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The Chemical Evidence

Book Chapter

The Chemical Evidence

In this chapter, the police are asking your students to analyze new evidence to determine the type of chemical substances present and possibly match the substances at the crime scene to the suspects involved in the case. This performance assessment c...

The Nuclear Radiation Evidence

Book Chapter

The Nuclear Radiation Evidence

The performance assessment, in this chapter, consists of four parts. In the first part, your students will analyze the soil samples collected at the crime scene and compare them to soil samples from each of the suspects’ shoes. In the second part, ...

The Weapon Analysis Evidence

Book Chapter

The Weapon Analysis Evidence

A second victim has been found! In this chapter, four performance assessments are presented. In part I of the assessment students will need to analyze fingerprints. Secondly, students will try to match the two types of guns with the aluminum and copp...

The Drug Lab Evidence

Book Chapter

The Drug Lab Evidence

Police have learned some additional information about the suspects involved in this case, and their relationship to the victim. In Part I of the performance assessment, Police have mixed up the infared spectroscopy (IR Spectra) for each of the chemic...

The Final Assessment

Book Chapter

The Final Assessment

As with all large projects, there are often many ways to approach the final assessment. Since the inception of this project, the authors have tried numerous methods to evaluate this yearlong performance assessment—some that worked, and some that di...

Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas: Physical Sciences

Book Chapter

Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas: Physical Sciences

This chapter reviews how the physical science section has been organized under the following four core ideas and 13 component ideas. This sample chapter also includes the Table of Contents and Index. ...

Archimedes, the Syracuse (Sicily) Scientist: Science Rules Balance and Bathtub Basics

Book Chapter

Archimedes, the Syracuse (Sicily) Scientist: Science Rules Balance and Bathtub Basics

Learners, in this activity, are guided to discover simple, quantitative relationships that support their qualitative observations of playing on seesaws (with different-size children) and taking baths....

Buzz Into Action: The Insect Curriculum Guide for Grades K–4 (e-book)

eBook

Buzz Into Action: The Insect Curriculum Guide for Grades K–4 (e-book)

Calling all aspiring entomologists, apiologists, and lepidopterists—as well as kids who just think bugs, bees, and butterflies are cool! ...

Converting a Biology Course Into a Writing-Intensive Capstone Course: Using Collaboration Between a Professor and Graduate Teaching Assistant

Journal Article

Converting a Biology Course Into a Writing-Intensive Capstone Course: Using Collaboration Between a Professor and Graduate Teaching Assistant

In this article the authors examine the nature of the instructional tools, strategies, and assessments they developed to convert a traditional senior-level biology course into a writing-intensive, capstone biology course....

Editor's Roundtable: A Tough Climate for Teachers

Journal Article

Editor's Roundtable: A Tough Climate for Teachers

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

Why Did the Bald Eagle Almost Become Extinct?

Journal Article

Why Did the Bald Eagle Almost Become Extinct?

The activity described in this article poses a question, provides evidence needed to answer the question, and uses a cooperative learning structure within which students analyze the evidence and create their own questions. Students see how a single c...

Engaging Students in Scientific Practices: What Does Constructing and Revising Models Look Like in the Science Classroom?

Journal Article

Engaging Students in Scientific Practices: What Does Constructing and Revising Models Look Like in the Science Classroom?

In this article the authors look in-depth at scientific practice number 2—developing, evaluating, and revising scientific models to explain and predict phenomena—and what it means for classroom teaching....

Engaging Students in Scientific Practices: What Does Constructing and Revising Models Look Like in the Science Classroom?

Journal Article

Engaging Students in Scientific Practices: What Does Constructing and Revising Models Look Like in the Science Classroom?

In this article the authors look in-depth at scientific practice number 2—developing, evaluating, and revising scientific models to explain and predict phenomena—and what it means for classroom teaching....

Natural Resources: The Naming Convention

Journal Article

Natural Resources: The Naming Convention

This column helps bring the outdoors into your curriculum. This month’s issue talks about species identification....

Explaining Four Earth Science Enigmas With a New Hypothesis

Journal Article

Explaining Four Earth Science Enigmas With a New Hypothesis

Students learn group process skills and transferable ideas about how science works by researching and studying four enigmas....

