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Journal Article

Science Shorts: Tangling With Hair

You're probably familiar with the fairy tale of Rapunzel and how her prince climbed her golden locks to her tower. In this month's activity, your students will be surprised to find that--though not suitable as a ladder--hair is a lot stronger than t...

Journal Article

Editorial: Explosive Decompression

It is revitalizing to hear and to share new ideas and new methods with fellow colleagues; to engage thoroughly in the community of individuals working side by side to instruct, and yes, to assist in the maturation of students. A few good new ideas a...

Journal Article

Every Day Science Calendar: March 2006

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

Journal Article

The Finches' Beaks: Introducing Evolutionary Concepts

Many secondary students hold misconceptions about evolution, even after instruction, that are often inconsistent with what is accepted by evolutionary biologists. This activity is based on scientific evidence but many assumptions and alterations have...

Journal Article

Hierarchical Learning Ensembles: Team Building for Undergraduate Scientists and Engineers

This article describes the design and implementation of the Hierarchical Learning Ensemble (HLE) model, a pedagogy that assembles interdisciplinary teams of graduate, undergraduate, and secondary-level students to solve science and engineering proble...

Journal Article

Editor's Note (March 2006)

In this section the editor discusses how children are expected to understand how their bodies work as well as how to keep their bodies healthy as aligned with the National Science Education Standards. She gives an overview of the articles in the cur...

Journal Article

Libros de Ciencias en Espanol (2006): A selection of recent science trade books in Spanish

If you have Spanish-speaking students in your science class, you will likely be interested in learning about the recent releases of Spanish trade books for children. From delightful board books and counting books for the very young to comprehensible...

Journal Article

The Early Years: Tooth Time

One of the big changes in childhood is the loss of "baby" teeth, beginning around age five. Children often say, "I'm a big kid now. I lost my tooth!" This event is longed for, feared, and celebrated. Tooth care is much on children's (and their pa...

Journal Article

Idea Bank: Wilderness Search and Rescue

As a science teacher, you are probably bombarded with the questions, “Why do we need to know this information?” and “Who uses this information in their jobs?” from your high school students on a daily basis. To answer their questions, incorpo...

Journal Article

Exploring Cells from the Inside Out: New Tools for the Classroom

After the first observations of life under the microscope, it took two centuries of research before the "cell theory" was established. Fortunately, today's teachers can take advantage of computer technology and speed up the discovery process in their...

Journal Article

Tech Trek: Homework helpers

Homework can be tough-- especially if support is not available. Luckily, technology is now lending a hand to students who may be struggling at home with difficult science vocabulary, concepts, and experimental-design assignments. The following websit...

Journal Article

Science 101: How does the human body turn food into useful energy?

As with just about everything else involving the human body, it is absolutely amazing that we can chow down on various things and somehow use this basic action to grow, move, breathe, and all other kinds of things. This article answers the question ...

Journal Article

Making Mendel's Model Manageable

Genetics is often a fascinating but difficult subject for middle level students. This engaging activity presents an approach that helps students understand how genotypes can translate into phenotypes using Gummi Bears and Gummi Dolphins to solve prob...

Journal Article

Teacher’s Toolkit: The Computational Science Education Reference Desk

The June 2005 report of the President’s Information Technology Advisory Council stated that “Computational science is now indispensable to the solution of complex problems in every sector, from traditional science and engineering domains to such ...

Journal Article

Editor's Corner: Teaching Science for All

Diversity comes in many flavors. Achievement gaps have been identified with respect to race and ethnicity, but also regarding gender, limited English ability, socioeconomic status, and learning differences. The Science Teacher (TST) has a long histor...

Journal Article

Science at Hogwarts

Reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone aloud to her sixth grade students, inspired a teacher to create a mathematics activity based on budgeting for school supplies. The increased interest led to a connection between their study of fungi and ...

Journal Article

Science Sampler - Solutions and dilutions: Mixing the math into the science

This lab activity teaches students how to make solutions and dilutions while reinforcing the mathematical concepts involved. The materials used are cost-effective, readily available, and safe for students to handle. “I see now!” is a common refr...

Journal Article

Scope on Safety - Safety contracts: Let it be written, let it be done

Student safety contracts are an important tool for teachers to use in helping to prepare for and maintain a safe working environment. They also serve an additional means of showing that the teacher was working in good faith when dealing with safety i...

