughout the year. This month’s issue discusses conjunctions and occultations....

Journal Article

Hummingbird Citizen Science

Students become citizen scientists to contribute to research that may help declining populations of hummingbirds....

Journal Article

21st-Century Citizen Science

From global awareness to global contribution....

Journal Article

Start a Science Club

Create citizen scientists while teaching content and helping your community....

Journal Article

Sewing Up Science

A craft-based approach for teaching electricity and circuits....

Journal Article

Three-Dimensional Instruction: Using a New Type of Teaching in the Science Classroom

Integrate the three dimensions of the NGSS to figure out phenomena and design solutions to problems....

Journal Article

No Blue Ribbon

Reforming science fairs in middle and high school science education....

Journal Article

Editor's Corner: Citizen Science

The Science Teacher’s editor shares thoughts on the current issue....

Journal Article

Science 2.0: Science and Literacy in the Digital Age

This column shares web tools that support learning. This month’s issue discusses online textbooks and other digital content that can be accessed with powerful technology tools that help students develop their science literacy....

Journal Article

The Green Room: Keeping Soils Fertile

This column focuses on making your teaching more environmentally friendly. This month’s issue discusses how to replenish nutrients in agricultural soils....

Journal Article

Health Wise: "Study Drugs" Don't Help With Studying

This Q&A style column provides up-to-date information on current health topics—helping students (and teachers) make healthy choices. This month’s issue discusses the negatives of using prescription stimulants to boost cognitive function....

Journal Article

Safer Science: Safety Acknowledgment Form for Earth and Space Science

This column provides best safety practices for the science classroom and laboratory. This month’s issue discusses why Earth and space science teachers need to include guidelines specific to their discipline when creating a safety acknowledgment for...

High School Earth & Space Science Labs Safety

Journal Article

Career of the Month: Citizen Scientist (and Research Chemist)

This column shares interviews with professionals using science in the workplace. This month’s issue describes Jim Springer's career path to becoming a citizen scientist....

Journal Article

Writing Toward a Scientific Identity: Shifting From Prescriptive to Reflective Writing in Undergraduate Biology

Analytical writing enhances retention of science learning and is integral to student-centered classrooms. Despite this, scientific writing in undergraduate programs is often presented as a series of sentence-level conventions of grammar, syntax, and ...

Journal Article

DNA, Drugs, and Detectives: An Interdisciplinary Special Topics Course for Undergraduate Students in Forensic Science

A special topics course combining two relevant and contemporary themes (forensic DNA analysis and illicit drug detection) was developed to stimulate student enthusiasm and enhance understanding of forensic science. Building on the interest of popular...

Journal Article

The Role of Gender in Grade Perception in Chemistry Courses

Interest in the gender gap in the physical sciences has been ongoing for a number of years. This study aimed to explore differences in gender based on students’ self-perception....

Journal Article

A Science Fair Partnership: An Active Learning Experience for Teacher Candidates

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education is a national instructional priority. As part of Southeastern Louisiana University’s STEM Outreach Initiative, funded by a Shell Oil Company Foundation grant to raise interest in ST...

Journal Article

Enhancing Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Students' Misconceptions in Learning Chemistry

Preservice teachers enrolled in a modified introductory chemistry course used an instructional rubric to improve and evaluate their understanding of students’ misconceptions in learning various chemistry concepts. A sample of 79 preservice teacher...

Journal Article

Using Project- and Theme-Based Learning to Encourage Creativity in Science

In this article, the authors describe a project that was developed for an introductory-level physics course. The aim of the project was to encourage the creative process in science, as science is seldom mentioned in discussions about creativity. They...

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: Implementation of Interactive Engagement Teaching Methods in a Physical Oceanography Course

This study measures the effects of increased faculty–student engagement on student learning, success rates, and perceptions in a Physical Oceanography course. The study separately implemented two teaching methods that had been shown to be successfu...

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: Students' Perceptions of Factors Influencing Their Desire to Major or Not Major in Science

The authors examined college students’ perceptions about their middle school and high school preparation for college science courses as well as what led them to study or not study science in college. Analysis of a survey using mixed methods reveal...

