All Resources

Journal Article

Scope on Safety: MSDS--What's it all about?

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) requires chemical manufactures to provide material safety data sheets (MSDS) for hazardous chemicals. This column will help science teachers, supervisors, and administrators better understand what is requ...

Journal Article

The Shad Story

Do you believe that science trade books can spark real-life involvement in saving a threatened fish? A successful science program at Westbrook Elementary School, in Bethesda, Maryland in which students participate in watershed restoration shows just...

Journal Article

Science Shorts: Inquiring About Isopods

Isopods, which include favorite backyard critters otherwise known as pill bugs or roly-polies, are intriguing in more ways than one. Not only do isopods easily promote inquiry and help reduce "bug" phobia among students, they also have the distinct ...

Journal Article

Crazy About Crayfish

What breathes and eats in water, dramatically clamps down on students' pencils, carries eggs that hatch to produce many offspring, excites students tremendously, does not die easily and stinks up a classroom, and--most importantly--is able to teach s...

Journal Article

Whiteboarding Your Way to Great Student Discussions

Dry erase boards, sometimes called whiteboards, are a powerful tool for facilitating discussion within groups of students. When each group receives a large whiteboard and specific instructions about how to use the board to record their thinking, stud...

Journal Article

Learning Logs in the Science Classroom - The Literacy Advantage

One of the most functional forms of writing to learn is two-column learning logs. Two-column learning logs are based on the premise that collecting information and processing information are two very different aspects of learning. Middle school stude...

Journal Article

Multigenre Lab Reports: Connecting Literacy and Science

The development of communication skills is a key component in any science program but most students don't see the connection between science and writing. Connect literacy and science by using this hands-on activity that is a fun alternative to tradit...

Journal Article

Studying Hammerheads in Hawaii

The High School Scalloped Hammerhead Shark Tagging Program in Hawaii is an example of a successful partnership researach collaboration. As part of the program, high school students and teachers worked with biologists from the University of Hawaii-Man...

Journal Article

Writing Through Inquiry

The inquiry science process provides a perfect opportunity for students to practice relational meaning in language. As students design their experiments, negotiate their ideas with peers, and share their data and conclusions, they sharpen both their ...

Journal Article

Using Digital Microscopy

Studying Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) live cultures provides excellent opportunities for authentic inquiry in a high school anatomy and physiology or other biology lab course. The anatomy of C. elegans, a free-living roundworm found in soil ...

Journal Article

Teaching Through Trade Books: Wonderful, Wiggly Worms

Worms have the ability to either elicit screams of excitement or perhaps screams period. Although we don't generally see them, worms are an important part of our world. Take this opportunity to introduce students to the importance worms serve in a...

Journal Article

Every Day Science Calendar: April 2006

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

Journal Article

Tried and True: Peanut butter and jelly science

Are you feeling frustrated with the quality of your students' writing or lack there of? If so, head straight for the peanut butter and jelly. Students will respond to this fun filled activity as they learn the importance of writing clear procedures i...

Journal Article

A Rewarding Partnership

A collaborating scientist—a rewarding addition to any high school science program—can help students collect and analyze data that either replicates or parallels the work of the partnering scientist. A perfect example of a scientist-student collab...

Journal Article

Editor's Note (April/May 2006)

Children's passion for animals is not surprising. Animals can calm and heal both children and adults. Critters--whether furry, cute, large, small, or even a little creepy--inspire and entertain us. Despite their recognized value, they are often ne...

Journal Article

Issues in-depth: Cloning: A critical analysis of myths and media

The science behind cloning, and its long history, provide teachers with a real-life, high interest topic through which they can launch an effort to raise students’ media literacy skills. By blending science content with critical thinking and reflec...

Journal Article

Science Sampler - Eggheads: Pioneers of genetics

Today, scientific discoveries can feel anonymous to students. We take many breakthrough discoveries for granted. This timeline activity was created to renew the notion that individual actions make a difference in the progress of scientific thought. S...

