All Resources

Book Chapter

Practical Implications of Mastery Learning

The research supports the belief that mastery learning results in improved student learning and motivation. But how do you actually do it? What are the implications of revamping a course to make it a mastery learning course? How do you handle the det...

Book Chapter

How Mastery Learning Might Look

In this chapter, the author describes what their mastery learning classroom looks like and presents several variations that could be used to make mastery learning fit specific circumstances or people....

Book Chapter

Summary

It’s very daunting to consider completely changing the way your classroom is run. The author went back and forth many times in the month before school started before making the switch to mastery learning. The author knew my students would benefit, ...

Journal Article

Watch Your Waste

College and university science programs generate hazardous waste that must be dealt with and disposed of in accordance with state and federal regulations. During a recent renovation and addition project for the State University of New York at Plattsb...

Journal Article

Resisting Rote: The Importance of Active Learning for All Course Learning Objectives

Many college science educators have moved away from the traditional lecture format and toward learner-centered classroom environments. Yet many of us struggle to cover large content loads, reverting at times to rote memorization. This paper suggests ...

Journal Article

Editor’s Note: Understanding Data

Science is a data-based subject. In any experiment, the two most important product components are the data and the analysis of that data—what happened, and what does it mean? When considering how to design inquiry experiences for students, the auth...

Journal Article

Natural Resources: Fireside Science

Enthusiasm is contagious. From you to your students, and from scientists to you! Though many of you are enjoying temperate winters and continuing your outdoor adventures, we know many others are spending the coldest months curled up with a good book....

Journal Article

Methods and Strategies: Math and Science Night

Family Math and Science Nights engage students and parents in active investigations tied to the curriculum in a fun, informal environment. Through this program, families actively explore math and science ideas, discover together through guided inquir...

Journal Article

Formative Assessment Probes: How Far Did It Go?

The formative assessment probe “How Far Did It Go?” in Uncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science: 45 Force and Motion Assessment Probes (Keeley and Harrington 2010) can be used to reveal whether students recognize that units of distance travel...

Journal Article

Scope on the Skies: Solar explorations

Even though there is no change of season during January, we have just passed the December solstice, it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and we are 147,100,000 km (91,403,702 mi.) from the Sun. This is in contrast to when Earth reaches aphelion d...

Journal Article

Case Study: The Wealth of Water—The Value of an Essential Resource

Many students take water availability for granted and yet, by 2025, two-thirds of the world will not have access to clean drinking water. This case study is designed to encourage students to think about water as a limited natural resource and is used...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Teacher read-alouds make science come alive

Demonstrations, hands-on activities, and videos are common ways an industrious science teacher will provide inquiry-based instruction, offering engaging access to the middle school science curriculum. In this article, the authors present short teache...

Journal Article

Teaching Through Trade Books: Wild About Data

In today’s world of short attention spans and media overload, the ability to create visual representations to communicate data is an important skill. This month’s lessons focus on various ways to display data and the purpose of visual representat...

Journal Article

Science 2.0: Picture This Assessment

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine the power of an image-filled science test! In a world rich with drag-and-drop, copy-and-paste digital imaging, today’s teachers have a number of options to create visually rich assessment tools for th...

Journal Article

Lessons Learned About Implementing an Inquiry-Based Curriculum in a College Biology Laboratory Classroom

Inquiry-based instruction is widely promoted to increase both students’ conceptual understanding and their engagement in course content. What this means for day-to-day practices in the classroom is more elusive. Instructors adopting inquiry-based c...

Journal Article

The Green Room: Teaching About Energy

Winter is the perfect time to get students thinking about their energy use and introduce them to conservation methods. Students can monitor the energy use of a classroom appliance and even compete in a nationwide energy conservation challenge! Read T...

Journal Article

Measure Lines

One tool for enhancing students’ work with data in the science classroom is the measure line. As a coteacher and curriculum developer for The Inquiry Project, the author has seen how measure lines—a number line in which the numbers refer to units...

Journal Article

Point of View: Where Are Skills Learned in a Science Program?

Communication, critical thinking, and collaboration are outcomes we hope students will learn from experts in “other” courses. But if science teachers value certain skills, then they should accept the challenge to help students learn those skills ...

Journal Article

Critical-Thinking Grudge Match: Biology vs. Chemistry—Examining Factors That Affect Thinking Skill in Nonmajors Science

Chemistry students appear to bring significantly higher critical-thinking skill to their nonmajors course than do biology students. Knowing student preconceptions and thinking ability is essential to learning growth and effective teaching. Of the fac...

