All Resources

Journal Article

Nematodes: Model Organisms in High School Biology

In a collaborative effort between university researchers and high school science teachers, an inquiry-based laboratory module was designed using two species of insecticidal nematodes to help students apply scientific inquiry and elements of thoughtfu...

Journal Article

How Much Popcorn Will Our Classroom Hold?

How much popcorn will our classroom hold? This intriguing question sparked a terrific integrated science and math exploration that the author conducted with fifth-and sixth-grade students....

Journal Article

Extrasensory Perception—Pseudoscience?

This case teaches students to be skeptical of “scientific claims,” especially those that are sensational and fall outside the boundaries of normal scientific explanation. Students read the case scenario and then evaluate data to determine whether...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: A first energy grant—Pinwheel electrical generation

This is an interdisciplinary activity—with art, science, and math classes involved—where students design their own pinwheels, and then attach their design to a DC generator (motor). Prior to testing their designs, students are introduced to bas...

Journal Article

The Radish Party

The Radish Party inquiry is designed to teach the importance and relevance of soil organic matter to young students. In this investigation, students grow radishes in three different kinds of soils: sand, sand plus nutrients, and potting soil (soil th...

Journal Article

Scope on Safety: Hammering home Earth-science safety

Kids love to cut up, tear apart, and smash things in order to study them. This is one reason they get so excited about the opportunity to study rocks and minerals in the lab or out in the field. Although this can certainly be fun and fuel their curio...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Doing sophisticated science simply—Help students understand the nature of science

We all recognize the power of inquiry-based instruction when implemented in our classrooms. It engages students and motivates them to actively participate in their learning. But do our students develop a deep understanding about the nature of science...

Journal Article

Using Narrative Informational Book Circles, Connection Charts, and Notebooks to Showcase Science as a Human Endeavor

Narrative informational book circles are the product of our efforts to combine current research in learning and cognition with integrated science and language-arts activities. They present instructional strategies that support students as they make c...

Journal Article

Society for College Science Teachers: Please <em> Don’t </em> Read the Text Before Coming to Lecture

It’s common for college professors to require students to complete a reading from the textbook prior to coming to class. Most professors who maintain syllabi for their courses list the chapters or page numbers that class members should read ahead o...

Journal Article

Teacher’s Toolkit: Improving science instruction through effective group interactions

Cooperative learning is a popular teaching strategy in which groups of students work together to accomplish a common goal, aiding them in developing a comprehensive understanding of a topic or concept. This strategy enables students of diverse backgr...

Journal Article

Guest Editorial: NSF Research Outreach Requirements—An Opportunity for <em> JCST </em> Readers

A recent issue of the American Physical Society newsletter (2007) described the various reactions that research physicists have to the NSF requirement that grant applications seeking support for basic research include a section describing the broader...

Journal Article

Teaching Science With Case Studies: A National Survey of Faculty Perceptions of the Benefits and Challenges of Using Cases

To understand more about faculty perceptions of the instructional benefits of and barriers to using case studies, the authors surveyed 101 science faculty at universities and colleges in the United States and Canada. The results provided evidence tha...

Journal Article

Fall Colors, Temperature, and Day Length

Along with the bright hues of orange, red, and yellow, the season of fall represents significant changes, such as day length and temperature. These changes provide excellent opportunities for students to use science process skills to examine how abio...

Journal Article

Giving Birth to Someone Else’s Children? A Case of Disputed Maternity

Most students have heard about situations in which the paternity of a child is questioned; in a surprising reversal, in this case study, maternity is in question. Designed for an introductory biology course, the case involves concepts from genetics, ...

Journal Article

A Cooperative Classroom Investigation of Climate Change

Scientists have a particularly difficult time explaining warming trends in Antarctica—a region with a relatively short history of scientific observation and a highly variable climate (Clarke et al. 2007). Regardless of the mechanism of warming, how...