Journal Article

The Moon Project

What do Australia, Alaska, Qatar, Indiana, and Ohio all have in common? Similar climates? Population numbers? No, the authentic writing More Observations of Nature (MOON) Project! In this unique project, teachers from these disparate geographic l...

Journal Article

Teaching Through Trade Books: Science From the Heart

It's a fact: kids today are less fit than they were only a generation ago. Many are showing early signs of cardiovascular risk factors such as physical inactivity, excess weight, and higher blood cholesterol. Now more than ever, it is important to ...

Journal Article

Tried and True: Evaporating is cool

Many students hold misconceptions about evaporation. In this short exercise, students will apply the kinetic molecular theory to explain how cold water can evaporate and to observe the cooling effect of evaporation, and develop their own evaporation ...

Journal Article

The Nervous System Game

For many children, especially those with reading difficulties, a motor-kinesthetic learning activity may be an effective tool to teach complex concepts (Gardner 1993). With this in mind, a team developed and tested a game designed to teach fourth- to...

Journal Article

Science S.O.S.

Reflecting on a recent case study, this article discusses one district’s process for adopting a new science curriculum and how it revealed key issues in establishing and keeping high-quality elementary science programs. The author highlights proble...

Journal Article

Science 101: Why does a color change indicate a chemical change?

There are a a number of indicators you can use to determine whether or not a chemical reaction has occurred. Among them are a change in color, the evolution of a gas, and the production or absorption of heat. To understand why any of these indicato...

Journal Article

Mixing and Making Changes

Preschool children explore matter and complete a solution-making lesson in which they categorize substances (water, sugar, and lemon juice) and mix them together to make a change (lemonade)....

Journal Article

Engaging Ecosystems

These inquiry-based projects ensure that students use higher-level thinking skills to improve the community and investigate global and environmental issues. Each project is connected to the previous year's to give students a deeper understanding of h...

Journal Article

Teaching Expository Text Structures

Many students enter high school unskilled in the art of reading to learn from science textbooks. Even students who can read full-length novels often find science books difficult to read because students have relatively little practice with the variou...

Journal Article

After the Bell: Calories, energy, and the food you eat

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States, and has recently reached epidemic proportions. Part of the solution in controlling obesity is to make students aware of the amount and type of food they eat. In this activity, students will calculate...

Journal Article

Career of the Month: An Interview with Video Game Level Designer John Feil

Who would have thought that time spent playing video games could lead to a lucrative career? This was a dream-come-true for John Feil, a Video Game Level Designer at LucasArts--the company that makes Star Wars games. In this month's column, Feil des...

Journal Article

Safety First!

Working with young children and chemicals requires attention to safety. This article details the experiences of a third-grade teacher who used a “disaster” to create a hands-on inquiry that introduces children to chemistry safety during a third-g...

Journal Article

The Play Dough Evaluation Project

Fourth-grade students gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of “properties” by evaluating and comparing play doughs. Students also hone their observation and reporting skills and enrich their vocabulary, integrating language arts into this a...

Journal Article

In Search of Air Pollution

Using EPA and NOAA websites, students are able to view pollution inventories (the amounts and kinds of pollution released in a given location) and follow pollution along its estimated path of travel. This inquiry based lesson guides students in the u...

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Science Sampler: Weather RATS

Weather RATS, or Weather Research and Tracking Systems, is a collaborative effort among a national network of K-12 students, their teachers, wireless weather stations, internet data sharing, and professional engineers and meteorologists. Weather Rats...

Journal Article

Fun with Phase Changes

Simple phase change explorations build a “solid” foundation for later learning about molecules. Using water as the example, upper-elementary students participate in activities that introduce the idea of the arrangement of molecules in a solid, li...

Journal Article

Scope on Safety: How to prevent a shattering safety experience

A study done several years ago indicated that over half of the science laboratory accidents reviewed involved glassware. However, the risk of injury can be reduced if appropriate safety guidelines are followed. This article outlines prudent practices...

Journal Article

Indicators for Inquiry

Fifth-grade students use homemade plant-based acid/base indicators to learn about matter at an age-appropriate level and develop process skills. As a result of completing this lesson sequence the students should be able to perform many tasks using pr...