All Resources

Journal Article

Scope on Safety: MSDS out, SDS in?

This column shares safety information for your classroom. This month’s issue talks about a revised Hazard Communication Standard....

Journal Article

Editor's Note: Hard to Learn; Hard to Teach

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

Journal Article

Story Book Science

This article describes a learning experience that follows an alternate approach to integrating science and literacy. Teachers use a narrative to encourage children to use their imaginations in learning to describe motion....

Journal Article

Safer Science: Lab Accident Wakeup Call

This column provides best safety practices for the science classroom and laboratory. This month’s issue discusses an example of a lab accident....

Journal Article

How Does Force Affect Motion?

Students clear up science misconceptions when they learn about the "fantastic four" ways in which force affects motion. ...

Journal Article

Teaching Through Trade Books: Energy Makes Things Happen

This column includes activities inspired by children’s literature. This month’s issue attempts to shed light on the topic of energy....

Journal Article

The Spider Files

Firsthand experience with spiders debunks student misconceptions. The activities and methods described in this third-grade lesson can be applied to a variety of animals that students have misconceptions about or consider dangerous....

Journal Article

Guest Editorial: Hard to Teach Does Not Mean Impossible

An opinion piece about difficult-to-teach topics....

Journal Article

Methods and Strategies: Selecting Appropriate Topics

This column provides ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. This month’s issue looks at why some science topics seemingly present roadblocks to learning, strategies teachers may consider in analyzing and circumventing those problems...

Journal Article

Experiencing Friction in First Grade

First-grade students explore friction and use technology to collect data during a unit on forces and motion....

Journal Article

Modeling Earth's Climate

This article describes an online climate change curriculum that incorporates dynamic computer models that enable students to visualize the complex interactions related to climate change science. Students learn how adjusting variables in a dynamic mod...

Journal Article

Editor's Corner: Systems Thinking

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

Journal Article

Phenylketonuria Genetic Screening Simulation

This article presents a hands-on, simulated screen for the inherited disease phenylketonuria. Designed as an interactive demonstration of inherited traits, this simulated screen connects real-life genetic testing with the expression of inherited trai...

Journal Article

Changes Matter!

This 10-day unit on physical and chemical changes was presented in a fifth-grade classroom. Throughout the unit students had to cite multiple indicators for physical and chemical changes. Students were also given experiences that specifically address...

Journal Article

Editor's Roundtable: Genetic Material Injected into the Headlines

Science Scope’s editor shares thoughts regarding the current issue....

Journal Article

Science 2.0: The Magic of Macrophotography

This column shares web tools that support learning. This month’s issue discusses a feature of the latest digital cameras: macrophotography....

Journal Article

Green Science: Wildfires

This column focuses on issues related to environmentally friendly and sustainable science. This month’s issue discusses the effects of wildfires....

Journal Article

A Computer Story: Complexity From Simplicity

This article describes an activity in which students learn how complex outcomes can result from simple decisions. Participants encounter a broad range of learning experiences, including electric-circuit construction, household wiring, digital systems...

Journal Article

Teacher's Toolkit: Reading for Claims and Evidence: Using Anticipation Guides in Science

This column provides how-to strategies and practical advice for the science teacher. In this article the authors describe specific considerations for using anticipation guides in science instruction that were developed from four years of work with te...

Journal Article

Tried and True: Who Done It? The Case of the Suicidal Murder Victim: A Forensic Investigation for Middle School Students

This column provides classic demonstrations and experiments with a new twist. This month’s issue provides a lesson for teachers who want to use the high-interest topic of crime scene investigation for teaching across content areas....

Journal Article

Learning About Genetic Inheritance Through Technology-Enhanced Instruction

One approach that has shown potential for teaching genetics to middle school students is the use of technology-enhanced instruction, which may lead to increased visualizations. This article describes how a technology-enhanced module helped middle sch...

Journal Article

Cell Organelles and Silk Batik: A Model for Integrating Art and Science

This activity integrates science and art concepts around the theme of cell organelles using the exciting and somewhat unusual medium of painted silk batik....

Journal Article

Creative Natural Selection

In an attempt to integrate a geological component in a classroom investigation of biological evolution, the authors developed two activities with an interdisciplinary approach that includes the role of the environment....

Journal Article

Natural Selection and Evolution: Using Multimedia Slide Shows to Emphasize the Role of Genetic Variation

Adding multimedia slide shows developed by the Genetic Science Learning Center as supplements to the activities you already use in your middle school classroom can help reinforce the concept that evolution is a natural process and not a response to a...

Journal Article

Playing Scientist

Teachers can use digital resources and role play to enhance student understanding of science as a human endeavor. Teaching genetics concepts through the lives of scientists allows students to have the opportunity to explore visual representations of...

Book Chapter

Fun with liquid nitrogen

Iron is solid, mercury is liquid, and nitrogen is a gas. Liquid nitrogen is used to perform lots of interesting and fun experiments. Demonstrations exploiting the extreme cold of liquid nitrogen provide entertainment for children of all ages. This ch...

Book Chapter

The Steppingstone Magnetic Resonance Training Center: Opportunities for Students and Faculty in a True Research Laboratory Setting

In response to the national call for more scientists, Steppingstone School for Gifted Education responded by establishing the Steppingstone Magnetic Resonance Training (SMART) Center, which will be described in this chapter. In collaboration with Bru...

Book Chapter

The Promise of Service-Learning as an Instructional Approach to Motivate Interest in STEM Careers

While the promise of service-learning for increasing interest and achievement in mathematics and pursuing mathematical careers is apparent, little research has been conducted to show that the promise can be reached. This chapter provides the results ...

Book Chapter

Real World Externships Exposing Students to Possible Careers in STEM Disciplines

For secondary teachers of mathematics, science, and technology, Real World Externships help them answer the legitimate student query: “Why am I ever gonna need to know this?” with real challenges and problems encountered and solved in actual comp...

Book Chapter

The Talent Marketplace: Where Science Careers Are Made

In this chapter, aspects of science career planning and development are discussed from a different perspective, which at first glance may seem remote and overly theoretical. However, it is the author’s hope that, as the logic of the reasoning unfol...