Journal Article

Editorial: The Boy Scouts Said It Best—Some Advice on Case-Study Teaching and Student Preparation

Students are seldom prepared. They have many things, most not related to school, on their minds in college. In large classes in particular, student attendance falls off precipitously with each passing week of the semester, regardless of the skill of ...

Journal Article

Perspectives: Action Research: Inquiring Into Science Teaching and Learning

Teachers and schools are required by the No Child Left Behind Act to use research-based instructional practices. Although we often think of research as something university professors do, teachers can contribute to the research base on effective inst...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Metamorphosing into readers

One way to encourage students to read is to choose a subject that interests them. During middle school, students are metamorphosing into young adults. To take advantage of their natural interest in body changes, this unit on moths and butterflies was...

Journal Article

Climate Physics

Numerous connections exist between climate science and topics normally covered in physics and physical science courses. For instance, lessons on heat and light can be used to introduce basic climate science, and the study of electric circuits provide...

Journal Article

A Record of Climate Change

The hydrologic cycle is a very basic scientific principle. In this article, background information is presented on how the hydrologic cycle provides scientists with clues to understanding the history of Earth’s climate. Also detailed is a web-based...

Journal Article

Supporting English Language Learners’ Reading in the Science Classroom

It may seem obvious that students with limited reading skills also have limited educational opportunities. Students acquiring English as their second, non-native language—presently referred to as English Language Learners (ELLs)—face this obstacl...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Give students a purpose to read

After some reflection, the author found that by giving her students a purpose to read has led to a deeper understanding of the text. In this article, she outlines the questions teachers should ask themselves prior to assigning a reading to ensure its...

Journal Article

Every Day Science Calendar: September 2007

This monthly feature contains facts and challenges for the science explorer. ...

Journal Article

Let Monarchs Rule

Many teachers bring caterpillars into their class for their students to see the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. This is exciting and educational, but more can be done using Monarchs across the curriculum. An integrated butterfly unit ...

Journal Article

Editor’s Corner: Everybody Talks About It

Articles in this issue of The Science Teacher (TST) show how the weather and climate theme offers a rich opportunity for interdisciplinary inquiry in our science classes. An integrated, interdisciplinary investigation of climate may perhaps inspire...

Journal Article

Learning with Loggerheads

Kids tracking sea turtles? No, it’s not a description for a new nature show on TV, it’s a lesson, and it could be happening in your classroom! Sea turtle biologists worldwide are currently working together to track turtles to learn about sea turt...

Journal Article

Exploring Animals, Glossopedia Style

It’s the first day of the “Animals” unit for Tami Brester’s third-grade class and the first day her students are using Glossopedia, a free online multimedia science encyclopedia. But you wouldn’t know that from observing the kids, who are e...

Journal Article

The Tree of Animal Life

The Tree of Animal Life activity is a simple, sorting exercise that can help them see a bigger picture. The activity sets the stage for learning about animal taxonomy and introduces the characteristics of various animal groups in a general way. Thoug...

Journal Article

Schoolyard Microclimate

Students can gain an appreciation for the structure and function of local environments by studying the potential impacts of small changes in local microclimate on plant distribution. The concept of microclimate is easy for students to comprehend, sim...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Using the arts to enhance science learning

Over the years, the author has developed several lessons in which songs, arts and crafts, drama, and body motions are used to better facilitate student learning in life science. This article presents a sample of songs that correspond with a study of ...

Journal Article

Teacher’s Toolkit: Methods for success as a middle school science teacher

Effective teachers are prepared with methods for teaching science. Without them, the first day of school will be a disaster that will likely continue throughout the year. This article outlines some methods that will ensure success in teaching middle ...

Journal Article

Tech Trek: Electronic bulletin boards and digital student groups

Nothing is as irksome as a student who returns from a couple of days of being absent and asks nonchalantly, “Did I miss anything?” Not only do you have to backtrack through what you did in the last few days of instruction, but you must also remem...