Addressing STEM Retention Through a Scientific Thought and Methods Course

Journal Article

Addressing STEM Retention Through a Scientific Thought and Methods Course

This article presents an innovative course, Scientific Thought and Methods, that targets students with low math placement scores. Course topics focus on development of scientific reasoning and the ability to engage effectively in all aspects of the s...

Banishing Bradford Pears

Journal Article

Banishing Bradford Pears

Role-play provides fifth-grade students with the opportunity to develop meaningful connections to environmental science concepts and understand how those concepts relate to their community....

Scope on Safety: Is Greener Cleaner?

Journal Article

Scope on Safety: Is Greener Cleaner?

This column shares safety information for your classroom. This month’s issue discusses cleaning the laboratory with green cleaners....

Case Study: Engaging Students From Underrepresented Populations: The Enduring Legacies Native Cases Initiative

Journal Article

Case Study: Engaging Students From Underrepresented Populations: The Enduring Legacies Native Cases Initiative

This project provies a unique opportunity for a partnership between two state colleges and two tribal Native American colleges. First, the authors developed a collection of interdisciplinary cases. Second they taught faculty how to teach with cases i...

Safer Science: Goodbye MSDS, Hello SDS

Journal Article

Safer Science: Goodbye MSDS, Hello SDS

This column provides best safety practices for the science classroom and laboratory. This month’s issue discusses a proposed rule change to the Hazard Communication Standard, a national standard that addresses chemical management and employee safet...

Guest Editorial: The More High-Tech Our Schools Become, the More They Need Nature

Journal Article

Guest Editorial: The More High-Tech Our Schools Become, the More They Need Nature

An opinion piece about educational technology....

Birds Across Borders

Journal Article

Birds Across Borders

Students participate in an ecological pen pal exchange that focused on the broad differences in biodiversity between Scotland and America....

Teacher's Toolkit: Opening the Door to Science Instruction for All Through Literature

Journal Article

Teacher's Toolkit: Opening the Door to Science Instruction for All Through Literature

This column provides how-to strategies and practical advice for the science teacher. This month’s issue discusses using literature to engage students in science learning and build literacy....

The New Teacher's Toolbox: Lighting the Fire of Enthusiasm

Journal Article

The New Teacher's Toolbox: Lighting the Fire of Enthusiasm

This column shares tips for teachers just beginning their career. This month’s issue discusses the role that excitement plays in the classroom and provides tips to generate interest and enthusiasm when students need it most....

Introducing Multicultural Science Into the Chemistry Curriculum in the Mexican-American Border Region

Journal Article

Introducing Multicultural Science Into the Chemistry Curriculum in the Mexican-American Border Region

Traditional beliefs in the Mexican-American border region were compiled by students in an introductory general chemistry course. Some of these beliefs were used as the basis for short research studies and the results include the nature of traditional...

Point of View: Assessment and Natilie's Whirligig

Journal Article

Point of View: Assessment and Natilie's Whirligig

This column shares reflections or thoughtful opinions on issues of broad interest to the community. This month’s issue discusses assessing critical thinking....

Are You Certain?

Journal Article

Are You Certain?

This article discusses teaching error analysis and other experimental skills in the physics classroom....

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12: Books Published in 2011

Journal Article

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12: Books Published in 2011

NSTA and the Children's Book Council identify the best science trade books of 2011....

Integrating the Arts: Teaching About Color Mixing With Light

Journal Article

Integrating the Arts: Teaching About Color Mixing With Light

This guided inquiry lesson is designed to help students develop conceptual understanding of the primary colors of light and differentiate between additive and subtractive color mixing....

E-BOOK ONLY EVO Teachers Guide: Ten Questions Everyone Should Ask About Evolution

eBook

E-BOOK ONLY EVO Teachers Guide: Ten Questions Everyone Should Ask About Evolution

Draw on the wit and wisdom of brilliant scientists to inspire your students as you teach them about a challenging area of biology. This teacher’s guide, which accompanies the EVO DVD, is structured around 10 fundamental questions about biological e...

Medical Metaphor Mixer: Modeling Infectious Diseases

Book Chapter

Medical Metaphor Mixer: Modeling Infectious Diseases

This model-building activity helps learners visualize SI’s base-ten relationships; the connections between the meter, liter, and gram; the real-world relevance of mathematics to science; and the somewhat abstract concept of powers of ten that is so...

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