Journal Article

Teaching Science to Students with Learning Disabilities

Due to increasingly widespread inclusion practices and more thorough identification procedures, students with documented learning disabilities (LD) are becoming a larger percentage of the science classroom. Because many practicing science teachers ha...

Journal Article

The Art & Science of Mask Making

Art, particularly observational drawing, plays an important role in science. By creating representational artwork, students develop observation skills and appreciation of the diverse ways organisms have adapted to life on Earth. This interdisciplinar...

Journal Article

Diabetes Education in Tribal Schools

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations are in the midst of a Type 2 diabetes epidemic. To address this crisis, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) began funding a national initiative titled "Diabete...

Journal Article

From Garden to Table

The sight of young children eagerly reaching for and eating string beans, carrots, lettuce, radishes, and even raw beets and onions is an incredibly satisfying one for a science teacher. The experience of growing food is a natural motivation for get...

Journal Article

Take a Tumble: Weathering and Erosion Using a Rock Tumbler

The subtle effects of weathering and erosion are difficult to convey to students. However, through this activity, students can use a rock tumbler to gain a personal and scientific perspective on weather and erosion. Students have the opportunity to d...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Phasing in lunar observations

Increase students' understanding of the phases of the Moon through this interdisciplinary unit which includes a pre-test to gauge students' prior knowledge and a post-test to assess their increased understanding of the taught concepts upon completion...

Journal Article

Society for College Science Teachers: Should We Allow Disclaimers in Textbooks? Maybe the Right Ones.

Many scientists are concerned about efforts to place disclaimers in textooks concerning the controversial nature of certain theories. The issues raised in such disclaimers are that a particular explanation for a set of observations may not be correc...

Journal Article

Brewing Science: Using Beer and the Brewing Process to Stimulate Interest in Science and the Science Laboratory

Following the brewing process from grain to glass, this course uses the biological and chemical principles of brewing to teach science to the nonscience major. Discussion of the scientific aspects of malting, mashing, fermentation, and the making of...

Journal Article

Lighten up your Lesson: Matter, optics, and bubbles

Your students will burst with excitement as they study soap bubbles to understand the phases of matter and the reflection of light. The study of soap bubbles addresses the national Science Education Standards for grades 5-8 related to the properties ...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Girls, robots, and science education

Diversity in most environments is critical to success. Science instruction with the implementation of robotics could provide girls with the needed impetus to consider fields in engineering and computer science, which are traditionally dominated by ma...

Journal Article

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (2005)

The annual list of Outstanding Science Trade Books for K-12 students was selected by a committee of National Science Teacher Association members. This comprehensive list of selected books were all published in 2005....

Journal Article

Moving Research Into the Classroom: Successful Adaptations at a Service Academy

To promote research exposure for biology students, a team developed a successful classroom-based research program in two elective courses. Students work in small groups mentored by faculty and allotted class time to conduct highly focused research p...

Journal Article

Is There Room for Reflection in a Science Course for Nonscience Majors? A New Way to Look at Assessment

The Diagnostic Learning Log (Angelo and Cross 1993) is a focused journal entry where students indicate what they have learned from a particular unit, pose those questions, indicate aspects of classroom practice they found helpful, and provide suggest...

Journal Article

Favorite Demonstration: Demonstrating Translation With a Student-Centered Activity

The process of protein synthesis translation is difficult for many students to understand. The reasons for this include the fact that it is difficult to visualize the process since the components involved in the process are not observable. Also, th...

Journal Article

Fat Finders

Everyday the media bombards us with concern over childhood obesity. More American children than ever before are developing health problems related to their eating habits and lack of exercise. The classroom is the perfect place to deal with this natio...

Journal Article

Attitudes in Education

More than half of all students with learning disabilities (LD) receive science instruction in regular education classes. Because LD student numbers are increasing, the ability of classroom teachers to accommodate these students is being challenged. T...