Journal Article

A Place for Content Literacy

To help students learn and apply science content, teachers can embed content literacy instruction within science instruction. This involves teaching the content and the literacy skills students need to learn that content, such as vocabulary and compr...

Journal Article

The New Teacher’s Toolbox: Homeless Not Hopeless—Tips for the Traveling Teacher

In a world of expanding class sizes and shrinking budgets, it’s rare to find a new teacher with his or her own classroom. New teachers often juggle multiple sections of multiple preps in different rooms—sometimes teaching back-to-back classes on ...

Journal Article

The Early Years: Recording Data With Young Children

Young children collect data every day. They note who has pink sparkly shoes and find out who will share the ball on the playground. Children will be interested in collecting data if the topic is important to them, such as recording their favorite col...

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: A Performance Enhanced Interactive Learning Workshop Model as a Supplement for Organic Chemistry Instruction

In this study, the authors describe a Performance Enhanced Interactive Learning (PEIL) workshop model as a supplement for organic chemistry instruction. This workshop model differs from many others in that it includes public presentations by students...

Journal Article

Every Day Science: January 2011

This monthly column presents facts and challenges for the science explorer. ...

Journal Article

The Affective Elements of Science Learning

Student attitudes can have a positive or negative effect on learning. According to Duschl, Schweingruber, and Shouse, “[students’] goals for science learning, their beliefs about their ability to do science, and the value they assign to science l...

Journal Article

Where Does Our Food Come From?

Problem-based learning (PBL) is one approach to teaching science that supports the notion that students construct knowledge within contextual settings, and that critical thinking and application are best fostered within these realistic contexts. In o...

Journal Article

Connecting Students to Science Through Structured Reading of Historical Nonfiction

Success for many of our students is contingent on the degree to which they identify with and make personal connections to science. Although this may be most true of our nonmajors, it is important for us as science educators to help all our students c...

Journal Article

Using Formative and Alternative Assessments to Support Instruction and Measure Student Learning

Using formative assessment involves gathering data from students on their progress and comprehension so that instruction can be adjusted to meet their learning needs (Popham 2001; Greenstein 2010). This article describes how the author uses homework,...

Journal Article

Safer Science: Building Safety in Foreign Language

A school is about to undergo major renovations and new construction to handle a growing student population. So some science classes and labs are assigned to other parts of the building temporarily. Most teachers are excited about the opportunity to h...

Journal Article

The Concept Attainment Strategy

The concept attainment lesson, recommended by Joyce, Weil, and Calhoun (2004), is designed to give students practice in analyzing data and developing critical-thinking skills—without a complicated lab setup. The inductive lesson structure leads stu...

Journal Article

Favorite Demonstration: Cheap Mirrors—Image Construction With Mylar Mirrors and Whiteboards

The cylindrical mirrors lab described in this demonstration has been done in many forms. However, because of its ease in construction and variation, this version allows students to do the exercise themselves, thereby capturing that sense of confidenc...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Using video games as an alternative science assessment for students with disabilities and at-risk learners

This article describes how middle school teachers can improve students’ science performance using video games that incorporate principles of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. Research indicates that video games can enhance the educ...

Journal Article

How Much Carbon Is in the Forest?

At the start of an integrated Algebra I and Environmental Science class, students were presented with the following challenge: “How much carbon is stored in the Normanskill Preserve?” They were told they had one month to investigate and present t...

Book Chapter

Mastery Learning

The key to mastery learning is that students are required to show mastery of a concept before they are allowed to move on to the next concept. The teacher determines at what level the mastery must be accomplished—for example, 100%, 80%, or 70%. Stu...

Journal Article

No Duck Left Behind

Recently, a group of fourth graders joined Pintail Partners—a year-long collaborative research effort of scientists, students, classroom teachers, preservice teachers, museum educators, and university professors. Students and teachers followed sate...

Journal Article

Scope on Safety: Black lights—Don’t be in the dark

Some middle school science teachers take advantage of black light technology phenomena and fluorescent materials in classroom demonstrations and laboratory investigations. Should they be concerned about students working with or being exposed to this ...

Journal Article

Early Primary Invasion Scientists

“We really need to get the government involved,” said one student, holding his graph up to USDA scientist Steve Seefeldt. Dr. Steve studies methods to control invasive plants, plants that have been introduced to an area by humans and have potenti...