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: Exploring the Use of an Online Quiz Game to Provide Formative Feedback in a Large-Enrollment, Introductory Biochemistry Course

In a large-enrollment, introductory biochemistry course for nonmajors, the authors provide students with formative feedback through practice questions in PDF format. Recently, they investigated possible benefits of providing the practice questions vi...

Journal Article

Point of View: Taking a Cue From Neuroscience

This column shares reflections or thoughtful opinions on issues of broad interest to the community. This article encourages teachers to use emerging scientific evidence to change classroom culture—accept the evidence from neuroscience and find ways...

Journal Article

Two-Year Community: Introduction From New Two-Year Community Column Editor, Apryl Nenortas

Meet our new Two-Year Community column editor by reading her introduction and learning about her vision for the column....

Journal Article

Two-Year Community: Undergraduate Research at a Two-Year College: A Team Approach

An individual faculty can mentor students doing undergraduate research. Such an endeavor represents a substantial commitment of time and effort on the part of the faculty who would like to mentor a substantial number of students, want to use time and...

Journal Article

Case Study: Crazy About Cryptids: An Ecological Hunt for Nessie and Other Legendary Creatures

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This hybrid case has three overarching and interrelated goals. First, it can be used to familiarize s...

Book Chapter

Solar Activity and Space Weather

This chapter covers what phenomena we observe on the surface and in the atmosphere of the Sun, and how these influence what we observe and how we live our lives on Earth....

Book Chapter

Talking About Energy

In science teaching, we are used to thinking about language in the context of helping students learn complex scientific terms that they do not use in their everyday lives. It can be a challenge to help students remember the meaning of esoteric scienc...

Interactive E-book

Heredity and Variation

The Heredity and Variation Interactive E-book* explores patterns of inheritance and discusses how offspring can look similar to their parents yet still possess differences within their genetic code. These differences can sometimes affect (positively ...

Postsecondary Biology Life Science Technology 5E Assessment Instructional Materials Inquiry Teaching Strategies Preservice Science Education Professional Learning old Teacher Preparation

Interactive E-book

Nature of Light

The Nature of Light Interactive E-book* explains the characteristics of light, discusses the concept of light as waves, explores the idea of light and color, and ultimately answers the question, "What is light?" Topics covered include reflection and ...

Postsecondary Physical Science Physics Technology 5E Assessment Curriculum Instructional Materials Inquiry Teaching Strategies Preservice Science Education Professional Learning old Teacher Preparation

Interactive E-book

Chemical Reactions

The Chemical Reactions Interactive E-book* describes the abundance of chemical reactions in our environment and the variety of reactions involved in biological, chemical, and physical phenomena and how it relates to the electron configurations of an...

Postsecondary Chemistry Technology 5E Assessment Curriculum Instructional Materials Inquiry Preservice Science Education Professional Learning old Teacher Preparation

Interactive E-book

Earth, Sun, and Moon

The Earth, Sun, and Moon Interactive E-book* uses diagrams, illustrative visual aids, and multimedia to help teachers, students, and other readers understand the interplay between Earth, Sun and Moon, and the characteristics that make Earth unique. I...

Postsecondary High School Middle School Astronomy Earth & Space Science Physical Science Technology 5E Assessment Instructional Materials Inquiry Teaching Strategies Preservice Science Education Professional Learning old Teacher Preparation

Interactive E-book

Flow of Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

The Flow of Matter and Energy in Ecosystems Interactive E-book* explores the systemic interplay and flow of matter and energy throughout ecosystems, populations, and organisms. Webs and pyramids are used to model and communicate about the transfer o...

Postsecondary Biology Environmental Science Life Science Technology 5E Assessment Curriculum Instructional Materials Inquiry Teaching Strategies Preservice Science Education Professional Learning old Teacher Preparation

eBook

Yet More Everyday Science Mysteries: Stories for Inquiry-Based Science Teaching (e-Book)

In the fourth book of this award-winning series, author Richard Konicek-Moran explores 15 new mysteries children and adults encounter in their daily lives. Relating the mysteries to experiences familiar to elementary and middle school students—Part...