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Journal Article

Editor's Note (July 2006)

In 19th century England, Luddites broke into factories at night to destroy the new, efficient machinery that threatened their jobs. The term has since been applied to anyone fearful or resistent to new technology. In this section the editor remarks ...

Journal Article

Point of View: What Makes it Science? A Modern Look

Scientific inquiry differs from other human inquiry in the kind of evidence scientists pay attention to. Scientific evidence was born, historically of human curiosity and its search for practical explanations of observed phenomena on which everyone ...

Journal Article

Every Day Science Calendar: July 2006

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

Journal Article

The Early Years: Roll With It

Sliding common objects, such as blocks, boxes, balls, empty containers, and even play foods down a ramp is a fun way for kids to start exploring some physical science concepts related to the position, force and motion of objects and to develop their ...

Journal Article

Problems Without Numbers--At First

When teaching problem solving, how many times have you been frustrated by students plugging in numerical values at the earliest opportunity? Symbols that represent concepts--"m" for mass, "v" for speed, "F" for force, and so forth--are too quickly su...

Journal Article

Crater Appeal

Recent focus on the planet Mars has led to incredible teaching opportunities, such as the Mars Student Imaging Project (MSIP) facilitated by Arizona State University's (ASU) Mars Education Program. The MSIP curriculum serves as an excellent model for...

Journal Article

The Case of the Disappearing Snack

Who doesn't love a good mystery? Not any kid we know! Second- and third-grade students sure did as they eagerly solved The Case of the Disappearing Snack. As they investigated the "crime," students developed critical-thinking skills and practiced u...

Journal Article

Build-a-Brain Project: Students Design and Model the Brain of an Imaginary Animal

The brain is a truly fascinating structure! Although the brain is a single organ, it is very complex and has several regions, each having a specific function. In this fun-filled, "minds-on" lesson, students learn about the various regions of the brai...

Journal Article

Drawing on Nature

Awaken and sharpen your students' powers of observation by using art, particulary drawing, in your science classroom. There is a commonality between methods that artists employ in portraying their subjects and the methods that those studying nature e...

Journal Article

Field Botany and Creative Writing: Where the Science of Writing Meets the Writing of Science

Merging science and writing to enhance both subjects was the objective of a venture known as Plant Notes. At first, teacher-written notes served as the inspiration for this writing assignment. Later, eclectic student-written novellas, poems, song l...

Journal Article

Teaching Through Trade Books: Imaginative Inventions

In today's fast-growing, highly competitive global marketplace, innovative thinking is more important than ever. Encourage your students' creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills with these technological design activities. Technology inv...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: The scientist and artist in all

Eliminate the faulty, stereotypical concept of the scientist and expose science as a diverse realm through this engaging and eye-opening activity. A class discussion and drawing activity bring students to understand that their perception of who scien...

Journal Article

Overcome Inertia through Summer Reading

Resistance or disinclination to motion is common in middle school teachers over the summer months, especially in those who find themselves at rest in a beach chair. But while your body is at rest, there are plenty of ways to energize your mind--readi...

Journal Article

Eye and Face Protection in School Science

Choosing what eye and face protection to provide for the high school science laboratory is often a challenge. Science teachers and school administrators may not fully understand the relevant safety regulations and standards or be able to correctly id...

Journal Article

Visualizing NeuroscienceL Learning about the Brain through Art

Neuroscience is a subject that can motivate, excite, and stimulate the curiosity of everyone. However, the study of the brain is made difficult by an abundance of new vocabulary words and abstract concepts. The art activities included in this article...

Journal Article

Phylogenetic Reconstruction as a Broadly Applicable Teaching Tool in the Biology Classroom: The Value of Data in Estimating Likley Answers

This laboratory exercise introduces students to a fundamental tool in evolutionary biology--phylogenetic inference. Students are required to create a data set via observation and through mining preexisting data sets. These student data sets are the...

Journal Article

Magnifying Students' Interest in Science

Textbooks often teach students that there is one scientific process of science that must be rigidly followed—which leads them to equate science with boredom! However, these negative perceptions can be eliminated by integrating visual art and micros...

Journal Article

Scope on Safety: Dust off your safety procedures

The National Air Pollution Central Administration estimates that over 43 million tons of dust falls on the United States yearly. Now, add to the dust and dirt scenario the exposures in a laboratory environment (such as hazardous chemical vapors, part...